Compare Multi-Activities in Central Vietnam by Exo Travel

Day 1: Danang Arrival

Arrival in Danang, meet your guide and driver then take the 45 minutes transfer to Hoi An Ancient Town. Rest of the time is free at leisure.

Optional : Street food tour at extra cost, itinerary as below:

Start at a colorful and friendly ‘wet market’ where you’ll get the chance to meet and chat with stall holders to learn more on the huge choice of ingredients on sale (best to visit in the morning). Everything from silk worms, a huge variety of fresh fragrant herbs and vegetables to the meat and fish sections will be seen.  Leaving the market continue along both high streets and back streets, discovering out-of-the-way producers and street vendors making and selling a wide variety of exotic foods. Your final destination of the morning will be a comfortable restaurant where the tasting session will begin. A wide selection of local delicacies bought directly from the vendors – will be tried. Learn the names and meanings of different local foods and how to pronounce the names as well as the main ingredients and how they should be eaten. This tasting session will give you a deeper understanding of Vietnamese cuisine  and the purpose of the tour is to give an opportunity to try the huge variety of foods of the local Hoi An people – the benefit also goes back to the vendors as all dishes are bought directly from them

Overnight in Hoi An

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Danang to Hoi An Ancient Town: 45 mins

Day 2: Hoi An - My Son - Hoi An (Cycling)

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We ride out of town to visit My Son, the ancient centre of Cham civilization. The ride is worth the effort in itself and is arguably one of the best cycling route. We transfer out of town to avoid the highway before cycling along scenic country back roads pass through rice fields, eucalyptus forest and many scenic villages. The road climbs away from the coast offering stunning views.

Set out for a challenging ride from the outskirts of Hoi An on a quiet back road to the famous Cham Towers of My Son. My Son was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, between the 4th and 12th centuries, and more than 70 towers and temples remain rising majestically from the rice paddies. The ride is through a remote area where very few tourists venture, and surrounded by stunning views. You will arrive tired but triumphant at these most wonderful towers and enjoy a picnic lunch before transferring back to Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from My Son to Hoi An: 1.5 hrs

Cycling distance for short option: 20 km

Difficulty: Easy

Cycling distance for long option: 54 km

Difficulty: Medium

Day 3: Hoi An - Bach Ma National Park (Trekking)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Our local guide and driver pick you up at your hotel and transfer to Bach Ma National Park. Upon arrival, you will visit Bach Ma's information Center to learn about the ecological system of the National Park.

Drive up to the mountain and check-in at a villa on the top of the park.

Trekking along the trails to Ngu Ho (Five Lakes), relaxing and swimming in the jungle. Picnic lunch is served. Later, continue the trek through the forest to Do Quyen – Rhododendron waterfalls (at a height of 300 meters) and return to the villa for dinner.

In the evening, join the camp-fire and discover the sounds of Mother Nature by night.

Overnight in Bach Ma National Park

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Hoi An to Bach Ma: 3hrs

Trekking distance: about 8-10km

Difficulty: Easy

Day 4: Bach Ma National Park - Hue City

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Get up early to walk up to Bach Ma Summit at the height of 1.450m above sea level to enjoy the spectacular sunrise and the panorama view the coast including Tam Giang Lagoon and Lang Co beach.

Those wanting a more relaxing morning can just sit on the balcony of your villa, sipping your coffee in the clouds. If lucky, you will have a chance to meet the langurs or the birds in the park by the famous ‘birdman’, which can skillfully imitate the bird’s song and sing with them.

At around 9h30am, check-out from the villa for 1 hour drive to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, take the cyclo who’s waiting for you in front of hotel. Enjoy the pleasant cyclo ride crossing Truong Tien Bridge over Perfume River. Pass by Dong Ba market to reach to the Hue Citadel. From here, start the walking tour. Visit to Imperial city, Forbidden Purple city to learn about the Feudal life of Nguyen’s Emperors (ruled 1802 –1945).

