BEST OF VIETNAM

Meals: Dinner at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: You are warmly welcomed by our Tour guide at Noi Bai Airport and transferred to your hotel in Hanoi capital (check in at 14:00PM, free early check in subject to availability). Be free and relax after long journey. In the evening, attend Water Puppet Show and enjoy welcome dinner. Overnight in Hanoi.

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+ Water Puppet Show: It is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch on cruise

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: After breakfast at hotel, leave Hanoi at 8:00 for Halong Bay, The World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty on the Ocean. Upon arrival, get on the private boat cruising around the islands, islets, caves and grottos. Enjoy seafood lunch on boat and take a short excursion to Thien Cung cave Or Dau Go cave. Drive back to Hanoi & overnight in Hanoi.

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+ HaLong Bay (Vịnh Hạ Long) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2 (600 sq mi), including 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km2 (129 sq mi) with a high density of 775 islets. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate. The geo-diversity of the environment in the area has created biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen bio system, oceanic and sea shore bio system. Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species.

+ Thien Cung cave: It is situated on the south-west side the bay, 4 km from the wharf outside of Ha Long City. The way to Thiên Cung is a perilous one, covered on both sides by thick forest. After entering a narrow gate, the grotto’s 130-meter-long girth opens up. Getting in we are more astonished in front of the very animated and splendid beauty which is made from stalactite. On the east wall of the grotto, there is a grandiose and imposing picture with characters of tales.

Going out of the Thiên Cung Grotto, we have a sensation of just watching a unique, meticulous, interesting fine-art museum which is made by nature, get out of the imagine, ability and intellect of man.

This grotto is recently discovered, one of the most beautiful grottoes in Ha Long Bay.

+ Dau Go Cave: The grotto is on Driftwood Island. Seen from afar, the entrance to the grotto appears to be blue, and has a shape similar to that of a jellyfish. After 90 steps up the island, the entrance is reached. The ceiling of the grotto is about 25 m. Hundreds of stalactites falling down from the roof of the grotto look like a waterfall. The grotto is divided into three main parts.

The exterior is a room with a vault full of natural light. Many forms may be seen in the rock formations of the chamber, depending on the imagination of the visitor of course.

Crossing the first chamber, one enters the second chamber through a narrow passage. The light here is mysterious, and new images appear in the stone. It makes us having a fear and be inquisitive.

The third chamber of the grotto is widely opened. At the end of the grotto is a well of clear water. Looking up in the dim light we recognize that surrounded is the image of an ancient citadel and a scuffle of elephants, horses, man with bristly sword and spear. All are making a rush and be petrified suddenly.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch local restaurant

Accommodations: on train

Transfer: Private vehicle and train

Activities for today: This morning, spent some leisure time on Ba Dinh Square, site of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Later, visit Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts and the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature-the first university of Vietnam. After lunch, proceed to Hanoi Hilton (also called Hoa Lo Prison). Wonder around Hoan Kiem lake then visit Ngoc Son Temple and shopping around Hanoi Old Quarter, free time until transfer Hanoi train station take night train to Sapa. Overnight on train. 

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Note: Please note that the HCM Mausoleum is closed on Fridays and Mondays and most museums are closed on Mondays.

+ Ba Dinh Square: It is the name of a famous square in Hanoi where president Ho Chi Minh read the Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. It is named after the Ba Dình Uprising, an anti-French rebellion that occurred in Vietnam in 1886–1887 as part of the Can Vuong movement. When Ho Chi Minh died, the granite Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was built here to display his embalmed body. It remains a major site of tourism and pilgrimage.

+ Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: It holds the embalmed remains of Ho Chi Minh. Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a highlight for many locals' visits to the capital, and very few Vietnamese visiting Hanoi pass up a chance for a pilgrimage to the place where Vietminh leader Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence. It is closed every Monday and Friday, November and December closed for maintain.

+ Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts: It is the house president Ho Chi Minh lived on and off from 1958 to 1969. It was constructed by the official French architect for Vietnam. Like most French Colonial architecture, the palace is pointedly European. The house is an interpretation of a traditional rural dwelling, and has been preserved just as Ho left it.

+ One Pillar Pagoda: It is a Buddhist temple in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex near Ba Dinh Square, a replica of an older temple that was built in 1049 and destroyed in 1954.It is regarded alongside the Perfume Temple, as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples.

+ Temple of Literature: It is a temple of Confucius in Hanoi. The temple hosts the "Imperial Academy", Vietnam's first national university. The various pavilions, halls, statues and stelae of doctors are places where offering ceremonies, study sessions and the strict exams of the Dai Viet took place.

+ Hoa Lo Prison: It was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton".

+ Hoan Kiem Lake ("Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword"), also known as Hồ Gươm (Sword Lake), is a fresh water lake, measuring some 12 ha in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

+ Sapa train: The best way for tourists to travel to Sapa - one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam - is to travel by train, thanks to its advantage of both time and money. Departing from Hanoi station during night time, the train arrives at Lao Cai station, a city adjacent to Chinese border, in early morning and vice versa.(Starting in early 2015, travelers can also visit Sapa by taking day bus. One way travel time is approximately 6 hours).

