Vietnam Heritage Discovery Tour 16 Days 15 Nights ( VN06 )

Hello! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

• Arrive at Hanoi Airport, your car and tour guide will hold up a welcome sign with your name on it and take you straight to your hotel in the Old Quarter.
• After checking in, you will be free to relax, your tour guide will introduce your tour itinerary, then go enjoy the cuisine at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up and take you on a tour of Hanoi through Pha Village, with its French architecture, and visit landmarks such as:

• Thang Long Citadel (the first UNESCO World Heritage Site), built in the 11th century by the Ly Dynasty, marking the independence of Dai Viet (former Vietnam)
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Stilt House and Presidential Palace
• One Pillar Pagoda, one of the most iconic pagodas in Vietnam
• Huu Tiep Lake where you can see the B-52 plane that was shot down.
• Women’s Museum.

Noon: You will have lunch at KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that trains and employs disadvantaged youth to help them get a step forward in life.

Afternoon: You will continue your tour;

• Temple of Literature (a Confucius temple that served as Vietnam’s first National University)
• Hoa Lo Prison (known as the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War)
• Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple

Go to Hanoi’s Old Quarter and explore the alleys, with wooden shops facing inwards and dilapidated colonial villas, the Old Quarter is where you will enjoy delicious food with your guide.

After enjoying the cuisine, you return to the hotel, free to relax

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast and check out of your hotel, your guide will pick you up to travel to Ha Long via the Red River Delta where you will board a traditional Vietnamese junk where you will spend the evening, embarking on a cruise around the thousands of islets and limestone caves of the bay.

Afternoon: After lunch on board, you will spend time sunbathing on the deck and enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the bay.

• Visit Sung Sot Cave “Grotte des Surprises”, a hidden gem of Mother Nature. As you weave through the islands, you will come across secluded bays, white sand beaches and floating villages.
• You can enjoy activities on board and around the stunning scenery of the bay. Or enjoy a spa experience on board or swim in the emerald waters.
• At the end of the day, you will sail to the anchorage area for the night. During this time – the magical “blue hour” – Halong Bay reveals its true magnificence. You will have the opportunity to attend a cooking demonstration by the chef or enjoy a breathtaking sunset on the deck before a delicious dinner.
• The evening will be at your leisure. You can watch a movie or join the crew in squid fishing before retiring to your room for a good night’s sleep.

Overnight on board in Halong Bay

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Morning: You can join Tai Chi to relax, or join a morning class with a ‘Local Expert’ on the deck of Halong Bay early in the morning or you can kayak through Dark and Bright Caves to admire the beauty of nature.

• Return to the Junk to check out then enjoy a full buffet breakfast as you return to the port.

Afternoon: When you return to the mainland, your tour guide and driver will take you back to Hanoi. On the way, you will stop at Yen Duc, a beautiful village in Northern Vietnam, you can walk around the village, meet the locals and learn about their daily life. You can also watch a traditional water puppet show performed by local artists.

• After the show, return to Hanoi, you are free to relax and rest.

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast and check out, your tour guide and driver will pick you up and depart for Ninh Binh. Only three hours from Hanoi.

• Upon arrival, you will explore Trang An eco-tourism area (the third UNESCO world heritage site on your list) and its landscape of caves, high peaks and tranquil streams. Take a sampan boat to explore the caves and arches of Trang An, including Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave and Sinh Cave.

Afternoon: After lunch, you will visit Hoa Lu, the former capital of Vietnam dating back to the 11th century, with its mystical natural landscape that will surely bring you the most enjoyable experiences.

• Visit the two remaining temples of King Dinh and King Le. Restored in the 17th century, the temple was built on the original foundations of the old palaces from the 11th and 12th centuries.
• Take a leisurely bike ride through the area, the towering limestone mountains towering above you as you follow the narrow roads and scenic views. Reach Hang Mua Mountain, where a short hike leads to a stunning viewpoint with breathtaking views of the Ngo Dong River below, cutting through the towering mountains.
• Stay overnight at the boutique Tam Coc Garden Resort. Surrounded by rice paddies and stunning limestone formations, Tam Coc Resort is an oasis of serenity.

