DAY 1, Thursday - Depart the USA
Depart the USA to Vietnam. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey |
DAY 2, Friday - Arrive in Ho Chi Minh
Arrive in Ho Chi Minh and transfer to your hotel
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh |
DAY 3, Saturday - Ho Chi Minh City Tour
The morning is at leisure in Ho Chi Minh. This afternoon, a tour of Ho Chi Minh includes the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, the French-style Central Post Office, City Hall, the Opera House, the former Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, which has a collection featuring weapons and photographs from two Indochina wars as well as the original French "Guillotine." From here, visit Ben Thanh Market. Continue to Dong Khoi Street, a main shopping street in the center of Ho Chi Minh and known as Rue Catinet during the French years
Optional: Half Day Cu Chi Tunnels (AM)
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 4, Sunday - Hoi An City Tour
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang. Travel south from Da Nang to Hoi An. Arrive in Hoi An and enjoy an afternoon walking tour of the riverside town, which was formerly one of Southeast Asia's leading trading ports in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Visit the 17th-century Quan Cong Temple, the Phuoc Kien Pagoda, the Japanese Covered Bridge (constructed in 1593), the Sa Huynh Museum and the Phung Hung House
Overnight: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 5, Monday - Full Day in Hoi An
Spend a full day at leisure exploring Hoi An independently. Enjoy the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visit one of the city's many museums, or visit a handicraft workshop to see artisans using age-old techniques to fashion a variety of interesting goods. Of special note are the colorful and elaborate paper lanterns
Optional: Full Day Boat Trip on the Thu Bon River & Excursion to Da Nang with Lunch
Overnight: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 6, Tuesday - Hue Imperial City Tour
This morning, as you travel from Hoi An to Hue, journey over the Hai Van Pass, a mountainous stretch of highway with spectacular views of the bowl-shaped Da Nang Bay, via Lang Co and Da Nang. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, enjoy a tour of the Old Imperial City, located in the Citadel. Erected in the early 19th century, the Old Imperial City was modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, and is home to a wealth of palaces and temples, as well as a library and a museum. Your tour includes visits to the Ngo Mon Gate, the principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure and the central passageway reserved for use by the Emperor, the Thai Hoa Palace with its spacious hall and ornamental roof, the Halls of the Mandarins, the Nine Dynastic Urns, cast in 1835, and the ruins of the Forbidden Purple City
Overnight: Hue
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 7, Wednesday - Full Day in Hue
Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore Hue independently. A city of extraordinary beauty situated on the Perfume River, two of Hue's most prominent attractions are the Tombs of the Emperors and the Thien Mu Pagoda. Also not to be missed is the opportunity to taste some of Hue's famed Imperial cuisine, refined culinary specialties once served to the emperor and his court
Optional: Full Day Boat Trip on the Perfume River with Minh Mang, Tu Duc & Khai Dinh with Lunch
Overnight: Hue
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 8, Thursday -Flight to Hanoi, Sightseeing en route to Halong Bay
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi and travel east to Hai Phong. Arrive in Hai Phong, the industrial center of Northern Vietnam, and one of the country's most important seaports. Enjoy a visit to Dinh Hang Kenh, known for its 500 relief sculptures in wood before continuing on to Halong Bay. Arrive in Halong Bay and transfer to your hotel
Overnight: Halong Bay
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 9, Friday - Halong Bay City Tour
Enjoy a full day boat excursion by traditional wooden Bai Tho Junk through Halong Bay. "Dragon descending to the sea," as the Bay is known in Vietnamese, features more than 1,000 limestone islets (small islands), many of which contain beautiful grottoes. Visit one of the caves at Hang Dau Go (Wooden Stakes Cave), Bo Nau or Thien Cung. The caves, which are said to have direct ties to the ancient war history of Vietnam, are known for the many colorful stalagmite and stalactite deposits adorning their inner and outer chambers. Enjoy lunch on board
Overnight: Halong Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch |
DAY 10, Saturday - Hanoi City Tour
This morning, travel from Halong Bay to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Hanoi, enjoy an afternoon of sightseeing. Your tour includes visits to Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, and the Museum of Ethnology, which is the center for the preservation and exhibition of cultural heritage for the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. In the evening, enjoy a Water Puppet Show, accompanied by a traditional Vietnamese orchestra and Cheo (a form of opera), on Hoan Kiem Lake. The show depicts a series of ancient Vietnamese folktales which are acted out by puppets over a pool of water
Overnight: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 11, Sunday - Full Day in Hanoi
Spend a full day at leisure to explore Hanoi independently. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant
Optional: Full Day Thay & Tay Phuong Pagoda with Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, DinnerDAY 12, Monday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast |
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