Destinations: Hanoi | Halong
bay | Hue | Hoian | Nha
Trang City | Dalat | Ho Chi
Minh City
Experience the charm of
Hanoi, the scenic impressive
sight of Halong Bay, the
ancient capital of Hue, the
charming Hoi An, Nha Trang,
the hill station of Dalat,
the vibrant Ho Chi Minh City
and the mighty Mekong Delta.
This is a wonderful trip
designed for those who want
to experience the very best
of Vietnam , but only have
limited time.
Day 1: Arrival - Hanoi
Ha Noi, Vietnam's
capital, is a stylish and
gracious city that retains
an unique old world charm
and some Asia‘s most
striking colonial
architecture. The many lakes
and parks make for relaxing
atmosphere. If time permits
then we enjoy a short cyclo
excursion through the
bustling old quarter streets
named after the specific
goods once offered for sale
at these places.
Stay overnight in Ha Noi
(B).
Day 2: Hanoi - Halong
Today, we enjoy a half day
city tour starting with the
Ho Chi Minh Complex, which
contain the Mausoleum of the
nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh,
the Presidential Palace and
the Ho Chi Minh’s house on
stilts. The complex also
comprises the One Pillar
Pagoda, whose origins date
back to the foundation of
Hanoi . We follow this with
a trip to the Temple of
Literature , well known as
Vietnam ’s first university,
and the History Museum which
displays an excellent
collection of artifacts
illustrating the Vietnamese
history. The peaceful lake
of Hoan Kiem and the
bustling Dong Xuan Market
are also visited before we
depart for Halong Bay
through the scenic
countryside. Stay overnight
in Ha Long (B, L, D).
Day 3: Halong - Hanoi
The wondrous Halong Bay is
truly one of Vietnam ’s most
impressive scenic sights.
Heading out of the town we
embark on a boat for an
exploration of the legendary
Halong Bay . This exciting
five hour cruise will
provide us a fantastic view
of the picturesque scenery
blending with the sky and
some 3,000 limestone islands
rising amazingly from the
clear and emerald water. The
limestone karst formations
are littered with beaches,
grottoes and beautiful
caves. Along the way we will
anchor for a leisurely swim
in a secluded cave and an
enjoyable visit to one of
the many hidden grottoes
beneath towering cliffs
After a seafood lunch on
board, we return to Ha Noi,
stopping en route at Dong
Trieu pottery village. We
arrive in time to see an
evening performance of Hanoi
's famous water puppets.
Stay overnight in Ha Noi (B,
L).
Day 4: Hanoi - Hue
An impressive way to
commence the day is a walk
around Hoan Kiem Lake at
dawn, where hundreds of
people come to do their
morning exercise (on your
own).
The next destination of our
trip is Hue via a short
flight from Hanoi . As
Vietnam ’s last feudal
capital, the small and quiet
city of Hue is widely known
for magnificent
architectures, 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.
After an impressive boat
trip, we return to the town
and enjoy a walk to the
bustling Dong Ba Market that
sells a wide 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 (B, L).
Day 5: Hue - Danang -
Hoian
The beautiful riverside
pagoda of Thien Mu which now
becomes the symbol of Hue ,
and the elaborate royal tomb
of Emperor Tu Duc are not to
be missed. We include these
in a guided cruise on the
Perfume River .
Upon leaving Hue we drive
south to Hoian 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 (B,
L).
Day 6: Hoian
The ancient architecture of
Hoian is a fascinating
combination of Vietnamese
traditional characters with
Chinese and Japanese
influence.
There are plenty to see in
this delightful town, some
of which 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 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 (B,
L).
Day 7: Hoian - Nha Trang
An early morning transfer to
Danang Airport for a short
flight to Nha Trang. The
fabulous sunny weather,
turquoise water surrounding
a string of offshore
islands, and white sandy
beach stretching the whole
length of the city make Nha
Trang an ideal place for
anyone seeking an enjoyable
escape.
After checking into hotel we
enjoy a tour around the
countryside and river in Nha
Trang: visit Ponagar
temple,
walk in a coconut village, have a horse cart ride in the
countryside, take a boat
ride on the Cai River,
visit local houses
to see how people live and
work, have lunch by the
riverside, then enjoy a
pleasantly healthy mud bath
at the hot spring nearby
Enjoy swimming - sun - sea - sand on the
beach near the hotel
Overnight in Nha Trang. (B, L).
Day 8: Nha Trang - Dalat
Upon leaving Nhatrang we
head south towards Dalat,
sometimes known as the "City
of Eternal Spring". At an
elevation of over 1,000
meters, the hill station of
Da Lat was founded in the
early year of the last
century for the colonials to
escape the heat and chaos of
Saigon . On arrival in Dalat
we start our tour taking us
through plenty of the French
colonial architectures to
the summer residence of
Vietnam ’s last Emperor Bao
Dai, who was forced to
abdicate in 1945, shortly
after the end of the World
War II. The following sights
are the Lam Ty Ni Pagoda and
Hang Nga Guesthouse, known
as the Crazy House because
of its bizarre architecture
(B, L).
Day 9: Dalat - HCMC
The following destination of
our trip is Ho Chi Minh City
, still called Saigon by
many locals. This bustling
metropolis, contradiction of
its northern counterpart, is
crowded with motobikes and
cars, excited by numerous
shopping area and sidewalk
cafés.
After an enjoyable visit to
the busy Hoa Binh Market, we
make our way down hill to Ho
Chi Minh, travelling through
the many tea and coffee
plantations. The drive is
long, but views are
fantastic. Along the way we
can make stops as we please,
to stretch our legs and take
some wonderful photographs
(B).
Day 10: HCMC - Cu Chi
Tunnels - HCMC
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!
We 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 (B. L).
Day 11: HCMC - Mekong
Delta - HCMC
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 have opportunities 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 (B,L)
Day 12: HCMC - Departure
There is a free time for you
to relax or further explore
Ho Chi Minh. The trip ends
after your transfer to Tan
San Nhat Airport for
departure. End of the tour
(B)
Tour includes:
·
Internal flights: Hanoi-Hue
& Danang- Nhatrang with
Vietnam Airlines, economy
class
·
All land transportation as
shown in the program
·
11 nights in comfortable
accommodation in twin
sharing room
·
meals
·
English-speaking local
guides
·
Boat cruising on Halong bay,
Perfume river ( Hue ), Thu
Bon river (Hoian) and Mekong
Delta (Vinh Long)
·
Cyclo rides in Hanoi and Hue
·
All entrance and sightseeing
fees
Tour excludes:
·
International airfares &
airport taxes in/out Vietnam
·
(Single) Entry visa to
Vietnam
·
Meals that not mentioned in
the program
Travel insurance
·
Personal expenses ( drinks,
laundry, telephone...)
·
Tips
