| Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi |
| Upon your arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to a hotel in Hanoi. Ha Noi, Vietnam's capital, is a stylish and gracious city that retains a unique old world charm and has some of Asia‘s most striking colonial architecture. The many lakes and parks make for a relaxing atmosphere. If time permits, you can enjoy a short cyclo excursion through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Accommodation at your hotel in Hanoi. |
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| Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B, L) |
| 8:00 AM: pick up at your hotel and go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum and One Pillar pagoda. Continue the tour and visit the Literature temple, which was the first University in Vietnam built in the 16th century. The tour continues to the Art Museum. Enjoy lunch in one of the famous restaurants in Hanoi before commencing the walking tour in 1000 Years Old Hanoi Old Quarter. At 4pm we go off to see the unique Water Puppet show. Stay over night at your hotel in Hanoi. |
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| Day 3: Hanoi - Halong (B, L, D) |
| 8:00 AM: Transfer to Halong City for a boat cruise on the Bay, stop along the way to admire the landscape and take photos. At Halong City board the Huong Hai Junk and check in for registration. The friendly boat screw will provide you with a special seafood lunch with welcome drink during boat cruise around the bay. You will explore the islands and take in the fantastic views of the picturesque scenery. There are some 3,000 limestone islands rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. The limestone karsks (formations) are littered with beaches, grottos and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and a discovery visit to one of those hidden grottos beneath towering cliffs. Have dinner on board with Vietnamese wine and later rock gently to sleep on the boat. |
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| Day 4: Halong - Hanoi - Lao Cai Railway Station (B, L) |
| After breakfast, you can relax on deck to soak up the the beauty of the bay while passing the most beautiful of karsks islets like Man’s Head Island, Tortoise Island. Visit Luon Cave by small bamboo boat, Bai Tu Long bay. Have lunch on the boat while you return to Ha Long wharf for private car to transfer you back to Hanoi. At 8:30pm our tour guide will met you at the hotel to escort you to the railway station for the night train to Lao Cai, near the Chines border. Overnight on the train. |
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| Day 5: Sapa - Cat Cat Village (L, D) |
| Train arrives at Lao Cai Railway Station at 06.00AM. Transfer to Sapa by private van. Have breakfast at the hotel or in the local restaurant (optional). Relax for a while. Your guide will meet you at hotel for short downhill walk to Cat Cat village. This village of the H'mong tribe in the valley, remains in very original style. Excellent views of the valley with the magnificent limestone hills and paddy fields of the H'mong village. Mix with the local families and learn of their customs and social life. Further down past the village down you will reach the Cat Cat waterfall. A "white curtain" cascade appears which is surrounded by a flowery valley and deep-green pines. The rocks near the river and waterfall provide a marvelous place for photos and sunbathing during good weather You will also see a disused French hydro power station. Have dinner at a restaurant and then discover Sapa in night and see the ethnic people and their activities and life in Sapa. |
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| Day 6: Lao Cai - Ta Van Village (B, L) |
| Breakfast before a private jeep transfers you to Lao Chai village, a village of the Black H’mong. A short walk down to the river will take you to a hill tribe house to see their living style and the local women making their handicraft clothes. Further on along the road, the Tavan village where Dzay people stay can be seen. Visit the village and learn their customs. Back to Sapa in the afternoon. Stay over night at the hotel. |
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| Day 7: Bac Ha Market - Lao Cai Railway Station - Hanoi (B) |
| Upon leaving Sapa we set off on our scenic drive through the border town of Lao Cai to the colourful Sunday Market at Bac Ha (If time permit). This market also attracts a wide variety of ethnic minority groups including the Variegated Hmong, Dao, Phu La, La Chi and Tay. They still retain their old age cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. The experience of this congregation is colorful and unique. After the market we enjoy a walk around the area, visiting the Hmong King’s former residence and Ban Pho where the villagers make the potent local maize alcohol before transfer back to Lao Cai railway station for night train back to Hanoi. |
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| Day 8: Hanoi - Hue (B) |
| Train arrives back in Hanoi at around 6.00am in the morning. Pick up at the railway station and drive to the Hanoi airport for the flight to Hue. Our tour guide in Hue will greet you at airport for transfer to hotel and learn some history of Old Royal City in Vietnam in 17th century. As Vietnam’s last feudal capital, the small and quiet city of Hue is widely known for magnificent architectures, sculptures, pagodas and royal tombs laid in many small villages and surrounding hills. We spend this afternoon to visit Hue with the massive citadel, which contains the Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City. This royal residence was all but destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive, however it is still fascinating to walk among the ruins. |
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| Day 9: Hue - Boat Trip on River (B, L) |
