:Detail Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi arrival.
Arrival package in Hanoi. O/N at Thang Long Opera Hotel*** (alternative: Army Hotel or similar)
Day 2: Hanoi city tour.
AM: 08:30 pick up from your hotel, drive to visit Ho Chi Minh complex, including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of the Vietnamese great father or uncle Ho, President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt House – where he lived on and off from 1958 to 1969, the next place to move to is One Pillar Pagoda – a group of structures consisting of a pagoda and a tower built in the middle of a square lake. Leave One Pillar Pagoda and transfer to West Lake, visit Tran Quoc pagoda. Have lunch.
PM: After lunch, you will be transferred to visit the Temple of literature. Continue to visit Museum of Ethnology – the most interesting museum in Hanoi with many different things relating the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. After that, you will visit Hoan Kiem lake (Restore Sword Lake). The last place of the tour is taking a walk for few minutes to visit The old quarter of Hanoi. Tour ends at your hotel.
Note:
- All museums are closed on Monday.
- Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is closed on Monday, Friday, the whole month of October and November!
- Long dresses are requested when visiting the mausoleum, temple and pagoda!
O/N at Thang Long Opera Hotel*** (alternative: Army Hotel or similar) (B, L)
Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay
Departure: 07:45 pick up at your hotel.
Drive to Ha Long harbor: 3 hours with a short break on the way. Drop off at Fantasea Adventures office for a welcome drink.
Boat tour: Board boat around 12:00, lunch will be served on the boat, while we cruise and enjoy the breathtaking view around the bay.
Cave visits: Drop off for a guided visit of Sung Sot cave or Thien Cung-Dau Go cave. Depart for Titop area. Weather permitting our guests will be able to hike up Titop mountainas well as kayak or swim in the bay’s emerald waters. A Vietnamese dinner will be served on the boat. Evening entertainment options are karaoke, board games, movies or stargazing on the upper deck.
Overnight: clean air-conditioned rooms with private washrooms (B, L, D)
Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi.
Rise early for another chance at kayaking and swimming in the Luon cave area or rise later and have breakfast at your leisure. The boat will sail around the bay and make a stop at Gia Luan pier on Cat Ba island. Lunch will be served on the boat on the way back to Ha Long harbor.
Drive to Ha Noi: 3 hours with a short break on the way. You will be drop off at your hotel around 16:00.
Pick up to the train station at 22:00. Night train Hanoi – Hue at 23:00 (soft sleeper with A/C, 4 pax in a cabin).
O/N on train. (B, L)
Day 5: Hue arrival.
Arrive in Hue at about 10:40. Pick up to hotel. After having lunch, explore the town by cyclo for 2 hours.
O/N at Festival Hotel*** (alternative: Asia Hotel or similar) (L)
Day 6: Hue city tour.
Our guide meets you at 08:30 AM at your hotel in Hue, then we start our tour with a boat trip along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, built in 1601, which is regarded as the symbol of Hue. Then continue by car to the Imperial City, the capital of Vietnam from 1802-1945, which was recognized as a World Heritage Site.
After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to visit Tu Duc Mausoleum - one of the most spectacular Royal Tombs in Hue, which is located in a narrow wooded valley in Duong Xuan Thuong village, 8km from the former imperial capital of Hue. The tomb was designed by the Emperor Tu Duc himself for use before and after his death, and was built between 1864 and 1867.
Not far from Tu Duc Mausoleum is the Khai Dinh Mausoleum, built from 1920 - 1931. Khai Dinh Mausoleum is made mainly out of reinforced concrete rather than the traditional stone, a truly bizarre mélange of ancient and modern Western and Vietnamese architectural styles. On the way back to Hue City, we will make a short stop at Incense-making village and Conical hat-making village.
O/N at Festival Hotel*** (alternative: Asia Hotel or similar) (B, L, D)
Day 7: Hue - Hoi An.
After having breakfast in the hotel, transfer from Hue to Hoi An by a private car (van, mini bus) at 08:30. Arrive in Hoi An at noon. Check in hotel then transfer to a local restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, take a walking private city tour in the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 17th to 18th centuries. The city tour includes a visit to Japanese covered bridge, Phung Hung Ancient House, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Hoi An Local Market.
