City Used : Ho Chi Minh City , Hue , Halong ,
Hanoi
Duration: 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS
Day 1 Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to hotel. The rest
of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2
A full day city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by
many locals, takes in the city's bustling Chinatown and begins with a visit to
the Thien Hau Temple, from where you will take a cyclo ride; the most
appropriate and unusual way to explore Cholon, literally meaning 'big market'.
The ride will take you to the lively Binh Tay Market. Then visit a lacquerware
factory to witness workers continuing a Vietnamese ancestral tradition. After
lunch visit the War Museum and the former Presidential Palace, from there on you
will go on foot (the car will be available at all times) to visit the major
sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post
Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House
and City Hall. After this historical visit, enjoy some wonderful ice cream at
Fanny's, a quaint little parlor with a French atmosphere, before exploring the
trendy boutiques on Ton That Thiep Street. (B)
Day 3 Head
south to the Mekong Delta and reach Ben Tre, crossing the Mekong River with a
local ferry. From there take an 18 kilometre ride by xe loi, a local motorbike
trailer, through the second biggest Vietnamese coconut tree orchard. There are
stops along the way to discover the local life and for an explanation of the
Vietnamese rice field process. After lunch in a local restaurant continue your
Mekong discovery cruising small canals and arroyos lined with water coconut,
walking through fruit orchards, enjoying honey tea, and taking a horse cart
ride. (B,L)
Day 4 After breakfast transfer to Tan Son Nhat
Airport for the short flight(not included) to the central port city of Danang.
On arrival in Danang transfer to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the
17thand 18thcenturies whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed
little over the years. Take a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit
the former merchants' homes, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the
colorful market. In the afternoon take a three-hour cruise on the Thu Bon River
with stops at Thanh Ha pottery village, Kim Bong carpenters' village and the
shipbuilding yard. Overnight in Hoi An. (B)
Day 5 Leave Hoi
An for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The scenic route passes
through Danang before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and dropping down
to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. In the afternoon visit
the elaborate mausoleums of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh and the Imperial
Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Overnight in
Hue. (B)
Day 6 A boat trip on the romantically named Perfume
River visits Hue's best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, and the mausoleum
of former emperor Minh Mang, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. After
lunch transfer to Hue Airport for the short flight to Hanoi. Leave Noi Bai
Airport to Halong Bay through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta and the
scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life.
Overnight in Halong. (B)
Day 7 Board the Huong Hai or Bai Tho
traditional sailing junk. Whilst cruising the exquisite waters sample the
regions fresh seafood. Visit the famous stalagmites and stalactites of Thien
Cung Cave. Enjoy a swim in the emerald waters of Halong Bay at any spot that you
wish to visit. Disembark at the dock at Halong City. Drive back to Hanoi with a
stop en route at But Thap Pagoda in Thuan Thanh Province, known for its
four-storey stone stupa and referred to as Vietnam's first Buddhist centre. The
pagoda, built in the 13th century and rebuilt in 1647 by a the Buddhist monk
Chuyet Chuyet, is a complex of ten buildings over an area of 100 metres that
houses ancient statues and artefacts. Arrival in late afternoon. Overnight in
Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 8 A full day city tour of Vietnam's capital.
Hanoi is a unique city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture,
peaceful lakes and oriental temples. The city tour includes such sights as Ho
Chi Minh's Mausoleum and his house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple
of Literature, the Quanh Thanh Temple and the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the edge of
West Lake. After lunch in town continue to the Museum of Ethnology and end the
afternoon with a visit to the Lake of the Restored Sword and a cyclo tour of the
Old Quarter. (B)
Day 9 Departure day. At leisure for shopping
until transfer to Noi Bai Airport for onward flight on your own. (B)
INCLUSIONS : - 8 nights - 9 days accommodation
- Daily
breakfast
- Land transportation by private air-conditioned vehicles.
-
English speaking local guide.
- All admission fee at attractions as
mentioned in the itinerary.
- All meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B:
Breakfast, L: lunch, D: Dinner).
- Boat trips as mentioned in the
itinerary.
| City |
Nights |
Hotel |
Meals |
| Standard Option |
| Ho Chi Minh City |
2 |
Bong Sen Annex Dai Nam |
Breakfast |
| Hue |
2 |
Dong Da Thanh Lich |
Breakfast |
| Halong |
2 |
BMC -Thang |
Breakfast |
| Hanoi |
2 |
Flower Anh |
Breakfast |
| Superior Option |
| Ho Chi Minh City |
1 |
Occidental Cordoba |
Breakfast |
| Hue |
2 |
Seville Center |
Breakfast |
| Halong |
1 |
Alay |
Breakfast |
| Hanoi |
1 |
Corona |
Breakfast |
| Deluxe Hotel |
| Ho Chi Minh City |
2 |
Sofitel Plaza / Sup Renaissance Riverside New World |
Breakfast |
| Hue |
2 |
La Residence / Superior |
Breakfast |
| Halong |
2 |
N /A |
Breakfast |
| Hanoi |
2 |
Sofitel Plaza / Deluxe Melia Hanoi |
Breakfast |
| First Class Hotel |
| Ho Chi Minh City |
2 |
Kim Do / Superior Bong Sen Palace |
Breakfast |
| Hue |
2 |
Festival Hue Asia |
Breakfast |
| Halong |
2 |
Mithrin Halong 1 / Deluxe |
Breakfast |
| Hanoi |
2 |
Galaxy Thein Thai |
Breakfast |
