Itinerary in brief

Day 1     Saigon - Arrival
Day 2     Saigon
Day 3     Saigon - FLY - Hue
Day 4     Hue - Lao Bao
Day 5     Lao Bao - Dong Ha - Dong Hoi
Day 6     Dong Hoi - Phong Nha - Hue
Day 7     Hue - Hoian
Day 8     Hoian - Tra Que
Day 9     Hoian - FLY - Saigon
Day 10   Saigon - Mekong - CRUISE and NIGHT on board
Day 11   Mekong - CRUISE - Saigon
Day 12   Saigon - Cao Dai - Cu Chi
Day 13   Saigon - Departure

Itinerary in details

DAY 1: SAIGON - ARRIVAL

Met and welcome by the Hanoi Voyages Guide upon arrival at the airport.
Then transfer by private car to your hotel.

Overnight in Saigon

DAY 2: SAIGON

Our full day tour of Ho Chi Minh City begins in the morning with a

• Trip to Cholon district to admire the active Thien Hau Temple, built in the early 19th century by its Cantonese congregation.
• Then onto Binh Tay Market to witness the biggest market in Cholon in full swing, and check out the many goods, including fresh produce, on offer in this busy place.
• The morning concludes with a visit to the FITO museum which houses a history of traditional Vietnamese medicine and treatments used by the people for generations

Afternoon

• Visit the War Reminants Museum, housing a history of the local perspective of the Vietnam War.
• Visit the old Presidential Palace, where victory was declared after years of fighting, and preserved as it was found, including vehicles in the garages.
• Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Saigon Post Office, both magnificent displays of architecture of bygone days.
• Visit the Beaux-Arts Museum and wander through the art galleries in the area.

After this historical visit, enjoy some wonderful ice cream at Fanny’s, a quaint little parlour with a French atmosphere, before exploring the trendy boutiques on Ton That Thiep Street.

Overnight in Saigon

DAY 3: SAIGON - FLY - HUE

Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Hue, ancient capital of Vietnam. Met and welcome by the tour guide in Hue upon arrival at the airport. Then transfer by private car to your hotel.

Hue, best known as the old capital, Hue has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its ancient relics, historical monuments and fine examples of local culture. Many of these are surprisingly well preserved and intact and journeys to this historical city hold promise of great times and lasting memories.

As the nation’s capital from 1802 to 1945 there are many sites that reflect Hue’s rich history, and many others that allow relaxation while absorbing the area’s natural beauty.

Spend the rest of day discovering Hue, Vietnam’s former capital built by the Nguyen Dynasty,

• Commence your day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945
• Take a boat ride on the gentle Perfume River.
• Visit a conical hat and an incense stick-making village, the Dong Ba Market
• Continue to Thien Mu Pagoda on the bank of the River.
• Visit Khai Dinh's Tomb where traditional Vietnamese design is infused with a European touch, making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.
• Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and taste Hue’s unique, spicy cuisine.

After lunch enjoy a cyclo ride through this historical city, through shady laneways and pass many historical sites, so important in the country’s history.

Overnight in Hue

DAY 4: HUE - LAO BAO

Pick up from your hotel by private vehicle and drive to the border town of Lao Bao via A Luoi district. On the way we stop to visit the minority villages of Bru Van Kieu, Ta Oi, and Paco to see the differing ethnic groups. On arrival to Lao Bao we will visit the border markets and the old French Prison.

Overnight in Lao Bao

DAY 5: LAO BAO - DONG HA - DONG HOI

After breakfast we drive to Dong Ha, and on the way, you will see the beauty of the scenery. En route we will visit ruminants of the war, including the Khe Sanh Combat base, Con Thien Firebase, Camp Caroll, Ta Con Airfield and Dakhrong Bridge.

Later we will visit the famous Hien Luong Bridge which crosses the Ben Hai River that once was the border between North and south Vietnam along the 17th parallel. Continuing by road we visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels and the amazing underground village in the northern part of the DMZ.

Overnight in Dong Hoi.

DAY 6: DONG HOI - PHONG NHA - HUE

After breakfast we will enjoy an excursion to the Phong Nha Caves, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in year 2000, Vietnam’s largest and most beautiful cave.
It is remarkable for the thousands of metres of underground passageways and caves, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The caves are reached by boat, A 3km journey from Son Trach Village.

