Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
Arriving at Hanoi Airport, welcome you to Hanoi! We will transfer you to your hotel for check-in. The room is at your disposal from 14.00 onwards.
Free time at your leisure. In the evening, we will come to the finest restaurant to enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B)
In the morning, we will stroll around the city and visit Hoan Kiem Lake, a famous natural fresh lake in the heart of Hanoi.
Sit on the bank of the lake and relax with the breeze flow through your hair, surely you will find a little peace in your time here. Enjoying the cool weather and contemplating the beauty of trees looking themselves in the water and visiting Ngoc Son Temple are also interesting experiences you should not bypass.
Continue to visit the ancient Tran Quoc Pagoda which shelters historical and architectural values and a charming landscape. In the afternoon, you can freely select one of these destinations to visit: Hoa Lo prison or Museum of Ethnology. Transfer back to the hotel.
Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Day trip to Duong Lam Village (B/L)
We will greet the new day with a departure to Duong Lam located 60km in Northern the Red River Delta from Hanoi. The ancient village Duong Lam is the pregnant place of many preserved old houses.
Once you come here, Mong Phu communal house dated back to the 17th century is an indispensable subject to explore. If you would like to learn more about life here, meet the people in their ancient house and talk or visit a workshop for self-made soya sauce.
You will be served with lunch in a local house and take a short rest and exchange with the host for more information.
Transfer back to the hotel in Hanoi. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we will leave Hanoi for a 180-km journey to Halong Bay, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites with its 3000 islands located in a background of limestone in the Gulf of Tonkin. Coming to Halong, visitors will be impressed with the beauty of natural achievement and many wonderful types of scenery.
You will enjoy an overnight cruise on a wonderful boat floating on Halong Bay and savoring a special menu of fresh seafood will absolutely bring you the best moment you have ever had.
You will be served with lunch and dinner on the boat. Overnight onboard.
Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue (B)
You are recommended to wake up early in the morning on this day because that is the most wonderful time for you to contemplate aquamarine water of the bay at its best. Once satisfied with the tea break, you will continue the onboard excursion through impressive limestone surrounding the bay. Don’t forget to take some nice photos of this unique land.
Returning to the Harbour, we will transfer back to Hanoi Airport for flight to Hue. Welcome on arrival and transfer to hotel for check-in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Hue – Hoian (B)
Referring to Hue means mentioning about the palace and temples which shelter the ancient breath of a splendid lordly age. Once being in Hue, it’s impossible for you to visit the lively proofs of the last feudal dynasty. Additionally, the regional slow living style is also an ideal factor you should experience.
The route will lead us to the Purple City known as Forbidden City in the heart of the Imperial Citadel. Having built-in 1804 under the reign of King Gia Long III, the citadel continued to be built more until it was renamed in 1822 under the reign of King Minh Mang III. Inside the citadel, there are over 50 architectural monuments with different functions.
Being the accommodation of the King with family, Forbidden Citadel was strictly protected from not only the civilians but also unauthorized officials. Thus, the life inside the citadel has been a secret. The wall architecture is decorated with nature patterns that make it once the grand center of the ancient capital.
We will embark on a boat to visit the Minh Mang Mausoleum, an ancient tomb standing for long generations. The tomb was completed in 1843 after 3 years constructed and it is the resting place of the second King of Nguyen Dynasty. In front of the tomb, there are 3 gates and the one in the middle is the Big Red Gate. Inside the Honor Courtyard, there are many stone statues of Mandarins, elephants, and horses which are guarding.
Leaving Hue city, we will drive through the picturesque landscape to Hoian ancient town. In the 16th century, Hoian used to be the national trading center for the East-West commercial itinerary. It seems to be the assembly point for the diversity of ancient streets and homes. Particularly, the quaint cobblestone streets with more than two-century-old Chinese houses are indispensable subjects to visit and explore.
Transfer to your hotel for check-in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Hoian – Cham Island (B/L)
Drive to Cua Dai Habour for a boat trip to Cham Island!
Reaching this nice island, you will have the chance to visit Lang fishing village to deeply understand about locals’ lifestyle. Next place is Au Thuyen where the regional ships are hidden in big storms. Then we will leave here for the over-100-year-old temple of Hai Tang through a walking trip along the beautiful rice field.
You will have half an hour at Xep Beach to try snorkeling and discover the world deep into the water. After lunch, relax and swim as well as sunbath at Chong beach.
Transfer back to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: My Son Holy land – Cooking class (B/L)
We will head to My Son, a concentration of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. In this period, the valley at My Son was a site of religious ceremony for kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa, as well as a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes.
