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Viet Nam
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Vietnam Today - 18days, 17 nights
This tour has been designed to accommodate most things that makes Vietnam special, giving you time to stay in the country's highlights and accommodations, both on land and water, whilst admiring the wealth of unique and vibrant sites on offer.
Travel through the length of Vietnam, from Ho Chi Minh City (in the south) to Hanoi, the beaches and small towns of the central coast in between. Begin in dynamic HCMC, the country's commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Take a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels-vast VC’s battle in the war time and watch an eccentric religious ceremony at the main temple of Cao Daism, an eclectic fusion of world religions, in Tay Ninh . Alternatively, spend the day cruising the narrow canals of the Mekong Delta and stay in the boutique hotel in Can tho, the heart of the Mekong Delta.
Fly to Nha Trang, beach city to spend some days in a secluded island resort overlooking beautiful Nha Trang Bay. Take a boat trip into the dazzling blue bay that surrounds this festive beach town, stopping to swim at a pristine beach; snorkel or dive among the coral reefs in crystal blue waters, hike nature trails, cool off in your pool, indulge in spa treatments or just relax on the white sand beach and admire the unspoiled mountain and sea views.
Leave Nha Trang for Danang by fly and land transfer to the ancient town of Hoi An. It is a riverfront port town crammed with historic homes, tiny museums, cafes, bustling silk and fish markets. Nearby, see ancient sculpture in the Cham Museum, and tour Buddhist cave temples in the Marble Mountains. Opt to stay at a luxury beach resort in nearby Danang, or a boutique riverside hotel in the heart of Hoi An.
Glimmer at Hue, the former Imperial capital of Hue is a quiet city renowned for the magnificent architecture of its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples, built under the Nguyen dynasty on the banks of the Perfume River.
Heading to Hanoi – the Capital of Vietnam. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquer ware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Ride a cyclo into the old quarter and watch a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, also visit Hanoi 's main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature.
Next, board the Express Train bound for remote Sapa, a mountain village near the Chinese border. Visit local markets where hill tribe minorities (including Hmong, Red Dao, Tay, Xa Pho and Giay) trade their goods. View spectacular waterfalls and drive through mountain valleys. Explore the hill station town of Sapa, and visit several villages where the tribes live. Also spend an overnight in Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone rock sculptures jut dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes have created an ephemeral, fantastic landscape.
HCMC – Tay Ninh – Cu Chi – Can Tho – Nha Trang – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Sapa – Ha Long
Day 1: Vietnam & Ho Chi Minh city (D)
Arrive in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, where your Green Papaya tour guide will accompany you from the airport to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure before a welcome dinner at local restaurant.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
A full day tour of the city begins with a visit to the Thien Hau Temple before continuing to the lively Binh Tay Market. See the incredible display of fresh produce on offer and enjoy the eclectic array of goods that are on sale.
After lunch, visit the War Remnants or History Museum and the former Presidential Palace. From there, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall are all a short walk away.
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province in the west of Vietnam to visit the Cao Dai Great Temple.
After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the struggle for independence. You will return to Ho Chi Minh City later in the afternoon for overnight.
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta – Can Tho (B, L)
In the morning, you’ll leave Ho Chi Minh City for the Mekong Delta town of Cai Be, where you will board a boat to see the floating market, each boat usually sells one particular item, whether it is pumpkins, pineapples, sugar canes. Along the way, you also visit the many fascinating local cottages industries including rice paper makers, sweet factory, bonsai nurseries. A huge lunch followed with many seasonal fruits at an orchard is some enjoyment of the trip. You then weave our way through the intricate network of canals which are the lifeblood of the Mekong Delta before you meet up with your vehicle for drive to Can Tho, the ‘capital’ of the Mekong.
Day 5: Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Early morning board for a 3-hour cruise to Cai Rang and Phong Dien, 2 big floating markets with stops at a Bun Tau noodle factory and a short trek before arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try passing one of the many fragile “monkey bridges” along the canals photo shot. At the floating markets, you will discover a typical way of displaying and advertising farm products of local people gathering on the Mekong river to trade their goods. Drive back to Saigon with a lunch stop and a visit to Vinh Trang pagoda. Back to Saigon in late afternoon for overnight accommodation.
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang (B,L)
Free at leisure until transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for a short fly to Nha Trang where an afternoon tour of the city includes the Po Nagar Cham Towers and Long Son Pagoda with its enormous white Buddha statue.
Day 7: Nha Trang (B,L)
Your day will start with a morning boat trip on Nha Trang Bay visit some of the nearby islands where you will have the opportunity to swim and snorkel in the clear warm waters. After a fresh seafood lunch, return to shore. In the afternoon, you’ll explore Nha Trang at your own peace.
Day 8: Nha Trang - Hoi An (B)
Day 8: Nha Trang - Hoi An (B)
You’ll be driven to Nha Trang's airport for your flight to Danang. Up arrival, you’ll be met and driven to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries with a relaxed lifestyle that has changed little over the years.
