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4-star Hotel from $2093 USD p/p twin share.
Single supplement $500 USD
5-star Hotel from $2473 USD p/p twin share.
Single supplement $900 USD
Day 1.
Welcome to Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your tour guide and driver will meet you in the arrivals lounge and transfer you to your hotel.
Later, hop on a cyclo, one of the most iconic vehicles in Hanoi, for an hour leisurely ride. A perfect chance for photos and slow-moving sightseeing through the Old Town. Disembark at the ancient city gate of O Quan Chuong, then continue walking to Thanh Ha local market and through the bustling streets and back alleys of the Old Town.
In the evening, savor a welcome dinner of authentic Vietnamese food at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants
Day 2.
The morning starts with a visit to the Ba Dinh Square and the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh who led Vietnam to independence from French colonial rule. Then on to the iconic One Pillar Pagoda – a unique Vietnamese architecture reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond and hear the legend of its construction. You will then transfer to the Museum of Ethnology which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting all 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.
Lunch - Cha Ca Thang Long –Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill. Not just a dish, a unique culinary culture of Hanoians.
Temple of Literature and explore its role in the country’s past as both a university and a Confucius temple. Visit Hoa Lo Prison (as known as Hanoi Hilton), used by the French colonists in French Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of the Vietnam – American War.
Next to the unique Hanoi Train Street, a little area hidden amidst the hectic and narrow streets where trains pass every day, hurling through the residential street mere steps from blocks of houses on two sides.
A walking and tasting tour of authentic local Vietnamese cuisine around the Old Quarter area. You will have a chance to not only sample delicious street foods but also to explore hidden alleyways and bustling markets. Our food tour includes "Bun Cha" - rice noodles with BBQ pork, then followed by "Banh Cuon" - steamed rice roll, and "Banh Mi" - another well-known Vietnamese food. Finish off the day with a cup of Bia Hoi (Vietnamese draft beer) or enjoy a cup of unmissable Egg coffee, while we sit down and mingle with locals.
Day 3.
Depart for a 3.5-hour drive through rustic Vietnamese countryside to Halong Bay, one of the 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country.
Board your cruise and enjoy a delicious seafood lunch. Later take a short trek to a nearby summit to enjoy the panoramic view of the bay's many islands. As the day wanes, take a swim in the cool bay waters before enjoying a sumptuous dinner under the moonlit sky.
Day 4.
Rising to the sound of the bay, enjoy an elegant breakfast before visiting a beautiful limestone grotto to admire its many unique rock formations. Then you’ll get back to the boat to form your final lasting impression of Halong Bay’s awe-inspiring beauty while cruising back to the dock, at the same time enjoy your lunch/ brunch. Getting back onshore, you will be transferred directly to the airport which takes about 4 hours, then take a short flight to Danang.
Upon arrival at Danang airport, you will be met by the local guide and driver who will transfer you to your hotel in Hoian ancient town. Your afternoon will be free to wander the town at your leisure.
Day 5.
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel to visit a local fishing village on the Thu Bon River by cycle. Ride along country lanes at a peaceful pace viewing local life and pausing to see farmers toiling in their rice fields using centuries of farming practices. Peddle your way through palm forests, across bridges, fields of water buffalo…
Take a short break with a local family at Cam Thanh Village before enjoying a 1.5 hours ride on Traditional Basket Boat (round boat) in the Water Coconut Palm Forest. Learn how to sail the basket boat and spend your time to fishing and crabbing for “purple crabs” in the Canal.
Continue to ride to Tra Que Organic Vegetable Village where a large variety of vegetables is produced for the local community. At the village, you will be shown the environmentally sustainable practices the local villagers have used for centuries. Relax and enjoy a foot massage and the traditional herbal foot dip, before riding back to your hotel.
The Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you will embark on a walking tour, visiting the major attractions such as Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall, and the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Precious Heritage Museum, home to the permanent exhibition of Réhahn’s Precious Heritage Collection. The highlight of the day is the visit to the Reaching Out Tea House, a welcome little oasis of calm in the busy, vibrant Old Quarter, owned and operated by the mute and deaf people. Here you will be treated to delicious cakes and incredible tea in the Eastern style.
Day 6.
Today you are free to discover the ancient town or just relax at the hotel.
Or you may join the optional tours:
1) Half-day tour of a cooking class with the market tour
2) Full-day tour to Ba Na Hills (Visit Golden Bridge)
Day 7.
After breakfast enjoy free leisure time before your transfer to Danang airport to catch the short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals.
Upon arrival, you will be met by the local guide and driver. They will escort you to the downtown Ho Chi Minh City hotel. Check into the hotel, then free time to wander HCMC.
Day 8.