Overnight in Ninh Binh

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Morning: After breakfast and check out of the hotel, you will go to Ninh Binh train station to board the day train to Dong Hoi. The train journey lasts 9 hours and you will have a nice and comfortable air-conditioned four-berth soft sleeper cabin.

Evening: Upon arrival in Dong Hoi, your guide and driver will greet you at the train exit and take you to Chay Lap Farmstay and Resort where you will enjoy two wonderful nights. Set amidst spectacular limestone mountains, off the beaten track, Chay Lap is a true gem in Phong Nha & Ke Bang National Park.

Overnight in Phong Nha National Park

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Morning: After breakfast, set off to explore Phong Nha Cave (the fourth UNESCO World Heritage Site on your list), the world’s longest limestone cave. You will enter the cave by boat along the Son River and once inside, you will be amazed by the fine sands, spectacular milky white stalagmites and stalactites of the cave.

• Visit the historic Tam Co Cave.

Afternoon: After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Thien Duong Cave, a magical complex of skyscraper-like stalagmites and stalactites hanging like a giant church organ pipe. The first 1 km (0.6 miles), with wooden steps leading you to the cave.

• Return to the Farmstay in the late afternoon, free to relax. Enjoy the comfort of the Farmstay or for those who want, there is the option of cycling around the local villages.

Overnight in Phong Nha National Park

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Morning: You will be free to visit, have breakfast at the Farmstay and check out at noon.

Afternoon: The driver will pick you up at the Farmstay and take you to Dong Hoi Train Station to Hue, explore the ancient capital.

• The train journey lasts three hours to Hue

Evening: The tour guide and driver will pick you up at the train station and take you to the hotel to check in, relax. The tour guide will recommend you a delicious restaurant near the hotel for dinner.

Overnight in Hue

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up and take you to the outskirts to visit Thanh Toan Market. The morning market will be a walk around the market stalls, chatting and interacting with the locals, visiting the ancient Thanh Toan covered bridge dating back to the 1700s and the Cultural Museum showcasing the agricultural life of the Vietnamese people.

• Return to the city centre by cyclo (rickshaw) through the ‘Old Quarter’ to Tinh Tam Lake, where the Emperors used to relax. From here, you will explore the Imperial City (the fifth UNESCO World Heritage Site on your list) with its six-mile-long walls, palaces and halls for mandarins and the ruins of the Forbidden City.
• Visit the countryside where the final resting place (tomb) of King Khai Dinh is, designed in traditional Vietnamese style with European touches making it unique compared to other tombs in Hue.

Lunch: Enjoy a vegetarian lunch at a Buddhist temple. Learn about Buddhism or meet your friendly hosts.

Afternoon: Visit Vietnam’s only ancient Roman arena, where the battle between elephants and tigers took place.

• Take a dragon boat down the Perfume River. Along the way, you will stop and disembark to visit Thien Mu Pagoda – Hue’s most famous religious site, visit the pagoda’s landscaped gardens, the seven-storey octagonal tower and watch monks chanting sutras.
• Visit Truc Chi Garden, a bamboo paper handicraft workshop. You will have the opportunity to meet one of the students and have a hands-on experience to learn how to use bamboo pulp carving techniques to create works of art.

Overnight in Hue

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Morning: After breakfast, drive from Hue to Da Nang and Hoi An for four hours along the coast via the Hai Van Pass (Sea Cloudy Pass). From the top of the pass, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the coast and Da Nang city below.

• Upon arrival in Da Nang, you will visit the Marble Mountains, the Cham Museum and the long My Khe Beach with its emerald green waters.
• Drive to Hoi An around noon. Check in at the boutique resort, right next to the old town.

Afternoon: You are free to relax at the resort or stroll around the Old Town, with its paper lanterns lining the streets and delicious riverside restaurants.

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: You are free to explore and enjoy a late breakfast at the hotel.

Afternoon: Your tour guide will pick you up and take you to Hoi An Ancient Town to visit Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall and Japanese Bridge.

• Visit the Precious Heritage Museum, which permanently displays the Precious Heritage Collection of Réhahn and the rich cultural paintings of the ethnic groups.
• Visit the Reaching Out Tea House, a small oasis of peace and welcome in the bustling Old Town, owned and operated by deaf and mute people. Here, you will be treated to cakes and oriental tea.
• Visit the house of a lantern artisan, you will be guided to make lanterns from bending the lantern into the frame, cutting the fabric, gluing until completing the lantern.
• Explore Hoi An street food, your tour guide will take you through the small streets to enjoy delicious and attractive dishes. At 4pm every day, the streets of Hoi An are filled with countless street food carts, stalls and vendors.

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: Depart early in the morning (to avoid the crowds) to My Son Sanctuary (the seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site on your list), about an hour’s walk from Hoi An, to visit the Cham culture.

• Upon arrival, you will take a walking tour to learn about the Cham culture, watch the traditional Apsara Dance. The girls will perform the dance to the sound of pans and drums, wearing colorful traditional costumes and conical hats.
• Return to town. Stop on the way to visit a rice paper workshop to test your cooking skills and learn how to make a local snack. Then, you will enjoy your creations and have tea to learn about the daily life of the people here.

Afternoon: You are free to explore the local market and try street food (try Lao Cau and White Rose Buns), sew for 24 hours, take a hands-on cooking class.

• The beautiful An Bang Beach is only 5 km from the Old Town. You can cycle there to swim and relax.

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: After breakfast and check out, transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), formerly known as Saigon.

• Your guide and driver will meet you at the HCMC airport and take you to Cu Chi to visit the historical site, with tunnels that housed shelters, storage rooms, temporary hospitals and kitchens… you will watch documentary footage and take a private tour of this historical site.
• Try some of the staple foods of the Viet Cong soldiers, including cassava and sour tea. Then, transfer to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Afternoon: After experiencing the Tunnels, you will go to your hotel in the city center to check in, free to relax.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Morning: After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up and take you on a full-day tour of Ho Chi Minh City, stopping to visit famous landmarks such as:

The War Remnants Museum displays military aircraft, weapons and a collection of harrowing photos taken during the war.

• The Reunification Palace (formerly the Presidential Palace)
• The Notre Dame Cathedral with its impressive French colonial architecture
• The General Post Office (designed by Gustave Eiffel)
• The Opera House and City Hall
• You pass by the former US Embassy (now the US Consulate General) and General Westmoreland’s Saigon villa.

Noon: You enjoy lunch at the famous Pho 2000 Restaurant, where former US President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea used to frequent.

Afternoon: You visit the Fito Museum, hidden in a quiet corner of the city, the museum displays traditional Vietnamese medical tools.

• Visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda, then head to Cho Lon (Chinatown) and its bustling markets.
• Visit the top of Bitexco Tower to watch the sunset and enjoy the best views of the city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you out of Ho Chi Minh City and to Ben Tre Town in the Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, and where most of the fruits, rice, sugar cane are produced…

• After a two-hour drive you will arrive in Ben Tre, you will board a motorboat to travel through narrow winding canals through coconut forests. During the boat trip, you will stop at a local handicraft industrial area to see locals making bricks and weaving sleeping mats by hand. Learn about traditional handicrafts.
• Take a relaxing stroll along the village roads, visit traditional houses and taste fresh fruits, enjoy delicious honey tea and watch a traditional musical performance. Continue to visit another workshop, where local coconut candy and many products from coconut shells and coconut fibers are skillfully crafted.
• Take a small sampan boat ride through small canals lined with palm trees, gliding gently along hidden waterways surrounded by lush green trees.
• Enjoy the feeling of sitting on the back of a rickshaw, passing through villages, rice fields, coconut forests and lush fruit farms meeting the locals.

Afternoon: After the tour ends, your guide will take you to a riverside restaurant to enjoy local specialties, then return to the pier and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

• In the evening, you are free to visit the night market to explore authentic local cuisine or have a cocktail at the rooftop bar of the historic Rex Hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Your shuttle will pick you up at your hotel after breakfast and take you to Ho Chi Minh International Airport where you can catch your flight home or continue your adventure, which we will help you plan.

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