In the afternoon, take a tour of the ancient town centre to visit the homes of former merchants, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the exotic local market. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 9: Hoi An - My Son -Tra Kieu (B,L)
Today, there is a half day trip to the capital and religious centre of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son. Set in a lush green valley, dozens of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries provide a breathtaking site. On the way back to Hoi An stop to visit Tra Kieu, formerly known as Simhapura or the Lion Citadel, that once stood as the capital of Champa between the 4th and 8th centuries. The rest of the day will be free to relax.
Day 10: Hoi An - Danang - Hue (B,L)
After breakfast, leave Hoi An for Hue by road, passing through Danang where you will visit the Cham museum, which holds the finest collection of Cham artwork in the country. After your visit, drive over the Pass of Ocean Clouds before dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. After checking in hotel in Hue, you will drive to Imperial capital of Vietnam, to visit the ancient Forbidden City from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Overnight in Hue.
Day 11: Hue (B, D)
In the morning, take a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River to visit Hue's best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, as well as the mausoleum of former Emperor Minh Mang.
After lunch, visit the elaborate mausoleums of Emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Enjoy some free time in Hue to explore its small streets and the Dong Ba market.
Day 12: Hue - Hanoi (B, D)
Checking out, transfer to Hue's airport for the short flight to Hanoi. The rest of the day will be visit to the most important attractions of the city such sites as One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature, Hanoi “Hilton”, finish your visit today by a cycle to visit Old Quarter to discover Hanoi's eclectic and mesmerizing streets and the Lake of the Restored Sword. In the evening, enjoy a rural traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.
Day 13: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Night train to Lao Cai (B, L)
Leave Hanoi for rural northern Vietnam and the site of the county's first capital, Hoa Lu. After visiting the two remaining sanctuaries of the ancient citadel, take a sampan (traditional boat) on the river through rice paddies to the grottoes of the sacred Tam Coc Caves. Enormous limestone karsts jut out from the green rice fields giving rise to this place's other name, 'Halong on Land'. Back to Hanoi in the afternoon. In the evening, board the soft sleep fourth-berth air-condition night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train (soft sleeper with AC).
Day 14: Sapa (B, L)
Arrive at Lao Cai train station in the early morning, be met and transfer from Lao Cai the road winds up the terraced hillsides to your hotel in Sapa for breakfast and refreshment.
After breakfast, a morning walking tour of Sapa visits the busy market, whilst the afternoon visit features some nearby hill tribe villages.
Day 15: Sapa light trek – Hanoi (B, L)
In the morning, you’ll have the chance to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of mountain rice terraces, waterfalls and buffalo at work by a light trek to Sapa's lesser-known areas. Crossing rivers by suspended bridges you will witness people toiling the fields in Vietnam's traditional way before a free afternoon discover Sapa by yourself. Return to Lao Cai for the onward journey back to Hanoi by overnight train.
Day 16: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L ,D on the junk)
Arrival early in the morning, you will be met and served breakfast before heading to Halong Bay. Enjoy the great scenery of the surrounding farmlands of the Red River Delta including rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life.
On arrival in Halong, you will board the Traditional Junk, a fantastic replica of a junk that navigated Halong Bay's shallow waters a century ago to see the 1,500 km over which thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rise from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Bac Bo. Climbing the steps up to the top of Titop islet will enable you to see breathtaking views over the entire bay. If you prefer some more activities, kayaking, bathing or simply soaking in the sun are some alternatives. You’ll spend the night on board.
Day 17: Halong Bay - Hanoi (Brunch)
Wake up early and see daylight filtering through the mist and towering rock formations, leaving you with a dream-like memory of your visit to Halong Bay. Enjoy a brunch on the boat before disembarking and heading back to Hanoi in the early afternoon. Checking in your hotel and a car will be available in the afternoon if you wish to take in some of Hanoi's boutique shops. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 18: Hanoi- Departure (B)
Today is departure day. Enjoy some free time for last purchases or simply relax before the transfer to Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport and your onward flight.
Tour Duration: 18days, 17 nights
Tour Price: Available upon Request
The quotation is base on this sample itinerary. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs and bugdet.
Trip includes:
- Accommodation base on double/twin sharing
- Domestic flights
- Transfer by private A/C car/van/minibus/bus
- Return train tickets Hanoi - Lao cai - Hanoi (A/C 4 berth cabin)
- Meals specified in tour program
- Boat trips specified the tour program
- All entrance, permission and visiting fees
- English/French/Chinese/Japanese speaking guide
- Entrance fees
Trip Excludes:
- International Air tickets
- Visa to Vietnam (available upon request)
- Meals which do not specify in the program
- Personal travel insurance
- All personal expenses
- All gratuities and tips to driver
- Children under 4 year old. Free of charge
- Above 11 year old the same adult tour cost
What to bring
- Sun block
- Camera + Film
- Original Passport
- Sun glasses
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