In the morning, meet our guide and drive to visit two of the most special Buddhist temples in the city. The Buddha in Wat Traimit weighs several tons, and is made of solid gold. And visit the famous Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, where the blind may be trained to become masseuses.

In the afternoon, continue your discovery tour with a visit to a site the Thai people consider the most sacred in the Kingdom: The Royal Grand Palace. This is one of the most beautiful examples of an ancient Thai court, with several Halls in same compound. You will also visit the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (officially known as Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram) is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. Located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace, it enshrines Phra Kaew Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade. The Emerald Buddha is a Buddha image in the meditating position in the style of the Lanna School of the north, dating from the 15th century.

After that, explore the Chao Phraya River’s edge, on a traditional "Long Tail Boat", and spend a few hours to enjoy the old canals of the Thonburi side of Bangkok, where an older and more gracious lifestyle still prevails. You will have an opportunity to visit Wat Arun, perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn, is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok.

Departure for Ayutthaya in the morning. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand for 417 years. Upon arrival, a tuk tuk "Kermit" will make you discover the magnificent ruins of ancient temples in the Ayutthaya Historical Park: Wat Mahathat, WatYaiChai Mongkol, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Chaiwatthanaram.

Continue visiting Bang Pa in Summer Palace built by King Rama IV at the time of the growing European influence in Thailand. Admire the building of Italian style and surround temples. Return to Bangkok.

Private pick-up by your driver from the hotel to the airport for a flight to Chiang Mai.

On arrival, meet your guide and driver and start your day with a visit to Meow Hill Tribe Village, located on Doi Pui, famous for opium cultivation in the past. It is 1500 meter above the sea level. The trip continues to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple. The drive offers a panoramic view of Chiang Mai city. Visit of San Kamphaeng district, heart of the Silk and Cotton Home Industries, to witness the fascinating process of making and weaving these popular fabrics. Continue on the Bor Sang, the umbrella village, where the delicate Thai paper umbrellas are produced and hand-painted. From here, onwards to Thai Celadon, about 6kms north of Chiang Mai where exquisite ceramics are produced. These are modeled on the Sawankhalok pottery that used to be made hundreds of years ago at Sukhothai and exported all over the region. With its deep, cracked glazed finish the style is very distinctive and some pieces are exceptionally beautiful. Last but not least, stop to observe the intricacies of both lacquer ware and silverware craftsmen. Then transfer to hotel.

- Change into mahout clothing upon arrival.

- Orientation and learn basic elephant commands.

- Pay respect to Ganesha the Elephant Buddha.

- Feed the elephants before practicing how to getting on and off them.

- Ride your elephant along a jungle path into the mountains.

- Enjoy a special lunch in the jungle.

- Get an elephant kiss before playing with them in the mud spa.

- Ride down to the river and bath your elephant.

- Ride to camp, take a shower, enjoy fresh fruit while looking at today’s photos.

- Return to Chiang Mai.

 

After a breakfast at the hotel, have some time on your own before the departure to Chiang Rai in early morning. En route, stop at the hot spring for a relaxing time. Continue the drive through the countryside, passing rice paddy fields & mountains. Visit a unique white temple built by one of the best national artist. Discover Karen Hill Tribe Village and visit Mae Sai Border market, the most important border market

Lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the Golden Triangle in Chiang Sean, where the three borders of Myanmar-Laos-Thailand are meeting. Embark on a traditional long tailed boat to Laos’s side and see hill top viewpoint, marvel at the splendor of the mighty Mekong joining with the Ruak and forming the actual "Triangle" with Laos Myanmar and Thailand.

This morning, you will be picked up by the tour guide and driver, transfer to the airport for the flight to Hanoi. Welcome to Hanoi, your guide will escort you to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy your free time at leisure.

Today, visit Ho Chi Minh Complex including the outside of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts and One Pillar pagoda. After that, visit the Temple of Literature, originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education.

Have a lunch at a nice restaurant.

After lunch, continue your tour with a visit of the Museum of Ethnology. This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the ground.

Head back to the center of Hanoi to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake. The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends.

A 45 minutes cyclo tour takes you through the Old Quarter. Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 names was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities.

