| Classic Tours »The Best of Vietnam 14 Days |
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Trip code: VNCT-01 |
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The 14-day tour seeing all the major beautiful parts of Vietnam: the charming capital Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, the peaceful old citadel Hue, the ancient town of Hoi An, the hustle and bustle Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta
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Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, GP)
Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. In the evening, you’ll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry, an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture. After the show, you’ll have dinner at a restaurant in a restored French colonial building. You will spend the night in Hanoi. |
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You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city. Your guide will take you to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century, and a popular attraction, as is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Followed by a visit to the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West) Lake.
After lunch, you’ll drive to the excellent Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic groups. The bustling Old Quarter is a magnet for visitors, it’s noisy and hectic, but definitely a ‘must-see’ attraction. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi. |
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Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)
After an early breakfast, you’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you’ll board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels with sails, a wide transom and rectangular superstructure, that will take you first to the busy World Heritage area and then to some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Weather permitting, you’ll be able to swim, fish, climb a hill (not a mountain!) for an overview of the Bay’s remarkable seascape, or venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood, and you’ll sleep in a twin cabin with an en suite toilet and shower.
You’ll spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by lunch just before docking around noon and leaving for Hanoi. You should arrive in the late afternoon and spend the night in Hanoi.
Your morning will be free until your car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for your noon flight to Hue. When you arrive, you’ll be met by our guide and driven to visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the local Dong Ba market. You’ll spend the night in Hue.
Your morning will begin with a cruise along the Perfume River to visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda. From there, you’ll drive to the Royal Tombs of Emperor Minh Mang and, in the afternoon, Emperor Khai Dinh. After that, you’ll return to Hue to visit one of city’s ‘garden houses’ and then return to your hotel to freshen-up.
In the evening, you’ll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of another of the garden houses. The owner will prepare and serve a traditional meal based on the distinctive characteristics of classic Hue cuisine. You’ll spend the night in Hue. |
Day 7: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)
In the morning, your car will arrive to drive you to Danang. On the way, you'll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang spread out before you to the south.
Upon arriving in Danang, you’ll have a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum before leaving for Hoi An. After lunch, you’ll have a guided visit to the Ancient Town of Hoi An. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An. |
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After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the World Heritage ‘My Son Sanctuary’. Your guide will show you the remains of the remarkable towers constructed by the Cham builders, many centuries ago - their origins and purpose have yet to be fully explained. In the afternoon, you’ll return to your hotel. When you return, the rest of the day will be free. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.
Day 9: Hoi An/Danang/Ho Chi Minh City (B, GP)
You’ll have a free morning until you’re picked up for an afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After transferring to your Ho Chi Minh City central hotel and checking-in, you’ll be free to wander around the city centre. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Orientation (B, L, G)
After breakfast, your guide will arrive to show you around Ho Chi Minh City in some last days of the lunar year. The city becomes extremely busy with lots of traffics. You’ll visit the History Museum where there is a special exhibition of the 5th century ‘Oc Eo’ civilisation. Your guide will take you to Ben Thanh market, one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City, is packed with every conceivable commodity, then to Chinese town – one of the busiest area in the city. You’ll also call in at the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries. The remainder of the day will be free for shopping. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long/Can Tho (B, L, G)
After escaping from Ho Chi Minh City’s urban sprawl, you’ll travel to Vinh Long where a Mekong River cruise will take you to visit the fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and some long established cottage industries. You’ll drive further into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho, Upon arrival you’ll call in at the Munir Ansay – an ancient Khmer style pagoda, renowned for its unique structural decorations. You’ll then drive to your hotel in Can Tho where you’ll spend the night. |
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Day 12: Can Tho/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G)
After breakfast and a boat cruise you’ll arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. On your return to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll call in at the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang pagoda, 3 km from My Tho centre. You’ll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon with time to freshen up in the hotel. |
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Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi (B, L, G)
A morning drive will take you to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Holy See in time to watch the mid-day ceremony. After lunch, you’ll visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, DP)
Free time until transferred to the airport for departure flight. Tour ends. |
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