Detailed itinerary : Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) city - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels - Da Lat - Nha Trang & Boat Cruise - Da Nang - Hoi An - Hue - Ha Noi - Hai Phong - Ha Long & Boat Cruise
Day 1 : Hochiminh city and arrival ( D )
Arrive at Tan San Nhat international airport. Welcome by your local tour guide and driver. Transfer to your hotel. Take an orientation tour (if time permits). Welcome dinner. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 2 : Hochiminh city tour ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Take a sightseeing tour to the Reunification Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of the war in April 1975, and some French colonial structures including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Central Post Office. Tour of Chinatown and Thien Hau & Quan Am pagodas. After seeing the Emperor Jade Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum we end the city tour at Ben Thanh market where anything and everything is for sale. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in HCMC.
Day 3 : Hochminh city - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi tunnels ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive west to Tay Ninh, the centre of Cao Dai region. On arrival we attend the fantastic mid-day temple service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. On the way back, stop for a visit Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network of tunnels constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation, etc. and were used as a military base for the Vietcong during the American war. Drive back to HCMC. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in HCMC.
Day 4 : Hochiminh city - Dalat ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Dalat via the National Highway 20. Stop for photos at the La Nga floating village. Visit the Dambri waterfall. Lunch at a local restaurant in Baoloc. Proceed to Dalat. Stop to visit the coffee and tea plantation in Lien Khuong. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Dalat.
Day 5 : Dalat ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Crazy Home. the Bao Dai's summer palace, Lam Ty Ni pagoda, Da Lat Flower garden and the railway station. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Lanbiang mountain, visit the Lat village. Return to Dalat. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Dalat.
Day 6 : Dalat - Nha Trang ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Nha Trang, visit the Prenn water before turning off the highway for Nha Trang. Stop for photos at the Polongiarai Cham tower, the Ngoan Muc pass. Free time for beach activities in the afternoon. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Nha Trang.
Day 7 : Nha Trang - Boat Cruise ( B/L/_)
Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy Nha Trang's turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Take a boat cruise to offshore islands in Nha Trang Bay. In the afternoon, visit the Ponagar Cham Towers, the Long Son Pagoda, the Cathedral of Nha Trang and the Oceanographic Institute. A visit to a local fish and food market is optional. Dinner on guest’ account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Nha Trang.
Day 8 : Nha Trang - Danang by day train - Hoi An ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the railway station for a day trip to Danang. Along the way, enjoy the stunning panorama of mountains, rice fields, and ocean. Arrive in Danang in late afternoon, then transfer to the ancient trading port where artisans make Hoi An's famous lanterns. Guests learn how the lanterns are made then have a chance to create their own lanterns, from designing the frame to gluing the cloth. Finish the day with a sunset boat trip on the Thu Bon river to Thanh Ha pottery village. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Hoi An.
Day 9 : Hoi An - Danang - Hue - Sightseeing ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Make the short drive to Danang. Stop en route at the Marble Mountains, famed for being a "Viet Cong" guerilla hideout during the Vietnam War. In Danang, visit the Cham Museum, which houses the world's best collection of Cham artwork. Continue on to Hue, passing over a spectacular mountain pass and a seaside fishing village. Arrive in Hue and transfer to hotel. Take a short trip to Dong Ba Market, and enjoy a cyclo ride back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Hue.
Day 10 : Hue - Hanoi - Overnight train ( B/L/D )
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning boat cruise through the centre of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. Visit the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda along the riverbank. Transfer by car to visit the Imperial Citadel. Visit the elaborate tombs of Emperor Khai Dinh and Tu Duc. Stop en route to visit local families to learn how Vietnam's famous conical hats and colourful incense are made. In the afternoon, transfer to the railway station for the overnight train to Hanoi. Overnight on the train in an air-conditioned soft sleeper cabin.
Day 11 : Hanoi and arrival. ( B/L/_ )
Arrive in the morning and transfer to hotel. The rest of morning is free for you to rest or begin exploring the city. In the afternoon, take a half-day city tour to visit the Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts museum and the Lake of the Restored Sword. Take a one-hour cyclo ride through the old quarter to enjoy the Hanoi's beautiful late-afternoon colors and to visit a traditional Vietnamese "long house". In the evening, enjoy a water puppet show, a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Hanoi.
Day 12 : Hanoi - Sightseeing - Hai Phong ( B/L/_ )
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's former home, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Afternoon drive to Bac Ninh, the cradle of traditional Vietnamese music and theatre. On arrival, take a horse-drawn cart through country lanes to visit the Dinh Bang communal house and Do temple. Enjoy local folk songs before proceeding to Hai Phong for the evening. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Hai Phong.
Day 13 : Hai Phong - Halong - Boat Cruise - Hanoi ( B/L/_ )
Early morning drive to Halong Bay. Relax on a 5-hour boat cruise through magnificent Halong Bay, a UNESCO designated World Heritage site. Enjoy a seafood lunch on board. Return drive to Hanoi, stopping en route at the Dong Trieu ceramics factory. Dinner on guest’s account Overnight at your chosen hotel in Hanoi.
Day 14 : Hanoi - Departure ( B/_/_ )
The morning is free for shopping before transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for departure.
( Seasonal prices apply and will be confirmed upon booking! All rates are quoted in US$ / person )
