Destination: Hanoi - Ha Long - Cat Ba - Sapa - Hue - Danang - My Son - Hoi An - Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi - Vinh Long - Can Tho

Details Itinerary:

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide  

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the good local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi City tour (B, L, G)

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum where Ho Chi Chi lies in state (closed on every Monday & Friday and October & November). You’ll see the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. You’ll continue to visit the One Pillar Pagoda and hear the legend of its construction, born from the love of an emperor in the 11th Century.

10.30 - 11.00: You’ll drive to visit the serene Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s West Lake.

11.00 - 12.00: You’ll also call the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and the dedicated to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from the busy streets outside and later become Vietnam’s first university.

12.00 - 13.30: Lunch at local restaurant

13.30 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Pass by Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake , also known as Lake of Restored Sword from the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city’s fascinating museums.   

16.15 - 17.15: You’ll then take to the streets by cycle ride tour of the Ancient Qurter of 36 streets District. This densely populated corner of the city was once a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a particular guild. Still a thriving community of sellers today, you’ll see streets name such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street. Ancient homes and temples are interspersed with stores in this souvenir hunter’s paradise.

You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Exploring villages around Hanoi (B, L, G)

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll arrive in Van Phuc village, a small village where families have specialised in weaving and dying silk over centuries, once the creators of fine material for the robes of the Royal court.

10.30 - 12.00: Drive to Bat Trang - a village famous for its fine ceramics. You can stroll through the narrow streets to watch the manufacturing process and meet the craftspeople.

12.00 - 13.00: You'll have lunch box in the village.

13.00 - 14.30: You'll then be picked up to drive to visit the Dong Ho handicraft village, famous for its traditional wood-paintings, and spend time in an artist’s house to watch the creative process.  

14.30 - 16.15: You’ll drive to one of a traditional village in the North of Vietnam to enjoy its traditional Quan Ho music performed by villagers in the commune house. The singers have recently been officially designated as part of Vietnam’s ‘living heritage’. 

16.15 - 17.15: You'll visit Dong Ky village where most of the local families produce furniture inlaid with mother of pearl. It’s a good example of how the villagers work co-operatively on different stages of the manufacturing process. 

You’ll return to Hanoi to spend the night.

Day 4: Hanoi/Ha Long/Cat Ba (B, L, G)

9.30: You'll take a short break at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.

10.00 - 11.30: You'll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

11.30: You’ll board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. It will take you first to the World Heritage area where you'll visit Amazing Cave. You'll have time for swimming on the emerald water in Ha Long Bay. Your lunch will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood.

17.00: On arrival to Cat Ba Island, you'll be picked up by bus to your hotel. You’ll spend the night in Cat Ba.

Day 5: Cat Ba/Hai Phong/Hanoi/Lao Cai (B, G)

15.00 – 16.00: You'll take a short walk to the other harbour where you'll take a hydrofoil to Hai Phong

16.00 – 18.00: Arrive in Hai Phong, you'll take a vehicles back to Hanoi then transfer to the station for your overnight train to Lao Cai.

Day 6: Lao Cai/Sapa (B, L, D, G)

5.15 - 6.30: You'll be met by your tour guide at Lao Cai Station and have a breakfast at the local restaurant.

6.30 - 11.30: You'll be picked up to visit a market frequented by ethnic minority peoples. Although it’s quite a long drive, the landscape is attractive and the ethnic markets are a fascinating experience. Unlike those in the tourist areas, the markets that we choose are for not only buying and selling, but also meeting places for ethnic minority people to meet and exchange news. There will be plenty of colour and authentic costumes, but very little to buy as souvenirs unless you want to barter for a water buffalo or a sack of fertiliser!

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch at local restaurant.

12.30 - 15.30: Drive to Sapa, a scenic mountain area with high peaks, rivers, valleys and hillside terracing. The villages are traditional and are typically tucked away at the bottom of the hill slopes. Most of the villagers wear traditional costumes. The rest day will be free to explore Sapa town by yourself. You’ll spend the night in Sapa.

Day 7: Sapa/Lao Cai (B, L, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.30: You’ll hike down a scenic valley calling in at the H’mong ethnic minority villages on the way. You'll then be driven by Jeep to visit Lao Chai village - the village of Black H’mong people.

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch.

12.30 - 14.30: You'll take a Russian Jeep to visit Ta Van village - the village of Day people and then visit Red Dao ethnic minority people of Giang Ta Chai village.

14.30 - 15.00: You'll return to Sapa to refresh at a local standard hotel.

16.00 - 17.00: Escorted to Lao Cai station. You’ll have dinner by yourselves. You'll then take an overnight sleeper train at 20.00 back to Hanoi. You’ll spend the night on the train.

Day 8: Hanoi free (B)

5.30: You'll arrive in the station and be escorted to your hotel. The rest day will be free. You'll spend the night in Hanoi

Day 9: Hanoi/Hue (G)

Your time will be your own until you'll be driven to the airport for your noon flight to Hue. On arrival, you'll check in your hotel in the city centre and have a Hue city tour in the afternoon.

