Day 1: HOME – HCMC (D)

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, met by our representative and transfer to hotel for check-in.

Orientation walk in the city center, stop at the city highlights: the Notre Dame Cathedral (built in 1880), the Central Post Office (in 1886) and the must-see Ben Thanh market

Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 2: HCMC – XEO QUYT – THAP MUOI STORK GROUND – CAO LANH (B-L-D)

After breakfast, transfer to Xeo Quit, a former communist military base, and enjoy wonderful boat trips around scenic swamps and forests of eucalyptuses and ivies. There is chance to admire many species of king fishers, sun birds, etc. in these forests.

After lunch at the park, continue by boat to the Thap Muoi Stork Ground where live various species of egrets, ibises, herons, etc. It is fascinating to see flock after flock of storks flying back home in the late afternoon.

Check in a hotel and overnight in Cao Lanh

Day 3: TAM NONG NATURE RESERVE(B-L-D)

After breakfast, transfer to the boat station to take a boat ride to Tam Nong Nature reserve which is the breeding ground of red-headed, bare-necked cranes, a rare, endangered species of land birds. They often live in Tam Nong from December to August. Besides, there is chance to observe many kinds of storks here.

Transfer back to Cao Lanh

Dinner in the hotel and overnight in Cao Lanh

Day 4: CAO LANH – HCMC – CU CHI TUNNELS (B-L-D)

After breakfast, check out the hotel and transfer back to HCMC.

After lunch, a one and half hour drive takes you to Cu Chi where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnels system of more than 200km in length which used to be the shelters of Vietnamese guerrillas during the war against American troops. Learn how the Vietnamese people make rice paper cakes and rice whisky at local workshops.

Late afternoon, drive back to HCMC for hotel check-in

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 5: HCMC – CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

Morning check out the hotel and transfer to the Cat Tien National Park, the biggest tropical rain forest in Vietnam. Cross the La Nga river by ferry boat to the park Head Quarter. Check in the guest houses at the park.

In the afternoon, watch birds along the HQ trail and road: blue-rumped pitta, black and red, dusky and banded broadbills; heart-spotted, black and buff and great slaty woodpeckers, white-browed piculet, blue-eared barbet, scaly-breasted partridge, Siamese fireback, great hornbill, orange-breasted trogon, Abbot’s babbler and great eared nightjar, etc.

Dinner and Overnight at the park

Day 6: CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

A full day of birding along the road and forest trails of Nam Cat Tien. Take a jeep from the park headquarter to the Crocodile Lake trailhead and start walking and birding to the lake, then canoeing around the lake. There is chance to observe Siamese Fireback, Black Baza, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant Red Junglefowl ,Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta , Orange-breasted Trogon, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Cinnamon Bittern, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Vineous-breasted Starling, Black-browed Reed and Thick-billed Warbler, etc.

Late afternoon, transfer back to the HQ for rest till dinner

Enjoy a lovely country dinner at the guest house restaurant. Overnight at the park

Day 7: CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

A full day of birding along the roads and forest trails of Nam Cat Tien. Take a jeep from the park headquarter to the Bird Lake trailhead, then start walking and birding to the lake.

Possibility to see Scaly-breasted Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Woolly-necked Stork, Dusky and Black &Red Broadbill, Golden-headed Mynah, Laced Woodpecker, etc.

Late afternoon, transfer back to the HQ for rest till dinner

Enjoy a lovely country dinner at the guest house restaurant. Overnight at the park

Day 8: CAT TIEN – DI LINH (B-L-D)

Morning go birding around the HQ and on Lagerstroemia Trail. There is possibility to see Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Siberian Blue Robin, Red-breasted Parakeet, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant , Red-vented Barbet, Black-hooded Oriole, White-browed Shrike Babbler, etc.

After lunch at the HQ, check out the park and transfer onto Di Linh, birding along the road to Phan Thiet where there is chance to see more birds such as Magpie, Babbler, Woodpeckers, Tit Babbler, etc

Check in a small hotel and overnight in Di Linh

Day 9: DI LINH – DALAT (B-L-D)

Full day enjoy more birding in Di Linh. There is chance to see Black-hooded and Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Mountain Hawk Eagle, etc.

Later in the afternoon, transfer to Dalat

Check in a hotel, enjoy a nice dinner and overnight in Dalat

Day 10: DALAT – TA NUNG (B-L-D)

Take morning birding in Ta Nung, 15km from Dalat where there is chance to see Red-vented Barbet, Grey-crowned Crocias ,Black-headed Sibia, Grey-headed Parrotbill, etc.

