12 Days Hanoi-Halong Bay-Hue-Hoian-Phan Thiet-Ho Chi Minh-Mekong Detla Vietnam Tour

Day 01:HA NOI - ARRIVAL:(D)

Hanoi - Vietnam’s gracious capital. Hanoi has been the political and historical centre of Vietnam for almost 1000 years and has a wealth of sights to explore. Heavily influenced by French colonial architecture, Hanoi is both historically beautiful and a vibrant capital city sure to entice you. Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, guide & bus will pick up and transfer to hotel for check-in. Free at leisure after long route flight. In the afternoon, we begin our Hanoi experience with a cyclo tour of the fascinating Old Quarter, HoanKiemLake, then transfer to Dinner. O/n in Hanoi

Day 02 :HA NOI - HA LONG BAY:(B - L - D)

Abf at hotel. 08:00AN visiting Hanoi’s first University - the Temple of Literature - dating back to 1070. This historical centre of learning is now dedicated to Confucian worship. Also visit the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” - Hanoi’s former central prison made famous first for the incarceration of the leaders of Vietnam’s National Liberation movement and later US Air force pilots shot down over North Vietnam. The site of the prison was recently developed, however one wing has been retained as a museum. Tour will be continued toto Ba Dinh Square, site of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and where Ho Chi Minh first declared independence from French rule in 1945. Ho Chi Minh is without question one of the great figures of twentieth century history and this morning we’ll take time to visit the ‘Ho Chi Minh Quarter’ for a look at the life of the father of modern Vietnam.We visit the humble house on stilts from which ‘Uncle Ho’, as he is affectionately known, ruled Vietnam until his death in 1969. Continue on to the intriguing Ho Chi Minh Museum, an amazingly surreal exhibition of the life of Ho Chi Minh, set in the context of major events of the twentieth century and Vietnam’s struggle for independence. We’ll also view the Presidential Palace and One Pillar Pagoda. Then, enjoy lunch. After that transfer to HalongBay,HalongBay is famous internationally, and is recognized as a World Heritage by UNESCO for its thousands of natural islands. Hotel check in. Free at leisure. Dinner. O/n in Halong

Day 03 :HA LONG BAY - HA NOI (B-L-D)

Abf at hotel. This morning we will take 4hours cruise to explore HalongBay ( most of the islands are uninhabited and untouched by man. The ancient Vietnamese believed that HalongBay was where a giant dragon "descended into the sea", as the rocky outcrops resemble the humps and scales of a dragon's back. Another legend says that the giant limestone rocks themselves are dragons, protecting Vietnam from hostile invaders. In fact the bay was formed as a result of millions of years of erosion on the limestone rocks. Then when the last ice age finished, the seas rose as the glaciers melted, flooding the entire area transforming hills into the islands we see today. Lunch will be on board. After lunch , back to Hanoi. Free at leisure for shopping. Enjoy Water Puppet show. Dinner. O/n in Hananoi

Day 04: HANOI – HUE (B-L-D)

This morning transfer to the airport for the morning flight to Hue on Vietnam’s central coast. Hue is a beautifully located city on the banks of the PerfumeRiver. As Vietnam’s capital throughout the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), as a centre of Vietnamese Buddhism and scholarship and finally as the setting for some of the Vietnam War’s most bloody fighting, Hue provides a unique window into Vietnam and its complex past. Today visit the impressive home of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors - the Citadel. Much of the Citadel was destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 but is gradually being restored. Then travel to the much revered Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s oldest and most beautiful, and return to your hotel by dragon boat along the PerfumeRiver. Later, drive through the Hue countryside to visit the impressive tomb of the Emperor Tu Duc, then this evening sample some of the delicious and unique cuisine that Hue is famous for.

