Overview

Bridge the gap between nature and history on the 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour the,  an active exploration of two innately beautiful lands in Southeast Asia. We travel by foot, bicycle, car, cruise boat and motorboat around many of Vietnam and Laos’ individual landmarks, as well as looking out over the scenic vistas that run between them.

The 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour begins in Hanoi, the country’s bustling but traditional capital, before moving on through the north of the country to find brilliant examples of natural splendour at Mai Chau, Ninh Binh and Halong Bay cruises. Here, the peaks of forested limestone mountains reach high from their foothills, surrounded by lush rice paddies at Mai Chau and Ninh Binh, or by the gently lapping emerald waters of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Halong Bay.

A flight to Luang Prabang will introduce us to the jungle of northern Laos, where vast swathes of tropical forest are perforated by the jagged tips and rolling hills of its many mountains. With Luang Prabang as a base, we visit the caves, waterfalls, jungles, rivers and gardens dotted around the province, taking the opportunity to meet elephants and members of a unique ethnic minority along the way.

The best sense of adventure stems from the freedom to roam. With this in mind, the 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour allows for plenty of active trekking and cycling, along with many opportunities to relax afterwards in the heavenly tranquility of two waterfalls, a cruise and a resort.

12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour Highlights

Exploring the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi through its ancient remnants and significant modern accomplishments

Cycling through the villages and around the magnificent mountains and rice fields of Mai Chau

Relaxing on a boat ride and gentle cycling tour of stunning Tam Coc, while learning of the country’s vivacious history at Hoa Lu

Cruising around the ultimate paradise of Halong Bay, Vietnam’s top destination and the site of some of its most beautiful scenery

Enjoying the delights of Luang Prabang and its satellite villages, along with assisting in the traditional farming that takes place in its outlying areas

Visiting the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, meeting the Khmu ethnic minority and playing with elephants along the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers

Swimming around two awe-inspiring waterfalls, Kuang Si and Tad Sae, flanked by jungle and gifted with azure blue pools.

12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour Summary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (N/A)

Activities: Beginning the 12 Days Vietnam and LaosTour with arrival to, and a free day in, Hanoi.

Meet our guide at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport and head into the city’s Old Quarter to check into Hanoian Elite Home Hotel. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 2: Hanoi City Full Day (B,L)

 Activities: Engaging on a tour of Hanoi by car, by foot and by cyclo.

After breakfast in your hotel, meet the guide at 08:00 in the lobby to begin our city tour of the country’s capital. We start with a visit to the national hero of Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh, whose body is stored in the mausoleum near his attractive former residence and the humble One-Pillar Pagoda. After visiting these, and other attractions around the historic Ba Dinh Square, we head to the Temple of Literature, built as the first Confucian university in Vietnam over 1000 years ago.

Lunch at a local restaurant will be followed by a visit to the Museum of Ethnology, where we will learn of the many ethnic minorities of Vietnam, as well as see full-scale replicas of beautiful ethnic houses in the museum’s grounds.

A tour of central Hanoi on cyclos will show us the city as they did for the French diplomats during their occupation here. We wind through the mish-mash of architectural styles in the Old Quarter before arriving at the Ngoc Son Temple in the capital’s emblematic Hoan Kiem Lake, recognisable by the Turtle Tower that sits on a small islet in the water. We finish the day's touring in Hanoi with a brief walk around the back alleys of Hanoi, discovering plenty of hidden delights where you might want to have your dinner before returning to your hotel.

 Notes: 
+ The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays, Fridays and during the months of September and October. Ho Chi Minh’s former residence is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

 
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau (B, L)

Activities: Heading through lush scenery to Mai Chau before taking a cycling tour and some free time.

Await pick-up at 08:00 in your hotel lobby; our guide will arrive and transfer you by van across stunning scenery to Mai Chau.

We arrive at Mai Chau at about midday and enjoy a welcome drink. Sit down for lunch and a taste of the local cuisine in one of the homely restaurants here.

