| Day |
Schedule |
Meals |
| 1 |
Depart UK |
|
| 2 |
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport, pick-up and transfer to the hotel. Visit downtown for the first experience of this bustling metropolis. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City |
B |
| 3 |
Morning visit to the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Saigon Post Office, and the History Museum.
Afternoon drive to Tay Ninh, the head quarters of Cao Dai sect founded in 1923. Visit the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic Midday Mass ceremony when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City. |
B |
| 4 |
Depart to My Tho. Take a boat trip on the Mekong River through the myriad canals. This offers travellers a real insight of life in the countryside: local people at work in their paddy fields, water buffaloes, many kinds of fruit orchards, thatched-roof dwellings, temples, fishermen and excited children. Reach Turtle Island, walk around a fruit garden and taste the diverse types of seasonal fruits, and tea mixed with bee's honey. Enjoy the wonderful Mekong Delta's traditional music and songs. Visit a coconut candy factory. Enjoy Elephant's Ear Fish, a delicacy of Mekong Delta region. Return to Ho Chi Minh City, stop along the way to see the beautiful Vinh Trang Pagoda, the most famous pagoda in the south whose architecture is a mixture of Vietnamese, Kh'mer and Chinese. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City. |
B/L |
| 5 |
Morning flight to Da Nang then transfer to Hoi An, one of the major trading centers of South East Asia in the 16th century, now a World Cultural Heritage Site, well-known for its ancient and remarkable architecture of mixed Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese styles from the 16th century. Visit the 200 year-old Tan Ky house, Phuc Kien Pagoda, the former merchants' houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the colourful riverside market. Late afternoon, visit Cam Chau village to see local people make their traditional jewel-like-toned lanterns. Overnight in Hoi An. |
B |
| 6 |
Leave Hoi An for Hue, the last imperial capital of Vietnam, well-known for its magnificent architecture, pagodas and royal tombs laid out in small villages and surrounding hills. En route we have a look at the famous China Beach and visit the Cham Museum which contains the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. Upon arrival in Hue, we visit the Imperial Citadel, the Purple Forbidden City, the elaborate mausoleums of Emperors Tuc Duc and Khai Dinh.
Overnight in Hue. |
B |
| 7 |
A morning boat trip on the romantic Perfume River visiting Hue's oldest and most revered site, the Thien Mu Pagoda, and the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, set in tranquil gardens by a lake.
Afternoon take the flight to Hanoi. On arrival in Hanoi, take a one hour cycle ride through the bustling streets of the old quarter. In the evening, enjoy a fantastic traditional water puppet show (unique to Vietnam).
Overnight in Hanoi. |
B |
| 8 |
In the morning we explore this elegant and charming capital city with visits to the mausoleum of the nation's founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. Afternoon drive to Ha Long Bay, the most wonderful scenic sight of Vietnam, and a recognized World Natural Heritage Site.
Overnight in Ha Long. |
B |
| 9 |
Embark on our private junk for an 5-hour cruise to explore this World Natural Heritage Site. This exciting cruise will provide us with a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery, with over 3,000 limestone islets rising fantastically from the clear emerald water. The limestone karst formations form shorelines littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Afternoon return to Hanoi, stopping en route at Dong Trieu ceramic village where the famous blue and white pottery is produced. Overnight in Hanoi. |
B |
| 10 |
Depart to Dong Ho village, where 'giay do' paper is produced and painted using traditional designs. All the papers are handmade and some are still made using only natural products. We continue on to Dong Ky woodcarving village where furniture is inlaid with mother of pearl and finished off with a layer of clear lacquer. Van Phuc is a village on the side of a river, which produces thousands of meters of silk; the villagers still colour and dry the silk in the traditional way. Lan So, is the next village we visit retaining its old charm and traditional features, it produces traditional rice paper and noodles. Return to Hanoi in the late afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi. |
B |
| 11 |
Free time until you transfer to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight. |
B |
