Arrival: Hanoi city

Departure: Ho Chi Minh city

Group size: maximum 8 persons

Proposed Itinerary

Day 1. Hanoi

Arrive at Hanoi city, check-in the Hotel, afternoon at leisure, in the evening enjoy the water puppet theatre.

Dinner and overnight at Star View Hotel (Super room).

Day 2. Hanoi

Full day with city tour: In the morning, see the old city, visit Museum of Ethnology, Temple of literature, often referred to as the first University of Vietnam, the Museum of Fine Art. In the afternoon, visit one traditional village, the rest of afternoon at leisure. In the evening, take the night train to Sapa.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner at restaurant.

Day 3. Sapa

Get to Sapa town after passing throught the beautiful of green rice terrace. Enjoy the breakfast at Royal View Hotel then visit the Ham Rong mountain for first and slightly birding and enjoy the overview of Sapa town. Afternoon walking throught the town to see the busy market where many colourful ethnic minority people gather to sell their very local special products.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and overnight at Royal View Hotel (Super room).

Bird species can be seen at Ham Rong mountain including Brown-breasted Bulbul, White-browed Laughingthrush, Red-billed Leiothrix, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Black-throated Tit, Spectacled Barwing.

Day 4. Sapa

Full day birding at Tram Ton mountain pass and silver water fall at an elevation of 1900m als. The species can be seen includes Little Forktail, White capped and Plumbeous Water Redstar, White-tailed Nuthatch, Red-tailed Minla, White-collared Yuhina, Golden Parrotbill, Green-tailed Sunbird, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Streak-throated Fulvetta and possibility of endemic Pale-throated Wren Babbler.

Dinner at local restaurant, overnight at Royal View Hotel (Super room).

Day 5: Sapa_Lao Cai

After breakfast, visit Hmong village at Cat Cat valley, birding enroute. Afternoon at leisure before transfer to Lao Cai town for the overnight train back to Hanoi.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner at Lao Cai town.

Day 6: Hanoi_Halong

Get to Hanoi on early morning, after breakfast, transfer to Halong bay by bus for three hours, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the natural wonders of the world. Get in to the bay by boat, enjoy lunch on-board. In the afternoon, check-in at the Junk, enjoy sunset with a Cocktail on-board.

Dinner and overnight on Junk.

Some bird species can see on board includes Black Kite, Pacific Reef Egret, Large-billed Crow, White-bellied Sea Eagle, possibility of Greater Spotted Eagle, Red-billed Starling and Peregrine Falcon during the winter.

Day 7: Halong_Van Long_Cuc Phuong

Early wake up to see the sunrise with the fresh coffee and breakfast. Visit one of the most beautiful cave located on the middle of the bay. Come back to boat station and transfer to Cuc Phuong for three hours and haft. Get to Cuc Phuong at late afternoon after transit at Van Long Nature Reserve to take a sampan to the dramatic limestone cliffs with the possibility of the most globally endemic and endangered Delacour Langur. Some bird species can be seen including Black-winged Still, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Common Coot, Grey Heron, Little, Intermediate and Great Egret, Greater Coucal, Eurasian Wigeon, White-browed Crake and two s resident of Bonelli’s Eagle.

Lunch at local restaurant. Dinner and accommodation at National Park’s guest house (Standard).

Day 8: Cuc Phuong National Park.

Cuc Phuong is the first national park in Vietnam, established in 1962 with an area of 22.000ha of limestone hills covered by primary evergreen forest. Full day birding following the trails.

Highlight species: Silver Pheasant, Red-vented Barbet, Pied Falconet, Eared Pitta, White-winged Magpie, Indochinese and Common Green Magpie, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Black-browed Fulvetta, Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Limestone Wren Babbler, Stristram’s Bunting, Bianchi’s Warbler, Long-tailed and Silver-breasted Broadbill, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Grey-backed Shrike, White-browed Piculet. Winter visitors that are possible here include Black-breasted Thrush, Japanese Thrush, Fujian Niltava.

Lunch, dinner and overnight at National Park’s guest house (Standard).

Day 9: Cuc Phuong_Hanoi_Hue

Early morning birding at the national park, transfer back to Hanoi to take the flight to Hue city. Afternoon at leisure. After dinner, enjoy the tradittional music on boat at Perfume River.

Lunch at restaurant, dinner and overnight at Huong Giang Hotel (Deluxe River View room).

Day 10. Hue

All day exploiring the a World Culture Heritage. In the morning visit the Imperial Citadel with the purple Forbidden city, the royal theatre, the emperors’s altars, the great bronze urns and the museum of royal relics. In the afternoon, visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest religious architectural and then visit a typical Hue garden house and mausoleums of emperors Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.

Lunch and dinner at local restaurant, accommodation at Huong Giang Hotel (Deluxe River View room).

Day 11. Hue_Bach Ma

After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Bach Ma national park, the park cover an area of about 22,000 ha to protect the centre of the last corridor of forest stretching from the South China Sea to the Annamite mountain range with the border with the Lao PDR. With the steep mountains and dense forests, the park is home to a wide variety of animals and plants and recognized as one of the areas of highly biodiversity within Indochina.

After check-in, get some leisure then have some birding around the hotel in the afternoon.

Lunch, dinner and accommodation at National Park’s guest house (Standard).

