Vegan Ventures - Vietnam

Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, you will meet your local guide, driver and travel to your hotel downtown. 

Balance the day at leisure.

Enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant to get to know your fellow travel companions. 

Meals included: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Airport transfer (Noi Bai airport to downtown): 28 kilometers - 45min. 
Note:
+ Check-in at the hotel from 14:00
+ Airport transfer is one group transfer. Individual transfer can be arranged and at a supplement. 

09:00: Stroll around Hanoi Old Quarter: 
You will set off from Sword Lake, passing by Hang Hanh - the famous coffee street and heading towards the Catholic Church. Wandering in these peaceful alleys, your eyes will catch the daily scenes of street vendors quietly napping in the shade or a motorbike taxi-driver (or xe om in Vietnamese) sleeping precariously on his bike. Then, suddenly, you will again find yourself in a noisy and busy street. Throughout the tour, your senses will be bombarded with a cascade of different sights, sounds, smells and characters that harmonize to the music of life in Hanoi.

Distance and duration of the walk: 4 kilometers - 2 hours

11:00: Coffee experiences - Hanoi in a Cup:
One of Hanoi's most iconic features is its coffee culture and amazing abundance of coffee shops, which open early till very late at night. Some are famous for their drinks, some are known for their style, design and others for their background story. Follow your guide, a local Hanoian, to discover a coffee shop to see the true side of local culture.

Afternoon is at leisure. 

17:00: Evening story of street food 
This evening, you will have an opportunity to understand what makes Hanoi's Old Quarter such a captivating place. Here, you will be able to taste a wide variety of Vietnamese specialties, such as banh cuon (steamed rolled rice pancake) and banh mi (the famous Vietnamese sandwich that even appears in the Oxford Dictionary). After that, you will head to a ‘hidden’ corner of Hanoi for a short walk along a special "graffiti wall" which is also a good location for coffee shops with great views of Hanoi’s lively streets. Enjoy your drink and feel the rhythms of the night-life in this magical capital. 

Duration: 3 hours

Meals included: Breakfast, dinner during food tour
Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

08:30: Departure from hotel
09:00: Start: The Tea Tasting Experience (60 min session):
This tea tasting experience will provide you with a deeper knowledge of the history of tea and its origins in Vietnam.
Here you’ll be greeted by the tea master who will explain all the customs and values of tea serving in Vietnamese culture and the process of what they call “from the field to the cup”. Then, you’ll learn how to inhale and distinguish the different types of tea. Lastly, learn the correct way to make the most flavorful cup of tea and taste the 3 different types of tea (Crescent Môn Tea, Fresh Lotus Tea and Oriental Beauty). 

10:00: Departure to Women's Museum.
10:30: Visit the Women’s Museum (closed on Mondays): Introduced in 1995, this remarkable museum contains a collection of about 28,000 objects, photos, costumes, books and letters highlighting the history of women in Vietnam. It not only presents different female costumes and traditions of various ethnic groups but also pays tribute to the courage and great sacrifice of women during the wars. The scenography of the museum is very pleasant with high-quality videos and photos.

Have lunch in a local restaurant and return to hotel for a rest. 

15:00: Departure from hotel.
15:30: Visit the Temple of Literature: You will visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu in Vietnamese), situated in the place once known as the first university of Vietnam. Built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the university was first opened for princes and mandarins exclusively. Inside, you will find 82 of the original 116 stelae engraving the names of the winners from doctorate competitions. Outside, with its ancient courtyards, altars and roofs, Van Mieu is a very fine example of Vietnamese architecture.

17:30: Departure to the local family which is close to the Temple of Literature for dinner. 
A meal with a local family in Hanoi: You will reach your host‘s house by stepping away from the busy streets and entering a typical Hanoian alley. Here, you’ll enjoy a delicious meal with Hanoian dishes prepared with the utmost care and dedication by the family’s cooks. During the meal, you‘ll be able to listen and share valuable stories about family, culture, customs, and traditions with your host. After the meal, if his conditions allow, you might get to meet and hear from the head of the family, a veteran in his mid-80s who is happy to share his mid-80‘sng stories and, especially, his passion for music by playing a traditional musical instrument, the “đàn bầu.” In the end, you will surely leave with a satisfied belly and memories of fun and valuable experiences spent with a Vietnamese family.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner 
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

08:30: Departure from the hotel to Mai Chau
You will depart from Hanoi to Mai Chau, passing along charming little roads. En route, you will find the road ascends gradually until you find yourself in the middle of a landscape of mountains set at a medium altitude.

12:00: Arrival in Mai Chau, you will be served a welcome lunch prepared by a local family in a traditional Thai stilt house in Mai Chau.

14:00: You will go for a short walk to explore different Thai villages surrounded by stunning limestone mountains and rice paddies. Walk on mainly paved paths, linking the villages of Pom Coong, Lac, Na Phon, Na Thia and Chieng Chau. 

Duration and distance of the walking tour: 7 kilometers – 1h 30min to 2 hours

After the walking loop you will reach your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at Avana
Accommodation: Overnight at Avana Retreat. 
Distance Hanoi - Mai Chau: 170km - 4 hours

Morning: Half-day easy hike - Bamboo Forest
08:30: start your hike by walking from the village down to a stream, crossing a suspension bridge and passing by the surrounding rice fields before reaching the other side of the valley. Here, you will hike up through a bamboo forest to reach its top, where you will get to see the villagers’ fishponds and bamboo huts. Then, you will descend through the bamboo forest to reach a main road. Crossing the road and a small stream, you will start walking through the rice fields to reach the Bao village. Here you can make a short stop to visit a traditional stilt house and get to know more about the culture and daily life of the locals. At the end, head back to the main road, where your driver will be waiting for you for your return trip to Avana.

