DAY 1: HANOI ARRIVAL
Arrival Hanoi airport, warm welcomed by our guide & driver then transfer to the city.
Meals: N/A
Guide: N/A
Overnight: Hanoi
DAY 2: HANOI - FULL DAY CITY
The city tour begins with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked.
Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond.
Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History or the Museum of Ethnology.
Next, head for Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake.
Take an hour for cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past.
Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Guide: Available
Overnight: Hanoi
DAY 3: HANOI - HALONG - OVERNIGHT ON JUNK
After breakfast, you will take the shuttle bus and transfer to Halong Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. The transfer is approximately 3 hours. You will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields and you may stop on the way to admire the local scenery.
Arrive in Halong City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk when your journey across Halong Bay starts. Halong Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.
After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. An optional kayaking trip is available weather permitting. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner and enjoy the bay view at sunset. Spend a night on board.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Guide: Sharing guide, sharing bus
Overnight: Halong on cruise
DAY 4: HALONG - HANOI - FLIGHT TO HUE
DOMESTIC FIGHT TICKET HAN – HUI IS INCLUDED
In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Halong Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi capital.
Note:
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The above itinerary is for your reference only as each cruise will have its own different itinerary and will be slightly different.
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The cruise itinerary is subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions without prior notice.
After arrive Hanoi, you will be transfer directly to Airport for fight to Hue.
Arrival Hue airport, meet our driver then transfer to the Hue city. Overnight at hotel in Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch or brunch
Guide: Sharing guide Halong – Hanoi, sharing bus
Overnight: Hue
DAY 5: HUE - FULL DAY CITY
Morning, take full day tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner.
Continue to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Vietnam’s second-to-last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style.
Next, visit Tu Duc Tomb, one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s finest architectural works nested in a pine forest where the 4th emperor of the Nguyen family was laid to rest.
We continue to take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to enjoy the open view of the river and its surroundings. Stop along the way and land on shore to visit two prominent historical landmarks namely the Minh Mang Tomb, where the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried, and Thien Mu Pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery overlooking the river from a vantage point with its origin dating back to 1601.
Last, stop for shopping at Dong Ba market, which is the city’s traditional commercial center. Overnight at hotel in Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Guide: Available
Overnight: Hue
DAY 6: HUE - DANANG CITY - TRANSFER TO HOIAN
Check out and you transfer to Da Nang, the fourth largest city in Vietnam with a major seaport, long sandy beaches and upscale resorts via the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
On the way, you will stop to visit Museum of Cham Sculpture built in 1915 and housing the world’s most extensive collection of Cham ethnic sculpture artworks and the Marble Mountains, whose peaks represent the five basic elements of the universe.
After Danang city tour, you will transfer to Hoi An Town (45 minutes for driving), when you arrive there check in hotel and free at your leisure. Overnight hotel in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Guide: Available
Overnight: Hoian
DAY 7: TRA QUE VILLAGE WORKING FARM - HOIAN ANCIENT TOWN
Our guide will pick you up at hotel then transfer to Tra Que Herb Village - about 3km to the Northwest of Hoi An town. This village is well-known for its very clean vegetable of high quality because an organic farming method strictly without any chemicals. Then you have chance to become a real farmers to grow vegetable by dressing a farmer clothes and start the growing vegetable working. The farmer will show you how to till the soil, plant vegetable and fertilize them with seaweed from a local river. Then many other activities of gardening will attract you a lot. After few hours of working, the farmer invites you to have lunch with some traditional Hoi An food, such as shrimp spring rolls with herbs called “Tam Huu”, shrimps and meat tied together into clumps and the “Xeo” pancakes which are served with various herbs and fish sauce.
After nap as a part of the local farmers’ regime, you continue to learn how to harvest and package vegetables for business.
Afternoon, discover the charm of Hoi An recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities. Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Guide: Available
Overnight: Hoian
DAY 8: DANANG - FLIGHT TO HOCHIMINH
DOMESTIC FLIGHT TICKET DAD – SGN IS INCLUDED
Free at leisure until transfer to Danang airport for flight to Hochiminh
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. Ho Chi Minh City formerly named Saigon is the largest city and economic center of Vietnam always bustled with activities of modern life. It is where businesses converge and shoppers indulge themselves into unlimited choices. However the city also carries with it a rich historical legacy in contrast with its dazzling glamor.
Afternoon, we start the tour with a visit to the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol. Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh.
Meals: Breakfast
Guide: Available in Saigon
Overnight: Saigon
DAY 9: HOCHIMINH - CUCHI TUNNELS - HOCHIMINH
Morning, meet your guide and transfer about 75 km North-west of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.
Return to the city at noon time for a rest. Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Guide: Available
Overnight: Saigon
DAY 10: HOCHIMINH DEPARTURE (B)
Meet our guide & driver at the hotel lobby then transfer to Saigon airport for flight departure!
Meals: Breakfast
Guide: N/A
Overnight: N/A