Arriving here, let’s try to keep calm in the presence of its impressive beauty and listen to many attractive stories about the historical and cultural values of this Holy Land.
Transfer back to Hoian, you will have the chance to join a delightful cooking class. You will visit a local market to buy some necessary ingredients for your course and learn how to select them. Afterward, we will excurse along the Hoian River to witness the local river life and the anglers casting nets before reaching the cooking school. The cooking course will take place in an extremely friendly ambiance with the guidance of the chef. You will be taught how to cook some traditional Vietnamese dishes and take the recipe home. Enjoy your result with some additive dishes prepared by cooks for lunch.
Transfer back to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9: Hoian – Danang – Saigon (B)
After breakfast, we will transfer to the Da Nang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Welcome on arrival and transfer to hotel for check-in.
Afterward, we will come to visit the Reunification Palace, a particular architectural monument that is associated with many significant historical events. The monument is now an attractive touristic destination thanks to its display of dozens of historic war vehicles such as transmitters, telephones, tanks, and a helicopter. The landscape at the Palace seems to reconstitute wartime in 1975.
Transfer back to the hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Cu Chi Tunnel – Saigon City Tour (B)
We will pay a visit to Cu Chi Tunnel, the historic shelter of Vietnamese soldiers during the war. We will pay a visit to the traps, the mysterious way-in, the network of bunkers and the underground hermitage. Furthermore, there gives you a unique and wonderful chance to use real guns and bullets at riffle range as well as even creep into the Cu Chi Tunnels to understand the historic harsh life of Vietcong guerrillas. Covering almost 250km, the tunnels system helped over 16.000 communist guerillas alive during the war.
Relaxing with green tea and tapioca as Vietcong in wartime, you will understand more about their former life.
Transfer back to the city for sightseeing, let’s visit some historic sites of the city such as the Old Post Office of Saigon, a not-to-be-missed place for visitors. Built-in 19th century and designed by the famous architect Gustav Eiffel – also designed the architecture for Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi and Eiffel Tower in Paris, the office with roof and windows at vault reminisces about the images of the first railway stations in Europe. Visitors easily will see a big portrait of President Ho Chi Minh looking down.
Continue to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the architectural masterpiece of Ho Chi Minh City. The monuments were designed following the inspiration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris by Board, a French architect and completed in 1880 after 3 years constructed. All its components were imported from France. Visitors will feel very peaceful in mind as you can hear the quietest of footsteps along the walkway from the door to the dais.
We will also excurse in the Chinese District of Cho Lon, astonishing Ben Thanh, and Binh Tay Market. Particularly, Ben Thanh market is an astonishing place which is considered as a symbol of every other market in Vietnam. Visiting around, shopping and exploring Ben Thanh have been an indispensable experience to all visitors in Ho Chi Minh City and also opportunity to confirm that “Discovering an Asian market is never boring”.
Transfer back to the hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11: Day trip to Mekong Delta (B/L)
As soon as arriving Cai Be, we will visit the Cao Dai Temple with the Caodaism, a unique religion in this area; as well as the Cai Be Catholic Church. Subsequently, you will continue the tour by boat to visit not only Cai Be land market but also floating one. Observing the regional life or distinguish the above markets is also an interesting experience for visitors.
Saying goodbye to the two markets, the tour offers you a chance to enjoy a new experience: visit the crisscrossed canals by hand-rowing. Moreover, the “mysterious” Mekong lush orchards are waiting for you ahead.
Back to the boat and transfer to Tan Phong island, fill up your energy by enjoying regional fruits for the next cycling tour and travel roundabout the island. If you are a shopaholic, you will never find somewhere else more appropriate than traditional handicraft workshops of handbags, rice papers together with wooden furniture. In the village school, regional lovely and gentle children are always eager with visitors. You will be welcome at local farmer’s house, relax with a cup of tea, regional dainties of banana candies as well as pluck the fruits while talking to host about their measure for garden – caring.
Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12: Saigon Departure (B)
Free time at your leisure until we transfer to the airport for your departure flight. The room is at your disposal until noontime only. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. End of the tour!
Inclusion
– Accommodation
– Internal flight ticket
– Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air-conditioned vehicle
– Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary
– Local English speaking guide
– Meals where mentioned (B: Breakfast; L: lunch; D: dinner)
– Entrance fees
Exclusion
– International flight to and from Vietnam
– Vietnam visa stamp fee
– Other meals than mentioned
– Other services than mentioned
– Drinks, other than water on activity days
– Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tip...)
– Travel insurance