ITINERARY:
HANOI - ARRIVAL (-/-/-)
DAY 1 Arrival at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
HANOI - BAT TRANG - HAI PHONG - HALONG BAY (B/L/-)
DAY 2 Drive to Bat Trang, the famous pottery village about 15km from Hanoi, which is surrounded by fertile farmland. Watch the artisans form, paint and glaze their products, which are then baked for several days in huge kilns. Proceed to Haiphong, the largest port in North Vietnam, 102 km east of Hanoi. Short orientation tour: Du Hang Pagoda and Hang Kenh Communal House, both with fine examples of traditional woodcarvings. After lunch, continue to Halong Bay. Overnight in Halong Bay.
HALONG BAY - HANOI (B/L/-)
DAY 3 Discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing 5-hour boat trip through Halong Bay, fresh Seafood lunch is prepared and served on board. Afternoon, drive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L/-)
DAY 4 Full day city tour: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday and the whole months of October-November), Ho Chi Minh’s Residence, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon visit of Museum of Ethnology, Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple and Old Quarters.
In the evening, attend the famous performance of a water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art. Overnight in Hanoi.
HANOI - CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK - NINH BINH (B/L/-)
DAY 5 Drive to Cuc Phuong National Park. 3 ½ hours easy trekking to discover the rich flora of the park. Lunch en route. Drive to Ninh Binh. Overnight at a simple hotel.
NINH BINH - TAM COC - HOA LU - PHAT DIEM - NINH BINH (B/L/-)
DAY 6 Drive to Tam Coc, often called “Dry Halong Bay”. Limestone rocks rise from rice fields and winding streams. Enjoy the spectacular scenery during a leisurely boat ride in traditional local sampans to Tam Coc caves. Lunch at local restaurant. Visit Bich Dong Pagoda and Temples of the Dinh and Le Dynasties. Proceed to Phat Diem and visit the stone church, a striking architectural complex in the style of a Vietnamese pagoda. Return to Ninh Binh for overnight.
NINH BINH - DONG HOI (B/L/-)
DAY 7 Full day drive to Dong Hoi through charming rural scenery, which offers a glimpse into the life in the southern Red River Delta. Lunch en route. Overnight in Dong Hoi.
DONG HOI - PHONG NHA CAVE - VINH MOC TUNNELS - HUE (B/L/-)
DAY 8 Drive to beautiful Phong Nha Caves, accessible by boat on the clear waters of the Son River. Lunch en route. Proceed south to visit Vinh Moc Tunnels, dug to accommodate an underground village safe from American air raids in the north of the DMZ. Continue driving through the sites of the fierce battle fields of Vinh Linh, Doc Mieu and Dong Ha before arriving in Hue, the former Royal City of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Overnight in Hue.
HUE CITY TOUR (B/L/-)
DAY 9 Boat ride on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and Minh Mang Tomb. Lunch at local restaurant. Visit Imperial Citadel with its Forbidden City and Tu Duc Tomb. If time permits, drive to visit a traditional garden house in Hue. Overnight in Hue.
HUE - DANANG - HOI AN (B/L/-)
DAY 10 Departure to Danang. The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van pass offers spectacular views of mountains, sea, idyllic beaches and villages. Lunch at local restaurant. Visit Cham Museum then continue to Marble Mountains with its beautiful grottoes and temples, which can be reached by climbing steep steps (please wear appropriate shoes). We continue further south to the charming historic city of Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.
HOI AN (B/L/-)
DAY 11 Known to early Western merchants, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. During a leisurely discovery tour on foot you will visit some of the historic merchant and community houses, places of worship and famous bridges. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
HOI AN - DANANG - NHA TRANG (B/L/-)
DAY 12 Drive to Danang and transfer to airport for flight to Nha Trang. Lunch at local restaurant. Visit Long Son Pagoda and Po Nagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2nd century AD. The town was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists. Overnight in Nha Trang.
NHA TRANG (B/-/-)
DAY 13 Full day at leisure (no tours, no guide). Overnight in Nha Trang.
NHA TRANG - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/-)
DAY 14 Leisure time until transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival transfer to hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. City tour: War Museum, the Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, photo stop at the former Presidential Palace. Continue to Chinatown and visit Thien Hau Pagoda and a local market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
HO CHI MINH CITY - TAY NINH/CU CHI TUNNELS - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/-)
DAY 15 Drive to Cu Chi and visit the amazing complex of underground tunnels. There are more than 200 km of underground tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. Proceed to Tay Ninh, center of the Cao-Dai religion founded in 1926, a combination of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. You will have the opportunity to watch the worshippers in their white long tunics during noon mass. Lunch at local restaurant. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
HO CHI MINH CITY - BEN TRE - CAN THO (B/L/-)
DAY 16 Coach trip to My Tho. Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda en route and stop by the bank of Tien Giang river. Take a boat trip on Mekong River to Phoenix Island, where local handicrafts and sweets from coconut are being produced. Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and traditional live music and song performance. Take a short ride on a horse carriage to a typical local house to taste some homemade honey-tea. Proceed by small sampan boats through the small canals and side arms of the river to observe the daily life along the river banks with a stop and short leisurely walk around Turtle Island. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Drive to Can Tho and transfer to hotel for check-in. Overnight in Can Tho.
CAN THO - SOC TRANG - CAN THO - CHAU DOC (B/L/-)
DAY 17 Boat trip on Mekong river to visit Cai Rang floating market. There will be opportunity to watch local villagers producing rice paper, pop-rice, and rice husking. Continue by car to Soc Trang to visit Clay Pagoda and Khmer Museum. Lunch en route. Drive back to Can Tho. In the afternoon, drive to Chau Doc, with an en route visit by boat to the Bang Lang stork sanctuary in Thot Not. Overnight in Chau Doc.
CHAU DOC - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/-)
DAY 18 Visit Lady Xu Temple, Thoai Ngoc Hau Temple, Tay An Pagoda and take a boat trip to the Islamic Champa village. Lunch en route. Depart Chau Doc, drive back Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
HO CHI MINH CITY - DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
DAY 19Day at leisure until transfer to Ho Chi Minh City / Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure.
VDE
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ALL RATES ARE NET IN US$ (01/11/09 - 31/10/10)
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Tour by private car/coach with private guide per person in a party of
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HOTEL CATEGORY
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1
|
2
|
3-5
|
6-9
|
10-14
|
15 +1
|
20 +1
|
Sgl-Sur
|
Tourist
|
4032
|
2244
|
1849
|
1428
|
1162
|
1119
|
1039
|
398
|
Superior
|
4468
|
2463
|
2067
|
1645
|
1371
|
1347
|
1252
|
616
|
First
|
5102
|
2815
|
2419
|
1998
|
1710
|
RQ
|
RQ
|
898
|
Deluxe
|
6147
|
3344
|
2948
|
2527
|
2217
|
RQ
|
RQ
|
1414
|
Surcharge for German SG
|
72
|
36
|
24
|
12
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
-
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Tour leader of group minimum of 15 full paying pax is free of charge in half twin
Tour leader of group minimum of 20 full paying pax is free of charge in single room
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Our tour prices are inclusive of transfers and tours with English or French speaking guide, accommodation in shared twin rooms with air-condition and private bath room, meals as specified in the program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner), entrance fees, boat fees, domestic air-tickets Danang - Nha Trang and Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City.
Not included are surcharges for German speaking guide, compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons and peak season surcharges, which will be advised at time of booking.
NOTE: Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.