Vietnam Exploration

VIETNAM EXPLORATION

(20 DAYS/19 NIGHTS)

Day 1: ARRIVAL HANOI – NO GUIDE (B)

• Arrival in Hanoi, meet our driver (no guide) and transfer to hotel for check-in.
• Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: HANOI – CITY TOURS (B)

• 8:00 Meet our guide and full day for exploring the fascinating city of Hanoi where old and new things blend together, Vietnamese, Chinese and French cultures mix together.
• Activities: a pleasant walk around the peaceful Ho Chi Minh area, visit HCM Mausoleum, HCM’s stilt house and garden, the One Pillar pagoda,. Take another pleasant walk at the beautiful Temple of Literature – the symbol of Hanoi.
• Afternoon, visit the Vietnamese Ethnology Museum, visit the Ngoc Son temple, the Hoan Kiem Lake. Finally take a nice walk through the famous 36 busy streets of the Old Quarter and shopping.
• Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3: HANOI – NINH BINH – TRANG AN GROTTOS – HOA LU TEMPLES – TAM COC (B)

• 08:30:  Your guide will pick you up at the hotel, transfer to Ninh Binh province to visit Trang An tourist attraction.
• 11:00 Take a fantastic rowing  boat ride to visit cave complex: Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou in mystery and wildness, see scenery of mountain and rivers.
• 13:00 Have lunch at a local restaurant (not included).
• 14:30 visit Hoa Lu – The Ancient Capital and the remaining two temples of Dinh King & Le King dated back to the 11th century.
• 16:00 Transfer to Tam Coc. Check in a resort. Time at leisure.
• Overnight in Tam Coc.

Day 4: TAM COC – HANOI (B)

• 8:30 after breakfast at the resort, enjoy a hand-rowed sampan ride to visit the amazing Tam Coc Caves the scenery of which is called “Halong Bay inland”. This boat ride is a bit different from the boat ride in Trang An in the previous day. Then, visit Bich Dong pagoda built on Ngu Nhac Mountain.
• 12:00 Check out the resort and drive back to Hanoi. Time at leisure.
• Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 5: HANOI – HALONG – BAI TU LONG BAY – NO PRIVATE GUIDE (B/L/D) 

• 7.30 – 8.00: Pick up at your hotel by the shuttle bus of the Indochina Junk.
• 12.00 – 12.30: Embark at Hon Gai International harbor.
• 12.30 – 13.00: Check-in, enjoy welcome drink & cruise briefing.
• 13.30 – 15.00: Have lunch while cruising to magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay; admire the fascinating formations.
• 15.00 – 16.30: Cruise to Cap La, Tra San.
• 16.30 – 17.30: Enjoy paddling around Cap La and Tra San by kayak.
• 17.45 – 19.00: Back to junk for swimming or relaxing.
• 19.00 – 21.00: Have dinner and overnight on board in Cong Do area.
• There is an in-house English speaking guide on boat.

Day 6: BAI TU LONG BAY (B/L/D) 

• 07.30 – 08.00: Morning view of Bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast in the fresh air.
• 08.00 – 10:00: Cruise to Cong Dam while discovering geological values of Bai Tu Long Bay.
• 10:00: Enjoy kayaking through the hidden lagoons and geological park in Cong Dam.
• 12:00: Have BBQ lunch on a wild beach.
• 13:30: Back to junk for relaxing while cruising to Cong Do area.
• 16:30: Arrive at Hon Co Island to explore the well- hidden Thien Canh Son cave.
• 17:30: Return to the boat and cruise back to Cap La.
• 19:00: Have dinner and overnight onboard.

Day 7: HALONG – HANOI – HUE – NO GUIDE (B/BR) 

• 06:45: Have breakfast on board while cruising to Vung Ha area.
• 08:00: Visit Vung Vieng fishing village by a rustic row-boat.
• 10.00: Check out of the cabin. Start cruising towards the harbor while an A la carte lunch is served.
• 11:30 – 12.00: Disembark. Drive to Yen Duc village.
• 14.00 – 14.30: Enjoy water puppet show performed by local artists.
• 16.45 – 17.30: Arrive at a hotel in Hanoi.
• 17:30: Meet your driver (no guide) at the hotel and transfer to the airport to take the flight to depart for Hue.
• VN1547 HAN HUI 19:25 20:35.
• Upon arrival in Hue, meet your driver (no guide) and transfer for hotel check-in.
• Overnight in Hue.

