VN04 Vietnam Highlights ( 11 days / 10 nights )

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Ha Long Bay – Hoi An - Hue - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta

Day 1 Hanoi – Arrival
Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2 Hanoi – Sightseeing
Take a full day tour to explore Hanoi’s illustrious history. In the morning, visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (CLOSED ON MONDAYS & FRIDAYS) before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. You will then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, which is 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. The tour includes a stop at an ancient Vietnamese "long house."

Overnight in Hanoi [Breakfast]

Day 3 Hanoi – Dong Tam – But Cave Complex– Ninh Binh

Leave Hanoi for Ninh Binh. Start your exploration with a leisurely bike ride (~5km) through paddy fields to visit Dong Tam Village. You may interact as well as take part in lunch preparation with the locals. Enjoy lunch with a family. After lunch take a sampan ride through the But Cave Complex. Explore the dry caves as well as the water caves. End the trip at Thung Nham dock.  Drive to your hotel in Ninh Binh.

Overnight in Ninh Binh [Breakfast, Lunch]

Day 4 Ninh Binh – Ha Long Bay

Drive through rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay. You will 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.

Overnight on a junk [Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner]

Day 5 Ha Long Bay – Boat Cruise – Hanoi – Da Nang – Hoi An

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 evening flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, transfer to Hoi An.
Overnight in Hoi An [Breakfast]

Day 6 Hoi An – Sightseeing
Set off 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. In the afternoon, visit one of Hoi An’s famous lantern workshops and learn how to make one yourself. End the day by taking a peaceful boat trip on the Thu Bon and afterwards enjoy free time to further explore the old town.

Overnight in Hoi An [Breakfast]

Day 7 Hoi An – Hue – Sightseeing
Depart for the ancient capital of Hue with a coastal drive via the Cloudy Pass and the photogenic village of Lang Co. Upon arrival in Hue, visit the Imperial Citadel (which was built in accordance with strict principles of geomancy) housing a series of palaces, ornate halls, libraries, residences and colleges. In the afternoon, take an excursion to the poetic mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc.

Overnight in Hue [Breakfast]

Day 8 Hue – Ho Chi Minh City
Take delight in cruising upstream on the peaceful Perfume River. Visit the elegant Thien Mu Pagoda on the riverbank. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the city.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]

Day 9 Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho
Drive to Cai Be and take a boat cruise to the Cai Be River. You will have a chance to observe the lively activities of local merchants trading their produce from laden vessels. Visit a village where you will see some family run businesses that produce rice cakes and rice paper. After eating lunch at a local house, you will proceed to Binh Hoa Phuoc islet for a sampan ride before disembarking at Vinh Long for your drive onto Can Tho.
Overnight in Can Tho. [Breakfast, Lunch]

Day 10 Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City – Chinatown
Enjoy a morning boat cruise to the Cai Rang Floating Market which is full of small boats and vessels that deliver goods from all parts of the Mekong Delta. You will have a chance to observe the lively activities of merchants trading their produce. Continue cruising to the Ba Lang Canal; stop at an orchard and enjoy seasonal fruit before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, take a tour of Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]

Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City – Departure

Free until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure.

[Breakfast]