Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon)
On arrival at Tan Son Nhat International airport, you will be greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel in town. Overnight in Saiogn.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Morning private city touring Saigon, the country's commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and Hotel de Ville. Lunch at private home. Also visit the moving War Remnants Museum. Explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's upscale shopping boulevard with boutiques selling clothes and accessories designed by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. Try the south's strong Vietnamese iced coffee and a banh mi (baguette sandwich). Overnight in Saigon.
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta (B)
This morning we set off for a drive through the Mekong Delta to the town of Vinh Long, well-known for its floating market. Here. we will board our private boat Cai Be Princess Cruise for a cruise along the maze of waterways and canals to Vinh Long. We will stop at the home of a Bonsai gardener for a sumptuous Delta lunch, including the popular dish of 'Elephant ear fish, before continuing our exploration of the tributaries and canals of the delta. Toward the end of the day, we arrive in Can Tho city, heart of the Mekong Delta. Overnight in Can Tho.
Day 4: Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City - Hue (B)
You wake up to the sounds of the Mekong River welcoming a new day. Enjoy breakfast on the "Lady Hau" while cruising to the floating market. When the "Lady Hau" arrives at Cai Rang floating market, guests are transferred to a local traditional boat to enter the market. Then, continue cruising with the hotel's guide along narrow creeks to visit a noodle factory and an orchard. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort the guests back to the hotel by local boat through myriad canals. (Starting at 6: 30 AM, the Lady Hau cruise and tour extension takes around 4 hours; minimum 4 persons). Following this we will rendezvous with our vehicle for the drive to the town of My Tho, where we will visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda and the Dong Tam snake farm. Transfer back to Saigon for flight to Hue. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hue.
Day 5: Hue - Da Nang (B)
Morning private tour of royal tombs and pagodas. Mid-day private drive to Da Nang for two-night stay at a beach resort. Afternoon visit to Marble Mountains. Overnight in Da Nang.
Day 6: Da Nang & Hoi An (B)
Morning private tour in Hoi An. From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. These people came primarily to trade in the high grade silk, which is still produced in the area, as well as ceramics. Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century. We enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Following the tour there will be free time to shop or relax. Overnight in Da Nang.
Day 7: Da Nang - Hanoi (B)
Transfer to airport for flight to Hanoi for two-night stay. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Evening water puppet performance. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 8: Hanoi (B)
Full Day City Tour in Hanoi: Vietnam 's artistic and intellectual capital. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Enjoy people watching at stylish cafes. Shop for impressive modern art in the city's many galleries. Also visit Hanoi 's main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 9: Halong Bay Excursion (B, L)
Upon meeting you at your hotel at 8: 00 am, we drive to Halong City, approximately 3 hours away. Once at Halong City you will board our private boat for a four-hour cruise of this stunning area, stopping along the way to visit one of the limestone caves in the area. As we cruise, our boat staff will serve a sumptuous local seafood lunct. After 4 hours, we cruise back to the harbor and return you to your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 10: Hanoi Departure (B)
You enjoy the free time until transfer to airport for your departure flight. Cam on va chao tam biet! |
