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Trip code: VQ
Getting to know the Hidden Charm of Vietnam in just 15 days, you will truely find it all from the North to South with your own touch.
ITINERARY:
Hanoi - Arrival (-/-/-)
DAY 1 Meet on arrival at Hanoi /
Noi
Bai
International
Airport and transfer to hotel for check in. Rest of the day at own leisure.
Optional tour to
Bat
Trang
Pottery
Village (13:30 -17:00 hrs): The famous village is situated about 15km outside of
Hanoi , surrounded by fertile farmland. Watch the artisans form, paint and glaze their products, which are then baked for several days in huge kilns.
Overnight in
Hanoi .
DAY 2 Full day city tour: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday and the whole months of October-November), Ho Chi Minh’s Residence, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature-built in the 11th century as
Vietnam ’s first university. Afternoon visit Museum of Ethnology (closed on Monday and during Tet),
Hoan
Kiem
Lake with
Ngoc
Son
Temple and Old Quarters.
Evening: Water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art.
Overnight in
Hanoi.
Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Mai Chau - Hoa Binh (B/-/-)
DAY 3 Drive to Mai Chau via Hoa Binh town through picturesque countryside with beautiful views of the mountains along the way. Visit Mai Chau, a pretty valley with a patchwork quilt of rice paddies, farms and houses-on-stilts. This area is home to many hill tribes including Muong and Thai ethnic minorities. Drive back to Hoa Binh and overnight at a simple hotel.
Hoa Binh - Ninh Binh (B/-/-)
DAY 4 Drive to Ninh Binh and visit Tam Coc, often referred to as “
Dry
Halong
Bay ”. Enjoy the spectacular scenery during a leisurely boat ride in traditional local sampans to Tam Coc caves, passing the limestone rocks rising from the rice fields and a winding stream. Continue to visit Bich Dong Pagoda. Transfer to Ninh Binh for overnight at a simple hotel.
Ninh Binh - Thai Binh -
Halong
Bay (B/-/-)
DAY 5 Drive to Thai Binh and visit the Keo Pagoda with its beautiful bell tower in a quiet village on the
Red River delta. Proceed to
Halong
Bay and transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Halong
Bay .
Halong
Bay -
Hanoi (B/L/-)
DAY 6
Discover
Halong
Bay , listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, the picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing 5-hour boat trip with fresh seafood lunch prepared and served on board. Afternoon drive back to
Hanoi . Overnight in
Hanoi .
DAY 7 At leisure until transfer to Hanoi domestic airport for flight to Hue, the former
Royal
City of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Drive to visit the Imperial Citadel and Tu Duc Tomb. If time permits, continue to visit the traditional garden house. Overnight in
Hue.
Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/-/-)
DAY 8 Boat trip on the
Perfume
River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in
Hue . Continue by car to Minh Mang Tomb, then depart to Danang. The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van pass offers spectacular views of mountains, the sea, idyllic beaches and villages. Visit Cham Museum, continue to
Marble
Mountains with its beautiful grottoes and temples, which can be reached by climbing steep steps (please wear appropriate shoes). We continue further south to the charming historic city of
Hoi An, transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hoi An.
Hoi An - My Son - Hoi An (B/-/-)
DAY 9 Drive to My Son, the imperial city of the Champa empire of the 4th to 12th centuries, My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious ruins comprising more than 70 architectural remains. Return to Hoi An, known to early Western merchants, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of
Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. During a leisurely discovery tour on foot you will visit some of the historic merchant and community houses, places of worship and famous bridges. Overnight in Hoi An.
Hoi An - Danang - Nha Trang (B/-/-)
DAY 10 Drive to Danang and transfer to airport for flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, visit the
Institute of
Oceanography and Po Nagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2nd century AD. The town was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Nha Trang - Dalat (B/-/-)
DAY 11 Depart Nha Trang for Dalat, a cool mountain resort. Its lakes, waterfall, evergreen forest and gardens make Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in
Vietnam . On the way, visit Long Son Pagoda and Po Klong Garai Cham Tower. Arrive in Dalat and transfer to hotel. Drive around
Xuan
Huong
Lake , visit Linh Son Pagoda and Bao Dai Villa. Overnight in Dalat.
Dalat -
Ho Chi Minh City (B/-/-)
DAY 12 In the moring, visit the 110-year old Dalat market, then drive to Trai Mat station. Take a 40-minute train ride (the train was used during the French domination and is now only used in Dalat). Enjoy the nice scenery of vegetable-, flower-, and fruit gardens along the route. Continue to Linh Phuoc Pagoda. Depart Dalat for
Ho Chi Minh City with stopover at Prenn waterfall. Arrive in
Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Ho Chi Minh City .
Ho Chi Minh City - CU CHI TUNNELS - HO
CHI
MINH
CITY Tour (B/-/-)
DAY 13 Drive to Cu Chi. Visit the amazing complex of underground tunnels at Cu Chi. There are more than 200 km of underground tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. Drive back to
Ho Chi Minh City . Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office and then take a photo stop at former Presidential Palace, Continue with visits to the
War
Museum , to Cholon (
China town), Thien Hau Pagoda and Ben Thanh market. Overnight in
Ho Chi Minh City .
Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre -
Ho Chi Minh City (B/L/-)
DAY 14 Coach trip to My Tho. Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda en route and stop by the bank of Tien Giang river. Take a boat trip on
Mekong
River to
Phoenix
Island , where local handicrafts and sweets from coconut are being produced. Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and traditional live music and songs performance. Take a short ride on a horse carriage to a typical local house to taste some homemade honey-tea. Proceed by small sampan boats through the small canals and side arms of the river to observe the daily life along the river banks with a stop and short leisurely walk at the
Turtle
Island . Lunch will be served at a local restaurant before driving back
Ho Chi Minh City . Overnight in
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B/-/-)
DAY 15 Day at leisure until transfer to Ho Chi Minh City /
Tan
Son
Nhat
International
Airport for departure.
Trip notes
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Tour code:
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ARVN/15DAYS
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Duration:
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15 days, 14 nights
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Depart from:
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Hanoi
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End at:
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When:
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Every day
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Private package:
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Optional for individual and groups
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Guide:
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Optional: English, French and German
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Transportation:
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Optional
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Accommodation:
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Hotels
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