14.30 - 16.30: You'll be picked up to visit Imperial Citadel, once the seat of the Emperors of the powerful Nguyen Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. You’ll begin with a stroll around the area between the Citadel’s massive walls and the defensive moat, now filled with lotus flowers. You’ll then enter via the Noon Gate to wander around the Thai Hoa Palace, the Pavilion housing the Nine Urns of the Nguyen rulers, and the remains of the Royal Palaces.

16.30 - 17.30: You'll visit the bustling Dong Ba market, which is one of the most famous markets in the Centre areas. You'll spend the night in Hue.

Day 10: Hue (B, L, D, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 10.00: You'll be taken by car to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, a tranquil pagoda in the banks of the Perfume River.

10.00 - 12.00: Take a cruise along the Perfume River to the Royal Tombs of Minh Mang, the most majestic emperor and a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children.

12.00 - 13.30: Drive back to Hue for lunch at a typical Vietnamese restaurant.

13.30 - 16.45: In the afternoon, you'll drive to visit Royal Tu Duc tomb, the "poet Emperor", is set in an elegant garden with a magnificent lake and pavilion complex and the Royal Khai Dinh tomb is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley.

In the evening, you'll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of another of the garden houses. The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. 

You'll spend the night in Hue.

Day 11: Hue/Hoi An (B, L, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel, you'll then be picked up to travel to Hoi An.

8.30 - 12.00: You’ll drive to Lang Co Beach and the lagoon far below. You'll then cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van with excellent view to see Danang spread out.

12.00 - 14.00: You’ll have lunch at local restaurant and have a brief to visit Cham museum, a remarkable Hindu statuary.

14.00 - 15.45: Driver and guide will take you to visit Marble Mountain, Stone Carving village where you can admire the stone products of local people and Non Nuoc Beach.

15.45 - 17.30: You'll continue driving to Hoi An and have a visit  Hoi An Town, and enjoy its considerable significance in the history of Vietnamtown.

You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 12: Hoi An/My Son/Hoi An (B, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.15: Drive to visit the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary, the guide will show you the remains of the remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose.

11.15 - 12.00: You'll return to Hoi An. Rest of day will be free perhaps to stroll around the Old Quarter of relax on the beach. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 13: Hoi An/Danang/Nha Trang (B)

Your time will be your own until you'll escorted to Danang airport for your flight to Nha Trang. On arrival, you'll driven to your hotel to check in at the hotel overlooking the bay. The rest day will be free on the beach. You'll spend the night in Nha Trang.

Day 14: Nha Trang boat tour (B, L, G)

You'll have a breakfast at your hotel before your vehicles comes to pick to you to the harbour for your Nha Trang boat tour.

9.00 - 11.30: You'll take a cruise to Mun Island where  you'll anchor off  for swimming and snorkeling, relax on the beach and enjoy the beauty of the corals in the sea.

11.30 - 14.00: You’ll cruise to Mot Island for lunch on the boat, you'll then have an entertainment such as dancing and singing together with other passengers on the boat. A floating mini bar will served some of Vietnamese wine with fruit.

14.00 - 16.15: You'll continue cruising to Tam Island for swimming or relaxing on the beach. You'll have a fruit party on the boat on the way to Mieu Island. You'll be rowed in a circular bamboo-basket boat to visit a fishing village on Mieu Island.

16.15 - 16.30: You'll return to Nha Trang to spend the night.

Day 15: Nha Trang city tour (B, G)

After breakfast at your hotel, your car and driver will take you to the Nha Trang city tour.

8.30 - 9.30: You'll be driven to visit Long Son Pagoda and hike up on steps to the mountain where you'll have good view to sea Nha Trang city. You'll also visit the one of the biggest Buddhist statues in Vietnam on the top of the mountain.

9.30 - 12.10: You'll travel to visit to the impressive Ponaga Cham tower. You'll then be taken to the hot spring spa for your relaxing in the mud baths and mineral water pools. You can wallow in mud in an outdoor bath, shower in spring water, and bathe for as long as you like in a large hot mineral water swimming pool set in beautiful gardens.

In the afternoon, you'll be free to stroll around Nha Trang's beach. You'll spend the night in Nha Trang.

Day 16: Nha Trang/Ho Chi Minh City (B, G)

You'll be free and then be picked up to Nha Trang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On your arrival at the Tan Son Nhat airport, you'll be driven to your hotel. You�ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City tour (B, L, G)

8.30: Your car and driver will come to take you for your Ho Chi Minh City tour

8.30 - 10.30: You’ll be driven to visit History Museum, an exhibition of the 5th century ‘Oc Eo’ civilisation.

10.30 - 12.00: You’ll visit the Museum of War Remnants provides a very partial, but riveting, perspective of the ‘American War’

12.00 - 13.15: Lunch will be served at the local restaurant.

13.15 - 14.00: You’ll visit Centre Post Office with colonial building and the Cathedral Church.

14.00 - 14.45: You'll be driven to visit the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries.