After lunch, we jump onto our bicycles and start our cycling tour of this magnificent region, looking out for the quintessential Vietnamese scenes of farmers tilling rice paddies, framed majestically by the soaring mountains and forested hilltops around us. We head through peaceful villages where locals thread scarves and create other handicrafts from beautiful tribal textiles, as well as processing rice and drying various items of food on large reed mats in the sun.

Once our cycling tour ends, you will have time to find a spot for sunset and watch the glorious spectacle descend on one of northern Vietnam’s most wonderful locations.

 Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch

Notes: 
Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Mai Chau.

Day 4: Mai Chau 0 Ninh Binh (B,L)

Activities: Exploring village life in Mai Chau before heading to picturesque Ninh Binh.

We take breakfast at our accommodation and head out to the rural villages of Na Meo and Na Mo, two remote locales where villagers participate in unique customs in typically gorgeous surroundings.

Returning to the hotel for lunch, we then jump in the car and head eastwards to Ninh Binh, known locally as the inland Halong Bay. We will check into the hotel to relax and suggest places where you might want to watch another wonderful sunset sink between the jagged peaks of Ninh Binh’s mountains.

Notes: 
Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Ninh Binh.

Day 5: Hoa Lu - Tam Coc (B,L)

Activities: Touring the old seat of power at Hoa Lu before a boat ride and cycle tour of Tam Coc.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as your guide will meet you at 09:00 this morning to show you Vietnam’s ancient capital of 44 years. King Le and King Dinh ruled the country from here in the 10th and 11th centuries and their legacy has been immortalised in the temples dedicated to them. We will visit these splendid temples to learn more about the kings and their country of Dai Viet, which predated Vietnam.

We follow this with a trip to Tam Coc, where we will arrive to a full buffet lunch at a restaurant. After this, we head into the village where we will begin a 90-minute boat ride along the Ngo Dong River, which follows a path between limestone mountains and through magical wet caves.

Returning to the dock with your camera likely full, we climb onto our bikes and pedal slowly along soft country paths, opening up on both sides to vast fields of rice and backed by the sharp rise of majestic mountains.

Your day tour to Hoa Lu - Tam Coc ends and you get back to your bus for the transfer to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at around 06.30 - 07.00 PM.

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch

Notes: 
Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Ninh Binh.

Day 6: Ninh Binh - Halong Bay (B,L,D)

Activities: Transferring to Halong Bay and beginning the 2-day, 1-night itinerary with kayaking, a visit to a cave and cruising through the tranquil waters of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your hotel breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Halong Bay in the northeast of the country, famed worldwide for the unique splendour of its mountain and sea landscape. We are welcomed onto our gorgeous traditional junk boat with a delicious seafood lunch and by the smiling faces of the friendly crew.

The various activities we do on our 2 days 1 night cruise in Halong Bay will give you an up-close look at the bay via its many gorgeous angles. We will kayak on the calm waters of the bay and head to a cave to learn of the origins of different rock formations and hear of the local legends that are attached to them.

There will be a cooking class once we re-board the cruise, where you can learn how to make spring rolls to the background of a vivid sunset projecting its red light across the water’s surface. Enjoy a drink at the bar before dinner, which is an elaborate affair, taking place in the dining room amidst the company of other guests.

Take the time after dinner to socialise with passengers, try out some squid fishing or reflect on this midway point of your 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour from your cabin or the sundeck.

Stay overnight in Halong Bay.

Day 7: Halong Bay - Hanoi Airport - Luang Prabang (B,L)

Activities: Finishing our Halong Bay cruise and heading to the airport in order to fly to Luang Prabang in Laos.

Wake up early this morning to take advantage of the tai chi session taking place on the sundeck during sunrise. Breakfast will be served afterwards on the slow return to the mainland, which stops off at Titop Island en-route. This small speck of land affords us the options of relaxing on the beach or climbing the 400 steps to the peak, where trekkers are rewarded with a breathtaking view over Halong Bay’s many undulating islands.

