Hanoi to Saigon Focus on World Heritage

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B,L)
Day 3: Hanoi - Ninh Binh (B, L)
Day 4: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (B,L,D)
Day 5: Ha Long Bay - Hanoi - flight to Danang - Hoi An (B, L)
Day 6: Hoi An Explore (B,L,D)
Day 7: Half Day My Son Heritage (B,L)
Day 8: Hoi An - Danang - Hue (B, L)
Day 9: Hue Highlights and flight to Saigon (B,L)
Day 10: Saigon City Tour (B,L)
Day 11: Saigon - Mekong Delta - Saigon (B,L)
Day 12: Depart for home sweet home (B)

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B,L)
 

See the gorgeous Temple of Literature and National University, Museum of Ethnology, Ho Chi Minh Complex, Hanoi Old Quarter and a Water Puppet Show Performance.

8:30 AM: You are met by your guide and taken to the Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching the Royal Children.

Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol, Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage "Stone Steles” which shows the names of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered to be the first National University of Vietnam.

Next, stop at the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and the traditional houses of many ethnic groups. To fully explore this interesting museum, it takes you around two hours. 

In the afternoon you visit the French Quarter – the “Little Paris” in Hanoi with tree lined boulevards, government head offices and a big square. Visit (outside) Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live and work. Continue on towards the unique One – Pillar Pagoda,  one of the city’s symbols. It takes us one to two hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of travellers.

Return to the Old Town for a walking tour. Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da, quietly located in a small alley - only a few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by French colonialism around the 19th century. Your  guide will take you to typical streets of Hanoi such as Lan Ong Street, selling traditional medicine and Lo Ren Street where metal items are produced. Stop to visit the Dong Xuan Central Market - the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to see the vibrant Ta Hien Street, famous for night activities and street food - See and taste unforgettable local foods and drinks.  An great experience.

Finally, enjoy the unique performance of a Water Puppet Show, which first appeared in the 11th century. In these shows, the daily life, culture and beliefs of Vietnamese people are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well.  Return to your hotel. 

Day 4: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (B,L,D)

8:30 – 9:00: You are collected at hotel and start travelling to the north east of Vietnam, along the expressway to the Tuan Chau Ha Long Tourist Wharf.

12.00: Arrive at Tuan Chau Maria Harbour and enjoy a 20 minute speed boat ride from the wharf to the Gia Luan Area where our main vessel is anchored. You are welcomed on your Sena crusie with fresh drinks while listening to a safety briefing, followed by  checking in to your cabin. A beautiful lunch is served in the luxury restaurant while cruising passt many rocks formations emerging from the emerald green water.

14.30: We arrive at the Dark and Light Cave Area where enjoy the amazing experience of kayaking into the  Tunnel Grotto. With the advantage of engine power, we will arrival here 30 minutes to an hour before it becomes busy.

16.30: We return to our Sena Cruise for a  shower and ready to relax on the top deck with a small sunset party and happy hour while the dark night slowly comes over.

19.00: This evening, dinner is one to remember,  a fresh seafood barbecue will be serve at the Roof Top Restaurant. What better way to enjoy fine dining than to share romantic stories. Overnight on your Sena Cruise.

Day 6: Hoi An Highlights (B,L)

9:00 AM: You are collected at your hotel for your Hoi An Old Town Highlights Tour. First visit, Cam Pho - one of the oldest communal houses in Hoi An. It was built in the shape of a Chinese character and means the place for worshipping and trading, business and cultural exchange between local, Chinese and Japanese traders. We then go to a non-tourist destination, enhancing your visit making it more enjoyable and enriched by learning about the Japanese Tea Ceremony or making toys from coconut leaves with a local expert. 

We take a leisurely walk to the Hoi An city’s symbol - the Chua Cau or the Japanese Covered Bridgewhich was built in the 17th century to allow the Japanese quarter access from the Chinese neighborhoods. The bridge’s original style has been carefully preserved for the last 400 years.

Immersing into the life of the town, we walk through the town to Quan Thang Ancient House - one of the most authentic old houses in Hoi An, with it's lively and fine architecture and sculptures which were made by craftsmen of the famous Kim Bong carpentry village, in the oriental style. The house offers a good insight into Hoi An daily family life. 

Next stop is the Phuc Kien or Fujian Assembly Hall which was built around 1690 and functioned as a traditional assembly hall for the Chinese ethnic group from Fujian, China - to socialise. But later, it was transformed into a temple dedicated to their deity, named Thien Hau – the Goddess of the Sea who protects sailors from danger. We spend some time shopping and have lunch in the town.

