15 Days Vietnam Heritage Tour

Day 1 Hanoi (D)
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Accommodation: Flower Garden Hotel
Site visited: Water Puppet Show
Upon arrival we will be welcome by our guide and transferred to the hotel. In the evening we will enjoy the unique Water Puppet performance and we will have our welcome dinner at one of the finest restaurants in town.

Day 2 Hanoi – City tour – Night train to Sa Pa (B, L)
Accommodation: Four Beth Cabin – Soft Sleeper Train with A/C
Site visited: Ho Chi MInh Complex, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Ethnology Museum, Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Hanoi is sometimes called the Paris of the Orient with its shaded boulevards, verdant parks and ochre buildings that still retain an old world charm. In the morning we will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which has become a popular pilgrimage place for the Vietnamese, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's House on stilts and the One Pillar pagoda. Following this we will visit the Temple of Literature, built in 1076 and the first Vietnamese University. After lunch we will visit the fine Ethnology Museum followed by an hour's drive on a cyclo (a pedal rickshaw) to visit the Old Quarter of Hanoi. In the evening we will take the overnight sleeper train to Sa Pa.

Notes:
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: Open from Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 8am to 11pm. Closed on Mondays and Fridays. The mausoleum is closed for two months of the year, usually October and November, when Ho Chi Minh’s body is maintenance by Russian expert.

Day 3 Sa Pa (B)
Accommodation: Chau Long Sa Pa Hotel
Site visited: Border Gate, Cat Cat village, Sa Pa market
Our local guide will welcome us upon arrival and we will make our way to the nearby China/Vietnam border gate where we can observe the start of early day trade taking place between the two countries. About one hour's drive on a scenic route brings us to Sa Pa, an old French trading town set high on the mountainside with spectacular views all around.
Check in to the hotel, there will be free time to explore the market. After lunch we will take a 3 hour walk to Cat Cat village of the H'Mong people, and we will also see the waterfall. Then we will return to Sa Pa town to visit the local Market with its fresh vegetables and typical local food.

Day 4 Sa Pa (B)
Accommodation: Four Beth Cabin – Soft Sleeper Train with A/C
Site visited: Lao Chai, Ta Van village
Today after a short jeep journey overlooking beautiful, terraced rice paddies, we will arrive at the two villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van of the H'Mong and Giay hill people. We will take a 3 hour trek to visit them, returning to Sa Pa by jeep afterwards. The afternoon is free for exploration of this interesting town. In the late afternoon we leave by bus for Lao Cai Station to catch the overnight sleeper train back to Hanoi.

Day 5 Hanoi
Accommodation: Flower Garden Hotel Hanoi
We arrive back at Hanoi in the early morning. Our vehicle will be waiting to transfer us to our hotel. After checking in, the day is free to further explore this vibrant city where shops and museums abound.

Day 6 Hanoi - Halong Bay – Overnight on Luxury (B, L, D)
Accommodation: En-suite Cabin with A/C: Deluxe Junk Cruise
Site visited: Humanity center, Halong Bay, Caves
From Hanoi we depart for Halong Bay. Our journey takes us through the lush green fields of the Red River Delta to the coast and beautiful Halong Bay which has the name "Ascending Dragons". We will arrive in time for a delicious, fresh, seafood lunch on our boat which will cruise this secluded bay so we can marvel at some of the 2-3000 limestone peaks that emerge from the emerald water. We will have the opportunity to view a spectacular cave crammed with stalactites and stalagmites, and if the weather permits we will swim in the clear waters surrounding our boat. We can also kayak to explore some of the hidden charms in parts of the bay before spending the night on board.

Day 7 Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)
Accommodation: Flower Garden Hotel Hanoi
Site visited: Halong Bay, Hallow cave
In the morning we will continue on kayaking to explore Luon cave, Turtle Islet, Human Head Islet and Saddle Islet. After lunch on board, we will leave Halong for Hanoi.

Day 8 Hanoi – Fly to Hue (B)
Transfer via: Domestic flight with Vietnam Airline
Accommodation: Green Hotel Hue
Site visited: Hue Citadel, Imperial City, and Forbidden Purple City
In the morning we leave for the airport and our short flight to Hue. It was once the capital of the Nguyen emperors and was packed with influential people: bureaucrats, princesses, traders, astrologers and courtiers, who left behind many beautiful and intriguing reminders of their times. Upon arrival we will check in to our hotel. In the afternoon we will visit the Citadel, the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple city. In the evening, we will have a Royal meal, only eaten by the Emperor in the old days.