14.45 - 17.00: You’ll have approximately two hour to visit the Ben Thanh market, one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City, is packed with every conceivable commodity and a visit to lacquer workshop to see the complex processes and meticulous workmanship involved in this traditional Vietnamese craft product. End of your services at the hotel. You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 18: Ho Chi Minh City/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi (B, L, G)

8.30 - 12.00: You’ll be picked up to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Holy See in time to watch the mid-day ceremony. The Cao Dai is a ‘new’ religion unique to Vietnam with around a million followers. Both its creed and its architecture are remarkable and exotic. The service lasts about half an hour – the rituals are based upon an eclectic mixture of Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Discreet photography is OK, but shoes must be left outside

12.00 - 13.30: You'll be driven to local restaurant to have lunch.

13.30 - 14.30: You'll visit the Cu Chi tunnels, a byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly.

14.30 - 15.45: You’ll drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. End of the services at your hotel.

Day 19: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long/Can Tho (B, L, G)

8.30 - 10.30: Drive to Vinh Long, a city famous by the Mekong River and floating market

10.30 - 15.30: You’ll cruise to visit Cai Be floating market, fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and drop in to look at some traditional cottage industries - a workshop making the huge coffins unique to the Mekong is particularly interesting. You'll have a lunch at one of the local family and have a shot show of traditional music in Mekong Delta which is operated by the local people.

15.30 - 16.00: You'll have time to wonder around the fruit market to buy some kind of famoust tropical fruit such as banana, pomelo, dragon fruit and so on.

16.00 - 17.30: You'll be driven further into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho where you'll spend the night.

Day 20: Can Tho/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G)

8.00 - 10.45: You'll have breakfast at your hotel and then be picked up to Ninh Kieu Harbour. You'll then take about two hour boat trip to cruise along the Mekong River to Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets. You can enjoy the Mekong rural lifestyle.

10.45 - 13.15: You’ll travel back to Vinh Long to have  lunch at local restaurant.

13.15 - 15.15: You’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City. You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 21: Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, G)

You'll be free until you'll be picked up to the airport for your international departure flight.

Prices per person in US$: 

Valid until December 31, 2007

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation in twin or double room.

• One-way domestic flight tickets: Hanoi - Hue, Danang - Nha Trang, Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City including domestic flight airport taxes.

• Return train tickets: Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi, air-condition soft four berth cabin.

• Boats cruise as programme, sharing a luxury cruise on traditional junk in Ha Long Bay.

• Hydrofoil ticket: Cat Ba - Hai Phong

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced, safe driver.

• Experienced English-speaking tour guide as indicated in the itinerary.

• Entry fees for all sightseeing as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants and on the boat in Ha Long Bay.

• Government Taxes.

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas.

• Dinners except as specified above.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sofitel Plaza Hotel (***** overlooking the West Lake) or similar

• Cat Ba: Holiday View (*** 5 minutes walk to the beach, overlooking the Lan Ha Bay, Suite) or similar

• Sapa: Victoria Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa with separate building)

• Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel (**** luxury colonial hotel, overlooking the perfume river, Deluxe) or similar

• Hoi An: Life Resort (**** colonial style) or similar

• Nha Trang: Sunrise Beach Hotel (***** luxury hotel overlooking the bay) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Majestic Hotel (**** colonial building, overlooking the Saigon River, Deluxe) or similar

• Can Tho: Victoria Hotel (**** overlooking the Mekong River)

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** city centre) or similar

• Cat Ba: Holiday View (*** 5 minutes walk to the beach, overlooking the Lan Ha Bay) or similar

• Sapa: Victoria Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa with separate building, Superior)

• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** overlooking the Perfume River, Superior Riverview) or similar

• Hoi An: River Beach Resort (**** on the China Beach, Superior) or similar

• Nha Trang: Yasaka Hotel (**** overlooking the Nha Trang Bay) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Continental Hotel (**** colonial building in the city centre) or similar

• Can Tho: Golf Hotel (**** city centre)  or similar

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Army Hotel (***city centre with swimming pool) or similar

• Cat Ba: Holiday View (*** 5 minutes walk to the beach, overlooking the Lan Ha Bay) or similar

• Sapa: Hoa Sua Hotel (local standard) or similar

• Hue: Heritage Hotel (*** newly opened in the city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Lotus Hotel (*** with swimming pool, 2km from town centre) or similar

• Nha Trang: Green Hotel (*** new high rise building) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Elios Hotel (*** city centre) or similar

• Can Tho: Saigon Can Tho Hotel (*** overlooking the Mekong River) or similar

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

• Hanoi: Nam Hai Hotel (** in the Old Quarter) or similar

• Cat Ba: Princes Hotel (** local standard) or similar

• Sapa: Hoa Sua Hotel (local standard) or similar

• Hue: Green Bamboo Hotel (** local standard in the city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Pho Hoi Riverside Resort (*** near the Old Quarter) or similar

• Nha Trang: Vien Dong Hotel (** local standard) or similar

• Ho Chi Minh City: Ha Hien Hotel (** city centre) or similar

• Can Tho: Ninh Kieu Hotel (** local standard) or similar

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