Transfer back to Dalat for lunch

Afternoon city tour, visit King Bao Dai Summer Palace, Linh Phuoc glassy pagoda, Datanla waterfall. There is still chance to see more birds at these places.

Overnight in Dalat

Day 11: DALAT – LANG BIAN MOUNTAIN (B-L-D)

A full day of birding at Mount Lang Bian where the evergreen forests are home to many interesting species including some endemics. Key species to be found at Mount Lang Bian include Silver Pheasant, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Eurasian Jay, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Cutia and Red Crossbill. This is also the place to see two of Vietnam ‘s sought after endemics, the Collared Laughingthrush and the Vietnamese Greenfinch.

Overnight in Da Lat.

Day 12: DALAT – TUYEN LAM LAKE (B-L-D)

Full day for birding at Tuyen Lam Lake , boating around the lake and birding around the pine forests. There is big chance to find Slender- billed Oriole, Maroon Oriole, Rufous-backed Sibia, Black-hooded, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Grey-bellied Tesia, Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler, Burmese Shrike, etc.

Overnight in Da Lat. 

Day 13: DALAT – HANOI – HALONG (B-L-D)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Hanoi, transfer to Halong Bay for a nice retreat

Upon arrival, get on a boat and enjoy a wonderful relaxing cruise on the world natural heritage site of Halong Bay. Enjoy sightseeing, swimming, fabulous seafood on boat

Later check in a hotel, dinner and overnight in Halong

Day 14: HALONG BAY – XUAN THUY NATURE RESERVE (B-L-D)

Morning check out the hotel and transfer to Xuan Thuy , transfer to Ramsar centre by boat. Check in the guesthouse at the center and start birding by walking and boating around the centre with chance to see Black-faced Spoonbill, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, White’s thrush, blue robin, rubythroat, two-barred and dusky warblers, chestnut and black-faced buntings, etc.

Overnight at the centre

Day 15: XUAN THUY NATURE RESERVE – CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

Spend another morning at Ramsar center to observe those birds and find more species

After lunch, transfer to Cuc Phuong national park. Check in at the park center.

Dinner and Overnight at the park center

Day 16: CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

Full day enjoy birding in the park center with chance to see Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pitta, White-winged Magpie, Limestone Wren Babbler, Pied Falconet, Japanese and Black-breasted Thrush (winter), silver pheasant, red-headed trogon,  eye-browed wren babbler, Malay night heron,  Asian stubtail and olive-backed sunbird, etc.

Overnight at the park center

Day 17: CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

Another full day enjoy birding in the park center to see other species left on the list or new ones

Overnight at the park center

Day 18: CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK – HANOI (B-L-D)

Enjoy another morning birding around the park center, along the road from park center to the park head quarter and around the park head quarter.

After lunch, transfer to Hanoi

Check in a hotel and relax till dinner

Overnight in Hanoi

DAY 19: HANOI (B-L-D)

Full day for exploring the fascinating city of Hanoi where old and new things blend together, Vietnamese, Chinese and French cultures mix together.

Activities: a pleasant walk around the peaceful Ho Chi Minh area, HCM Mausoleum, HCM House, One Pillar Pagoda, another pleasant walk at the beautiful Temple of Literature, a good visit at the Ethnology Museum.Enjoy a fantastic rickshaw ride through the bustle and hustle of Hanoi Old Quarter and a fascinating walk and shopping in the famous 36 busy streets of the Old Quarter.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 20: HANOI – DEPARTURE (B)

Free time till transfer to the airport for departure flight to Home Sweet Home with great memories of Vietnam

End of service

Inclusions:

-         Hotel accommodation with breakfast (based on twin sharing, ROH)

-         All meals indicated in the program, snacks, extra F&B at primitive places

-         All ground transport on tour with A/C vehicles, boats, or any local means of transportation, 1 domestic flight

-         All entrance fees for the parks, bird places, sightseeing

-         Local Vietnamese experts on birds in Vietnam

-         Local English speaking guides

-         Daily cold bottles of water and towels

Exclusions:

-         International flight tickets to and from Vietnam

-         Visa for Vietnam

-         Personal Insurance

-         Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, laundry, tips, etc.

-         All other accounts not mentioned in the above inclusions.