Saigon (Breakfast)

Sightseeing in Saigon and Cholon (Chinatown)
A vibrant metropolis, SAIGON teems with energy, activity and motion. Everywhere you look, you see the meeting of traditional and modern life. The emerging modern skyline stands cheek by jowl with colonial buildings and traditional temples. Outside on the streets, young professionals zip by on motorbikes, chatting on cell phones; inside the quiet temple courtyards, worshippers pray amidst clouds of incense. Begin your tour of this exciting city with a tour of the historic center, strolling along DONG KHOI STREET, formerly known as the Rue Catinat, the main shopping thoroughfare and heart of old colonial Saigon. Pass by classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate CITY HALL (HOTEL DE VILLE), the old OPERA HOUSE (both may only be viewed from the outside), and pay a quick visit to the neo-Romanesque NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL and the CENTRAL POST OFFICE.

Afterwards drive into modern history with a tour of the REUNIFICATION PALACE. Formerly the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president, this 60s style palace was famously stormed by tanks on April 30, 1975 signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state, and the original tanks remain on display near the entrance gates. Continue to the harrowing WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM, which comprehensively documents the travails of the long Vietnam American War. Inside are detailed photographic exhibitions; outside is a collection of tanks, planes and weapons. A powerful experience, this museum is guaranteed to provoke strong emotions. Afterwards driving to the historic center to visit EMPEROR OF JADE PAGODA, one of Saigon's most interesting pagodas.

In the afternoon, head out to CHOLON (CHINATOWN). Explore the highlights of this fascinating area, beginning with a brief visit to BINH TAY MARKET, the vast wholesale market selling every kind of good from dried foods to T shirts to electronics. Continue to THIEN HAU PAGODA, build by the Cantonese congregation and dedicated to the heavenly goddess. End your tour at the central BEN THANH MARKET, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.

- Overnight in Saigon

Saigon - Nha Trang (Breakfast)

By vehicle from Saigon (city) to Nha Trang with sightseeing at the dunes of Mui Ne

From Saigon, travel northwards along the coast. Enroute, stop for a break the dramatic red SAND DUNES of MUI NE. Arrive in Nha Trang in the late afternoon.

- Overnight in Nha Trang

Nha Trang - Cam Ranh Bay - Danang - Hoi An (Breakfast / Lunch: Meals incl. in itinerary (Vietnam))

Excursion by boat to nearby islands, Con Se Tre and fishing village
Depart from Nha Trang pier to nearby islands by boat. Continue to MUN ISLAND (EBONY ISLAND), which has perhaps the best preserved coral reefs in the area, teaming with marine life. Spend most of the morning here before continuing to CON SE TRE for lunch and relaxing on the beach. Visit a local fishing village and return to Nha Trang in the late evening.

Visit the Oceanographic Institute
OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE, which contains a mini-aquarium with a variety of colorful local marine specimens, including seahorses.

Transfer from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Airport

Flight from Cam Ranh Bay / Nha Trang to Danang.

Transfer from Danang airport to Hoi An

- Overnight in Hoi An

Hoi An (Breakfast)

Sightseeing in Hoi An with a boat trip on the Thu Bon River
The exquisitely preserved merchant town of HOI AN was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Its colorful shophouses and temples reflect a diverse heritage, dating back to the 16th and 17th century, when it was a major port for Western, Chinese and Japanese traders. Today it is a thriving center of traditional crafts and a shoppers paradise, best explored on foot. Wander through the cobbled streets, past low tile-roofed buildings, the bustling central MARKET and the small HARBOUR where colorfully painted boats are moored. The walking tour will include visits to a PRIVATE HOUSE, where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting; to one of the FAMILY CHAPELS built by prominent merchant or official families as centers for ancestor worship; and to a typical CHINESE-STYLE PAGODA or ASSEMBLY HALL. Continue to SA HUYNH MUSEUM, located near the Japanese Covered Bridge, it contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An's history. Visit a handicraft workshop in Hoi An where local products are being made by the industry itself. Finally, continue to the famous JAPANESE COVERED BRIDGE PAGODA, first constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

In the afternoon, board a local boat and cruise down the THU BON RIVER, enjoying the unspoiled countryside and stopping to visit a POTTERY VILLAGE and a WOODCARVING VILLAGE before returning to Hoi An harbour.

Overnight in Hoi An

Hoi An - Hue (Breakfast)

By vehicle from Hoi An to Hue with sightseeing in Danang
From Hoi An begin driving north, stopping just outside Danang to visit the MARBLE MOUNTAINS, five stone hillocks, once islands, that now rise sharply from the surrounding ricefields. Riddled with caves and shrines, they are said to each represent one of the five elements of the universe. Continue to the city of DANANG, briefly passing NON NUOC BEACH, a famous spot of American soldiers during Vietnam War in 1960s, and touring the CHAM MUSEUM an elegant colonial building which now houses the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world.

From Danang, journey north past LANG CO, a lovely stretch of beach curving outwards between a clear blue lagoon and the East Vietnam Sea, before arriving at Danang. Continue along steep mountainous roads with spectacular views of the coastline, crossing the dramatic HAI VAN PASS, the high dividing line between the climate zones of north and south Vietnam.

