Highlights of Vietnam 15 Days
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Welcome up on arrival by our tour guide, we will transfer to hotel after that for relaxing after a long flight. There is no activity this day until evening when tour guide meet you agian for welcome dinner at a nice local restaurant in town. Overnight in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Maison D’Hanoi Hanova Hotel - 3 stars in Old Quarter Hanoi
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
Site visited: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, The Temple of Literature, The Ethnic Minority Museum, Dong Xuan Market
Other activities: Water Puppet show (1 hour), Cycle around the Old Quarter (1 hour)
We start our day tour today at 8AM and visit all the above places. Lunch will be at K.O.T.O restaurant where streets children are trained and worked by a Vietnamese Oversea Man, Mr Jimme Pham.
Tour end will be late afternoon at hotel. Free time for your dinner. Overnight in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Maison D’Hanoi Hanova Hotel – 3 stars in Old Quarter Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch
One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi
Day 3: Hanoi - Duong Lam ancient village - Homestay
After breakfast at hotel this morning, we will depart to Duong Lam Ancient village where we can experience a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River Delta. Here we will visit old houses with hundred years old (some over 400 years old)… and talk to the local people.
We walk along tiny ancient alleys and visit Mong Phu Temple. After that, we enjoy our special lunch in one of the ancient houses. In the afternoon, we visit Mia pagoda which was built in 15th century and admire 287 statues of all sizes with famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha in the Himalayas and the statues of the Eight Vajra Deities. Then we visit Ngo Quyen temple and Phung Hung temple, places dedicated to two national heroes Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung.
We continue to Ky Son village (4 km) in the end of the day. Welcome to the old mandarin house.
- Take shower with fresh herbs perfumed leaves (lemon grass, pommelo, huong nhu, etc.. that we can chose and pick ourself in the garden)
- Dinner and talk with the owner of the house about Vietnamese culture
- Traditional “Foot spa” before sleeping (put your foot in the warm water with traditional medicinal leaves)
Accommodation: Moon Garden home-stay in Ky Son village
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Village - Hanoi
Waking up this morning to enjoy the fresh atmosphere in the village and have breakfast; we then relax and learn Vietnamese with local people, get to know the Vietnamese traditional clothes (we can wear it if we want). Then we will walk around the Ky Son village, chat with the locals and bike around or we can relax in the garden….
Before lunch time we join our cooking class to prepare for our lunch, learn to decorate the food with vegetable and fruits. After lunch, we check out and take our vehicle back to the city. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 5: Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise
Site visited: Halong Bay
Activities: Visiting caves, kayaking
This morning, we will be met at the lobby of the hotel in Hanoi, then we transfer to Halong Bay. It takes us about 3 hour driving. We may stop on the half way in Hai Duong province for short relax. We will arrive in Ha Long bay at around midday when we will transfer to our junk cruise by tender. Welcome cocktail will be served on boat up on arrival. After that we check in the room while the cruise will be started leaving towards Bai Tu Long Bay.
Our Vietnamese lunch will be served on board, against the stunning backdrop of limestone formations and islands such as: Coc Island, Cap De Island, Bo Cau Island, Vong Vieng fishing village.
At 16:00 the cruise will stop at Vong Vieng floating village where we can enjoy some of the optional activities as visiting the village, discovering the life of local people by sampan or swimming at Cong Troi beach.
Tonight we will stay at the cruise in Trong Cave area/ Ho Dong Tien cave area. Dinner and overnight on junk cruise.
Accommodation: Emotion junk cruise
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Night train to Hue
Site visited: Halong Bay
Waking up early this morning to practice Tai Chi on the sundeck, then start our day with International Buffet breakfast. After breakfast, we take the tender to the Surprising cave, one of the most wonderful caves in Halong Bay. After one hour on the cave, we get back the junk cruise, check out and relax. Our lunch today will be at local restaurant in Halong city. We transfer back to Hanoi in the early of afternoon. Arriving in Hanoi at around 05:00, we transfer to hotel for picking up luggage then transfer to a local restaurant near by the station for your own dinner. After that we transfer to station for our night train to Hue.
Accommodation: Livitran or SE1 or SE3 train 4-berth cabin with A/C
Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch
Day 7: Visit Hue - The World Cultural Heritage
Site visited: Hue Citadel, Dong Ba market, Tinh Gia Vien Garden house
Activity: 1-hour cyclo around Hue
Arriving at Hue station at 08:00, you will be welcomed by local tour guide then transfer to hotel for our breakfast. Relax until 09:00, we will visit Hue Citadel.
In the afternoon, we will visit Tinh Gia Vien Garden House and Dong Ba market. Overnight in Hue.
Accommodation: Green Hue hotel (4 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Royal Dinner
Day 8: Boat trip and transfer to Hoi An - The World Cultural Heritage
Site visited: Thien Mu Pagoda, Tu Duc Tomb, Lang Co Beach, Da Nang city, Non Nuoc Beach, Marble Mountain
Our tour starts at 08:00 in the morning at the lobby of the hotel. We will be met and transferred to the Wharf where we will cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (The Heavenly Lady pagoda), from here we will have a good view of Perfume River and surroundings.