Day 05: HUE – HOIAN(B-L-D)

From Hue we travel to Danang via the spectacular Hai Van Pass. This drive is considered one of the most beautiful in Vietnam and takes you through a combination of both rural and coastal settings. Our first stop is the ChamMuseum. The Cham people occupied this area of Vietnam from the 4th to the 16th centuries and in the museum you will find the best examples of Cham sculpture anywhere in the world. We continue south to MarbleMountains, a series of large marble outcrops that have acquired mythical significance over the centuries. The caves of MarbleMountains house a number of sacred Buddhist shrines as well as a former communist guerrilla hospital from the Vietnam War. From the MarbleMountains there are great views across ChinaBeach and the surrounding countryside. We then take a short drive to ChinaBeach, site of the former US beach R&R spot, and then travel further south to Hoi An which was Vietnam’s most active trading centre over many centuries and has been largely preserved. The architecture of the city reflects the influence of Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, French and British traders. Hoi An is also the town where French Missionary Alexandre De Rhodes introduced Catholicism to Vietnam as well as the Romanised script that has become the standard Vietnamese script. This afternoon we take a walking tour of enchanting Hoi An visiting an old merchant house, the Hoi An Museum, a Chinese assembly hall and the JapaneseCovered Bridge. Free at leisure for shopping. Dinner. O/n in Hoian

Day 06: RELAXING DAY IN HOIAN (B,D)

Most of today is free for you to enjoy this beautiful town with its many clothing shops, colourful fish market and river life. You may wish to hire a bicycle and peddle around the town or relax at the beach or at your resort swimming pool. In the late afternoon, Enter the town just as ancient traders did centuries ago, along this historic waterway! This evening , take part in a fun, hands-on cooking class and learn how to prepare some of the local delicacies and enjoy it . O/n in Hoian

Day 07: HOIAN – HOCHIMINH- PHAN THIET (B)

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam’s commercial capital and a city of extraordinary energy. Despite its rush to modernity, Saigon, as it is still known, is a friendly and welcoming place with many reminders of its turbulent past and a palpable momentum towards the future. Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to Phan Thiet , located 200 km from Saigon along Vietnam's southeastern coast, Phan Thiet is home to one of the best stretches of beach in the country. Phan Thiet is the classic example of a resort which has retained its fishing village culture. The town itself has remained untouched by tourism, whilst a collection of excellent resorts have opened up along the coast on the MuiNePeninsula. Well spaced and sensitively constructed, these resorts offer everything that a visitor could want from a beach destination. Hotel check-in. Free at leisure. O/n in Phan Thiet

Day 08:RELAXING ON BEACH ( PHAN THIET) (B)

Free at leisure for fullday enjoythe beach.

Day 09:RELAXING ON BEACH ( PHAN THIET) (B)

Free at leisure for fullday enjoy the beach.

Day 10: PHAN THIET – HOCHIMINH(B,D)

Abf at hotel. Transfer back to HCM. Hotel check-in. This afternoon begin a walking tour of Saigon’s famous and historic city landmarks. The tour will take you through the heart of the city along Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), past the RexHotel, Ho Chi Minh Square, Municipal Theatre and Notre Dame Cathedral. Following a tour of the ReunificationPalace (formerly the Presidential Palace) and WarRemnantsMuseum, drive to Cholon, the Chinatown district of the city. Visit the enormous Binh Tay wholesale market, with its beehive of stores hawking everything under the sun before visiting the ornate Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. Dinner on cruise along SaigonRiver. O/n in HCM city

Day 11:HOCHIMINH – MEKONG DETLA TOUR(B,L,D)

Abf at hotel. This morning, we begin the trip to My Tho area to explore the Mekong Detla, The Delta region is formed by the various tributaries of the mighty MekongRiver. The Mekong is one of the world's great rivers, beginning its journey in the mountains of Tibet and winding its way for 4,500 km through China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam. The Vietnamese name for the Mekong is "Cuu Long", meaning 'Nine Dragons', symbolizing the nine major tributaries of the Mekong that flow through the Delta to the EastSea.

The Delta is an incredibly fertile region of rice paddies, fruit orchards and mangrove swamps and is known as Vietnam's "rice bowl" as it produces the majority of the country's rice supplies and exports.
Over the centuries, local residents have created an ingenious system of dykes, canals and waterways for irrigation and for transportation. Perhaps the best way to view the daily lives of the people in the Delta is to take a boat tour through some of these waterways. A brief float through the Delta provides a vivid glimpse of life in Vietnam's rural areas, where nearly 80% of the country's population still lives. In the afternoon, back to Hochiminh city. Free at leisure for shopping. O/n in Hochiminh

Day 12: HOCHIMINH – FLIGHT BACK(B)