Vietnam Beauty on Cruise Trips

Brief information

Tour type: Private, classic cruise

Hotel options: 2-star; 3-star; 4-star

Duration: 14 days

Departure/end: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City or vice-versa

Highlights: Hanoi city, Tam Coc boat cruise, Halong Bay cruise, Hue Imperial Citadel, My Son Holly land, Hoi An ancient town, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong River cruise and Ho Chi Minh city.

Features:
- Various means of transportation: car, airplane, boat
- Different accommodation type: hotel, on boat
- Sea cruise in Halong Bay and River cruise in Mekong.
- Combination of activities, landscape, life style, climate in different parts in Vietnam.

Price: From US$930

Brief itinerary and service:

Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Our driver and tour guide will pick you up at Hanoi airport then transfer to your hotel in Hanoi. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore a little of downtown and enjoy a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake by yourself. 
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour
After breakfast at your hotel, be ready for a city tour escorted by an English speaking guide. We will visit Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest one in Hanoi, located on a semi island in West lake. Then heading to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex, visit his stilt house and museum telling you about his life and revolutionary cause. The next stop is One Pillar pagoda, located right within the mausoleum complex area, one of the most iconic pagoda in Vietnam. The morning tour ends with a visit to the Literature Temple, the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Thanh Tong. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty.

After lunch at local restaurant, we continue to visit Vietnam museum of ethnology where introduce lifestyles and cultures of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. Beside the indoor exhibition, the museum also has out-door area displaying number of houses modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities which makes the museum stand out from others. Optionally, we visit Hoa Lo prison, built by French colonist to keep Vietnamese political prisoners and later for American pilots. After this visit, have a cyclo trip to visit Old Quarter until the Water Puppet show being started. You are free in the evening for dinning or relaxing. Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc
Pick-up at your hotel and depart for Ninh Binh province, about 100km away from Hanoi. Upon arrival, we will visit Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples of Dinh's Dynasty and Previous Le's Dynasty. Learn about the history of Dai Co Viet's foundation (Dai Co Viet means The Great Viet, one of the old names of Vietnam). Then, we continue our trip to Tam Coc, which is so call "Halong Bay in land". After having lunch at local restaurant, we embark a small hand-rowed boat, rowing along the river passing through 3 grottoes (Tam Coc means three grottoes), enjoy spectacular landscape of rice fields lying among limestone mountains and rain forest.

Back to the dock, we continue to visit Jade Cave with three ancient pagodas built on the mountain cliff (Lower, Middle and Upper pagoda). Spend sometime at the souvenir shops near the entrance of Bich Dong (Jade Cave) before coming to your hotel in Tam Coc. Stay overnight in Tam Coc.

Day 4: Tam Coc – Halong Bay
You are picked up at around 8.00am to depart for Halong Bay. Upon arrival the dock, a ferry will be waiting to transfer you to the boat. Enjoy your welcome drink from the boat crew while listening a briefing about itinerary and safety onboard. After checking in your cabin, savor a delectable lunch as the junk cruises further along the Bay passing many limestone islands formed in different shapes emerging unevenly from emerald green water. Having fun with kayak to visit Ba Hang or Luon cave. Dinner is served with multiple courses at around 19.00. After that you can join squid fishing or take your own time to socialize with other guests or just laze around. Overnight on board.

Day 5: Halong Bay – Hoi An
Start your new day with a Tai Chi lesson on sun deck. After breakfast, transferred by ferry to Ti Top Island for swimming or climbing the highest peak to get panorama view over the Bay. Back to the main boat to attend a short cooking class before lunch is served. Enjoy peaceful moment while the boat glides on the Bay till reaching the dock for the trip back to Hanoi. You will have some free time for dinner on the way at your own cost before continue your trip to the airport for departure flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, get private transfer to Hoi An. Stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 6: Hoi An
Today, we will enjoy a walking tour to visit Hoi An old town. We follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures, and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the local fish market. Around the town we will see numerous art galleries and tailor shops, and you can even get some made-to-order clothes if you like. After lunch in a local restaurant, you will enjoy a short boat ride to a nearby village that specializes in ceramics and crafts – including boat building. Free in the evening and stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An – Hue
Say goodbye to Hoi An, we leave for Hue via Da Nang. On the way, we will stop at Cham museum and Marble Mountain for short visits. Then continue the trip through Hai Van Pass, the highest and one of the most scenic hillside road in Vietnam. On nice days, you can enjoy the whole vista of Da Nang city, the Tien Sa sea port, Son Tra peninsula, Cham island and long sandy beaches from the pass.
Arrive in Hue, check in hotel and have your free time to relax or explore a bit the city by yourself. Stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 8: Hue city tour
After breakfast at hotel, your tour guide and driver will take you to Imperial citadel and Purple Forbidden city where Kings, royal family members and mandarins live and work and do important ceremony. Then head to the dock to embark a dragon boat for a cruise on Perfume River. First stop will be Phu Mong garden house complex in Kim Long consisting of 7 garden houses of 100 years old belonging to mandarins and Royal members of Nguyen's dynasty. Next, we visit Thien Mu pagoda, considered the symbol of Hue. Continue your cruise on Perfume River and stop at Hon Chen temple located on Ngoc Tran mount for a short visit. After that, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, continue cruising along the river to visit royal tombs of Minh Mang or Khai Dinh. On the way to go back Hue city center, we visit conical hat making village and Incense making village. Free in the evening, stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 9: Hue - HCMC
You are free for your own activities till pick-up time to transfer to the airport for departure flight to Ho Chi Minh city, also called Saigon. This is the largest city in Vietnam and the nation's economic capital. The metropolitan area Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9 million.
Upon arrival, picked up by local guide and driver and transfer to your hotel. Free time the rest of the day. Stay at hotel in HCMC.

