Itinerary
Day 1 Itinerary
Arrival
Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. The transfer distance is
approximately 40 munites. Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a
thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique
cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and
romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.
Meals: None
Accommodation: A hotel used in Ha Noi.
Day 2 Itinerary
Hanoi Sightseeing
Morning, take a full day city tour beginning with Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh,
the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the nation’s founder’s body is
preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace,
originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho
Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar
Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of
a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of
Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
Afternoon, come to the West Lake, the largest lake of Hanoi and visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda of
Hanoi, built in the 6th Century and located on an islet in the lake. Take a cyclo tour through Hanoi’s downtown
to sightsee the Old Quarter of 36 ancient streets, the Trang Tien Plaza shopping center, the colonial French-
built Opera House, an elegant architectural landmark of Hanoi modeled after the Palais Garnier opera house in
Paris.
End the tour by discovering special Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry as well as Vietnamese folklore
through a compelling puppet show at Thang Long Theatre. Evening at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: A hotel used in Ha Noi.
Day 3 Itinerary
Hanoi – Ha Long
Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive
away. On the way, you will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos
of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields. Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and
embroidered paintings. Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the
welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed
down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back
500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The
bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a
visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner
after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: A cruise used in Ha Long.
Day 4 Itinerary
Ha Long – Hanoi
Early risers can enjoy the splendid yet tranquil view of the bay at the crack of dawn. Breathe the sea’s fresh air,
feel the morning breeze and hear the sounds of birds above. Have breakfast and cruise to visit Human head
shaped island and Tortoise Island. Continue to cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay to discover the adjacent bay of
“The Little Dragon Bowing to His Mother” as it is named. Check out and have lunch on board while heading to
shore. Disembark and transfer to the airport for flight to Da Nang. The flight is 45minutes.
Arrive in Da Nang, welcome by our guide and transfer to Hoi An. Hotel check-in and time at leisure.
Meals: Brunch
Accommodation: A hotel used in Hoi An.
Day 5 Itinerary
Hoi An – Hue
Morning, start touring Hoi An to discover the ancient charm of a renowned World Heritage Site. Once a bustling
maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town of
exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of
cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.
Highlights for sightseeing include the town’s iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached
to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an
elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old
Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese
settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and
justice. Last but not least, stroll through some villages and the vibrant local market to observe the local daily life
still carrying an old-fashioned touch from the past.
Afternoon, transfer to Hue via Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay
panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the
Pacific Ocean. Stop by Da Dang City on the way to visit the once Buddhist sanctuary Marble Mountains and a
Buddhist cave shrine on the mountain. Proceed to arrive in Hue.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: A hotel used in Hue
Day 6 Itinerary
Hue – Ho Chi Minh
Morning, visit Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, which is a 520 ha fortress-
like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely
Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh
(Forbidden City) as the inner. Move on to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s second-to-
last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence
in architecture despite its Asian style.
Afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Perfume River for sightseeing and visiting two prominent historical
landmarks namely Minh Mang Tomb, where Minh Mang, the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried,
and Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist monastery still in use with its origin dating back to 1601.
Late afternoon , take flight to Ho Chi Minh by VN... meet my guide in Ho Chi Minh then check in hotel.
Day 7 Itinerary
Ho Chi Minh – City Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels
Morning, drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, 75 km Northwest of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, which were once a
major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French
and later on Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked
multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length.
Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots,
trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to
withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.
Afternoon, take a city tour to visit War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the
machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans,
Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975,
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral as a French-built neo-Roman cathedral, the Saigon
Central Post Office, former US Embassy, Cho Lon or the city’s China Town including the Quan Am Pagoda and
the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built in 1909.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: A hotel used in Ho Chi Minh
Day 8 Itinerary
Departure
HOCHIMINH DEPARTURE
Breakfast then Leisure time until transfer to airport for flight departure.
Meals: Breakfast