Day 8: HUE – THUY BIEU ECO VILLAGE (B-L)

• 8:00 Meet our guide and transfer to visit King Tu Duc’s tomb.
• Then transfer to Thuy Bieu Village – famous for Thanh Tra fruit (grape fruits).
• Enjoy a nice bike ride around the beautiful village. Visit the garden – houses, enjoy fruits and green tea, ancient ancestral temple and communicate with local people. Visit incense making family, another family of making paintings and discover the daily life of local people while they are working strenuously with joy and enthusiasm.
• Arrive at Madam Loan’s garden house where you will learn how to make some local food and enjoy a nice lunch.
• After lunch, relax yourself with massage and soaking your tiring feet in nice warm herbal water.
• Saying goodbye to the family and walk to a boat to go to the Thien Mu pagoda along the Perfume River.
• Visit the iconic Thien Mu pagoda – the symbol of Hue city.
• Transfer back to Hue city by boat.
• Back to the hotel for relaxation.
• Overnight in Hue.

Day 9:  HUE – HOIAN (B)

• After breakfast, visit the Dong Ba market and the Imperial Citadel where the last monarchy of the Nguyen Dynasty was seated. You will have great chance to learn about the Vietnamese history and traditional architecture as well as enjoy the meditative atmosphere of this place.
• 10:30 transfer to Hoian via the beautiful Lang Co beach and magnificent Haivan pass. You may have some stops for photographing.
• 13:00 Arrival in Hoian. Check in a resort at An Bang beach. Time at leisure.
• Overnight in Hoian.

Day 10: HOIAN – COUNTRYSIDE TOUR – BIKING – BOATING FISHING – COOKING (B-L)

• 8:00 start a very interesting day with a nice bike ride from the hotel to Van Lang fishing village through the countryside. Visit a local market, rice fields, villages on the way.
• Arrival at a local home by the riverside, get on small bamboo baskets to row into a palm plantation and have fun with catching crabs.
• Then learn how to cook some local dishes.
• Enjoy lunch with what you have cooked.
• After lunch, enjoy some local foot massage and soak your tiring feet into nice warm herbal water as a local treatment.
• Then cycle to visit Hoian ancient town and enjoy some shopping.
• Bike back to the resort.
• Overnight in Hoian.

Day 11: HOIAN – FREE DAY (B)

• Breakfast at the resort.
• Free time at leisure.
• Overnight in Hoian.

Day 12: HOIAN (B)

• Free time on your own.
• Overnight in Hoian.

Day 13: HOIAN (B)

• Free time on your own.
• Overnight in Hoian.

Day 14: HOIAN – DANANG – HCMC – NO GUIDE (B)

• Morning free time.
• 12:00 Transfer to Danang international airport for the flight to HCMC.
• Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, meet our driver (no guide) and transfer to hotel for check-in.
• Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 15: HOCHI MINH CITY – WITH GUIDE

• Meet our guide and take a half day city tour in HCMC, the biggest city of Vietnam of modern hustle and bustle with visits the Reunification Palace, the Hundred Years Red Cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral), The Old Post Office and The People’s Committee Hall which were all built during the French colonial period, Ben Thanh Market.
• Afternoon, free time on your own for shoping and relaxation.
• Overnight in HCM City.

Day 16: CU CHI TUNNEL – WITH GUIDE

• After lunch, transfer to Cu Chi tunnel to visit the Cu Chi tunnel system where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which provide shelters for Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War against American troops.
• Transfer back to HCMC. Overnight in HCMC

Day 17: HCMC – MUI NE – NO GUIDE (B)

• Check in a resort.
• Overnight in Mui Ne.

 

Day 18: MUI NE (B)

• Full day free time on your own.
• Overnight in Mui Ne.

Day 19: MUI NE (B)

• Full day free time on your own.
• Overnight in Mui Ne.

Day 20: MUI NE – HCMC – NO GUIDE (B)

• After breakfast, morning free time at the resort.
• Check out and transfer back to HCMC to take the evening flight back home.

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