VN05 Vietnam Discovery ( 13 days / 12 nights )
Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Hue – Hoi an - Nha Trang - 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 – 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 4 Ha Long Bay – Boat Cruise – Hue
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 hotel.
Overnight in Hue [Breakfast]
Day 5 Hue – Sightseeing
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, proceed to visit the Imperial Citadel and the Dong Ba Market. The spectacular Citadel (which was built in accordance to strict principles of geomancy) houses a series of palaces, ornate halls, libraries, residences and colleges.
Overnight in Hue [Breakfast]
Day 6 Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An
Drive 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 at your leisure to explore the town.
Overnight in Hoi An. [Breakfast]
Day 7 Hoi An – Sightseeing
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 afterwards enjoy free time to further explore the old town.
Overnight in Hoi An. [Breakfast]
Day 8 Hoi An – Da Nang – Nha Trang
Depart Hoi An for Da Nang to catch your flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure to explore this beach city.
Overnight in Nha Trang [Breakfast]
Day 9 Nha Trang – Boat Cruise
Enjoy Nha Trang’s turquoise waters and white sandy beaches with a morning boat cruise to offshore islands in Nha Trang Bay. In the afternoon, visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers, the Dam Market, the Nha Trang Stone Cathedral or the Long Son Pagoda where the giant Sakyamuni Buddha statue sits on the top of the hill.
Overnight in Nha Trang [Breakfast]
Day 10 Nha Trang – Ho Chi Minh City
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 11 Ho Chi Minh City – Ben Tre – Boat Cruise
Depart for the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival in My Tho, enjoy a boat cruise along the river and 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 where you will enjoy tea and taste home grown fruits. Board a sampan and drift along the narrow, tree-lined canals for further exploration of the Mekong Delta. After lunch, visit a family-run business making coconut candy before returning to My Tho. On the return trip to Ho Chi Minh City, visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda if time permits.
Return to Ho Chi Minh City by the late afternoon.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast, Lunch]
Day 12 Ho Chi Minh City – Sightseeing
A sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, includes a photo stop at the Reunification Palace and visits to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and the Thien Hau Temple. Observe Cao Dai mass at noon. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]
Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City – Departure
Free until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure.
[Breakfast]
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