ARRIVE SAIGON

Welcome to Saigon – Vietnam! Upon arrival, transfer from Tan Son Nhat airport to the center of Saigon then check-in hotel. At leisure to relax and get rid of jet lag. Overnight in Saigon.

Please note: Hotel check-in time is around 14.00.

Overnight:Saigon
Meal: None

SAIGON – CITY TOUR – CU CHI TUNNEL

After breakfast, we start the city tour at the Reunification Palace, the witness of the fierce Vietnam War ended in 1975. The grand building today is a Museum and Hall of official receptions. Nearby the Palace are the colonial-styled Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. Our last stop this morning will be War Remnants Museum. Lunch will be served at local restaurant. In the afternoon, we drive overland to Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese guerrillas to protect the region against the American attacks during the Vietnam War. We can even crawl a part inside the tunnel, visit their infirmary, kitchen.... to discover how people had survived hereby. Back to your hotel later on. Overnight in Saigon.

Overnight:Saigon
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA – SAIGON

After breakfast, we leave Saigon for My Tho, in the heart of Mekong delta with a visit to the beautiful Vinh Trang pagoda on the way. Upon arrival, we will take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view the stilt houses, fruit plantations, and fishing villages along the river bank. Proceed to the Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit& honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by locals. Visit a family business that epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. Overnight in Saigon.

Overnight: Saigon
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

SAIGON – FLIGHT TO DANANG – HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN

Breakfast at hotel and check out. Transfer to airport for your onward flight to Danang. Upon arrival, picked up at Da Nang airport and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An to drop off luggage. Together with our guide in Hoi An, we’ll walk over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls, visit ancient houses and Trading Houses, pagodas and stroll into the market located by Thu Bon river, where we may find out the same feelings of the artists, who see the rooftops of Hoi An - a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration. This is also a wonderful town to shop for lanterns, soft silk, raw silk, or get your clothes tailored within a day.Overnight in Hoi An

Overnight:Hoi An
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

HOI AN – MY SON – HOI AN

Breakfast at hotel and check out. We depart from Hoi An to My Son, where you can discover the hidden treasure of the Cham culture that once rightfully developed in the location of present Central Vietnam. Thanks to the mystery and construction secrets of the Cham towers hereby, My Son had been also designated by UNESCO as one of the five World Heritages in Vietnam. Drive back to Hoi An and relax at leisure for the rest of the day. Overnight in Hoi An.

Overnight:Hoi An
Meal: Breakfast

HOIAN – TRA QUE VILLAGE – HUE

After breakfast, depart from your hotel by bicycle in 30 minutes or Motor taxi/ Car (optional surcharge) to Tra Que herb village. Take a short stroll around the vegetable garden and listen to the history of the village. Then join gardening activities in preparing the land, fertilizing with seaweed, raking the ground, sowing, watering, picking vegetables... Enjoy foot soak before getting to preparing lunch with a local family. Join cooking with ‘Tam Huu’ spring roll, ‘Banh xeo’ - a local pancake of people in Vietnam middle region ... After your morning excursions and lunch, you learn how to harvest and wrap the vegetables. Bid farewell to your host family before cycle back to your hotel. Get on the bus transfers to Hue.Overnight in Hue.

Overnight:Hue
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch at Tra Que vegetable village

HUE CITY TOUR – STREET FOOD – FLIGHT TO HANOI

Breakfast at hotel and check out. Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. This morning, we will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City.  Move on to the colorful Dong Ba market where you can see many of ingredients for making Hue local food, and explore the local business life.  The best way to explore local culture is through its unique cuisine. Around noon time, we shall embark on a special street food tour to discover the other side of Hue. Our journey start from Sticky rice dumplings on a fried dumpling (Ram It) or Filtered tapioca dumplings (Banh Loc) to the well-known Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun Bo Hue). The street food tour finish at a small restaurant serve Sweet soup (Che), a scrumptious local delicacy made of tapioca and various local ingredients. Or, if sweet soup is not your style, a Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk awaits. Head straight to Phu Bai airport or your onward flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, pick up from the airport to your hotel in center area. Overnight in Hanoi.

Overnight:Hanoi
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

HANOI CITY TOUR

Breakfast at hotel. It is your day to visit the Capital of Vietnam today. Let's start from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his simple house-on- stilts and the One-Pillar pagoda near Ba Dinh Square, where the most solemn ceremonies of Hanoi take place. Go on to Tran Quoc pagoda and the Temple of Literature, the very first high school of Vietnam Scholars. After lunch at local restaurant, we will visit Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart and soul of Hanoi. If today is not Monday, move on to the Museum of Ethnology. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays, and dioramas are labeled in Vietnamese, French, and English. Displays portray a typical village market, the making of conical hats, and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There's also a Centre for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures. If today is Monday, depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 km away from Hanoi, this is a pottery village with a half- millenary historic development. Back to your hotel in Hanoi later on to relax. Overnight in Hanoi.

Please note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes on Monday and Friday, late September to November for annual maintenance.

Overnight: Hanoi
Meal: Breakfast & Lunch

HANOI – HALONG BAY – OVERNIGHT CRUISE

If you wish to see how the Hanoi people rise and shine in the morning, wake up early and run to a lake close by your hotel, you can join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals, passionately attentive in their morning exercises of Tai Chi quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance and so on. After breakfast and check out, we will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Dinner with fresh seafood. Overnight onboard.
Please note: The program may change due to the weather without notice.

Overnight: Cruise
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

HALONG BAY – HANOI

Morning wake up with a taichi-quan or yoga exercises guided by the crew before having breakfast whilst your boat goes on between Halong islets. Return to the Wharf to be back to Hanoi by shuttle bus at midday. Arrive in the city around 16:00 and drop off at your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

Overnight:Hanoi
Meal: Breakfast & Brunch