Day 1: Hanoi - Arrival
Meet
on arrival at Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to hotel for
check in. In the afternoon: City tour (if time permits): Temple of
Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam 's first university,
Hoa Lo prison and QuanThanh Temple. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B,L,D)
Morning:
City tour with Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday and
whole October-November), Ho Chi Minh Residence, One Pillar Pagoda, Army
Museum, The Temple of Literature. Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon: Spend about 3.5 hours for the bus trip to Ha Long - 180 km east of Hanoi. Overnight in Halong City.
Day 3: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B,L)
Morning:
Discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding
natural beauty. A 5-hour cruise on a wooden boat through the
picturesque bay of 3,000 limestone islands dotted with caves and
grottoes, visit Surprised cave. Seafood lunch on board.
In the afternoon: Drive back Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Hanoi (B,L)
In
the morning: Drive 75 km to Hoa Binh. 2,5 hour boat trip on Da
reservoir with visiting ethnic minority villages where it is surrounded
by rice paddies, farms and houses-on-stilts. Visit to Yang Mo village
by car. This area is home of many hill tribes including Muong and Dzao
ethnic minorities. Drive back to Hanoi. Evening: water puppet show, the
unique Vietnamese traditional art. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 5: Hanoi - Bat Trang - Dong Ky - Dong Ho - Hanoi (B,L)
In
the morning: Depart for Dong Ky village in Bac Ninh province. Visit the
traditional carpentry village. Continue to visit Dong Ho village which
is famous with the art of painting pictures. Drive back to Gia Lam to
visit Bat Trang pottery village. Lunch at local restaurant.
Evening: Transfer to Hanoi railway station to board night train Hanoi-Hue. Overnight on train.
Day 6: Hanoi - Hue (B,L,D)
07h30
Arrive at Hue railway station and drive to visit Tu Duc and Khai Dinh
Tombs. Lunch at local restaurant. Transfer to hotel for check in.
Afternoon boat trip on Perfume River, visit Thien Mu Pagoda and then
drive to visit Imperial Citadel. Overnight in Hue.
Day 7: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B)
Morning:Drive
to Danang across the Hai Van Pass, passing through many prettyred-tiled
villages with fruit orchards, enjoying spectacular views of sky and
sea. Visit Cham Museum.
Afternoon: Continue drive to visit Marble
Mountain, China Beach then proceed to Hoi An and transfer to hotel.
Discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city
during the 16th to 18th centuries. Overnight in Hue.
Day 8: Hoi An - Danang - Nha Trang (B)
Morning
is free at leisure. Drive to Danang, lunch at local restaurant then
transfer to the railway station for day train Danang - Nha Trang.
Arrival, transfer to hotel for accommodation. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 9: Nha Trang (B,L)
Morning
visit Long Son Pagoda and the Po Nagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site
dating back to the 2nd century AD. The town was built between the 7th
and 12th century and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for
the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists.
Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the beach.
Transfer to Nhatrang railway station late afternoon to board night train Nhatrang-Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Day 10: Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)
Morning:
Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City railway station and drive to visit
Chinatown, Thien Hau Pagoda, Historical Museum and former Presidential
Palace. Lunch at local restaurant. Transfer to hotel for check in.
Afternoon:
Drive to Cu Chi (75 km) visit an amazing complex of underground tunnels
used during the Vietnam war. Return to Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight in
Ho Chi Minh.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)
Morning:
Coach trip to My Tho (2 - hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City) and visit
Vinh Trang Pagoda. My Tho is a prosperous town of 170,000 inhabitants
in the Mekong Delta. It is famous for its extensive orchards and
immense rice fields. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong River and visit an
orchard on an island, with lunch en route. Continue with a visit to a
snake farm and then drive back Ho Chi Minh City.
Alternative
program: Pick up at hotel, drive to Cu Chi (75 km) and visit the
amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the American war.
Proceed to Tay Ninh, center of the Cao Dai religion founded in 1926,
acombination of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. Lunch
at local restaurant. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (B)
Free until transfer to Ho Chi Minh City / Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure.
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