Historic
Hanoi and its Old Quarters, World Heritages
listed Halong Bay, Hue,
Hoi An; Boat cruises on the Perfume Pagoda; plus markets; rice paddies; ethnic
minority villages. Saigon and the Mekong Delta.
This really is "Classic Vietnam".
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Arriving
at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi,
you'll be met and driven to your hotel. In the evening, you’ll be picked up to
Thang Long theatre to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to
northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural
culture.
Overnight
in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi city tour – Sapa(B/L/D)
After
breakfast at your hotel, you'll be picked up to start a Hanoi city tour. You’ll visit Ba Dinh Square,
where silent sentries guard the marble and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum where Ho Chi
Minh lies in state (closed on every Monday & Friday and October &
November) and 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. You’ll drive to visit the
serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on
the banks of Hanoi’s West
Lake. 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.
After
lunch at local restaurant, driver and guide will take you to visit the EthnologyMuseum
for an overview of Vietnam’s
54 distinct ethnic. Pass by HoanKiemLake,
also known as Lake
of Restored Sword from
the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city’s fascinating
museums.
In
the afternoon, you’ll take to the streets by walking tour of the Ancient
Quarter 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 then visit Dong Xuan Market-one of the biggest
markets in Hanoi.
Your guide will then escort you to Hanoi
railways station to board an evening train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train.
Day 3: Lao
cai - Sapa – Cat cat village (B/L/D)
6h00
Arrival at Lao Cai Station where the bus is waiting to drive you along the
exciting curvy road, surrounded by steep mountains and rice fields on terraces
to Sapa.Have breakfast and then visit
Cat Cat village
of H’Mong people, visit
Cat Cat waterfall lying in a small valley. Check in and have lunch.
PM: Free time to relax or visit daily ethnic
market, Sapa town. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 4:
Lao Chai – Ta van Village – Hanoi
(B/L/D)
AM: After breakfast, You’ll then start the tour by
walking on a small path down the valley to the MuongHoaRiver and from here to the Black H’mong
village Lao Chai.Black H’mong is one of
the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture
and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and
wear traditional indigo blue clothing. And then, you’ll continue to Ta
Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group
of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest
Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs
have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue
or green colour. The Zay houses are built of wood and bamboo with a clay floor.
You’ll return to Sapa to refresh at hotel. An then drive to Lao Cai and have dinner before
taking an overnight sleeper train at 20.15 back to Hanoi. You’ll spend the night on the train.
Day 5: Hanoi - Ha Long (B, L, D)
Arriving in Hanoi in the early morning, you’ll be picked
up to a mini hotel for refreshment. After breakfast, you’ll leave for Ha Long
Bay and go through the scenic countryside. The wondrous HalongBay
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 HalongBay. 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 karsts formations are littered with
beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a
leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many
hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. Stay overnight on the Junk Cruise
Day 6: HalongBay -
Hanoi (B/L) Waking up and having breakfast
served onboard. Continue cruising around the bay. Take sampan to visit LuonCave
and come back to the boat. Having brunch before disembarking and van will pick
you up at the pier and transfer back to Hanoi.
Visit Dong Trieu ceramic and pottery village on the way. Arrive in Hanoi at 04:00 pm. Free
at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi
Day 7: Hanoi - Hue (B/L) Transferring to the airport to catch morning flight to Hue. Check-in hotel upon arrival and take
refresh for a while. This quiet city is widely known for the magnificent
architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples built
under the Nguyen Dynasty. We visit the major sites including the Imperial
Citadel with ForbiddenRoyalCity
like in Beijing.
You will then be taken by boat trip on PerfumeRiver
to visit Thien Mu pagoda and Ming Mang Emperor's mausoleum. Overnight in Hue
Day 8: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/L) This morning we drive to Hoi An, we will cross Hai Van Pass where you will
have magnificent view of the China Sea. Stop
at Lang Co to have break. Visit the fascinating ChamMuseum, famous ChinaBeach and the MarbleMountains en route to charming Hoi An.
Known as Faifo to early Western traders, it was one of South
East Asia's major international ports and today it still retains
that special old-world feel. Enjoy a walking tour through the Old Quarter and
try some of the local specialties. Hoi An is also famous for its large number of
tailor shops, so if you want to have a new wardrobe made up, this is the time
to do it. Overnight in Hoi An
Day 9:
Hoi An - Saigon (B/L)
Free at leisure until transferring
to Danang airport to take flight to Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam's largest city has
an exciting buzz as millions of people rush around on their daily business.
We'll see the historic ReunificationPalace and some great
examples of French colonial architectures. You will be free at the rest of day
to make your own exploration to discover the city. Overnight in Saigon
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi Tunnels - Tay Ninh (B/L) Enjoy a morning drive through
typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Cu Chi district, and TayNinhProvince. Upon arrival in
Cu Chi district, make a couple of stops for photo opportunities and a visit to
a rice paper making factory at TanPhuTrungVillage. Experience
ourselves the underground village
of Cu Chi guerrilla
fighters, which is simply a network of tunnels built during the long years of
wars. Continue to drive another an hour and half from Cu Chi towards Tay Ninh
to visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, and attend the noon time service
with architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and
where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious
cocktail; photo opportunities during the ceremony. Lunch is at a local
restaurant. Drive back to Saigon and arrive at
4 pm. Free at leisure for the rest of day. Overnight in Saigon
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong
Delta (B/L)
Drive to Vinh Long, a city famous
by the MekongRiver and floating market. You’ll cruise
to visit Cai Be floating market, fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick
kiln. 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. You'll
have time to wonder around the fruit market to buy some kind of famous tropical
fruit such as banana, pomelo, dragon fruit, and mangos tin and so on.
You’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City. You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City
departure (B)
Your
time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to
Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.
Tour cost includes:
-
Accommodation (double/twin sharing)
- Private pick up and transfer (A/C van)
- English/French speaking tour guide
-
Meals specified in tour program
-
Return Train Tickets to Sapa
- All Internal/domestic air tickets per program
- Boat trips specified the tour program
-
All entrance, permission and visiting fees
Tour cost excludes:
-
Visa to Vietnam
- Departure airport tax
- Meals which are not included in the program
-
Personal travel & medical insurance
- International flights to and from Vietnam
- All personal & daily expenses