Start your day with a transfer to Cu Chi, once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the 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 totalling over 120km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, hospital, trenches and emergency exits. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.
After lunch, enjoy the sites of Ho Chi Minh City. Visit the Reunification Palace and the moving War Remnants Museum to for an insightful, yet sombre, look into Vietnam’s military history and turbulent past. Then, head out to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, where the French colonial presence can be felt. It was constructed between 1863 and 1880, entirely of imported French building material, including bricks from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. Across the street is the Saigon Central Post Office, a stunning architectural marvel with rich Gothic, Renaissance and French influences.
Our last stop would be at Ben Thanh Market where you can stock up on souvenirs, T-shirts, bags, coffee and other local products. Discover local life and culture if shopping is not your mission.
Day 9.
This morning, leave bustling Ho Chi Minh City for the 2-hour drive to the town of Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields, numerous waterways, and beautiful landscapes. Known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, this region produces most of Vietnam’s fruit, rice, sugar cane, and coconuts.
From Ben Tre, you will set out on a motorized boat trip on narrow channels winding through the coconut forest. During the boat ride, you will stop at the local cottage industries to see how the local people make bricks and weave sleeping mats by hand. Learn about their craft handed down through generations.
Take a leisure walk along the village lanes, visit the local homes, try fresh fruits, and taste delicious honey tea while enjoying a local Tai Tu music show. Then visit another workshop where the local delicacy of coconut candy is produced and a wide range of coconut husk and fibre products are skillfully handcrafted.
Next, take a small sampan ride through palm-fringed back canals, gliding peacefully along the hidden waterways surrounded by an immense variety of tropical plants. The quiet, rural setting is a welcome and restorative retreat from the frenetic buzz of HCM City. After finishing your sightseeing tour your guide will take you to a riverside restaurant for lunch with local specialties then return to the pier and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 10.
Free day for your own activities, then transfer to airport to take a short flight to Siem Reap. Flight departs from Tan Son Nhat Airport. Duration: 1 hours 35 minutes.
A warm greeting awaits at Siem Reap International airport – Cambodia, the local guide and driver will meet you in the arrivals lounge and transfer you to your hotel.
Day 11.
A very early start today for one of the highlights of our tour. We travel by TukTuk to experience Sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple. The remains of a disappeared civilization which between the 8th and 13th century built the splendid Temple of Angkor, partially annihilated afterwards by invasion and hidden for centuries by forest. This Hindu temple, dedicated to Vishnu, was constructed at the beginning of the twelfth century. It is remarkable for its powerful architecture and for the richness of its sculptures. Dawn is one of the most beautiful and haunting times to visit the temples, whose ancient sandstone blocks are gilded gold by the early morning rays.
Return to the hotel for breakfast then free at leisure.
We will return in the afternoon to discover more of Angkor Thom (the Great City) including the Southern Gate, Bayon temple, Baphuon temple, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King & Phimean Akas: “Celestial Palace”, dedicated to Hinduism. Then visit the jungle-entwined temple, Ta Prohm – a hauntingly beautiful temple where the roots of giant banyans and strangler figs enfold much of the stonework, creating scenes little changed since the French Adventurer Henri Mouhot re-discovered Angkor in the 1850s. This temple makes the ‘Tomb Raider" Temple one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples.
In the evening indulge yourself in a scrumptious Cambodian dinner with the classical Apsara dancers depicting scenes from Khmer mythology at Angkor Village Theater.
Day 12.
After breakfast, you will be picked up by your private guide and driver and transferred in a Lavender Jeep southeast to one of the largest and least-visited villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang, about 55km from Siem Reap. On the way, you will stop for hot sticky rice and then take a detour off the main highway into the countryside.
You will then continue to the Floating Village of Kompong Khleang with a population of about 10,000 people, all of whom make a living from the fishing industry. Upon arrival board a motorized boat to visit the Kompong Khleang and two other floating villages on the Great Lake. Explore the canals (wet season) or streets (dry season) of this incredible town. In the wet season, the houses appear to be floating, as water laps at the verandas, but in the dry season towering stilts are revealed, the houses almost like wooden skyscrapers.
During the boat ride, you will make stops to see where Bridge of Lifeworks, and visit a Cambodian pagoda and a stilted home in the village to learn a little more about local life.
Later, meet your guide again and head out to enjoy Champagne and canapes on the 20-minute gondola boat ride through the moats of Angkor to Prasat Chrung Temple to watch the amazing sunset. This lesser-known temple is set on top of a hill in the Angkor complex offering excellent views and it is an ideal spot to watch the sun go down.
Day 13.
Your guide and driver greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Siem Reap International Aiport, to catch your departure flight home.