ITINERARY
Travel the serpentine length of Vietnam and get arrested in its incredible beauty and rich traditions. From tail to the top, into the depths of ancient heritage and modern culture, and the extravagant sceneries and beaches, you will discover a country packed full of diverse ethnicity, etiquette, and elegance.
Begin in dynamic HCMC, the country’s commercial capital and center of a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House, and Hotel de Ville. If desired, also visit the moving War Remnants Museum. Explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city’s most upscale shopping boulevard with fashion boutiques and accessories designed by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high-quality linens, and housewares. Take a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and watch an unusual and eclectic religious ceremony at the main temple of Cao Daism, a unique fusion of world religions, in Tay Ninh. Alternatively, spend the day cruising the narrow canals of the Mekong Delta.
Fly to Danang and land transfer to the cozy town of Hoi An, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and riverfront port town crammed with historic homes, tiny museums, cafes, and bustling silk and fish markets. Nearby, see ancient sculptures in the Cham Museum, and tour Buddhist cave temples in the Marble Mountains. Opt to stay at a luxury beach resort in nearby Danang, or a boutique riverside hotel in the heart of Hoi An.
Next, view the dramatic central coastline by a private car or minivan to Hue, the former Imperial capital. It is a quiet city renowned for the unique architecture of its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples, built under the Nguyen dynasty on the banks of the Perfume River.
Wrap up in Hanoi, Vietnam’s artistic and intellectual capital. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, ride a cyclo to dinner, and watch a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Dine in French colonial villas converted into gourmet restaurants. Enjoy people watching at stylish cafes. Shop for impressive modern art in the city’s many galleries. Also visit Hanoi’s main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature.
Also spend one night on cruise in Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone rock sculptures jut dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes have created an ephemeral, fantastic landscape.
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Day 01: Ho Chi Minh Arrival
You will be warmly welcomed on arrival and transferred to the hotel. You will have an afternoon private city tour of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), the largest and busiest city in Vietnam, with a population of 7 million people. Much of daily life takes place on the streets, which are lined with shops, stalls and vendors with their wares spread out on the footpath. Don’t miss the bustling Ben Thanh Market, the moving War Remnants Museum, The Reunification Palace and Notre Dame Cathedral. You will stay overnight in HCMC.
Meal: None
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 02: Mekong Delta Excursion
This picturesque and friendly Mekong Delta town has historically seen very few travelers, but the recent opening of a bridge connecting Ben Tre and My Tho has made it far easier for day trippers to visit from Saigon. Our one-day cruise excursion starts at 8:00 am from the lobby of your hotel in Saigon with a drive to Ben Tre. While there, you can take a walk along the waterfront, lined with French era shops and houses, and you’ll see plenty of coconuts being unloaded from boats for dispatch around the country. Then, jump on a boat for a couple of hours of cruising on the Mekong River. You will enjoy your delicious lunch at a local restaurant or on board. The excursion will end at around 4:00 pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 03: Ho Chi Minh – Hoi An
You will transfer to the airport and fly on Vietnam Airlines to Danang. Upon arrival at Danang Airport, you will be greeted by our guide who will begin by escorting you on a tour of Danang City, including the Cham Museum where you can find out more about this ancient but advanced civilization. After leaving Danang, you will make our way the short distance to the Marble Mountains , where there will be the opportunity to climb to the top and admire the temples that have a commanding view over the surrounding district. You will continue to the delightful town of Hoi An, approximately 30km away. You will check in and have leisure time before an overnight stay.
Meal: Breakfast
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 04: Hoi An Ancient Town
From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. These people came primarily to trade in the high grade silk, which is still produced in the area, as well as ceramics. Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century.
You will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200-year-old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Hoi An is now one of five UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites in Vietnam. In the afternoon, you are free to meander in Hoi An, unwind at Cua Dai Beach or take an optional half day trip to My Son Cham Ruins. You will stay overnight in Hoi An.
Meal: Breakfast
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 05: Hoi An – Danang – Hue
You will leave Hoi An for Hue for two-night stay. In the afternoon you will board a Dragon Boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded by ancient tombs of emperors past, temples and pagodas, and a visit to the most beautiful tombs will be on the itinerary for today. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day and you can get a great view of the Perfume River and surrounding area. You will visit Thien Mu Pagoda which is considered the symbol of Hue and of Buddhism in Vietnam. From here you will continue a drive to visit ornate Minh Mang’s tomb or Tu Duc’s tomb before an overnight stay in Hue.
Meal: Breakfast
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 06: Hue City Tour
Today you will explore this fabulous city starting with a visit to the Citadel, containing the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City, the Emperor’s private residence. The Imperial City was created in the 19th century and modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing and there are many palaces and temples inside. You will also visit the Imperial Museum, The Tu Hieu Pagoda and the vibrant Dong Ba Riverside market. To round off the day’s activities, you will visit one of Hue’s fine restaurants to sample some of its local delicacies, as Hue is regarded by many as the culinary capital of Vietnam. You will stay overnight in Hue.
Meal: Breakfast
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 07: Hue – Hanoi
After breakfast at the hotel, you will have free time before transferring to Phu Bai Airport for a short flight to Hanoi for a three-night stay. Arriving in Hanoi, you will transfer to your hotel in town and have free time and optional cyclo ride around the Old Quarter. Then you will go to dinner at a popular restaurant in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show at Thang Long theater before an overnight stay in Hanoi.
Meal: Breakfast
Tour guide: English Speaking guide
Day 08: Hanoi – Halong Bay
After breakfast, we are ready to be picked up for a 3.5-hour drive to Halong Bay at 7.45 am. About 11.30-12.00, you are welcomed on board and have set lunch while cruising in the bay. Depends on which cruise you choose, the detailed itinerary will basically include a visit to the Amazing cave, kayaking, swimming in crystal water. Dinner and overnight on the cruise.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tour guide: English speaking guide on board
Day 09: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves, fresh air, and breeze. Welcome to the new day. After breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto then walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. The boat arrives at the harbor by 11.30 am. Your driver is waiting to take you back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Meal: Brunch
Tour guide: English speaking guide
Day 10: Hanoi Departure
There are no activities planned for today, so you are free time until being transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