- Overnight in Hue

Hue (Breakfast)

Excursion to Thuy Bieu village with cooking class
Around 09 am, embark on boat and start a cruise on Perfume River. Stop at Dong Ba market where you can buy necessary foods for cooking class with our chef. Visit a THIEN MU PAGODA, back to the boat for a scenic cruise to Thuy Bieu Village. Arrive in Thuy Bieu, an authentically village representing the countryside of Hue with the clear notion "garden-home". Start the cooking class and you will prepare the lunch by yourself with the coaching given by our chef. Have lunch with dishes clients have just cooked. A nice biking or walking around the quiet Thuy Bieu village, one of villages are still kept culture of Hue. Visit the garden-home and contact with local people, past many ancestral temples as cultural features of Hue. Visit homemade incense production household and discover the life of the farmers while they are working strenuously with joys and enthusiasm. Back to our local house at Perfume River border and relaxing by steeping your foot in with medicinal herbs water -a traditional therapeutically practices. Enjoy excellent massage by blind people. End of this tour at Thuy Bieu village.

Excursion by boat from the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang to Thien Mu Pagoda
Enjoy a leisurely boat ride down to the PERFUME RIVER from the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang to the iconic THIEN MU PAGODA, an elegant seven-tiered octagonal tower which has become Hue's most widely recognizable monument. After sightseeing the pagoda, get on your waiting vehicle for onward program.

- Overnight in Hue

Hue - Hanoi - Halong (Breakfast)

Visit the Old Imperial City
Located in the heart of Hue is the IMPERIAL CITADEL, a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modeled after the Forbidden City of Peking. The original walls stretched for 10 km and were surrounded by a wide moat. Today, most of the buildings have been destroyed due to bombing during the Vietnam-American War, but the monuments that remain provide a fascinating glimpse into the court life of the Nguyen Dynasty. Approach the city past the striking FLAG TOWER, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead, to the imposing NGO MON GATE, the main entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. Enter into an area of spacious courtyards and serene lotus ponds, and visit DIEN THO Residence (Dien Tho palace) is where the Queen mother lived, visit THAI HOA PALACE, the magnificently decorated reception hall, the HALLS OF THE MANDARINS, and the original NINE DYNASTIC URNS, among other sites, including visit HUE ROYAL ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM.

Transfer

Flight from Hue to Hanoi.

By vehicle from Hanoi (Noi Bai Airport) to Halong

- Overnight in Halong

Special Remark : NO TWN in Executive room.

Halong - Hanoi (Breakfast / Lunch: Seafood Lunch on Boat Trip)

Transfer to/from Tuan Chau Marina Port

Excursion by boat through Halong Bay including lunch (4 hours, private)
Board your charming traditional wooden junk for cruising through the Bay. En-route lunch will be served. Following cruise by rock formations with such names as Stone Dog, Incense Burner (Dinh Huong), Fighting Cock (Ga Choi). At the core of the islets, there are two wonderful caves and grottoes to visit as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto), Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) before returning to Halong pier.

By vehicle from Halong to Hanoi (city)

- Overnight in Hanoi

Hanoi (Breakfast)

Sightseeing in Hanoi
Although it is the modern-day capital of Vietnam, HANOI still retains the mystery and charm of past centuries. Narrow lanes and traditional shop houses invite an exciting exploration by walking, while its many beautiful public spaces, lakes, parks, tree-lined boulevards and monuments give the city an air of elegance and harmony with nature unique among Asian capitals.

Visit the Temple of Literature
TEMPLE OF LITERATURE: a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways, this monument is one of the best-preserved examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this was also the site of Vietnam's first university. In one courtyard, giant stone tortoises bear stele on their backs, listing the accomplishments of graduating scholars.

Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Visit Ho Chi Minh Stilt House and One Pillar Pagoda
Stroll through the park to HO CHI MINH STILT HOUSE, the simple two-room dwelling where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 until his final days. Preserved in the same condition as during his life, it may be viewed through the windows. Visit the miniature ONE PILLAR PAGODA. Also dating from the 11th century, this monument was rebuilt after being destroyed by the French in 1958. Today it stands near the vast HO CHI MINH MEMORIAL COMPLEX, a lovely park setting which is home to Ho Chi Minh's final resting place, as well as a museum and other memorials.

Visit the Museum of Ethnology
MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY: This museum brings to life the astonishing ethnic diversity in Vietnam, with art and artifacts from the 54 different ethnic groups that inhabit the country. Inside the museum are detailed descriptions of minority groups, with examples of their traditional clothing and way of life. Outside are faithful reconstructions of traditional longhouses, cemeteries and other distinctive ethnic buildings.

Sightseeing in Hanoi with electric car and a walk in the Old Quarter
Capital of Vietnam, HANOI is a blend of long established traditions and modern imprints of Western colonization. Tree-lined boulevards and colonial buildings give the city a touch of Western elegance, while crowded blocks of tiny old houses and narrow lanes full of daily life bear the charms of the past centuries. Take a 35 minute ride on an electric car to visit the Old Quarter famous for 36 streets of the craftsmen with well-known landmarks including HOAN KIEM LAKE, QUAN SU PAGODA, SILK ROAD, HANOI RAILWAY STATION, HOA LO PRISON, HANOI OPERA HOUSE. Get off the electric car and take a 25 mins walk to get a close-up feel of daily life in the Old Quarter.

Visit a Water Puppet Show
WATER PUPPET SHOW: a fantastic art form originating in the northern Vietnam, best seen in Hanoi.

- Overnight in Hanoi

Special Remark : HCM Mausoleum is clsoed in MOn, Fri and Public Hoilday and can visit in the morning only.

Hanoi (Breakfast)

Transfer-