| After breakfast at the hotel, we embark on a boat to visit the beauty of riverside pagoda of Thien Mu which now becomes the symbol of Hue and the elaborate royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc are sights not to be missed. After an impressive boat trip, we return to the town and enjoy a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market that sells a huge variety of local goods and handicrafts. Along the way we pass by many fantastic eating spots, ideal places for visitors to sample some local delicacies. Stay overnight in Hue. |
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| Day 10: Hue - Hoi An (B, L) |
| Upon leaving Hue we drive south to Hoi An which was originally a Cham seaport but has been influenced down the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. The scenic road is hugging the coastline before crossing over the winding Hai Van pass. A view from the top of the pass is one of Vietnam’s most impressive panoramic scenes. We stop en route to visit the Cham Museum in Danang City, the China Beach and the Marble Mountain, whose peaks represent the five elements of the universe. Accommodation at hotel in Hoi An. |
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| Day 11: Hoi An (B) |
| The ancient architecture of Hoi An is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese influence.
There is plenty to see in this delightful town, some of the attractions are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tamky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market.
Today we include some of these on a walking tour past many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town's multi-cultural past. A perfect way to round off the day is a boat trip on the Thu Bon River, which also gives us a chance to admire the spectacular countryside and explore a handicraft ceramic village and boat building yards. |
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| Day 12: Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City (B) |
| An early transfer to Danang Airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals. This bustling metropolis, contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with motobikes and cars, and has numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafés. The sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh begins with a visit to the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Close to the palace are some striking French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. We also visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum before continuing to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where everything and anything is for sale! |
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| Day 13: Cao Dai Temple - Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L) |
| The head quarter of Cao Dai sect is located in Tay Ninh. This religion was founded in 1923 and now numbers over 2 million members. After breakfast we travel by roads to Tay Ninh to see the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Then transfer out to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network of approximately 200 km constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, plus accommodation and schools, and were used as a military base for the Vietcong in the American war. Back to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight at hotel. |
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| Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta (B, L) |
| Breakfast at hotel. This morning we travel by road to the small town of Cai Be in the heart of the Mekong Delta. From here we will board our boat and take a cruise around the tributaries of the mighty Mekong River.
On the way we visit some local cottage industries, including the puffed-rice and rice paper makers, bonsai nurseries and fish farms as well as exploring a floating market. Each boat usually sells one particular item, whether it be pumpkins, pineapples, sugar cane etc, and in order that the customer knows where to shop, they hang that item from the highest part of the boat. From here we head out into the Mekong River itself, a huge expanse of water. The Mekong River begins its life in Tibet and travels 4,500 km through six countries before eventually flowing into the South China Sea. Our lunch will be on the banks of one of the many canals that interlace the area, and will include the very tasty 'Elephant ear fish'. After lunch we continue to weave our way through the intricate network of canals. The canals carry everything from human cargo to huge rice barges and are the lifeblood of the Delta. Traveling by boat gives you a unique perspective of life here and later we can even navigate some of the narrower canals by small rowing boats. Overnight in Can Tho. |
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| Day 15: Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L) |
| Heading out of the town, we travel by roads to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl. On arrival in My Tho we embark on a boat navigating around the intricate small canals in the delta region, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a view dotted by many islands. The exciting excursion will pass the lush green vegetation before arriving at the famous Unicorn Island. Here we the opportunity to stroll around an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and enjoy wonderful traditional music. The next stop of our trip is Ben Tre Province to visit some fascinating local industries. After feasting on a huge lunch we return to Ho Chi Minh, stopping off along the way to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and the Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is crammed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes.
Accommodation at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City |
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| Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (B) |
| Free at leisure until time to transfer to the airport for the flight back home. |