In the afternoon, we start the day with a welcome drink at Hai Café (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An town).

Visit the colourful Hoi An Market and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy marketplace. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in a cooking lesson, later.

We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely 25 minute cruise along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life so make sure your camera is handy.

On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dishes ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decorations). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.

Transfer back to hotel at the end of the day.

Day 8: Hoi An - Da Nang - Hue (B,L)

Travelling to Hue, visiting Cham Sculpture Museum, Hai Van Pass, Thien Mu Pagoda and Hue Citadel.

8:00 AM: You are collected from your hotel then travel to Hue by passing Da Nang along the Sea Road. On arrival in Da Nang, stop to visit the Cham Museum which preserves the most important Cham culture collections in the world. Walk to My Khe Beach where you enjoy the view of the giant Goodness of Mercy statue in the Linh Ung Pagoda. Take photos of fishermen by the beach before continuing the drive along the coastline to Hue ancient capital. Make a stop at the top of the Hai Van Pass to enjoy the breathtaking view of the ocean. 

On arrival in Hue, enjoy lunch then visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. This is the spiritual highlight of the city and well known for its majestic octagon tower and beautiful view of the Perfume River.  

Keep your tour visit to the most important sites in the city - Hue Citadel, the only vestige symbol for what was once the Imperial City of Vietnam. It is inspired by the fortification of Vauban.

The city is composed of three parts: Kinh Thanh (the Capital City), Hoang Thanh (the Imperial City) and Cam Thanh (the Forbidden City). The most beautiful sites in Hue are concentrated in this area including the Flag Tower, the South Gate, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Dynasty Temple Area and the Settlement Area.

End of the day, check into your hotel and enjoy your stay in the ancient capital.

Day 10: Saigon City Tour (B,L)

After breakfast at your hotel, take a full day tour of this historic city visiting the former Presidential Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and see the famous architecture of the city centre including Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Municipal Theater and Xa Loi Pagoda, as well as Ben Thanh Market and China Town (Cholon).

Evening free.

Day 12: Departure for Home Sweet Home (B)

Enjoy free time this morning and last minute shopping before your transfer to the airport.
 

Remarks: 
1. All of our itineraries can be tailor-made to suit your requirements, allowing us to create the perfect holiday just for you. Please click on the “Tailor this trip" button and complete the requested information for us. Upon receipt, our travel consultant will customize the best value vacation for your kind consideration. Please note: Changes CAN be made to the itinerary after our initial quote, but may result in a price change also!

2. We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina in particular (Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos) hotel prices make up the major expense of your holiday. Therefore, we would like to clarify how we define these charges:

· Boutique & character hotels: from $50-$80 USD per room/ per night

· Comfort = 3 star hotels from US$ 40 - US$ 60 per room/ per night

· Superior = 4 star hotels from US$ 80 - US$ 110 per room/ per night

· Deluxe = 5 star hotels from US$120 - US$ 190++ per room/ per night

· High-end = Best of the best hotels fr om US$ 250++ per room/ per night

Included

• Hotels at places as indicated (double/ twin room)
• Private tours with English speaking guides for the entire trip except leisure time
• Entrance fee to any applicable tourist sites – Hotel as indicated
• All transfers with our A/C transport
• Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Flight tickets: Hanoi – Danang, Hue – Saigon (Vietnam Airlines, Economy class)
• Government Tax – Service Charge – Accommodations

Cancellation by Customer

• Cancellation received before 60 days: No charge
• Cancellation received from 30 days to 59 days prior arrival date: 10% of total rate
• Cancellation received from 15 days to 29 days prior arrival date: 30% of total rate
• Cancellation received from 7 days to 14 days prior arrival date: 50% of total rate
• Cancellation received less than 7 days prior arrival date or No show: 100% of total rate

Things to bring:

Wear comfortable shoes and clothes suitable for activities such as riding in the sampan, walking, cycling and for long drives. Prepare for hot weather. Bring a hat/cap, sun screen, sun glasses, a swimsuit and insect repellent. The weather is normally hot from May to October.

You should bring cash with you, preferably in Vietnamese Dong because the banking system doesn’t always function well. US Dollars and Euro are accepted in many places too. You should bring your medications with you although there are pharmacies throughout Vietnam if you do get sick.

Don't want the fun to end?

Why not combine this tour with Cambodia tours, Laos tours, Myanmar tours or spend a few days in the tropical paradise that is the Viet Nam coast? We take care of everything from flights to transfers and accommodation so that you can relax and enjoy your holiday. Explore our other destinations or speak with your personal Travel Consultant for some expert advice on suitable combinations.