To meet the needs of tourists, service providers have upgraded the train with full amenities such as air-conditioner, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds with different names for each type of cars.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: Arrive Lao Cai at 05:00AM, take a transfer to Sapa (check in at 14:00PM, free early check in subject to availability). Freshen, relax and take a trek to Laochai, Tavan village to meet and talk with Giay people and to explore their daily life. Back to Sapa and overnight at Sapa town.

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+ Lao Chai Village: is home to the ethnic Giay with more than 40 households and a few other ethnic minority people. They live in the lowlands, the valleys near rivers and streams to cultivate rice. On the other hand, the Mong people prefer high places to grow upland rice, tapioca, and maize. In front of the village is the beautiful Muong Hoa stream and in the behind is the majestic Hoang Lien Mountains. 

Lao Chai with the majestic beauty of terraced fields, waterfalls, and mountains is a very ideal place for trekking activities to explore the beauty of Sapa. Trekking to the villages not only helps you enjoy the whole beauty of the nature of Sapa clouds but also helps you understand more about life as well as customs, lifestyle, and culture of the people here.

+ Ta Van village is actually a small community with hospitable, amiable and friendly people living together at peace. They scatter at the foot the of the mountain, the valleys or along the streams. They live on growing rice and producing instruments as well as engraved silver.

Time has gone by and people in Ta Van village’s tradition and culture have been well-preserved. They love in traditional stilted houses with a solemn room as a place to show respect and a great attitude to their ancestors. The beauty of the landscape as well as people has become a rich source of inspiration for various cultural fairy-tale, riddles, proverbs and poetry.

In Ta Van village, tourist will be overwhelmed by the quiet space and extremely peaceful that contrast completely when in the center of Sapa. The terraced fields are covered with rice and the color of the trees makes the landscape very attractive and special.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: on train

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: After breakfast, take a private car to visit Silver Waterfall, Heaven Gate, enjoy beautiful mountainous view. Have picnic lunch on the way then visit Dzao, H’mong people in Tafin village before transferring to Lao Cai train station for night train back to Hanoi.

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+ Silver Waterfall is far about 15 kilometers from Sapa toward Lai Chau; tourists take approximately 30 minutes by motorbike or bus to visit one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam. The scenery along the way, the pine forest, and the 'su su' spread over the hills. With more than 100 meters high, white water poured down the stream.

+ Heaven Gate is attracted to many tourists when travelling to Sapa because it would be the same way to visit Thac Bac waterfall. From this beautiful palce in Sapa view, you will be excited by “Asian Heritage Garden Sapa” – the glorious top’s Fansipan image.

+ Ta Phin village (Tafin village) of the H'Mong and Red Dao minority people, a remote village around 12 kilometers from Sapa town which still retains traditional customs and lifestyles of ethnic minority groups. Something special awaits visitors at Ta Phin. The villagers will invite visitors to visit their homes to show how they live and what they have, and tell about their families. When heading off to Ta Phin village from Sapa, hiking up and down the 12 kilometers of hilly terrain is a good choice as travelers will see local people working in terraced paddy fields, or traveling back and forth from the market to their homes or tourist can stop to see an old French monastery. Especilly after a long day of walking on the windy roads and hills around Sapa town tourist can soak your bones and muscles in a traditional Red Dao herbal bath at Ta Phin.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle and Vietnam airline

Activities for today: Arrive Hanoi at 05:00AM. After breakfast, we will transfer to airport, take the flight to Hue. Arrival in Hue, you will first visit the Royal Tomb of King Ming Mang. Then sail the Perfume River by Royal Dragon Boat to the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda. Transfer to visit Imperial Citadel with cobbled paths and tour the Forbidden Purple City. Later on, absorb the energy, sounds and odors of the bustling Dong Ba Market. Overnight in Hue.

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+ Royal Tomb of King Ming Mang: It is the final resting place of one of the Nguyen Dynasty's staunchest Confucians, whose reign represents the apex of Nguyen power over the country.

+ Perfume River: It is a river that crosses the city of Hue. In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma, hence the soubriquet.

+ Thien Mu Pagoda: Built in 1601 between a river and a pine forest, the Thien Mu Pagoda ("Heavenly Lady Pagoda") in Hue is one of the oldest and prettiest religious buildings in the country.

+ Imperial Citadel: It is comparatively modern in European terms. Built over thirty years in the early part of the 19th century, the Citadel encompasses three ‘courts’ covering a total of 6 km.

+ Forbidden Purple City: Following the design of the Forbidden City in China yet with distinctive inspiration, Hue proudly holds this site as its major attractions luring world-wide Vietnam tours fans.

