Day 1: Hanoi
On arrival at the airport in Hanoi, you will be met by our professional local representative, who will welcome you and assist in your transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi – Full day tour
Enjoy your sumptuous breakfast today. Today, enjoy a full day tour. Visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays) before moving on to his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, imbued with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. In the afternoon, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi and learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture. Stop at an ancient Vietnamese "long house." Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
After your breakfast, drive through rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay to board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a seafood lunch and a swim (if weather permits). Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea. Enjoy dinner on board. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Ha Long Bay - Boat Cruise - Hanoi – Hue
Enjoy your breakfast today. Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf. Transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Hue. On arrival, transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 5: Hue - Sightseeing
Breakfast at the hotel. Take a morning boat cruise on the peaceful Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda and then take a car to the poetic mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc. In the afternoon, visit the Imperial Citadel and the Dong Ba Market. The spectacular Citadel built in accordance to strict principles of geomancy, houses a series of palaces, ornate halls, libraries, residences and colleges. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Hue - Da Nang - Hoi An
After your breakfast, you will be driven along the coast and via mountain passes to Hoi An with a stop en route at the photogenic village of Lang Co Beach. Visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang which houses the world's finest collection of Cham artworks before proceeding to Hoi An. The rest of the day is free. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Hoi An - Sightseeing
Enjoy your sumptuous breakfast today at the hotel. Pay a visit to one of Hoi An's famous lantern workshops and learn how to make one yourself before setting out on a walking tour to explore this World Heritage Site. Highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market. Take a peaceful boat trip on the Thu Bon River and enjoy free time to explore the old town. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City
After your breakfast at the hotel, depart for Da Nang to catch your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be met and welcomed by our professional local representative and assisted in your transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels – City Tour
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels where Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Highlights include the Reunification Palace (photo stop), the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre - Boat Cruise
After your breakfast, depart for My Tho on the Mekong Delta for a boat cruise along the river. Take a short walk to a handicraft workshop where products are made from coconut trees. Experience an exciting horse-drawn cart ride to visit a local house for tea and a taste of home grown fruits. Board a sampan and drift along the narrow, tree-lined canal to explore the Mekong Delta. After lunch, visit a family-run business an making coconut candy before returning to My Tho. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda if time permits. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City
After your breakfast, you will be transferred to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight back home with happy memories of your journey to Vietnam.