O/N at Hoi An Pacific Hotel**** (alternative: Hoi An Hotel or similar) (B, L)
Day 8: My Son + traditional villages.
Depart from hotel at 08:00 to My Son Holyland - the Hindu center of Champa Kingdom between the 4th and 14th centuries, located 55 km West of Hoian. Enjoy the Cham Dance for half an hour as soon as we get to the site. Spend 2.5 hours for sight-seeings at the Holyland. Drive back to Hoi An around noon time for lunch ( at Long Hoang Vien Restaurant - a nice restaurant set by Thu Bon River and close to Thanh Ha Pottery Village ). After lunch, board the private boat for a gentle cruise along Thu Bon River to Thanh Ha Pottery Village & Kim Bong Carpentry Village. Tour ends at hotel in Hoi An around 16:30.
O/N at Hoi An Pacific Hotel**** (alternative: Hoi An Hotel or similar) (B, L)
Day 9: Free and easy.
You can either walk around the town to see the daily life of the local people or go to ralax on Cua Dai beach (4km from the hotel).
O/N at Hoi An Pacific Hotel**** (alternative: Hoi An Hotel or similar) (B)
Day 10: Sai Gon arrival.
Check out hotel. Transfer to Da Nang at 11:40. Flight Da Nang – Sai Gon (VN 323 at 13:40). Arrive in Tan Son Nhat airport, meet your guide and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure .
O/N Dai Nam Hotel*** (alternative: Elios Hotel or similar) (B)
Day 11: Cao Dai temple and Cu Chi tunnel.
The Great Holy See Temple, built in 1926, is considered one of the most striking structures in all of south-east Asia. It is the center of Caodaism, a religion that blends Buddhism, Christianity and Confucianism. Explore this fascinating site and attend the colorful noon-day mass held by the Cao Dai followers. It is an experience not to be missed. After lunch, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. Located 60km from Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi is now considered a heroic district for its role during the American war in Vietnam. It is legendary for its network of tunnels, which extends over 220km, and is a popular destination for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors. Back to Ho Chi Minh City for dinner.
O/N Dai Nam Hotel*** (alternative: Elios Hotel or similar) (B, L, D)
Day 12: Sai Gon - Mekong Delta.
Morning: Transfer to My Tho. On arrival, get on the boat to have a boat trip on the Northern River (Tien Giang). Land on an island to visit a workshop making coconut candy by traditional method, have some minutes of relax by riding a horse carriage. Drop at peasant house for enjoying tea with pure honey, then sit on a rowed boat cruising through a small cannel covered by water-coconut trees. Lunch on an island.
Afternoon: Visit an local orchard to taste tropical fruits and enjoy folk-music show performed by peasants. And then transfer to Can Tho.
O/N at Tay Do Hotel*** (or similar). (B, L, D)
Day 13: Mekong Delta – Sai Gon.
Starts from Ninh Kieu boat quay, we cruise along the small and picturesque tributaries, we will see the Cai Rang floating market (the nicest one with heaps of rowing boats). you try the Vietnamese vermicelli noodle? Take in the beautiful scenery and the daily activities of the locals who lives along the Mekong canals and you will roam through the village to visit a rice husking mill and a rice noodles making shop. So, you will go and see how it is made. you will trek along the village to get in touch with the local people. Here, you have a chance to experience how to pass a “Monkey bridge” which is built by only one bamboo. Drive back to Sai Gon via My Tho.
O/N Dai Nam Hotel*** (alternative: Elios Hotel or similar) (B, L, D)
Day 14: Sai Gon departure.
Check out hotel. Transfer to airport for departure. (B)
(B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
Including:
- Local English speaking guides on mentioned tours
- Food as mentioned above
- Transportation by train, bus, air-plane as mentioned on tour
- Entrance fees on all tours
- Hotels as mentioned: 2 pax in a double room or 3 pax in a triple room
Single supplement: an extra fee will be required!
Excluding: Insurance, personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone calls, drinks... and tips to the tour guides.