On completion of your journey, we return to Hue.

Overnight in Hue

DAY 7: HUE - HOIAN

Depart Hue for the drive to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed little over the years. This scenic drive passes through the fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds. Along the way, stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world.

Overnight in Hoian

DAY 8: HOIAN - TRA QUE

Following breakfast, we head to Tra Que village on the outskirts of Hoi An, for a half-day with the villagers, learning firstly the ways to harvest and prepare fresh vegetables for meals, after which we will attend a cooking class with our hosts, and then consume those prepared dishes for lunch.

We then return to Hoi An to enjoy a leisurely afternoon in town.

Overnight in Hoian

DAY 9: HOIAN - FLY - SAIGON

We will walk through Hoi An’s ancient town centre for a journey back to the time, to when this town was a major trading port in Asia. We visit the 400year old Japanese Bridge, century old shophouses, a Chinese communal hall and the colorful markets in this ancient and well- preserved town.

Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Saigon. Met and welcome by the tour guide upon arrival at the airport. Then transfer by private car to your hotel.

Overnight in Saigon

DAY 10: SAIGON - MEKONG - CRUISE AND NIGHT ON BOARD

Departing from your hotel in the morning, we travel by road to Cai Be, and board the Bassac at noon.

The Bassac is a wonderful boat cruise, aboard a boat that has been purposefully rebuilt for your comfort.
This traditional rice barge has been transformed, with nicely furnished private cabins, with bathrooms,
air-conditioning and tastefully decorated by Vietnamese artisans. It has direct access to the deck, an open restaurant, and the food is prepared on board by a qualified chef who serves perfectly cooked traditional dishes.

Program Day 1:

• After boarding, you will meet the crew, have a presentation of the boat and be assigned your cabin. A “welcome aboard” drink will then be offered.
• Cruise downstream on the Tien Giang River to Cho Lach.
• Lunch will be served during the cruise, and you can rest on the upper deck or around the bar.
• You see the activity of the many sand and rice barges on the river and will surely be impressed by the number of boats, bearing their loads of colorful fruits and vegetables.
• Enjoy a visit, and meet the inhabitants of a village on the banks of the Mang Thit River, an opportunity to see the lifestyle, and receive their generous hospitality.
• Visit the lush, productive orchards or nearby rice fields.
• Back on board and cruising towards the Mang Thit, you enjoy a refreshing drink, while watching the sunset before dinner.

The Bassac then sets anchor for the night in the small floating market, downstream from Tra On.

Overnight on board

DAY 11: MEKONG - CRUISE - SAIGON

Program Day 2:
Breakfast is served at 6.30 am as the Bassac navigates its way through Tra On floating market, in the direction of Can Tho.

After arrival at Cai Rang floating market, you leave your cabin, and transfer to a lighter boat to visit the market, on radiating canals, and discover the people whose life is maintained around these wonderful markets on water.

Navigation of the smaller waterways will lead you to a colonial house and orchard planted with durian, oranges and mangosteen, where you can taste these exotic fruits. This part of the tour will allow you to enjoy the peaceful setting in which some people live in the Delta region.

After landing at the pier in Ninh Kieu, Can Tho you enjoy a stroll around the covered market in Can Tho before the journey back to Saigon.

Overnight in Saigon

DAY 12: SAIGON - CAO DAI - CU CHI

A pleasant morning drive through the countryside, observing picturesque scenery local people and village life, to Tay Ninh Province, to visit the Cao Dai Temple and see the melding of the secular and religious philosophies from East and West, known in Vietnam during the early 20th century, including Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Vietnamese spiritualism, Christianity and Islam. A very colorful experience.

• Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant

After lunch we visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, part of an unbelievably complex system of tunnels built by the Vietnamese resistance fighters which help their efforts to repel the Americans during the war. Some tunnels were 2 or 3 stories deep, with hospitals, sleeping quarters and storerooms underground and have been enlarged to allow tourists to enter them.

We return to Saigon late in the afternoon.

Overnight in Saigon

DAY 13: SAIGON - DEPARTURE

Enjoy the free time in Muine before transfer to Saigon airport for your departure flight home.

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