VIETNAM: A CULTURAL ESCAPADE
Day 1 - ARRIVAL - HANOI
Fly to Hanoi. Upon arrival at the airport, you well be met by our guide and transferred to you hotel.
Overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 - FULL DAY OF HANOI CITY TOUR
Morning start our tour to discover Hanoi, a peaceful city with beautiful trees and lakes, the city has thousand years of history and culture.
We will take the cyclo trip to the Old Quarter of Hanoi then riding by the French Quarter, that can explain to you why this city so called “Paris of the East” before taking the walk to visit Ngoc Ha village – the Oasis right in the central of the city.
Then visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – the symbol of the country and Presidential Palace, Presidential Garden, his House on Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda. Then lunch at the famous Seasons of Hanoi Restaurant.
After lunch we will take a walk to discover the Old Quarter of Hanoi then you will have some time at leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi
Day 3 - HANOI - HALONG BAY
In the morning drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay by Red River Delta with beautiful rice field and activities of local people along the way.
Upon arrival to Halong, embark the Dragon Pearl Junk on Hon Gai International Harbour. You will be welcomed by the cruise staff, enjoy the welcome drink, cruise briefing then check in your cabin. The junk will start cruising on magnificent Bai Tu Long bay while you enjoy lunch on board. It is also a great chance to admire the fascinating rock formations in the bay.
In the afternoon you will visit the secluded cave of Thien Canh Son, then take a short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swimming or kayaking.
Back to the Junk, relax and get ready for dinner. Overnight on Dragon Pearl Junk.
Day 4 - HALONG - THO HA - HOI AN
In the morning you can admire the sunrise on the bay from sun deck of the Junk. Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee then have the breakfast in the open air.
After breakfast, you will have a chance to visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. Then back to the junk for more leisure time for swimming in the middle of the bay.
The cruise will be back to the harbour while an a la carte lunch is served. At noon, disembark to the port and drive back to Hanoi.
On the way back to Hanoi, visit Tho Ha the famous village of terracotta products before 20th century. Discover village through narrow and zigzag alleys with old houses that had been constructed from broken part of terracotta from the past.
We will take you to visit the house of Mr. Viet – the typical family in the village. His family still makes rice paper in the traditional way (you also can have the hands on experience of this very interesting work) and enjoy the folk music performed by him while having some tea in his house.
Mr. Viet also will take us to visit the 500 years old original pagoda in the village and you will be the only visitors in one of the most beautiful pagoda in the Red River Delta.
Then we will walk through the village’s narrow alleys, interact with villagers, then walk from the cemetery to the dike, where you can see the village over the beautiful lake.
Drive to Noi Bai Airport for flight to Danang. Upon arrival, drive to Hoi An and check in your hotel.
Overnight in Hoi An
Day 5 - FULL DAY HOI AN CITY TOUR
Morning take a walking tour to Hoi An ancient town. Visit Thang Loi Handicraft workshop in Phan Chu Trinh Street. You will have a chance to experience all the typical traditional handicraft of Hoi An, such as wood carving, mat weaving, lantern making, silk worm raising, spinning and weaving, table cloth making and embroidery picture. These handicrafts made great contribution to upgrade living standard of local people since Hoi An became very popular destination for tourists.
Then take a walk to Hoi An ancient town. We will start the walk from small alley from Phan Chu Trinh Street to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. This is the typical ancient street of Hoi An, that can show you great atmosphere of the ancient town.
Visit the Japanese Cover Bridge – the symbol of Hoi An. After that visit Tan Ky, the most well known and authentic ancient house in town. Then take a walk along the Nguyen Thai Hoc – the ancient street of Hoi An to the market of the town.
Visit the local market and Phuc Kien Congressional Assembly Hall, the communal place for Chinese community from Fukien province in China as well the worshiping temple to Thien Hau, the Goddess protecting people on the sea – which was so very important for the Chinese Merchant and Fishermen in the past. Then you have free time for discovering the town on your own or shopping.
Then enjoy the cooking class in Morning Glory Restaurant.
Afternoon depart for the cyclo trip to Cam Nam Village (this is one of our exclusive discovery features).
The cyclo will take you from the town to Cam Nam Bridge. You will have the first stop for the photo opportunity of the activities and scenery on the Thu Bon River.
Then the cyclo will take you along the Thu Bon River bank, where you can have another photo stop for panoramic view of Hoi An from other side of river.
You will ride along the riverside and cycle through local villages of Cam Nam. This is untouched area by tourists with very friendly and hospitable local people. You can see their daily life activities or even view the interior of their houses and their life through always opened doors.
The cyclo trip will end at a small green canal covered by water coconut trees. Embark on the boat and take a cruise to Thu Bon River. You can experience the local daily life along river, such as fishing, farming, catching clam …. Come back to Hoi An around sunset time.
Overnight in Hoi An
Day 6 - HOI AN - HUE
Morning drive from Hoi An to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Visit Cham Museum en route.
Upon arrival in Hue, check in then have lunch at the hotel. Afternoon take a cyclo trip from your hotel over famous Trang Tien bridge and Dong Ba market.
The cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue, getting over the streets, local shops for the over view of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. Stop at Noon gate of Imperial Citadel for the walking tour to the inner area of the citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.
Overnight in Hue
Day 7 - HUE
In the morning we drive to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue city, then take a walk around Kim Long Village. It will be a great chance to learn about lifestyle of local people there.
Then visit Tu Duc Tomb, discover beautiful and impressive architecture of this unique construction in Hue as well as the story of the King there.
At noon, experience the vegetarian lunch at Dong Thien Pagoda served by the nuns there. The rest of the afternoon is free at leisure.
Overnight in Hue
Day 8 - HUE - DA NANG - SAIGON
Morning transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Saigon.
Upon arrival, take a tour to Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post office.
Lunch at Pho 2000 Restaurant.
Afternoon take a tour to China town, the special identity of Saigon. Visit Thien Hau temple in Cho Lon then take a walk around Cho Lon, the biggest wholesale market in town. It is a great combination of busy and bustle atmosphere of the market and traditional Chinese Architecture.
Overnight in Saigon (Northern Hotel).
Day 9 - SAIGON - CAI LAY - SAIGON
Morning we drive 2 hours from Saigon to Cai Lay, a small but fertile town in the Mekong Delta through the new national free way.
Upon arrival, drop off at the town’s local pier and start boarding our small motorized boat for a 30 min boat trip on one of the small branches of the Mekong River. Witness the lively life on the water of the locals.
Disembark at Cam Son bridge where you start a leisure motorbike trip into a deep Mekong Delta exploration. You will be in the back of motorbike for a ride of about 7km on shady narrow village roads curving over tiny canals and past fruit gardens and sleepy villages.
Many kids will greet you with a big smile and “xin chao” or “Hello”. While on the village road, you will have a chance to stop and visit local factories, fish farm, rice paddies to learn briefly about the local economy, business.
Arrive at a lush orchard with diverse tropical fruits. Have a friendly chat with the owner – a former veteran with interesting topics about his motherland as well as his daily life both past and present. He will be very happy to walk you around his garden.
Enjoy the opportunity to taste fresh fruits picked right from the trees. Then relax with a sampan ride to visit a local ancient house, have a brief interaction with these friendly residents in their 100 year‐old house before tasting their hosted lunch with traditional dishes of the Mekong land. Bid farewell to the family then drive back to Saigon.
Overnight in Saigon (Northern Hotel).
Day 10 - SAIGON - DEPARTURE
At leisure until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure flight.