Day 1
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.
Day 2
HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L)
Breakfast at hotel.
8.00- 8.30: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City
08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda which built in the 6th century located on Golden Fish IsLand in West Lake
09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world
Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for the annual maintaining but still can take picture Mausoleum and visit around that area
11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam
Special Note : we will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays
12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine
with 8 delicious dishes.
14.00-14.15 : Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century
15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton
16.15 -16.30: Tour finishes. Back to hotel or get dropped off at Train Street. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3
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.
Day 4
HANOI – HALONG (B,L,D)
From Hanoi, at 8AM, 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
Day 5
HALONG – HANOI – 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 from the cruise and our driver will take you back to Hanoi center. Our driver shall wait for you en route to continue the transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for a short 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
Day 6
SAIGON CITY – 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.
Remark: The Notre Dame Cathedral have been being restored, so the guests just visit outside.
Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant
Day 7
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
Day 8
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.
Meal: Breakfast at hotel
Please note: Hotel check-out time is around 12.00.