And then we take our vehicle to Tu Duc King’s tomb, which is one of the most beautiful works of Royal Architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty. The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest. Then we transfer back to the city for our delicious lunch at a fine local restaurant. In the afternoon, we travel by vehicle to Hoi An along scenic highway 1A.
Along the way we will stop to contemplate the stunning views North, to Lang Co Beach and South to Da Nang city. Da Nang city with Cham Museum - the houses of the most complete collection if Cham Artifacts anywhere in the world; Danang Beach - where the American named and used to have their Rest and Relaxation; and the Marble Mountain - the five elements of the Universe (water, wood, water, fire and earth). We will arrive in Hoi An in the late afternoon, relax at swimming pool at hotel.
Accommodation: Thuy Duong 3 Hotel (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9: Visit Hoi An - Join Cooking Class Tour
Site visited: Hoi An Ancient town
Activity: walking, cooking class
We enjoy a morning walking tour around the ancient city to visit Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200 - year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge.
In the afternoon, we join cooking class with local chief.
Relax in the rest of the day at hotel.
Accommodation: Thuy Duong 3 Hotel (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Hoi An - Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Site visited: Hoi An
Relax or shopping in the morning in Hoi An, then we transfer back to Da Nang for our short domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, we will be met by another tour guide who will take us to our hotel. Check in and relax. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Accommodation: Sapphire hotel - 3 stars
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11: Visit Ho Chi Minh City
Site visited: Reunification Palace, War Remnant Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral & Post office, Ben Thanh market, Cho Lon and Chinese town market. Our tour starts at 08:30 and ends at 18:00. We depart our hotel for the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the president of the South of Vietnam. After that we will visit War Remnant Museum, where you can see countless artifacts, photographs and pictures documenting about the second Indochina war. Before our lunch we stop at Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post office to get our good shots for our memory of the biggest city in Vietnam.
Our delicious lunch will be served at a nice restaurant in the central city.
In the afternoon we will visit: Ben Thanh market, Cho Lon, Chinese town and market. Here we can experience our Vietnamese Southern daily life. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Accommodation: Sapphire hotel (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Pho
Day 12: Visit Mekong Delta with Homestay
Site visited: Cai Be Floating market , local house.
Activities: boating
This morning we will be met in the lobby of hotel in Ho Chi Minh City by our local guide. We will leave for the Mekong Delta at around 08:00. Driving through the Delta to Cai Be , we will take our private cruise to visit Cai Be Floating Market, joining with local people to buy special fruits or other souvenirs. Afterwards, we will continue our boat trip along the maze of waterways and canals through An Binh Island. We will stop at an old southern house with a bonsai garden and visit some local cottage industries that produce candy as well as rice cakes. Afterwards we will board a small restaurant serving the local delicacies of the river. Later, we will arrive at the lush orchards of the house in which we will spend the night in a home stay with a local family. Overnight in Vinh Long.
Accommodation: Home-stay (standard)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 13: Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City
Site visited: Brick pottery kilns, floating fish farm.
After breakfast with the host family, we then board our riverboat for a cruise along the endless waterways of the mighty Mekong. We will stop, visiting brick pottery kilns, and a floating fish farm Following our cruise, we will return to the Pier and transfer to our awaiting vehicle to return to Ho Chi Minh City. Lunch will be at My Tho City and our trip will finish in Ho Chi Minh City at around 16:00
Accommodation: Sapphire hotel (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Day 14: Visit Cu Chi Tunnel - Free and easy in the afternoon
Site visited: Cu Chi Tunnel
In the morning, we will leave Saigon for the Cu Chi tunnels, otherwise known as the “Iron Triangle” or “Iron Land”. On our way there we will drive through pleasant countryside; rubber plantations and rice paddies. Before entering the tunnels, we will see a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, followed by an exploration of the maze of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow tourist access. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500lb bombs dropped by B52 bombers. After that we transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Accommodation: Sapphire hotel (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure
Transfer via: international flight - your arrangement
Free at leisure in the morning then our awaiting vehicle will transfer us to the airport for our departure flight to home. Good bye Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast
Trip included
- English speaking guide (other languages up on request)
- Private transfer & transportation
- Meals indicated in the program
- Vehicle support (for group from 3 persons)
- Mineral water during cycling time
- Basic home stay (consists of clean squat toilet, soft bed, mosquito nets, and blankets)
- Entrance fees to places indicated in the itinerary
- Private boat in Perfume River and Mekong River
- On Halong Junk:
- Welcome cocktail, aperitif, tea and coffee in the morning
- Entrance and sightseeing fees
- English speaking guide onboard
- Luxury cabin with Air-conditioner, private bathroom, hot water, shower, standing cabin
- Available optional services like: Visiting fishing village by sampan, transfer by tender to beach
- Insurance onboard
- Tax and service charges
Trip excluded
- International flight ticket
- Airport tax
- Visa and visa fee
- Own expenses
Meals
If you have food requirements (vegetarian, food allergies...) please inform us in advance so that we can provide notice to our restaurant, tour guide or our partners so that they can serve you better.
Meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
Breakfast - Each breakfast will be served in your hotel. Breakfast selections include both Vietnamese and Western dishes to meet every diner’s taste.
Lunch - Lunches are normally arranged at the Vietnamese restaurants near the scenic spots. Your tour guides will order food according to your appetite. Most are Vietnamese dishes, and some are modified to fit westerners’ tastes.
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