Vietnam Heritage tour 9 days

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, our guide will greet and accompany you to your hotel. Free time until you?ll be picked up to watch water puppet performance, a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. You?ll then be driven to a good local restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner with us. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

The morning tour will begin with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of Uncle Ho. You will also see his house-on-stilts and learn about the simple life of the Vietnamese?s beloved leader. Your next visit will be Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas, which still maintains its unique architecture harmonious with nature and boasts many precious Buddhist statues. You will then driven to Temple of Literature, the oldest school inVietnam, giving it the distinction of being the most significant temple in both Hanoi and Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you will call at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, an excellent instruction to the cultural heritages of Vietnam‘s 54 distinct ethnic groups. Later on, you will visit the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake – a striking blue gem in the city centre. The tour ends with 1 ?hour walking tour around the Old Quarters to enjoy its warmth and cosiness, looking up to contemplate centuries-old and weather-beaten houses, both familiar and exotic, etc. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

Picked up at around 8.30 a.m, you?ll then depart for Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a 3 hour drive with a brief stopover at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop for refreshment and see different kinds of handicrafts skillfully made by disable people.

Arriving Ha Long Bay, you will go aboard and check in. Lunch will be served afterwards with a selection of seafood specialities. The boat will take you first to the famous World Heritage area where you can visit Amazing Cave and take a swim on a tranquil beach in Ha Long Bay. Then you are free, possibly for retiring to your cabin or having romantic walks on the boat side to enjoy the marvellous sunset. You?ll spend a night on boat.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi (B, L, G)

It would be nice if you wake up to see sunrise and daylight filtering through the early morning mist and the towering rock formations. After western breakfast, you will venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan. You?ll then continue a leisurely cruise along Ha Long Bay and have lunch before returning to the habour. Our car will pick you up and drive back to Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi/Hue (B, G)

You will be free until our car arrive to transfer you to Noi Bai airport for the morning flight to Hue. On arrival, you’ll be picked up and driven to your hotel in the city centre. Free time at leisure after check-in procedure.

In the afternoon, our guide will show you around Hue. You will first visit the Imperial Citadel, that served as the powerful seat of Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Enjoy your shopping at the famous Dong Ba Market before transfer back to hotel. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Day 6: Hue (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you will take a cruise along Perfume River to visit Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda. Our car will then take you to visit the imposing Minh Mang tomb, a striking example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

After lunch, a continuation to visit poetic Tu Duc Tomb. This tomb is idyllically set in a romantic scenary of mounts, lake and pine forest and considered as one of the most beautiful works of the Nguyen dynasty. Last but not least, you will visit elaborate Khai Dinh Tomb, which  is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.

Day 7: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

Morning transfer from Hue to Hoi An. Pass by Lang Co Beach and Hai Van pass. You will stop at Danang to visit Cham Museum, which holds the finest collection of Champa sculptures in different art styles from the 7th to the 15th centuries. Driver and guide also take you to visit Marble Mountains and Stone Carving village where famous stone products are skillfully made by local people. Afterwards, you?ll head to Hoi An? an enchanting World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After checking in your hotel, you will take a tour of the ancient town where the mix of Japanese and Chinese architecture reflects Hoi An?s significance in the past as an important trading port.. Your overnight stay will be in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An/My Son/Hoi An (B, G)

After breakfast, you will be driven to My Son Sanctuary, once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence. Set in a lush green valley, a series of impressive tower-temples dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries provide a breathtaking site. Our guide will show you the remains of remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose. You’ll then return to Hoi An with free afternoon to relax. Your overnight stay will be in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An/Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (B, G)

Your time will be your own until our car comes and transfer to Danang airport where you will take the flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll transit for your international departure flight.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.
• Domestic flight tickets: Hanoi – Hue, Danang – Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes.
• Boat cruise as programme.
• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.
• English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary
• Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.
• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants and full board on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
• Government taxes

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.
• Visas
• Dinners, except as specified above.
• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.
• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Star standard

• Hanoi: Sheraton hotel (***** Close to the bustle and excitement of the cit, Deluxe room)
• Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel (**** colonial building overlooking the Perfume River)
• Hoi An: Sunrise Hoi An Resort (***** beautiful villa and bungalow style resort on a 5ha site on the northern section of Cua Dai Beach, Superior Garden-view Room)

Hotel list for Four Star standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** comfortable boutique hotel 15 minute’s walk from the city centre) or similar
• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** on the bank of the Perfume River, Deluxe Room) or similar
• Hoi An: Hoi An Riverside Resort & Spa (**** on the banks of the Song Do River with being surrounded by lush green rice fields, Superior room) or similar

Hotel list for Three Star standard

• Hanoi: La Belle Vie hotel (*** city centre, walking distance to Old Quarter, Superior room) or similar
• Hue: Mondial Hotel (*** city centre with outdoor swimming pool, Superior Room) or similar
• Hoi An: Lotus Hotel (*** with swimming pool, 2km from town centre, Superior room) or similar

Hotel list for Two Star standard

• Hanoi: Nam Hai hotel (*** in the Old Quarter, Standard Room) or similar
• Hue: DMZ Hotel (** located at the heart of Hue city near the famous Trang Tien Bridge, and the romantic Perfume River) or similar
• Hoi An: Lotus Hotel (*** with swimming pool, 2km from town centre, Superior Room) or similar