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Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
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Upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, our guide and driver will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. Hanoi is sometimes called the Paris of the Orient, with shaded boulevards, verdant parks and ochre buildings that retain an old-world charm. You are free to stroll around and catch a first glimpse of this peaceful city.
In the evening, a special dinner out at one of Hanoi's fantastic eating spots.
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
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Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L)
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At 8.30am, our guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and begin the full day city tour with Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and “House on stilt” at the same area with the Presidential Palace and the famous One Pillar Pagoda. We also make a visit to the Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, which is now dedicated to Confucian worship.
Enjoy lunch with authentic delicious Vietnamese cuisines, then we continue our day to the Ethnology Museum. After that, the trip will be followed by one –hour cyclo tour through the busy Old Quarter where you can see peddlers are selling wares as if they have done that for centuries!
End of the trip, we will stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake with a stop over at Ngoc Son Temple and Thang Long Theatre for the famous water puppet show.
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Day 3: Hanoi –Halong (B, L, D)
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In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel and transfer to Halong Bay, about 200 km far from Hanoi. You can leave luggage behind at our Hanoi hotel and pack an overnight bag. It is a three-hour drive to Halong Bay, truly one of Vietnam's most impressive scenic sights. Views of sailing junks navigating past over 3000 limestone islands and rocky outcrops jutting out of the bay are nothing short of spectacular. We travel to Bai Chay (Halong City West) where we board a Vietnamese wooden junk boat for an exploration of the bay, enjoying a seafood lunch and dinner (non-seafood also available), as well as spending a night on board. We visit one cave in the area and, in the warmer months, there is a chance to enjoy a swim. Conditions may be somewhat more communal compared to staying in a hotel, however it is a wonderful experience to be spending a night on the bay – weather permitting, the views at sunset are incredible. Bedding and towels are provided. All boats used by Indochina Travel Service have twin-share cabins with en suite facilities and air-conditioning. There may also be the chance to do some kayaking (optional and extra cost involved) on Halong Bay.
Overnight on board
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Day 4: Halong Bay –Hanoi – overnight train to Dong Hoi (B, L)
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This day you will have further cruise on the bay, visit rock piles and sun bathing before getting back to the wharf in the early afternoon. Our waiting vehicle will transfer you back to Hanoi. A quick shopping at the supermarket to prepare some snacks for dinner on train and then straight to the railways station. The train is very basic; we travel in 'soft sleeper' class which is a compartment for up to four people; a communal environment. This train journey is in keeping with the adventurous nature of our Vietnam trips and allows you to experience a taste of the 'real’ Vietnam.
Overnight on board
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Day 5: Dong Hoi –Phong Nha –Dong Hoi (L)
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Arrive in Dong Hoi Railway station approximately at 8am, you will be transferred to hotel for checking in and some refreshment. After that, we will get on car for a drive to the Son River where we take a boat trip to the park and famed caves at Phong Nha. The park has some beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves, as well as the largest primeval forest in Vietnam and the biggest limestone mountain range on the planet. Phong Nha also boasts underground rivers, large caverns and passageways and broad pristine sandbanks. The most impressive cave - Phong Nha cave is probably also the most beautiful with many fascinating rock formations with imaginative names such as The Lion, Fairy Caves, Royal Court and Buddha. The farther one gets inside the Phong Nha Caves, the more illusory the stalactites and stalagmites look as they glitter when bright light is shone on them.
Back to the harbor, we have lunch before driving back to hotel in Dong Hoi for overnight.
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Day 6: Dong Hoi –Hue (B, L)
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After breakfast, we depart to Hue. On the way, we will pay a visit at Vinh Moc Tunnels, an underground village designed to avoid bombardments during the American War and Quang Tri Citadel, a military bastion and an administrative head office of Nguyen Dynasty in Quang Tri Province from 1809 to 1945.
Have lunch at a local restaurant in Dong Ha Town. Overnight in Hue
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Day 7: Hue city tour (B, L)
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Hue with splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors, notable pagodas and the remains of the Citadel becomes one of Vietnam’s attractions to tourists from all over the world, who like to explore the traditional cultural values of Vietnam.
We start our day with guided touring around the Imperial Citadel, visiting the Noon Gate and Forbidden City; then followed with the Antiquity Museum for some view. After that, we will drive out Hue outskirt to visit Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
In the afternoon, after delicious lunch, we will be transferred to the boat quay for a boat trip along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda and Minh Mang Mausoleum.
If time allowed, we can pay a visit at Dong Ba Market.
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Day 8: Hue –Hoi An (B, L)
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After breakfast, we will be on 4 –hour journey to Hoi An. Along the way we can take a break at Lang Co Beach. The winding road begins as we make our way up the spectacular Hai Van pass. A view from the top of the pass is one of Vietnam’s most impressive panoramic scenes. Here you can have very nice photos. Our next stop is Da Nang City, famous for the Cham Museum and the China Beach, a place called R and R (Rest and Rehabilitation) where thousands of American GIs came for a break during the war in Vietnam. Also, we have a short sightseeing at the Marble Mountain, whose peaks represent the five elements of the universe.
Arriving in Hoi An in the early afternoon, we enjoy lunch, check in hotel and then start a walking tour through the Ancient Town. Here we can see the vestige of the mix combination of Chinese and Japanese architecture as well as traditional cultural values. In December, 1999 Hoi An is declared a Unesco World Heritage site. We will discover by ourselves interesting proper character. Overnight in Hoi An.
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Day 9: Hoi An –My Son –Hoi An (B)
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Our guide will come to meet you at your hotel and start our trip to the ruins of the Cham Kingdom in My Son. Located in a lush valley, My Son now remains with red brick towers and sanctuaries. In fact, My Son is comparable to other big icons in Southeast Asia, like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Ayutthuya in Thailand and the Borobodur in Indonesia. The ruins and temples of My Son have been dated as being from the 7th to the 13th century. After tour in My Son, you will return Hoi An for lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you are free to stroll around the town for shopping or can have cheerful time at Cua Dai beach. It is now time for swimming or walk leisurely on the sands.
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Day 10: Hoi An –flight to Saigon (B, D)
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An early morning transfer to Danang Airport for a short flight to Saigon. Saigon is a fast growing city, which is changing day by day and recognized by high buildings and big roads. The ongoing changes in economy have given the city a really cosmopolitan and dynamic character.
Today, we will visit the highlights of Saigon including the Central Post Office, the Notre Dame, the Reunification Palace and the War Museum. Rest of the time, you can have a look at bustling Ben Thanh Market for an appreciation of local life.
A dinner cruise on Saigon River is waiting for you and promising great time together. Overnight in hotel.
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Day 11: Saigon departure (B)
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Enjoy your last minutes shopping in Saigon before a transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for flight home. End of services by Indochina Travel Service.
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Explore Hanoi's Old Quarter and see famous landmarks
