Highlights:
• Explore the historical sites to be found around the city of Hanoi
• Visit Hoa Lu - ancient capital of Vietnam, take a boat along Tam Coc
• Enjoy the natural beauties of Ha Long Bay - the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with many limestone islands and overnight on the Bay.
• Immerse in the tranquil atmosphere of Hue and Hoi An.
• Discovery of rural areas, farming life, and fruit gardens in the immense Mekong Delta with a boat ride along narrow canals and enjoy specialties of the region.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN HA NOI (MEAL: NO)
Arrival at Noi Bai Airport, Our driver will welcome you at airport terminal and transfer you to the hotel in the center. You will check in at the hotel and you will visit the center of the city by your own.
Overnight stay in Hanoi.
Please note that check in time at hotel is 14:00.
Inclusion: Airport pick up service, Accommodation
DAY 2 : HA NOI CITY TOUR (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
At 08:00 Am, Our guide will pick you up at hotel and we will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Lying to one side of the mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. You will then continue on to the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda in West Lake. It is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. Thereafter, you will visit the Bat Trang pottery village. The visit applies during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You will have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon , after lunch, you will proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. The tour applies on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You will visit the Temple of Literature or Quoc Tu Giam and Vietnam’s first university which was constructed in 1070.
Then we past Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful waters and the beauty of Ngoc Son Temple. Transfer to hotel, stay overnight in Hanoi.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: breakfast and lunch, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 3: HOA LU – TAM COC (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
At 08:00 Am: Meet your tour guide at your hotel. We will drive around 2.5 hours to Hoa Lu - the historic capital of Viet Nam and the famous ancient temples of the Le and the Dinh Dynasties. You can see the royal citadel where the emperors lived and know more about part of feudal dynasties and historical periods in Vietnamese history.
Then you will have Buffet lunch featuring Vietnamese cuisine.
Continue to take a boat trip to visit Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay on land”. You will have a chance to see views of majestic limestone cliffs and three mysterious caves, as well as countryside sights, like peaceful streams, rice paddies and deserted green fields.
You can join to ride bicycle around countryside roads and villages to see the local farmers and buffaloes working on the rice fields. Get on bus to transfer back to Hanoi, drop you off at hotel. Free and easy in evening. Overnight in Hanoi.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: breakfast and lunch, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 4 : HANOI – HALONG (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
08:00 – 08:30: Our tour guide and bus pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi old quarter.
08:30: Departure to Halong Bay for 3.5 Hours.
10:00: Arrive in Hai Duong province, and have 20 minute short break.
12:00: Arrive to Tuan Chau harbor, 12:15 Welcome to cruise and enjoy Welcome drink, get a brief introduction about cruise and safety guidelines. Check-in your cabin.
12:30: Enjoy Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian lunch, while cruising in the magnificent Halong Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.
15:00: You at Tung Gau Area. The airy and fresh air, cool breezes, blue sea and sky, and natural seascape will captivate any visitors setting foot here. Especially, Tung Gau of Lan Ha Bay is extremely suitable for enjoying kayaking and swiming and then Visiting Halong Pearl Farm Village
17.30: Come back to our cruise and relax.
19:30: Time for dinner enjoying special food on the cruise.
21:00: Evening entertainments: play game on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, and overnight on the cruise.
Inclusion: Transportation, English Speaking Guide, All entrance fees, Kayaking, Swimming, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, accommodation on cruise
Note: Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather and operating conditions.
DAY 5: HALONG – HANOI AIRPORT – HUE (BREAKFAST/BRUNCH/-)
06.30: Early morning sun risers can enjoy Tai Chi lesson on sundeck.
07.00: Morning view of bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast.
08:00: Arriving Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visiting and explore the cave
10:00: Check-out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay. Join cooking class guided directly by Chef of Rosa Boutique cruise. You have chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring roll or famous cuisine of Vietnam.
11:00: Enjoy the lunch on cruise.
12:00: Rosa Cruise are landing Halong Bay harbor, tourist say goodbye to sailors and finish the cruise.
12:30: Return to Hanoi by shuttle bus.
14:30: Stopover in Hai Duong province to visit a ceramics workshop.
16:00 – 16:30: Arrive in Hanoi. We transfer to airport, fly to Hue. Another driver will pick you up at airport and transfer to hotel. Stay overnight in Hue.
