Impressive Vietnam with Sapa

Itinerary

1. Day 01

   ARRIVAL IN HANOI (-/-/-)
   Welcome to Hanoi - Vietnam! Upon arrival, picked up by our local driver and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Free time to rest after your long haul flight. Accommodation in Hanoi. Note: check-in at the hotel is at 2pm. Early check in is subject to availability with supplement.  
2. Day 02

   HANOI – ORIENTATION CITY TOUR (B/-/-)
   Breakfast at hotel.   8.30 am: Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake  The bus and tour guide will pick you up from hotel in old quarter about 8 AM, driving to Tran Quoc Pagoda is located on an island east of West Lake (Tay Ho District), with 1500-year history, which is considered to be the oldest in Thang Long-Hanoi. It was the Buddhist center of Thang Long citadel in the Ly and Tran dynasties. With its historical and architectural values, Tran Quoc pagoda is famous for its sacred Buddha land, which attracts many Buddhists and visitors to Vietnam. 9.30 am: Ho Chi Minh complex Visitor to Ho Chi Minh complex (Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the presidential palace, house on stilts the final resting place of Uncle Ho, where He lived and worked from 1954 - 1969). 11 am: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology This is the most recent yet probably the largest and undoubtedly the most interesting Museums in Ha Noi and Viet Nam. There are both indoors and outdoors section, while the in – housed exhibition is particularly informative, the outdoors display and activities make the museum stand out from the rest. There are a number of houses modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities, especially those who live in Northern and Central highlands. 12.30 pm: Lunch Time 2 pm: The temple of literature (The first university in Vietnam) Being an ancient school of Thang Long and the first university in Vietnam, Temple of Literature is acknowledged as an ancient historical-cultural heritage which gives tourists deeper understanding about Hanoi's years of culture and tradition. 3 pm: Hoa Lo prison It was built in 1899. The French kept mainly political prisoners here along with those awaiting sentencing at the nearby Court of Justice, also where American pilots who had been shot down and captured were kept as prisoners of war. The pilots called it, sarcastically, the “Hanoi Hilton.” John McCain was held here at various times during his five and a half year as a POW. 3.30 – 4 pm: Take the car back your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant.  Please note:  On Monday and Friday morning Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and museum are closed, instead by Vietnamese women museum.  Short/reveal clothing is not allowed to come in mausoleum and temple.  
3. Day 03

   HANOI – NINH BINH - HANOI (B/L/-)
   07:30 – 08:00 – Our guide will meet you at your hotel/stay and start 120km modern bus-journey through verdant landscape. Stop over for a rest on the way. 10:30 – Arrive Hoa Lu, once ancient capital of Vietnam dating back to the 11th century. Having been eroded over the millennia, the dilapidated ruins have nearly been absorbed by the spectacular scenery creating a mystical atmosphere that will besure to titillate your imagination, visit King Dinh and Le Temple. 12:00 – Enjoy a lavish buffet lunch in a local restaurant, a great place to savor the intense flavours of Vietnamese food then go to Tam Coc for a stunning boat trip. 13:00 – Board the sampan boats, owned by locals, gently sailing along Ngo Dong river, capturing the wonderful scenery of Karst hills, rice fields, and peaceful villages, and passing “Hang Ca”, “Hang Hai” and “Hang Ba”. 15:00 – Leisurely cycling on country road around village 16:00 – Get on shuttle bus to return to Hanoi. 18:30 – Drop off at your hotel/ accommodation’s door steps in Hanoi Old Quarter. Trip ends. Late afternoon, we return to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.   
4. Day 04

   HANOI – SAPA (B/-/-)
   Early morning, board on our Deluxe Minivan to Sapa which is an incredibly picturesque town that lies in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam, known as "the Tonkinese Alps". Sapa and its surrounding region is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. Upon arrival, check in your hotel and at leisure in the rest of the day to explore Sapa at your own pace.  Overnight in Sapa.   
5. Day 05

   SAPA – HANOI (B/-/-)
   The 100-year-old hill station with magnificent landscape of mountains, pinewoods and mysterious mist, Sapa, always  inspires every artist and photographer who used to stopover or hear about this unique place. This morning, you are free to stroll around the marketplace of Sapa and Sapa church to discover this special ambiance of hill tribal minorities.  Our Deluxe Minivan will take you back to Hanoi in the afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi.   
6. Day 06