Before heading back hotel, enjoy a traditional water puppet show at Thang Long Theater.

In the morning, your tour expert picks you up at your hotel to travel to Hoa Lu. Along the way, make the most of some stop-over to take wonderful pictures and refreshments, while enjoying a stunning rural scenery on the way.

Arrival in Hoa Lu (former capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1009 under Dinh and Le Dynasties), visit Dinh temple, Le temples and surroundings.

Have a lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon, embark on an amazing boat trip to visit Trang An grottoes which is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam. While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.

Leave Trang An and drive back to Hanoi.

Pick-up at your hotel in Hanoi in the morning. Leave Hanoi for a 3.5 hour to reach Halong Bay. Embark on the junk and start gliding out to the centre of the World Heritage Site.

Your lunch, at the boat’s restaurant, is composed of fresh local seafood.

Pass by Dog Head and Swan Islands, Ba Hang Floating villages (with floating houses), Incense Burner then Thumb Islands before reaching to Luon cave area for kayaking during one hour. Go on Titop Island one hour for swimming, sun-bathing or getting a panoramic view on island peak.

As the sun sets over the bay, head back to the cruise ship and relax.

Dinner on board.

After dinner you may choose to enjoy drinks from the bar or top deck or experience squid fishing before retiring.

Enjoy the morning view of the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee or tea. Have your breakfast in the fresh air. Visit the impressive Cave of Halong Bay – Surprising Cave (Sửng Sốt) with your tour guide, a truly awesome and amazing cave to experience.
Experience more views of Halong Bay such as Fighting Cocks Island (Symbol of Halong Bay), Incense Burner and Stone Dogs Islands while cruising back to the harbor.
A cooking demonstration onboard shows you how to make authentic Vietnamese Spring rolls. You will learn about the recipes and techniques that create this popular dish of Vietnamese people.

Lunch is served on board.

Disembark the junk at Tuan Chau International Marina and head back to Hanoi airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Our guide will escort you to your hotel.

In the morning, meet Asia Top Travel's tour expert at your hotel lobby and begin the exploration of Ho Chi Minh city, including the Reunification Palace - the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. Continue your tour with a visit of the War Remnants Museum, formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes. This is a poignant display the futility of war. Close to the museum, go to visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office that are some of the best examples of French colonial architecture. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office that is the country’s largest post office was built since 1891. It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam's largest post office.

Lunch in a restaurant.

Continue to China town area to visit the most popular secret temple of Chinese Vietnamese community in Saigon, the Thien Hau Buddhist temple. Then, visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda. Built in 1909 by the Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation in honor of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most spectacularly atmospheric pagodas in Ho Chi Minh city, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes.

08.00am In the morning, travel through the typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province with your guide, by car. Visit the Cao Dai holly See temple where the followers of this religion practice a unique religious blend of all the major faiths of the world. The temple is dominated by the all-seeing eye, is an architectural wonder, a hotchpotch of styles from its contributing religions and ornamented in brilliant colors. The daily service is impressive. The worshippers wear robes of different hues denoting their function and status, and kneel in blocks in the nave to genuflect and pray while acolytes perform complex rituals.

We have scheduled a special lunch of local cuisine in a popular eatery.

After lunch, drive to the incredible Cu Chi tunnels, a 250 km underground tunnel system, created manually by Vietnamese resistance fighters often known as Viet Cong during their long struggle for independence. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers.

08.00am: Our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh and bring you to the "Capital of Coconut" – Ben Tre. On arrival in Hùng vương Pier (Bến Tre town), take a boat on Bến Tre river – one tributary of the Mekong river. Observe lively activities along river as fishing, water transfering, etc. Stop at a brickwork to see how to make bricks in handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one coconut processing workshop located along Cái sơn canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to Nhơn Thạnh village. Take a walk to family workshop making sleepmats and enjoying some fruits. Take a tuk tuk or ride on the shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on realy life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants.

Lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon, embark on a rowing-boat along water palm creek and boat along Cái Cối creek back to Hùng Vương Pier where you will meet our driver pick up to transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city for relaxing.