Returning to the cruise, we check out and enjoy a fantastic lunch before arriving at the harbour. End of the trip on Halong Bay Cruise you will wave goodbye to the crew as you board the transfer van to Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport, where you will also wave goodbye to your tour guide and board the flight to Luang Prabang in Laos.

Your new local guide will collect you from the airport and take you to your downtown hotel for your check-in and relaxation into the Laotian pace of life.

Notes: 

Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 8: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Caves Cycling (B,L)

Activities: Cycling from Luang Prabang to Bang Xang Hai village and the Pak Ou Caves, before returning to Luang Prabang via a cruise on the Mekong River.

We follow breakfast in the morning with a cycle through the verdant northeastern suburbs of Luang Prabang. About 2 hours later, we arrive at Ban Xang Hai, a bastion for the traditional way of life where local rice wine is fermented in large clay jars. We will try the local specialties of Lau Lao and Lau Hai, a locally made whiskey and wine respectively, before continuing on to Ban Pak Ou, about 45 minutes up the road.

We will have lunch here before crossing the Mekong River and heading to the remarkable Pak Ou Caves, two interconnected chambers containing thousands of Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes, placed here to mark the end of a successful pilgrimage undertaken by devout Buddhists.

We return to Luang Prabang via a boat down the magnificent Mekong, taking in the views of rolling tree-topped hills separated by golden fields of rice and abundant fruit orchards. If time allows, we will stop at the village of Ban Xang Khong, where locals engage in the meticulous processes of creating paper from mulberries and weaving elaborately patterned scarves.

Notes: 

Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 9: Rice Expericence - Kuang Si Waterfall (B,L)

Activities: Trying out centuries-old farming techniques, swimming at Kuang Si Waterfalls, visiting a sanctuary for rescued bears and watching sunset from the back of a craft workshop.

We have a unique opportunity after breakfast to try our hand at rice and vegetable farming in the splendid surroundings of Luang Prabang’s countryside. Follow the guiding of our professional Laotian farmer as they show us the techniques for ploughing the land and transplanting and harvesting rice, or simply take the option to view the idyllic scene from the balcony of the adjoining house.

The villages around here are rich with individualised crafts including weaving with bamboo, processing sugar cane or melding metal into tools. We will take a brief tour of these before heading to a lovely organic garden to learn of how its herbs are used in cooking as well as in traditional medicine.

After a very scenic lunch on a terrace, we continue driving to the resplendent Kuang Si Waterfalls, the largest of many in Luang Prabang Province. The three-tiered falls contain a perfect azure hue and create a scene of utter paradise when experienced in their jungle surroundings. We will stop here for a while to soak up the atmosphere and swim in the clean, cooling water. 

Next, a visit to the Bear Rescue Center will lift your spirits higher with the sights of frolicking bears, saved from poachers and traffickers and given free roam around a protected piece of jungle.

The drive back to town will be punctuated with a stop at the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, a wonderful workshop that keeps various Laotian and hill tribe traditions alive by creating and selling wares from rural enclaves of Luang Prabang Province. The wooden terrace at the back is the perfect place to watch a scenic sunset dip beyond the Mekong.

Notes: 
Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 10: Pha Tad Ke Experience - Lao Spirit Resort (B,L)

Activities: Learning of Laos’ diverse flora at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens and its deadly war relics at the UXO Vistor Center, before relaxing into our accommodation at the Lao Spirit Resort.

Meet our guide just before 09:00 for the boat ride from Ban Wat That pier to the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens. After a brief presentation about the first botanical gardens in the country, we take a walk around the ginger and ethno-botanic gardens at the park’s centre before following the Limestone Walk around the bamboo, tropical and palm gardens as well as the arboretum.

We will enjoy a leisurely lunch here in the luxuriant greenery of Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens, after which we take the boat back to Luang Prabang and visit the UXO Visitor Center to learn of the ongoing battle against the 80 million unexploded bombs left after Laos’ Civil War.