   HANOI – HALONG BAY (B/L/D)
   If you wish to see how the Hanoi people rise and shine in the morning, wake up early and run to a lake close by your hotel, you can join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals, passionately attentive in their morning exercises of Tai Chi quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance and so on.  After breakfast at the hotel, on shuttle bus, we will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Dinner with fresh seafood! Overnight onboard. Note: the program may vary slightly depending on the final confirmed cruise   
7. Day 07

   HALONG BAY – HANOI – FLIGHT TO DANANG – HOI AN (B/BRUNCH/-)
   The Vietnamese call the “South China Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous it is seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. The boat will take us to go about marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent, including the Fisherman’s Head, Turtle, the Sail, the Incense Burner Rock, the cute Sea Dog Rock or Cock Fighting Rocks and so on.  Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi around noon time by shuttle bus.  On the way, pick up by car to Noi Bai airport for your onward flight to Da Nang.  Upon arrival at the airport, welcome from the local driver and transfer to the hotel in Hoian. Overnight in Hoian.  
8. Day 08

   HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN (B/-/-)
   Breakfast at hotel.  This morning is for Hoian ancient town – when walking over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls and Trading Houses, Pagodas, and stroll around the market located by Thu Bon river, you may find out the same feelings of the artists, who see the charm of Hoi An a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration.  At leisure in the afternoon. This is also a wonderful town to shop for lanterns, soft silk, raw silk, or get your clothes tailored within a day. Late afternoon is open for our optional tour by boat to a small ceramic village in Thu Bon River. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Hoian.   
9. Day 09

   HOI AN – DA NANG – HUE (B/-/-)
   After breakfast at hotel, we will check out and depart to Hue by Deluxe Mini-van Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. We will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City and Hue Royal Museum. Move on to the town of Phu Mong along the Perfume River to visit  Thien Mu Pagoda. Overnight in Hue.  
10. Day 10

    HUE – HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR (B/L/-)
    Breakfast at hotel. Rest until the time of transfer to the airport to take the morning flight to Ho Chi Minh.  Welcome at Tan Son Nhat airport and transfer to the hotel to drop off luggage.  13:00 PM: Take the morning trip: visit to Cho Lon (Big Market) and Thien Hau Pagoda which is located in China Town. Continue to Bach Dang harbor. After checking in the waterbus tickets, and stabilizing your seat, the boat will start to depart. During the trip, you will have a unique view of the most typical commercial buildings of the city including the Vinhomes Central Park urban area, the magnificent Landmark 81 tower, the Bitexco Financial Tower, the green peaceful District 2. A lot of stunning moments are waiting for you. Try to discover the soul of this land - Saigon River by water bus, maybe you will realize many miracles, a more accurate view of the land once called Paris of Indochina or the Pearl of the Far East.  18:00 PM: Transfer back your hotel.    Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city. Please notes! The Notre Dame Cathedral have been being restored, so the guests just visit outside Drop-off time is subject to traffic, weather...so the finished time could be later than expecting.  
11. Day 11

    HO CHI MINH – MEKONG DELTA (MY THO & BEN TRE)
    – HO CHI MINH (B/L/-)Pick up: 07:30 – 08:00 (the time of pick up depends on customer’s hotel/ accommodation’s exact position). Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City and start your trip to depart for My Tho, the town lies on the left side of the Mekong River. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19th century. Then  boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.  Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking around country lane and seeing orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, folk song music which performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation.  Riding a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal and treat yourself in the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business, visit honey-bee farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.  Have lunch at local restaurant. Break time. In the afternoon, time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meet the local villagers to experience the local daily life in the Mekong delta. Hammock relaxing and enjoy cool breeze for those can’t join the cycling trip. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. End trip. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city. Please notes! Drop-off time is subject to traffic, weather...so the finished time could be later than expecting.  
12. Day 12

    HO CHI MINH CITY – DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
    Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure till transfer to the airport for your flight back home. End of services! Please note: Hotel check-out time is at 12:00

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