Travels on the railway

When you arrive into Ho Chi Minh, you'll be collected from the airport and transferred to your hotel for the beginning of our Vietnam itinerary by train. You'll spend two nights in your comfortable hotel and breakfast is included. The hotel is situated in Central District 1, only 200m from the backpackers quarter, widely considered as the place to be in former Saigon. The hotel has light, comfortable rooms and all have air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms with a shower, TV, safe and mini-bar.

On Day 2, you can relax into your holiday. Once you've shaken off the jet lag with some coffee and a tasty breakfast, you can start to explore. We can recommend a visit to the Reunification Palace, the heart-breaking American War Museum and a few of the majestic pagodas dotted around the city.

The next two days of your Vietnam itinerary by train are dedicated to the Mekong Delta. At 7:30am, the minibus will arrive to take you in the direction of Cai Be. From here, you'll hop onto a boat and sail in a small group through the Mekong Delta. In Cai Be you'll sail past colorful, floating markets, where vendors will offer their wares from their boats jammed with produce, their goods in the air dangling from a long pole.

You'll sail through a maze of canals and visit one of the many islands on the Mekong, Vinh Long Island. After a lunch of local specialties, you'll sail for approximately 3 hours until you reach Can Tho, where you'll arrive in time for sunset. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, for instance low water levels, this entire portion of the trip will be conducted by mini bus.

The boat will then take you to a simple but charming hotel for the night. It lies in Cantho on the banks of the Mekong, where you can relax in the evening with a cool drink and watch the sunset.

Today you are free to wander lazily through the tiny streets of Hoi An. If you are feeling adventurous you can pay a visit to the historical site of My Son (optional). The area was the most important religious and intellectual centre in Vietnam until the 13th century and the temples are fascinating buildings to explore. Nowadays, My Son is a UNESCO World Heritage site, lying about 40km southwest of Hoi An in a wild, green valley.

Hoi An is jam-packed with tailors and you can have a good made-to-measure suit made for a fraction of what you would pay in the UK. The perfect opportunity to update your wardrobe! Although the tailors can put together a suit for you in no time, it's best to plan to have this done a few days before you travel to the next destination on your Vietnam by train itinerary. This way any alterations can be made while you're in town.

This is essentially a free day, so you can stay in the old town or head for the beach for some sun-kissed relaxation. However, we can also offer you the opportunity to whip up some authentic Vietnamese dishes in the kitchen. If you choose this option you'll be collected from your hotel and head to the colourful Hoi An market to pick up the ingredients for your lesson. There are many different types of vegetables and fruits to appeal to your senses. This is the best possible way to get to know local Vietnamese cuisine and to become acquainted with the friendly vendors at the market. Armed with your purchases, you'll head for the cookery school where you’ll hear all about typical Vietnamese dishes. Then, you will have a go at preparing your own dishes before gobbling them straight down afterwards.

The afternoon is yours to spend as you please. You'll spend all three nights in Hoi An in a comfortable, centrally located hotel in the historic centre of town. Walking through the narrow, lively streets and popping into a few of the small souvenir shops is quite a fun way to spend time. The hotel also has a very pleasant swimming pool and breakfast is included.

Today, your time is your own. If you're in the mood for a strange experience, you can drop in on the preserved body of former President Ho Chi Minh. A mausoleum was built for Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, after his death. You can see his body entombed in a glass sarcophagus - a huge building in a grand square. Surrounded by guards, you can file in, one by one, to take a look at ‘Uncle Ho’. Every once in a while, his body is flown to Russia for a touch up, to keep him looking good for his guests. Vietnamese people consider it a great honour to visit his embalmed body, and you can see their emotional reactions as you file past.

You can finish off your day with a visit to the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre. This stands on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and performances take place every evening. Puppetry is a national tradition in Vietnam, and the people are very proud of the artform.
 

You'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi late in the afternoon and taken to the train station for the next leg of your Vietnam by train itinerary. Here, you can stock up on snacks for the overnight train journey into the north. The train is air-conditioned and your 4-bed cabin will be pretty comfortable, although tall people might find it to be a little on the small side!

The next morning at around 7:30am, you'll arrive in Lao Cai. You'll be collected from the train station by a driver and taken to Sapa (approx. 1.5hrs). After settling in and freshening up, you'll set out on a 10-15km trek in the surroundings of Sapa, stopping at several hill tribes along the way. Different tribes all wear distinctly different colours and they each have their own history, customs and language. Tonight, you'll stay with a local family - a really authentic part of our Vietnam by train itinerary. You'll be provided with a mattress, blanket and mosquito net - but don't expect too much more! This really is travelling at its most rustic. Please note that it is advisable to bring your own sleeping bag liner.
 

The next day you'll continue trekking to the villages of the Giang Ta Chai and Red Dzao people. It will be just you and your guide on the trek which means that you're free to set your own pace. The locals that you'll meet along the way will be very friendly, though perhaps a little shy.

In the afternoon you'll have another adventure - travelling back to Sapa by Vietnamese moped, the mountain wind blowing through your hair. You'll spend another night in the comfortable hotel in Sapa, bursting with local charm.
 

Today, you'll hike to Cat Cat, a Black H’mong village. The Black H’mong is a striking tribe, whose people wear mainly black clothing. The dye that they use often runs, staining their hands slightly black. At around 4pm, you'll be taken to Lao Cai to board the sleeper train back to Hanoi.

You'll arrive at about 6am the following morning (Day 18) by train. Taxis and tuk-tuks will not be in short supply, so you can easily organise transport from the train station back to your hotel. It may be a little too early to check into your room. If this is the case, you can leave your luggage at reception and enjoy breakfast overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. By mid-morning your room should be ready and you can freshen up for the day ahead. If you wish to have immediate access to a room in the morning, we can reserve a day room for you at an additional cost.

There's nothing else planned for the rest of the day, so you can relax and take things at your own pace. The Temple of Literature is an oasis of peace and tranquility in the midst of the urban sprawl.

This morning, you'll be collected from your hotel at approximately 8:00am and taken to the coastal town of Halong. The junk awaits you. Once onboard, you'll kick off your trip with a lunch caught fresh from the sea. Afterwards the boat will begin its superb cruise through the region past small limestone islands, some thickly forested and others with secret sandy beaches. During the cruise you'll visit one of the many hidden caves and you'll be able to take a dive into the azure waters from one of the tropical beaches - a real highlight of our Vietnam by train itinerary. Fishing enthusiasts can attempt to catch their evening meal with a traditional rod and tackle. During dinner, you can mull over the impressions of the day and watch the sunset whilst enjoying a glass of Vietnamese wine. Life really doesn't get much better than this.

Your Vietnam by train itinerary ends today. If you're full of energy, you can get up at sunrise to visit Hoan Kiem Lake, where hundreds of locals gather for their morning workout. You'll see Tai Chi, badminton tournaments, and joggers around the lake - a really inspiring start to the day.

You can easily arrange the transfer from your hotel to the airport yourself, or simply ask your hotel to call a taxi. When you arrive at the airport you'll check in for your international flight home. Please remember that you'll need to pay departure tax when leaving Vietnam. This is approx. 14 USD per person, so be sure to have this much cash at hand.