Day 10: HCMC tour
After your breakfast at hotel, escorted by your English speaking guide to visit main attractions in the city including Reunification Palace, War Remnants museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Jade Emperor temple, Thien Hau pagoda, China Town and many French styled colonial buildings along the way such as centre Post Office, City Hall (Hotel De Ville) ... Stay overnight at hotel in HCMC.

Day 11: HCMC – Cao Dai – Cu Chi
Today, we head out to Cao Dai Holy See, attend the noontide service ceremony and visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi is actually the name of the district which covers an extensive underground network (approximately 200 kilometers) of tunnels dug initially by the Viet Minh and later expanded by the Viet Cong. The tunnels contained hospitals, plus accommodation and schools, and were used extensively for refuge and storage and also utilized as a military base for the Viet Cong close to Saigon. The 1968 Tet Offensive was launched from Cu Chi with surprising effect. A section of the tunnels has been widened to allow tourists to get a feel for what the life underground must have been like (please note that this will be hot and sweaty and also a bit claustrophobic!). Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 12: HCMC – Cai Be - My Tho
Transfer from your hotel to Cai Be harbor by car, then take a small motor boat to explore the lively Cai Be floating market in the morning. Walking to visit a handicraft village with orchard gardens and try yourself to pick fresh fruits from the tree. Continue boat trip to visit other local village, walking around the area to meet local people and observe their daily activities.

Embark Le Cochinchine boat, get welcome drink and check-in cabin. Lunch will be served on board while cruising depart from Cai Be to My Tho via Ngu Hiep island. We will have a leisure biking or walking tour on this island and meet local people.

Have dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 13: Mekong Delta - HCMC
In the morning, the noise of the boats wake you up, watch the daily life of the local people who live on both sides of the Mekong river, breakfast on board while continue cruising to My Tho. 
After breakfast, check out luggage to small motor boat to explore one of the islands in My Tho. The guests can walk through the island, trying native fruits viewing local handicraft production and meeting the local people. Then take a brief sampan ride through palm-shaded creeks.

Transferred by boat to My Tho pier then get in car to return to HCMC. Stay overnight at hotel in HCMC.

Day 14: HCMC Departure
You are free for personal activity till transfer for departure flight to next destination.
Tour ends.

2020 Quotation & Services

Hotel categories	Net rate in US$/person in group of					Single supplement
	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8 up
Tourist **	2307	1386	1095	985	930	248
Superior ***	2711	1488	1197	1087	1032	327
First Class ****	3218	1742	1451	1341	1285	522

Note: The price is not applicable on National Holidays, Christmas and New Year.

Includes:
Accommodation:
- 11 nights twin/double sharing at hotels with daily breakfast.
- 2 nights on boat (private cabin for 2 people with bathroom).
Transportation:
- Land transfer by private vehicle for the whole trip.
- Sharing boat cruise in Halong Bay and Mekong (private cabin for 2 people with bathroom)
- Boat trip in Tam Coc and Perfume River, Hue
- Air tickets and all taxes: HAN-DAD, HUI-SGN
Others:
- Meals as mentioned. B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: dinner
- English speaking guides.
- Admission fees for all sightseeing places on tour.
- 1 bottle of mineral water and wet tissue per person on touring day.
- Free Vietnam visa approval letter.
- Service charge and Government taxes
Excludes:
- International air tickets.
- Visa stamping fee.
- Personal expenses.
- Drinks.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Services not clearly mentioned above.

LIST OF HOTELS ON TOUR