+ Dong Ba Market: one of the romantic Hue's symbols. What consists in the attraction towards this market is the preservation of ancient distinctiveness. Tourists can see all the typical features of a traditional Vietnamese market.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: After breakfast at hotel, Morning drive to Hoi An through Hai Van pass, Lang Co beach – one of the most beautiful beaches of Vietnam. Visit Cham museum on the way, Cham museum is the open air collection of Cham sculpture with many of the sandstone carvings. After check-in, visit the Ancient town. Overnight in Hoi An.

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+ The Hai Van Pass (Vietnamese: Đèo Hải Vân, "ocean cloud pass"), is an approximately 21 km long mountain pass on National Route 1A in Vietnam. It traverses a spur of the larger Annamite Range that juts into the East Sea of Viet Nam, on the border of Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên–Huế Province, near Bạch Mã National Park. Its name refers to the mists that rise from the sea, reducing visibility. Historically, the pass was a physical division between the kingdoms of Champa and Đại Việt.

+ Cham Museum: The Cham Museum's first building was opened in 1919, it is famous with its Cham sculptures.

+ Hoi An formerly known as Fai-Fo or Faifoo, is a city with a population of approximately 120,000 in Vietnam's Quảng Nam Province and noted since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old Town Hội An, the city's historic district, is recognized as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, its buildings and street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous and foreign influences. Prominent in the city's old town, is its covered "Japanese Bridge," dating to the 16th-17th century.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: In the morning, take a private car from Hoi An town to My Son Holy Land – one of the world heritage site of Vietnam. Back to Hoi An for lunch. Leisure time in the afternoon for beach activities or relax on the bank of Thu Bon river or go shopping around. Overnight in Hoi An.

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+ My Son Holy Land: is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa (Chiêm Thành in Vietnamese). The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara.

Mỹ Sơn is located near the village of Duy Phú, in the administrative district of Duy Xuyên in Quảng Nam Province in Central Vietnam, 69 km southwest of Da Nang, and approximately 10 km from the historic town of Trà Kiệu. The temples are in a valley roughly two kilometres wide that is surrounded by two mountain ranges.

From the 4th to the 14th century AD, the valley at Mỹ Sơn was a site of religious ceremony for kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa, as well as a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes. It was closely associated with the nearby Cham cities of Indrapura (Đồng Dương) and Simhapura (Trà Kiệu). At one time, the site encompassed over 70 temples as well as numerous stele bearing historically important inscriptions in Sanskrit and Cham.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle and flight by Vietnam airline

Activities for today: Have a breakfast at hotel, we take the early flight to Ho Chi Minh. Warmest greetings from tour guide in Ho Chi Minh, we will go to city tour. The tour begins with a visit to Reunification Palace, War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral. Ben Thanh Market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

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+ Reunification Palace: Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. It was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

+ War Museum: War Remnants operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975. The museum comprises a series of eight themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment located within a walled yard.

+ Notre Dame Cathedral: Constructed by the French in the 1800s, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City appears strangely out of place with its Gothic and Roman-style architecture. Twin towers reaching to 190 feet capture the interest of people strolling by.

+ Ben Thanh Market: The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.

+ Vietnam Airlines (Vietnamese: Hãng Hàng không Quốc gia Việt Nam) is the flag carrier of Vietnam. The airline was founded in 1956 and later established as a state-owned enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Biên District, Hanoi, with hubs at Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The airline flies to 64 destinations in 17 countries, excluding codeshared services.

Vietnam Airlines became a member of SkyTeam in June 2010, making it the first Southeast Asian carrier to have joined that alliance.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle and private boat trip

Activities for today: Have breakfast at hotel, 08:00AM drive to My Tho (about 70-75km), on arrival, get on a private boat cruising along small creek to Mekong River estuary, to Phoenix Island. The motorized boat cruises more along natural creeks and quiet village in Ben Tre Province. Visit orchards, bee - keeping farm, taste natural honey and honey wine, enjoy tropical fruit, traditional music, wonder around a distillery, explore the local coconut candy production process, taste candy & coconut pulp. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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+ My Tho is the capital city, center of economics, education and technology of Tiền Giang Province, located in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam. The majority ethnic group is the Kinh, and some of the Chinese, the Cham and the Khmer. Boat rides on the Mỹ Tho River are popular with tourists, and the city is known for hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho, a type of rice noodle soup.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle 

Activities for today: Today in the morning, we go to visit Cao Dai Temple where you can attend the fantastic mid-day service together with followers. After lunch at local restaurant, we continue to drive to Cu Chi Tunnels network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the Vietnam War. After the tour, drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day is yours to relax. Overnight in Hochiminh. 

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+ Cao Dai Temple: Cao DaiTemple is the cathedral of the Cao Dai religion and is the main attraction in Tay Ninh. The Cao Dai Temple was built in 1933 in a unique architectural style that reflects its blended traditions. The mid-day mass is highlight also.

+ Cu Chi Tunnels: This tunnel system was established and used by the Vietcong during the war of independence. From 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for Vietnam tours visitors. This gigantic underground network connects villages around, making it a wonderful destination for all kinds of Vietnam tours.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: Free time for shopping before transferring to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure