DAY 1: HO CHI MINH CITY (D)
Meet on arrival at Tan Son Nhat international airport, picked up by our coach and guide then transfer to your hotel in Ho Chi Minhcity.
After dinner, this is time to freshen up yourself or discover the city at night. Overnight in SaigoN
DAY 2: HO CHI MINH CITY – CU CHI TUNNEL (B/L)
After breakfast, sightseeing around the city including visits to Reunification Hall (Former Presidential Palace), History Museum, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Ben Thanh market. Photo stops at famous tourist sites such as City Hall, Grand Theatre, Notre Dame Cathedral and Center Post Office. Have lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon, you will leave Ho Chi Minh for Cu Chi tunnels where you will have the opportunity to witness how rice paper is made and to explore the amazing labyrinth of tunnels used by the guerrillas during the war.
Head back to Hotel in HCM for overnight stay.
DAY 3: MEKONG DELTA – HOMESTAY (B/L/D)
After breakfast, at 0800 depart for Vinh Long – deep in the Mekong Delta. Boat trip to a farmer’s plantation: learn the process of growing and engrafting the trees. Continue the cruise to an island and change to the row-boat for a 40 minutes rowing into small canals to see the daily life of the locals. Cycling about 40 minutes to the village lanes, pass by some local house and to an orchards. Visit the orchard and have lunch there.
In the afternoon, visit some traditional villages including green rice, rice paper making, coconut candy making, bee farm and honey making. Enjoy the local food and honey tea. Visit a local market then transfer to Kiet Ancient House, enjoy seasonal fruit in the garden. Check-in Ba Duc Ancient house and join the family to prepare the dinner (pancake or spring rolls). Overnight in the ancient houce (with A/C)
DAY 4: MEKONG DELTA – HCMC – HOI AN(B/L/D)
Breakfast with the family. Embark on a sampan to Cai Be floating market where the waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with fruits, vegetables, plants, foods, etc and you will have the chance to see how the local people buy and sell and exchange everything. Lunch then drive back to Saigon and transfer to the airport for departure flight to Da Nang.
On arrival pick-up and transfer to Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.
DAY 5: HOI AN – COOKING CLASS (B/L/D)
This day is to discover the beauty of Hoi An. The city is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century. After breakfast, you enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting and the Ancient Houses. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, after a short rest you will join Red Bridge Cooking Class, enjoying a boat trip and an exciting time in the market choosing the fresh ingredients, then you will learn how to make some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s most famous dishes.
After the lesson, there’s plenty of time enjoy what you have cooked for dinner before transferring back to the hotel for the evening. Overnight in Hoi An.
DAY 6: HOI AN – MY SON (B/L)
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel at around 8 to 8.30 am then drive to My Son holyland. My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a Must-See for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam. Back to Hoi An for lunch.The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
DAY 7: HOI AN – HUE (B/L)
After breakfast, transfer to Hue with photo stops at Hai Van Pass, Lang Co Fishing village
Arrive in Hue at noon. Have lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch, you will take a tour to the Imperial Citadel and Royal Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. Get back to the hotel for overnight stay in Hue.
DAY 8: HUE – HA NOI (B/L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.Take a boat trip on Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda – One of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue and Minh Mang Tomb. Lunch at local restaurant.
Depart to the Airport for the flight to Ha Noi City. Upon arrival in Ha Noi, picked up and transfer to hotel for your first night staying in the capital of Vietnam.
DAY 9: HANOI (B/L)
After breakfast, Start Ha Noi City Tour including visits to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Stilt House, Museum of Ethnology. After lunch at local restaurant, we continue to visit Hoan Kiem Lake& Ngoc Son temple, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. Free time at the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Pm: Enjoy water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.
DAY 10: HANOI – HA LONG 2D1N CRUISE (B/L/D)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Ha Long and embark on a cruise – Paloma Junk or similar
***Itinerary and activities are subject to change
12.30 Arrive at the pier. Transferred by tender to the Junk – Enjoy welcome drink. Receive cruise briefing, check in cabin and begin your cruise.
13.30 Having lunch – delicious Vietnamese set menu (Massage service is available after lunch and throughout the tour).
15:00 Head to Bai Tu Long Bay, pass the towns of Hon Gai and Cam Pha, Oan Lagoon, Monster Head and Teapot Islets and VungVieng fishing village. Visit the VungVieng floating fishing village by bamboo sampan for an hour or kayak in to the village. Short visit to Pearl Farm to learn how natural pearls are created. Then return to Paloma Cruise for your leisure or join one of the following optional activities: Sunbathing, traditional massage, swimming etc.
18:00 Drop anchor in the calm water surrounded by islets near Hang Trong. Happy Hour (sunset party).
18:30 Vietnamese cooking demonstration on boat.
19.15 Sumptuous set-dinner onboard.21.0 Relaxing on your cabin or join the on board activities: film entertainment, light music for dancing in the dining room (please book in advance with your tour guide), board games and playing cards are available, and massage services are available. Passengers may also try their luck at squid fishing from the boat.
DAY 11: HALONG – HANOI – LAO CAI (B/L/D)
06.15 Starting your day with Tai Chi on the Sundeck while complimentary tea & coffee are served.
07.00 Have breakfast
08.00 Explore the Surprise Cave (Sung Sot Cave ).
08:15 Transfer by tender to the Surprise Cave. Walk up about 100 steps to the cave entrance and tour the cave for approximately 45 minutes. Walk down about 100 steps and return to the boat.
10.00 Upon return to the boat you will have 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing. Please remove all of your belongings from your cabin, you may leave heavy luggage outside of the cabin (staff will transfer directly to the pier).
10:30 Enjoy Set Menu for lunch in the dining room.Relaxing on the sundeck or in the dining room, enjoying the rest of Halong bay before getting back to harbor.
11.45 Arrive at Hon GaiHarbour. Transfer by tender to the pier. Transfer back to Hanoi.
After dinner, transfer to the station to board the overnight train to Lao Cai.
DAY 12: LAO CAI – SAPA (B/L)
Arriving early into Lao Cai station, there is time for breakfast before driving to Sapa. En-route, visit the beautiful village of the Ta Phin people, where there’s a chance for exploration and interaction with the locals.
After lunch, take an easy trek down to Cat Cat village, home of the Black H’mong people, where you will learn about their life and culture. The village is also home to a waterfall and the hydropower plant left over from the French Colonial period. Trekking back to Sapa for the evening.Overnight in Sapa.
DAY 13: SAPA (B/L)
After breakfast we begin our trek down to the beautiful Muong Hoa valley to Lao Chai village where we will stop for a picnic lunch in a picturesque setting.
We continue by foot to the Village of Ta Van inhabited by the Giay People, where we have the opportunity to visit a local home before continuing on to the Giang Ta Chai Water fall.We return to Sapaby bus.
Transfer to the station to board an overnight train to Hanoi .
DAY 14: HANOI – DEPARTURE (B)
This morning arriving into Hanoi at around 05.30 am, enjoy a local breakfast. Free time at the Old Quarter or shopping area before transfer to airport for home flight.
china@vntm.com.vn