Day 9 Hue – Hoi An (B)
Accommodation: Hoi An River beach Resort
Site visited: Thien Mu Pagoda, Minh Mang Tomb, Hai Van Pass, Lang Co Beach
In the morning we will take a dragon boat to cruise along the Perfume River. We will pause to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the best loved architectural pagodas in Vietnam considered to be the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of the most poignant displays is a car which once belonged to a former Monk who, in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. After that we will continue our boat trip to the majestic and scenic Emperor Minh Mang Tomb. After lunch, we will leave Hue and head southwards through coastal rice paddies to the fishing village of Lang Co, before taking the scenic, mountainous route over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, arriving at the riverside town of Hoi An in the afternoon. (Approx. 4 hour driving time).

Day 10 Hoi An (B, L)
Accommodation: Hoi An River beach Resort
Site visited: Hoi An old town, Fu Kien Assembly Hall, Tan Ty Old house, Hoi An museum, Japanese cover bridge, Workshop
In 1995 UNESCO recognized Hoi An as a Cultural World Heritage site. Hoi An used to be a thriving, international, commercial seaport of Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, English French and Arab traders. These people came to trade primarily for many things but especially high quality silk which is still produced in the area. Today Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular among tourists for its charming architecture, cafes, souvenir and tailor shops. Some of the lovely buildings in the narrow streets have changed very little over the last 100 years.

In the morning we can enjoy a walking tour through the narrow, winding streets of the Old Town, visiting Fu Kien Assembly Hall, the 200 year old traditional Tan Ty home, the Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An Museum, the handicraft workshops, and the tailor made clothes shops where we can have ourselves measured for that perfect fit .In afternoon we will be at our leisure to explore the town further or visit nearby Cua Dai Beach.

Day 11 Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City (B)
Transfer via: Domestic flight with Vietnam Airline
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Saigon
In the morning we will transfer to Da Nang for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where our flight will depart for home. In the afternoon you are at leisure to see more of Ho Chi Minh City or buy those last minute souvenirs.

Day 12 Saigon city tour – Cu Chi Tunnel (B, L)
Site visited: Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post office, Ben Thanh market, Cu Chi Tunnel
Accommodations: Sapphire Hotel Ho Chi Minh City
We depart from our hotel for the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the president of the South of Vietnam. Afterwards visit the War Remnants Museum, where we can see countless artifacts, photographs and pictures documenting the second Indochina war. Before lunch we will stop at Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post office where we can get some good shots of the biggest city in Vietnam. A delicious lunch will be served at a nice restaurant in the central city.

In the afternoon, we will leave Saigon for the Cu Chi tunnels, otherwise known as the "Iron Triangle" or "Iron Land". On our way there we will drive through pleasant countryside; rubber plantations and rice paddies. We will have an exploration of the maze of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow tourist access. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500lb bombs dropped by B52 bombers. Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 13 Saigon – Vinh Long - Can Tho – Heart of Mekong Delta (B, L)
Site visited: Cai be floating market, An Binh island, cottage industries, farmer house
Accommodation: Victoria Can Tho Hotel
In the morning we depart Ho Chi Minh City for Cai Be town where we will take the boat ride through the natural canal, view the stilt houses and the fruit plantation along the river sides. Before boating to the river island where we will enjoy our delicious lunch in the heart of the orchard we visit the Cai Be wholesale fruit market. After lunch we continue on cruising through the natural canal in island, and under the shadow of the water coconut trees. We also visit the local family where we can experience the agricultural lifestyle. Walking through the fruit plantation in An Binh Island, we will take the rowing boat ride along the creeks before coming to Vinh Long by motorized boat. Then we transfer to our vehicle to drive to Can Tho city. Overnight at hotel in Can Tho.

Day 14 Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Site visited: Cai Rang floating market, Lower Mekong river Accommodation: Grand Hotel Saigon
After breakfast this morning, we will take the morning boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating market with the busy sense right at the time. Then we keep on cruising through the small channels system, visit the rice noodles making village. Let's try experience the "Monkey Bridge" in the Mekong Delta before returning Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 15 Saigon city tour – Cu Chi Tunnel (B)
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Today we are free and at your leisure until it is time to transfer to the airport for your flight home.