12 DAYS DISCOVERING AWESOME VIETNAM

OUTLINE ITINERARY:

Day 1  Ho Chi Minh - Arrival 

Day 2 Ho Chi Minh - Flight To Hanoi - Street Food Tour [Guide/B/D]

Day 3 Hanoi City Tour [B/L] Group Tour

Day 4 Ninh Binh City Tour [B/L] Group Tour

Day 5 Hanoi - Ha Long Bay [B/L/D] Shuttle Bus

Day 6 Ha Long Bay - Hanoi [B/Br] Shuttle Bus

Day 7 Hanoi - Flight To Da Nang/ Hoi An [Guide/B]

Day 8 Hoi An - Bana Hill - Da Nang [B/L] Group Tour 

Day 9 Da Nang - Free and easy [B]

Day 10 Da Nang - Free And Easy - Flight To Ho Chi Minh [B]

Day 11 Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi Tunnel - Half Day [B/L] Group Tour 

Day 12  Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta [B/L] Group Tour – Departure

DETAILS ITINERARY:

DAY 1 HO CHI MINH – ARRIVAL

Arrival in Saigon, our driver (no guide) will pick you up to hotel for check in and take a rest.

Overnight in Saigon.  

DAY 2 HO CHI MINH - FLIGHT TO HANOI - STREET FOOD TOUR [GUIDE/B/D]

Breakfast at hotel, then our driver (no guide) will pick you up to Hanoi. 

Arrival in Hanoi, our driver (no guide) will pick you up to hotel for check in and take a short rest.

Then our guide will pick you up to have a foodie tour in Hanoi with a wide range of local food.

Overnight in Hanoi. 

DAY 3 HANOI CITY TOUR [B/L] GROUP TOUR

AM : 

8.00- 8.30: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City

08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located in the West Lake

It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of  Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique pagoda in the world

Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

 Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed for at least 2 months (15th June -15th August) for annual maintenance but still can take pictures Mausoleum and visit that area

11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam

Special Note: we will visit the Women's Museum instead of the Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays

12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with 8 delicious dishes.

PM : 

14.00-14.15: Continue to visit the Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century

15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which was originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton"

16.15 -16.30: you will watch Water Puppet Show – a traditional art dating back from 11th century. 

Return hotel, trip ends! 

DAY 4 NINH BINH CITY TOUR [B/L] GROUP TOUR

07:00 – 07:30 – Our guide will meet you at your hotel/stay and start 110km modern bus-journey through verdant landscape of country side. Short-brake en route.

10:00 – Arrive Glimmering Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of  Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley  below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away.

This pagoda complex is stunningly boasting an array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it take a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones.Visit The Quan Yin statue with thousands arms and eyes, Visit Gautama Buddha satatue.

With sacred atmospheres and intriguing Buddhism story which presented by Go Asia Travel’s insider guide, you cannot fail to enchant.

13:00 – Enjoy the lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisines.

13:30 – Leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields. Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle.

Embark on a traditional sampan gently roweddown the exquisite river through numerous  caves: Lam Cave, Vạng Cave, Đại Cave, Thánh Trượt Cave,…and Cao Sơn Temple, Suối Tiên Temple, Vũ Lâm Temple…

15:30 – Arrive Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa Long mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with specious view of the nature.

17:15 – Return to our bus and then come back to Ha Noi

19:30 – Drop you off at your hotel/stay. Trip ends.

DAY 5 HANOI - HA LONG BAY [B/L/D] SHUTTLE BUS

In the morning you will depart Hanoi at 08:30 for a three and a half hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay City. On the way, you will stop for refreshments, and upon arriving in Halong City, you will take a tender transfer to your junk and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. As you cruise the magical bay, you will notice thousands of sculpted limestone islands rising from the waves like dragons' teeth. Later in the afternoon, you'll visit a fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you'll enjoy cocktails or a cooking class while watching the sunset, and later you can unwind at a restaurant with a lavish dinner. To end the day, you can enjoy some evening activities such as movie night, board games, or a beauty treatment, before an overnight stay on the junk.

DAY 6 HA LONG BAY - HANOI [B/BR] SHUTTLE BUS

Wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves and bird welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto then walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock.

Disembark on cruise, then back to Hanoi.

Free and easy in Hanoi 

Overnight in Hanoi 

DAY 7.  HANOI - FLIGHT TO DA NANG/ HOI AN [GUIDE/B]

Breakfast at hotel, then our driver (no guide) will pick you up to airport for flight to Da Nang.

Arrival in Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An, check in at hotel.

