Vietnam Highlights

Itinerary

1. Day 01

   Hanoi Arrival (-/-/-)
   Welcome to Hanoi – Vietnam! Upon arrival, transfer from Noi Bai Airport to the center of Hanoi then check-in at hotel. At leisure to relax and get rid of jet lag. Overnight in Hanoi.  Meal: None Please note!: - Hotel check-in time is around 14.00.  
2. Day 02

   Hanoi - City tour (B/L/-)
   Breakfast at hotel.   08:30: 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. 09:30: 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). 11:00: 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: Lunch Time 14:00: 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. 15:00: 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. 15:30 – 16:00: 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. -  We will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays.   
3. Day 03

   Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hanoi (B/L/-)
   Breakfast at hotel. 07:00 – 07:40: Our guide will meet you at your hotel/stay and start 110km on shared deluxe van through verdant landscape of country side. Short-break en route. 10:00: Arrive Glimmering Bai Dinh Pagoda Complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away. This pagoda complexes stunningly boast an array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it takes a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones. Visit The Quan Yin statue with thousands arms and eyes, Visit Gautama Buddha statue. 12:00: Enjoy the lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisines. 13:30: Leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields. Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle. Embark on a traditional sampan gently roweddown the exquisite river through numerous  caves: Lam Cave, Vang Cave, Dai Cave, Thanh Truot Cave,...and Cao Sơn Temple, Suoi Tien Temple, Vu Lam Temple… 15:30: Visit Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa long mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with specious view of the nature. 17:15: Return to our bus and then come back to Hanoi. 19:30: Drop you off at your hotel/stay in Hanoi.  Overnight in Hanoi. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant.  
4. Day 04

   Hanoi - Halong Bay/Lan Ha Bay (B/L/D)
   From Hanoi, at 08:00, shuttle bus will pick you up and head East to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994. Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll take a big boat to cruise the Bay to discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch of fresh seafood on board, we can visit the Surprising Grotto, stop for swimming or kayaking, passing floating villages and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Back to the boat for dinner late afternoon. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the boat. Please note! - The program may be little varied upon the cruise you choose. Only Vietnamese & International food available on the boat. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and Dinner on the boat  
5. Day 05

   Halong - Hanoi - Flight to Saigon (B/Br/-)
   Suggested flight schedule: VN 259 HAN SGN 18:00 – 20:15  Wake up early to enjoy the dawn on the sea in the early morning. The Vietnamese call the "East Sea" by a point-oriented name "Eastern Sea", so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. After breakfast our boat will continue to cruise in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent like Sail Island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet etc… Disembark at noon & land transfer to Hanoi airport to take the flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, our driver will pick you up and drive to your hotel to check in. Overnight in Saigon. Meal: Breakfast, Brunch on the boat  
6. Day 06

   Saigon - City tour - Cu Chi Tunnel (B/L/-)
   In the morning, you will visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars. After that, you will have lunch at a local restaurant.  In the afternoon, you will be picked up to depart for Cu Chi Tunnels and arrive after a drive of 1,5 hours. Our tour guide will give you an overview introduction to Cu Chi and its legendary history. A documentary film about the tunnels will explain the tunnel's histories and how fierce the war was in the area. You will be guided to the tunnels system, including the weapon factory, hospitals, and kitchens, and crawl under the tunnels… After that, you will have chance to try delicious manioc, the leading food for guerilla warriors in Cu Chi during the war. Then, you can try to fire off an AK47 or MK16 or machine guns at the nearby shooting range (guest’s own account). Leave Cu Chi tunnels and return to Saigon at the end of your trip. Overnight in Saigon. Please note! - The Notre Dame Cathedral have been being restored, so the guests just visit outside. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant.   
7. Day 07

   Saigon - Mekong Delta - Saigon (B/L/-)
   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.  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. Meet your shared deluxe van for the trip back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant.
8. Day 08

   Saigon - Departure (B/-/-)
   After breakfast, free at leisure for relax or shopping (your own arrangement) before transferring to the airport for your onwards flight back home. End of service. Please note! - Hotel check-out time is around 12.00.  Meal: Breakfast at hotel

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