After the late lunch at restaurant nearby the citadel, you are about to walk deeply inside the Citadel.  Along the Ngu Ha river (for the King’s use before), Truc Chi bamboo garden settled down, specialized in making paper and arts from the bamboo. Tea/coffee break served up while the briefing about the process of making paper from bamboo given by the artist. Under the guidance of the artists, you will make a souvenir yourself.

Walk along the bank of Perfume river, you will visit to An Hien garden house, owned by a Royal Mandarin at the beginning of 20th Century. 

A short bus drive takes you to Tu Duc tombs – one of one of the most impressive of the royal mausoleums in Hue

After the visit, you will be transferred to Vong Canh hill to enjoy the spectacular view over the Perfume River. Grab in a cold drink of Vietnamese coffee before driving back the hotel.

Overnight in Hue

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Bach Ma to Hue: 1 hr

Day 5: Hue - Phuoc Tich Village - Hue (Cycling)

This morning we cycle in a countryside loop of Hue through back roads to visit the traditional village of Phuoc Tich. The route leads us through many untouched villages and local markets (Catholic village, bamboo making village, incense making village….).

Many homes in Phuoc Tich dated back 200 years and highlight feng shui design. Enjoy a traditional lunch with Uncle Ho Van Te and learn more about the history of the village. In the afternoon, continue cycling along the scenic route back to Hue.

We end the day with an exclusive cooking class where you will learn how to prepare a Hue “Royal” meal. You will prepare 4 or 5 courses ranging from traditional Vietnamese spring rolls to a delicious banana leaf salad. The cooking class takes approximately 1.5 hours. Finally, enjoy the delicious and beautiful dishes you just made. With this tour, gain a deeper knowledge and feeling of Ancient Hue.

Overnight in Hue

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Phuoc Tich to hotel: 1 hours

Cycling distance for short option: 20 km

Cycling distance for short option: 40 km

Difficulty: Easy

Day 6: Hue - DMZ Vinh Moc - Phong Nha

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Depart from your hotel in Hue. Drive north and stop at La Vang Cathedral (which despite its years of turmoil remains an important pilgrimage site for Vietnam’s Catholics). Carry on to what is left of Quang Tri Citadel, where in 1972 a fierce battle raged for 81 days, visit the museum where photographs, war remnants and artillery can be seen.

Continue up Highway 1 across the Hien Luong Bridge, and over the Ben Hai River which demarcated North and South Vietnam, this area saw some of the heaviest fighting during the war. Doc Mieu Firebase, which lies just north of here, played a pivotal role in the South's defence and for a while, this was the command post for calling in airstrikes along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The journey from here to Vinh Moc Tunnels is scenic after you leave the main highway, pass through quaint villages and skirt along Cua Tung Beach. The village of Vinh Moc found itself tragically positioned in one of the most heavily bombed areas of Vietnam.  In order to escape this bombardment, the villagers constructed approximately 2.8 km of underground tunnels which they used as a refuge to survive the bombings.  Three hundred people lived intermittently in the tunnels from 1966 to 1971. 

From Vinh Moc drive to Truong Son National Cemetery where the remains of some 15,000 Vietnamese soldiers and civilians have been laid to rest, sadly many tombstones bear no name.

Transfer to Phong Nha at the end of day.

Overnight in Phong Nha

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Hue to La Vang cathedral: 1 hour 30 mins and continue driving to other stop.

Day 7: Phong Nha day trip (Kayaking)

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Pick up at your hotel, head to dark cave centre, upon arrival, change your suite, then start sightseeing and discovering the Dark Cave, swimming in the cool water of Thuy Tien lake inside the cave, walk under the mud.

Later do Kayak on Chay River for sightseeing Rustic village and green fields, Limestone Mountains in the park. Lunch at local restaurant.

Back to Phong Nha

Overnight in Phong Nha

Distance and journey time:

Transfer from Phong Nha to Dark Cave center: 1 hour

Day 8: Phong Nha – Departure

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at hotel then free at leisure until time transfer to Dong Hoi domestic airport for your onwards flight.