Inclusion: Transportation, entrance fees, meals: breakfast and lunch, English speaking guide, accommodation
DAY 6 : HUE CITY TOUR (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
At 08:30 Am, our tour guide will pick you up at hotel. Then you will start the Hue city tour. Visit Thanh Toan Bridge - The only other tiled roof bridge in Vietnam aside from the one in Hoi An. This wooden arch bridge has been built for the local villagers who are into farming and fishing. The old bridge served and still serving the local villagers on their daily life needs. The bridge connects the local market and the village houses.
Visit Minh Mang tomb - The tomb of the most beloved Emperor of Nguyen dynasty. Minh Mang Tomb is considered as the most majestic of all of the Royal Tombs. The impressive architecture that complements with the nature gives you a good impression of the Emperor who lives within the walls of the 18 hectares tomb.
Visit Khai Dinh tomb - The smallest but the most expensive tomb of all. Every corner of the tomb is very detailed which reflects how luxurious the emperor was. Lunch in a restaurant that serves Western, Asian and Vietnamese food.
We visit Citadel - Imperial City is the home of Vietnam's last royal dynasty - the Nguyen Dynasty. This is the highlight of the tour. You will learn the rise, struggles and fall of the Nguyen Dynasty and how it affected the whole country.
Visit Thien Mu Pagoda - The oldest pagoda in Hue city.
Get on a dragon boat cruise to see the sunset on the way back to the city.
Drop you off at your hotel in Hue. Stay overnight in Hue.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: lunch ; all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 7: HUE – HOIAN (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
Breakfast at hotel. 08:00 Transfer to Hoi An along Highway 1 which links Hanoi to Sai Gon. This drive is reputedly the most beautiful in all Vietnam, taking you past coastal fishing settlements, most notably Lang Co with its stunning lagoon backdrop. The drive also takes you over Hai Van pass (or ‘pass of the ocean clouds’). Lunch at a local restaurant in Hoian.
The afternoon is spent strolling through the narrow streets of this atmospheric old town. This former port, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is full of architectural gems that show a range of influences. Around the seventeenth century Hoi An was one of the busiest ports in South East Asia. Enriched by the proceeds of this trade many merchants constructed beautiful homes. You should start by visiting Japanese bridge, Quan Cong temple, Fujian temple, one of the old houses and the local market. Then, take a boat trip on Thu Bon river. Dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: lunch ; all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 8: HOI AN – DA NANG AIRPORT – HO CHI MINH CITY (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the Danang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to your hotel.
Saigon is not only the most important economic centre in Vietnam, it also has some very imposing colonial architecture which was the center of attention in our fascinating past. Almost a hundred years of French rulers bestowed upon the city with some pearls of colonial architecture. Begin your exploration of this frantic city with lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit the central post office, designed by Gustave Eiffel, and the Notre Dame cathedral, inspired by its counterpart in Paris. Next, visit the moved War Remnants museum which presents a partial, but riveting, view of the American war, as it is known in Vietnam. Continue your city tour with a visit to District 5, formerly known as Cho Lon or Chinatown. Cho Lon, or ‘big market’, with its congested streets is where most of the city’s ethnic Chinese population lives. The district lives up to its name in the form of Binh Tay wholesale markets. Founded in 1778 the market sells a stunning array of goods and produce, ranging from fish to incense. We will finish our city tour with a stop at the Thien Hau temple, otherwise known as ‘The Temple of the Heavenly Lady’, to marvel at its intricate friezes and coils of incense. Dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: lunch ; all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 9: HO CHI MINH - MY THO – BEN TRE – HO CHI MINH (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
A smooth one-and-half-hour bus ride through rice field scenery along National Highway 1 brings you to the beautiful rural district of Trung Luong.
On arrival at My Tho, after visiting Vinh Trang pagoda, take a motor boat to enter My Tho city through Bao Dinh natural canal. Take a leisurely cruise on the Tien River to view the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.
Enjoy lunch at the local restaurant, then visit the coconut candy mill and take an amazing rowing boat trip along the small canal on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals. Then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by locals.
Meet at the bus and return to Ho Chi Minh City. This trip provides a fascinating insight into daily life in the Mekong Delta and you are guaranteed to take home your own private collection of beautiful memories. Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Inclusion: Transportation, English speaking guide, meals: breakfast, lunch ; all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 10 : HO CHI MINH - DEPARTURE (BREAKFAST/-)
Breakfast at hotel. Free at your own time until the driver meets you then transfers to the airport for your flight home or next destination. Tour ends.