Day 12. Bach Ma

Full day birding following the trails to find many interesting bird species. Over 300 bird species have been recorded at Bach Ma including endemic Annam Partridge, restricted range Indochinese Wren Babbler- formerly known as Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Ratchet-tailed, Racket-tailed Treepie, White-winged Magpie, Sultan Tit, Striated Yuhina, Grey-crowned Tit, Black Eagle, Silver-eared Mesia, Mountain Fulvetta, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Red-headed Trogon, Orange-bellied Leafbird..

Night watch: Possibility of Brown Wood Owl and Frogmouth.

Lunch, dinner and accommodation at National Park’s guest house (Standard).

Day 13. Bach Ma_Hue_Hoi An

After some more early birding and breakfast, transfer to Hoi An via Dang Nang City for two hours. Hoi An has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, an idyllic old town set on the coast of the South China Sea in Central Vietnam. It used to be an important international trading port in the 17-19^th century. Afternoon, exploiring Hoi An ancient town on foot to visit some of the historic merchant and community house, place of worship and famous bridges.

Lunch and dinner at local restaurant, accommodation at Hoi An Paccific Hotel (Deluxe room).

Day 14. Hoi An_Sai Gon

After breakfast, explore Hoi An with a short boat trip along the Thu Bon river to observe the lives of the people along the two sides of the river. In the afternoon, take the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Late afternoon at leisure.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and accomodation at Oscar Hotel (Deluxe room).

Day 15: Sai Gon_Cat Tien

After breakfast, transfer to Cat Tien national park, about 170 km from Sai Gon to north-west. In the afternoon, birding around the national park’s headquarter.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and overnight at National Park’s guest house (Standard).

Mammal Night-Watch. Possibility of Wild Pig, Samba Deer, Civets, etc. as well as Brown Wood Owl and Spot-bellied Eagle Owl.

Days 16 & 17: Cat Tien

Cat Tien national park contains the largest remaining area of lowland tropical forest in southern Vietnam and an incredible diversity of birds and mammals including over 330 bird species.

Two full day birding to the Crocodile trails, enjoy birding around the beautiful lake inside the forest.

Lunch, dinner and overnight at Bungalow (lake view, simple accmomodation).

Night-Watch. Possibility of Brown Wood Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Collared Scop Owl, Great-eared Nightjar.

Highlight species: Germains Peacock-Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Orange-necked Partridge, Lesser Adjutant, Wreathed and Greater Hornbill, Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped Pitta, Red, Black and Banded Broadbill, Orange-breasted Trogon, Woolly-necked Stork, Siamese Fireback, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Great Slaty Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Green-eared, Blue-eared, Lineated, Red-vented Barbet, Green Imperial Pigeon, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Bronze-winged Jacana.

Day 18: Cat Tien_Da Lat

After some early morning birding, leave Cat Tien national park for Dalat city, about three hours drive. Have lunch at Dalal town. Afternoon at leisure for city sightseeing.

Dinner and overnight at Golf 1 Hotel (Deluxe room).

Days 19, 20: Da Lat

Enjoy two full day birding in Dalat, one of the four Endemic Bird Area in Vietnam. In the early morning, visit Ta Nung valley, a small remaining area of evergreen forest. Many rare and endemic species can see here including Grey-crowned Crocias, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush. In addition to the Ta Nung valley, there are two other main birding sites around Dalat includes Mount Lang Bian and Tuyen Lam Lake. Mount Lang Bian is a 2,169 m high and Tuyen Lam lake is a man-made lake, about three km from the centre of the town.

Highlight species: Vietnamese Cutia, Black-crowned Fulvetta, Grey-crowned Crocias, Black-headed Parrotbill, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Bar-backed Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Red-vented Barbet, Silver-backed Needletail, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-crowned Tit, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Collared Laughingthrush, Black-headed, Rufous-backed Sibia.

Lunch and dinner at local restaurant, overnight at Golf 1 Hotel (Deluxe room).

Day 21. Da Lat_Cao Lanh_Via Sai Gon

After breakfast, transfer to Dalat airport to take the flight back to Sai Gon, the van will take to the Cao Lanh town of Dong Thap province, about 165 km south-west of Ho Chi Minh city, one of the biggest province at the Mekong Delta (about three hours drive). Afternoon at leisure.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and overnight at Cao Lanh Hotel (standard).

Day 22. Tram Chim national park

After breakfast, leave for Tram Chim national park, about 27 km from the town. Tram Chim national park is the last large remaining area of nature wetland habitat and Melaleuca forest and is one of the few sites in Vietnam with frequently record of globally threatened of Sarus Crane. Many other birds can be seen here includes Bzone-winged, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Pied Kingfisher, Purple Heron, Darter, Little and Indian Comorants…

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and overnight at Cao Lanh Hotel (standard).

Day 23. Dong Thap_Can Tho

Leave Cao Lanh by road for Can Tho city after breakfast, about 130km from Cao Lanh town, seeing the living of local people at Mekong Delta on road. Afternoon at leisure.

Lunch at local restaurant, dinner and accomodation at Phuong Dong Hotel (Deluxe room).

Day 24. Can Tho_Sai Gon

In the morning, visit Cai Rang floating market, transfer to a small boat for a closer look at the floating market, the nearby arroyos and gardens. In the afternoon, transfer back to Sai Gon, late afternoon at leisure.

Day 25. Sai Gon_ Depart

After breakfast, take the city tour before depart from Sai Gon by the flight at afternoon or evening.

Tour conclusion.