The Vietnam Discovery tour is your best choice if you want to experience the totality of Vietnam: the land, the people, the culture, and the history, as a Vietnamese person would. In this Vietnam holiday, as you travel through the country you will experience all forms of transport: car, train, airplane, boat, walking and hiking. During 2 weeks traveling with HTS Travel, you will trace the path of the founding of Vietnam, starting in Hanoi and ending in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City ….
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival. ( D)
Welcome to Hanoi, Our driver will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon, enjoy an orientation walk, visiting some of Hanoi’s main attractions: the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. In the evening, savor a welcome dinner of authentic Vietnamese food at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants.
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Night train to Lao Cai. ( B, L )
After breakfast, you have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Presidential Palace; the Temple of Literature; the Quan Thanh Temple, the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake; and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). In the evening enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese Art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture – before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Lao Cai.
Accommodation: on train (shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).|
Day 3: Lao Cai – Sapa. ( B,L, )
The train arrives at the Lao Cai railways station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you on the 40km drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then catch a few hours rest before beginning your adventure in this beautiful mountain landscape and home to many minority hill tribe peoples. In the late morning, your guide will take you on a two hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the villages Cat Cat and Sin Chai, where you will learn about local traditions and daily life. Rest of the day, you are free at leisure to explore the town on your own.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.
Day 4: Sapa – Visit hill tribe villages.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a full day’s trek to explore Sapa’s cultural diversity and its haunting natural beauty. Take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. You have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~ 12km). Trekking is an excellent way to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H’mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Have lunch at a hill tribe village then drive back to Lao Cai to catch your return night train to Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: on train (shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise.
Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. driver will meet you at the railways station and take you to a local restaurant for breakfast, about 8am our driver and guide pick up from Hotel to Halong , the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle lapping of calm waters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.
Day 6: Halong – Hanoi – Hue
Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as we navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport of Hanoi for your in-country flight to Hue. On arrival, your guide and driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.
Day 7: Hue City Tour.
Spend an entire day touring Vietnam’s former capital. Start the day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, home to the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City – once the Emperor’s private residence. The Imperial City was created in the 19th century and modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Imperial Enclosure houses many palaces and temples within its walls. In the afternoon, continue on your tour stopping at the Imperial Museum, Tu Hieu Pagoda and vibrant Dong Ba riverside market.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.
Day 8: Hue – Danang – Hoian.
Spend the morning on a private boat cruise down the romantic Perfume River to visit the Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) and the ornate Minh Mang’s tomb. Enjoy lunch at a riverside restaurant before starting on your drive to Hoian. Pass over the 500m-high Hai Van pass that offers stunning coastal views, and stop en route in Danang for a visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages at the foot of Marble Mountain. Arrive in the sleepy riverside town of Hoian in the late afternoon, check in to your hotel and then enjoy the rest of the evening free, at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.
Day 9: Hoian – My Son Holy Land.
Today you travel 40km outside of Hoian to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: My Son. Surrounded by the Cat’s Tooth Mountains, My Son Sanctuary is home to the ancient Cham ruins and is often referred to as Vietnam’s Angkor Wat. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king. On the way back, stop for a short visit to the Sa Huynh Champa Museum in Tra Kieu. Return to Hoian ancient town then enjoy a free afternoon for shopping, exploring or beachside relaxation.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.
Day 10: Hoian – Danang – Ho Chi Minh City.
Have breakfast at the hotel then HTS Tour drive you to the airport to take your flight to Vietnam’s biggest commercial hub: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Arrive in the late morning and enjoy an orientation tour through Ho Chi Minh City’s bustling streets en route to your hotel. Have lunch at a downtown restaurant, then set out on a guided city tour. In the afternoon you will visit such sites as the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Post Office and Ben Thanh Market. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.
Day 11: Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels – Cao Dai Temple.
After breakfast at your hotel, you travel outside of Saigon to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground labyrinth of passageways, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War (or “American War” as it’s referred to here) as protection against American air raids. Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime. Next you will visit the beautiful Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh and partake in the noontime prayer service. This large and colorful compound is home to the hybrid religion founded in the 1920s: Caodaism, which combines elements of Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam in order to promote peace. Have lunch in Tay Ninh and return to Saigon in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.
Day 12: Saigon – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho.
Today you leave Saigon and travel to the Mekong River Delta. Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel before driving to the riverside town of Cai Be. Along the way, stop at a candy factory and an orchard garden, where you have an opportunity to listen to traditional music. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at a riverside restaurant, then cross the river by motorized boat to visit some fluvial islands and explore the countryside by bicycle. Your driver will meet you at Vinh Long pier and take you to the epicentre of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho City, for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho.
Day 13: Can Tho – Cai Rang Floating Market – Saigon.
Wake early and leave the hotel to visit the famous Cai Rang floating market by motorized boat. Continue the boat ride to visit the Mekong Delta’s famous fruit orchards and sample the fresh, exotic fruit. Then venture deeper into the country-side, passing traditional houses made of wood and palm leaves as you observe the activities of the local people. Return to Can Tho for lunch then drive back to Saigon, arriving in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.
Day 14: Saigon Departure.
Have breakfast at your hotel then enjoy a free morning before driving to the airport to catch your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast.
