Tourcode VIE 906 - 9 days / 8 nights

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Danang - Hoi An - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Daily departure from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, minimum 2 persons, private tour

DAY 1 HANOI

Arrival in Hanoi. Here the driver and guide from our local partner agency will welcome you, followed by transfer to the hotel in the city center. Day at leisure and time to relax or take a stroll to get some first impressions of the Vietnamese capital. Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 2 HANOI B/L

In the morning you will be picked up from the hotel by our local tour guide and drive and start your tour to discover Hanoi, which has thousand years of history and culture. Drive through the French Quarter, that can explain why this city was called Paris of the East before. Go on to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (it is closed on Monday and Friday!), nearby Presidential Palace & Garden with its famous House on Stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda. Go on to the Temple of Literature (the central of culture in Hanoi). In the afternoon take a look to the Ethnology Museum, in which you can study the great outline of 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam. Then take the tramcar to see the Old Quarter, a great chance to discover the daily life activities of local people in the most attractive area of the city. Your tour will be concluded with the great experience of a Water Puppet show, the unique art of Vietnamese people from the Red River Delta. Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 3 HANOI - HALONG BAY B/L/D

After breakfast you will be driven for approx. 2,5 hours through the Red River Delta to Halong Bay with rice fields and lots activities of local people along the way. Halong Bay is an area of 1553 square kilometers with approx. 2000 islands and islets. It stands as a wonder of Vietnam and tops UNESCO"S world heritages sites. You will be welcomed by the cruise staff, do enjoy the welcome drink, cruise briefing and then check in at your cabin. The junk will start cruising on magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay while you enjoy lunch on board. It also a great chance to admire the fascinating rock formations in the bay. In the afternoon you will visit the secluded cave of Thien Canh Son. Then take a short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swimming or kayaking. Back to the junk, relax and get ready for dinner. Overnight.

DAY 4 HALONG BAY - HANOI - HUE B/L

In the morning you can admire the sunrise on the bay. Enjoy the bay's morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee and have breakfast in the open air. Then you will have a chance to visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. Then back to the junk for leisure or swimming. The cruise will be back to the harbor while an a la carte lunch will be served. At approx. noon disembark and drive to Hanoi bu shuttle bus. Here your private driver will wait for you, followed by transfer to the airport for your flight to Hue. There you will be welcomed again by our local representative. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Hue.

DAY 5 HUE B

Pick up by the local tour guide from the hotel. Take first a cyclo trip over the famous Trang Tien Bridge and Dong Ba Market. Then a tour by cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue for an overview of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. From the Noon Gate at the Imperial Citadel take a walking tour in to the inner area of it. You will see sights such as the Flag Tower, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine holy Canons, Thai Hoa Palace and the Forbidden Purple City. After lunch drive to Thien Mu Pagoda, the symbol of Hue city and walk around Kim Long village. It is a great chance to learn about the lifestyle of the locals. Finally visit the impressive architecture of Tu Doc Tomb. Then you get some time at leisure in the former capital on the banks of the Perfume River.

DAY 6 HUE - DANANG - HOI AN B

In the morning depart for Danang via the well known Hai Van Pass. Visit the Cham Museum with great collections of sand stone artifact from the 4th to 13th century. Go on to the ancient town Hoi An on the coast of the South China Sea. A little attractive town very famous as living museum. In the afternoon take a walking tour to the ancient town and also visit Thang Loi Handicraft workshop, famous for the woodcarving, mat weaving, lantern making, silk worm raising, spinning and weaving etc. Go on to see the Japanese Cover Bridge (the symbol of Hoi An) and walk at Nguyen Thai Hoc, the ancient street of Hoi An, which brings you to the main market. Finally visit the Chinese Phuoc Kien Pagoda, a worshiping temple to Thien Hau, the Goddess protecting people from the sea. Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 7 HOI AN - HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) B

In the morning transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Upon arrival take a city tour, which does include the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, where local people come and burn the incense for their luck, prosperity and happiness. After that, visit the History Museum, where you can see great outline from the 4000 years history of the country. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

DAY 8 SAIGON - MEKONG DELTA - SAIGON B/L

After an early breakfast start the tour to the south. About 2 hours later reach Ba Ton Bridge. Here board the Mekong Queen and start cruising through the Mekong Delta. See tiny canals, small villages and fruit gardens. You got the opportunity to stop at some small local factories, such as rice wine making and rice husking. A bit later reach the bustling floating market of Cai Be and finally Tan Pong Island. Here you have the chance for a short leisure cycling trip through the country side. Lunch will be served in a traditional ancient house. Afterwards drive back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which takes about 2,5 hours and spend another night here.

DAY 9 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) B

Time at leisure until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

REMARKS/FLEXIBILITY:

• Except for some nationalities (please check with us!) who can enter Vietnam without visa for a maximum stay of 15 days, you have to get your visa for Vietnam in advance! Please contact your nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate for it. With "a letter of approval for visa on arrival" we still can also arrange the visa on arrival. If you wish to do so, please let us know at the time of booking! And in the mean time for most nationalities there is also an online visa service available: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
• Flights out of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) after the tour to Laos, Cambodia or Thailand can be booked with us, as well as overland tours and transfers to Phnom Penh (Cambodia).
• This round trip can be booked also v. v. with start in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and end in Hanoi.
• Instead by shuttle bus there is also a private transfer (against surcharge) to/from Halong Bay available on day 2+3 of this tour. If you wish to do so, please let us know at the time of booking.
• Additional nights in Hanoi before, resp. in Ho Chi Minh City after the round trip can be booked with us

PRICE INCLUDES:

Air-conditioned transportation during the tour, English speaking tour guide, all transfers and excursions as mentioned in the above itinerary, accommodation at middle class hotels and resorts with daily breakfast, all other meals as per program (L = lunch, D = dinner), entrance fees as per program, air tickets Hanoi - Hue and Danang - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

NOT INCLUDED:

Visa for Vietnam, drinks, tips and personal expenses

HOW TO GET TO HANOI:

From/to Bangkok (Thailand) flights by Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Air Asia, Viet Jet Air and Thai Lion Air. From/to Chiang Mai flights by Bangkok Airways and Thai Air Asia. From/to Vientiane and Luang Prabang (Laos) flights by Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. From/to Siem Raep (Cambodia) flights by Vietnam Airlines and Viet Jet Air. From/to Yangon (Myanmar) by Vietnam Airlines and Viet Jet Air. All these flights can be booked with us.