Then you will discover Cam Thanh Village with basket boat dancing – a  must see at coconut forest. 

In the late afternoon, you will discover Hoi An Ancient Town -– the well-preserved ancient architecture of a trading port from 15 – 19^th century. Take a walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient town centre, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tam Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge. 

Back to hotel and take a rest

Overnight in Hoi An. 

DAY 8   HOI AN - BANA HILL - DA NANG [B/L] GROUP TOUR 

After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up to Bana Hill to discover Bana. 

Arrive at the cable car station. Sitting in the cabin, in midair, looking upon the endless tree lone of the forest. Experiencing the pristine ecological system of the Ba Na mountain will leave you a sense of unforeseeable discovery.

Visit the Le Jardin, old wineries - remains of French Villas and Linh Ung pagoda with 27m high Buddha statue. Leave Le Jardin for Gare Debay, the second cable car station, to go to the top of Ba Na

Visit and play game at the Fantasy Park- Ba Na Hills Fantasy Park- the third largest indoor amusement park in the world (only some free games depending on Ba Na policy).

Conquer the Peak of Chua mountain at the height of 1,487m. Enjoy the panorama view of the Da Nang from the top of Ba Na Hills.

Overnight in Da Nang. 

DAY 9 DA NANG - FREE AND EASY [B]

Free and easy in Da Nang 

DAY 10 DA NANG - FREE AND EASY - FLIGHT TO HO CHI MINH [B]

Free and easy, then you will transfer to airport for flight Saigon.

Arrival in Saigon, our driver will pick you up to hotel for check in and take a rest.

Overnight in Saigon. 

DAY 11 HO CHI MINH - CU CHI TUNNEL - HALF DAY [B/L] GROUP TOUR 

Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars. 

Have lunch at local restaurant.

Depart for Cu Chi tunnel, the trip will take approximately one and a half hours bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of the war time. Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served. 

Break time for relax or time for those who want to try the real shooting gun. 

Return to Saigon. End trip.

DAY 12.   HO CHI MINH - MEKONG DELTA [B/L] GROUP TOUR – DEPARTURE

A smooth one-and-half-hour bus ride through rice field scenery along National Highway 1 brings you to the beautiful rural district of Trung Luong.

On arrival at My Tho, after visiting Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely cruise on the Tien River to view the four beautiful islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. Boats pass by the fish rafts along the Tien River, overlooking the Rach Mieu Bridge. Stroll along the village road, visit the orchard and enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music" performed by locals.

Riding a hand-rowed sampan through the Tan Thach canal. Then visit the coconut candy mill and take an amazing rowing boat trip along the small canal on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals.

Enjoy lunch at the local restaurant; Then the motorboat will take you back to the cruise. Meet on the bus and return to Ho Chi Minh City. This trip provides a fascinating insight into daily life in the Mekong Delta, and you are guaranteed to take home your private collection of beautiful memories.

Around 7:30PM, our driver will come and transfer y ou to airport for flight home.

Trip ends! 

We look forward to seeing you again on your next adventure with Vinasoul Travel!

SERVICE INCLUDES

+ Private door-to-door pick-up & drop-off services; 

+ Domestic flight from Saigon to Hanoi, Hanoi to Da Nang, Da Nang to Saigon, economy class

+ Tissues and water on coach; Services charges and government tax; Exclusive and personalized single agent/single customer service; No extra charge after services confirmation; 24/7 hotline support guaranteed;

+ All Meals as stated in the itinerary (B: Breakfast ; L: Lunch ; D: Dinner)

+ Accommodation shared in Twin/Double room with daily breakfast 

+ Experienced English-speaking guide during all tours and transfers

+ Private boat trip for sightseeing as mentioned in the program, Entrance fees for all visits as mentioned in the itinerary

SERVICES EXCLUDES

+ International flight tickets

+ Evisa Assistance to Vietnam 

+ Meals, if not specified in the itinerary

+ Tipping for guides, drivers, hotel staff, restaurant staff, boat rider, etc. Personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc. All other services not specified in the itinerary Surcharge for Peak season, Tet Lunar New year holidays, and compulsory dinner at some hotel & resort on Xmas and New year’s Eve

+ Travel insurance (we highly recommend that you purchase adequate insurance).

Suggestions for tipping and gratuities: 

+ Group under 6 pax: 20 USD per Group per day.

+ Group from 6 pax up: 3 - 5 USD per pax per day 

+ Group under 6 pax: 10 USD per Group per day. 

+ Group from 6 pax up: 2 USD per pax per day