We then take the drive to the village of Ban Xieng Lom, where we find the Lao Spirit Resort. We will take the rest of the afternoon relaxing at this wonderful resort on the banks of the Nam Khan River, flanked by misty mountains and the forests that climb up their rock faces. 

Notes: 
Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight at the Lao Spirit Resort.

Day 11: Elephant Camp - Khmu Ethnic Village - Tad Sae Waterfall (B,L)

Activities: Playing with elephants at a nearby elephant camp, trekking through jungle to a village of the Khmu hill tribe, before relaxing at Tad Sae Waterfall and returning to Luang Prabang by boat.

Enjoy a tranquil breakfast before your guide takes you into the neighbouring jungle, where we will find our elephant camp. Meet and play with the beautiful elephants that live here in this perfect habitat. You can take the option to ride on top of the elephants, but we fully respect your decision not to if you object on moral grounds.

A small boat will transfer us across the Nam Khan River to begin a gentle hike through thick jungle bordered by stretching mountains. A local guide of the Khmu ethnic minority will welcome us to their village and take us on a brief tour, providing a unique opportunity to learn of a largely reclusive life lived in the jungle.

We follow a scenic path to the Tad Sae Waterfall, a gradually tumbling flow of water that forms into several teal pools, interspersed with trees and surrounded by thick vegetation. This is a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon and we will enjoy the seclusion afforded by its remote location, eating a picnic lunch and taking long, relaxing dips in the cool water.

A boat and car ride will take us back to Luang Prabang, where we will check into a hotel for the final night of your 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour.

 Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch

 Notes: 
+ Make your own arrangements for dinner and stay overnight in Luang Prabang.
+ In the months of the dry season (February to July), the water levels of Tad Sae Waterfall decrease drastically and can even dry up entirely. If travelling in these months, we will instead extend our trek to a local village, where we will have lunch, and take a longer cruise back along the beautiful Nam Khan River to Luang Prabang.

Day 12: Luang Prabang Departure (B)

Activities: Conclude the 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour with your last taste of local culture before heading to Luang Prabang International Airport for your onwards flight.

On the final day of your tour, we rise early to observe villagers presenting alms to orange-robed Buddhist monks, who proceed solemnly through the streets in a continuation of a tradition dating back eight centuries. We follow this with a visit to the morning market in Luang Prabang to watch the daily scene of fervent haggling and selling unfold before us.

We return to the hotel for a final breakfast and check-out. Our driver will take you to the airport and our guide will wave you onto your plane, marking the end of your 12 Days Vietnam and Laos Adventure Tour. It was a pleasure to have your company and we very much hope to see you again soon!

Destinations	Superior Category (3 stars class)	Premium Category (4 stars class)	Luxury Category (5 star class)
Hanoi	Hanoian Elite Home Hotel
Mai Chau	Homestay Mai Chau
Ninh Binh	Ninh Binh Legend Hotel	Ninh Binh Hidden Charm & Resort	Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh
Halong Bay	Renea Cruise	V’spirit Premier Cruise	Sealife Legend Cruise
Luang Prabang	Lao Spirit Resort	Sanctuary Luang Prabang Hotel	Luang Prabang View Hotel

TOUR PRICE: On request

• Transportation by private vehicles equipped with A/C, and transportation by shared vehicles when operating as part of a group tour

• Local English-speaking guides 

• Breakfast at the hotel and other meals mentioned in the itinerary 

• All entrance fees where mentioned 

• Accommodation in the category chosen or similar 

• Flights in tour: Hanoi – Luang Prabang

• Drinks during the meals 

• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary 

• Personal insurance 

• Tips and personal expenses 

• Any services not mentioned in the itinerary 

• Vietnam and Laos visa stamp fees

• Hotel late checkout and early check-in

• Optional tours as mentioned in the itinerary

• International flights and airport tax