Distance and duration of the hike: 5 kilometers – 2 hours. Elevation gain: 150 meters. Level: 0. Transportation: 30 minutes per way.

10:30: Arrival Avana Retreat and at leisure. 

12:00: Have lunch at Avana Restaurant

15:00: Weaving Experience in the local house in Buoc village 

+ After lunch, travel to a local house in Buoc village (around 15min drive from Avana Retreat).
+ Start the Weaving experience at 03:25 pm. Observe the traditional process of hand-weaving, which is introduced by a family member (the daughter of the local house). You will then have a chance to try weaving by yourself. At the end of the experience, a handmade woven scarf will be offered to each participant as a souvenir to take home.
+ After the experience, relax and hang out before dinner at the same local house.

17:30: Departure from Avana Retreat to a local village for Dinner and a traditional music performance in Buoc village:
You will travel for around 15 minutes to Buoc village, where you will have dinner at a local house and experience a traditional music performance.

After dinner, you will travel back to Avana. 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner 
Accommodation: Avana Retreat 

Early morning: Private Yoga class
Timing: 06:00am- 07:00am  (this is best time in term of quietness)
Early in the morning, start your day by enjoying a private yoga session during the quietest hours, allowing your body and mind to gently awaken and find balance for the day ahead.

Have breakfast

Cooking class at Avana Retreat: Please note that only 8 people can join the cooking activity -  Available to the first 8 travellers who book

08:00: start the session
Uncover the tasty secrets of local cuisine with a cooking class at the resort. You will start the experience on a ride with the chef to visit a local garden, learn about the local vegetables and hand-pick the ones needed for the cooking session. Then, travel back to Avana Retreat and try your hand at crafting a delicious lunch. The chef will reveal his cooking techniques and the ingredients behind each dish. Finish with a tasting session of the food prepared in class. 

Duration: 3 to 4 hours from 08:00 to 12:00

Afternoon is at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch (after the cooking class), dinner 
Accommodation: Avana Retreat

08:00: Departure Avana Retreat
You will travel to Ninh Binh province and arrival in private Van Long House around noon.

12:00: Enjoy a lunch overlooking the rice fields in private Van Long House, consisting of delicious Vietnamese dishes prepared with the utmost care by your host.

13:30: You will take part in a Conical Hat painting workshop at Van Long House: 
The Vietnamese conical hat (nón lá) is a timeless cultural icon of Vietnam. Not only does it offer protection from the sun and rain, but it also reflects the grace and resilience of Vietnamese women, especially those working tirelessly in the rice fields. Take your time at Van Long House to enjoy a conical hat–painting workshop, where each hat becomes a canvas for your creativity. Choose a theme that inspires you, or draw from traditional Vietnamese motifs to transform your hat into a truly personal and memorable gift. 

Duration: 1 hour 

14:45: Continue the day with a bicycle ride and start your ride along the small roads of the local villages and rice fields. Throughout this ride, you will pass through different landscapes that will give you a glimpse into the daily life of the villagers, with scenes such as: farmers working in the fields, water buffaloes and cows grazing in the meadows in search of the freshest grass, flocks of ducks showing off their beauty in the ponds, or the rich variety of vegetable plantations stretching out at the foot of the towering limestone mountains that surround them. 

Note: for non-cycling guests, travel by vehicle to the pier instead of by bicycle. 

15:45: You will embark and set off on a small wooden boat, a sampan, to explore the surreal landscape of rainforests and ancient mountains reflected in the waters. 
17:15: Travel to Tam Coc where you will spend the night.
 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch in Van Long House, Dinner 
Accommodation : Hotel in Ninh Binh
Distance and duration of the cycling tour:  8 kilometers – 1hour. Terrain: Paved flat roads. Level: 0
Boat duration: 1 hour 
Distance from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh : 120km - 3 hours

09:00: Departure from the hotel to Bich Dong Pagoda
09:15: Visit Bich Dong Pagoda, also known as the "Jade Cave". By taking a small staircase, which was dug into landscape on the occasion of Emperor Minh Mang’s visit in 1821, you will be offered a stunning panorama of the surrounding valleys between archaeological remains and centuries-old trees. Duration: 1 hour

10:15: Departure for Hoa Lu.
10:45: Visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, dating back to the 10th century. Including the King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh temples, Hoa Lu now is an important historical site in the UNESCO Heritage Trang An Landscape Complex. Duration: 1 hour
 

12:00: Travel back to Tam Coc and have lunch in a local restaurant.

Afternoon onward is at leisure. 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh

08:00: Departure from the hotel in Ninh Binh to Halong.
11:30/12:00: Arrive in Halong. Here, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see Lan Ha Bay, a part of Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner on board.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the boat
Distance Ninh Binh - Halong Bay: 145 kilometers – 3.5 hours

Early in the morning, and depending on the season, you will wake up to enjoy the sunrise over the aquamarine waters of the bay. Then the cruise will tour around the bay until you disembark at the end of the morning. After that, you will then return to Hanoi. Have lunch at a restaurant on the way back to your hotel.

Balance the day at leisure. 

In the evening, you will travel to a local restaurant for a farewell dinner.

Meals included: Brunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Distance of Halong - Hanoi: 122 kilometers - 2 hours

After checking out you will meet your driver and guide and travel to Noi Bai airport for your outbound flight.

Please let us know if you'd like to extend to other parts of Vietnam

Meals: Breakfast
Note: Check-out at the hotel will be 12:00 at latest
Airport transfer in Hanoi: 30 kilometers - 45min
For international flight, you are required to proceed check-in at least 2.5 hours prior to departure.

TBD

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