VIETNAM HIGHLIGHTS (19 days - 18 nights) - Multi-City Tours

Itinerary Day by Day:

Day 1. Arrival Ho Chi Minh City
Welcome on arrival at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International airport by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure. 
Overnight in HCMC.

Day 2. Ho Chi Minh City Tour 
Begin our urban experience in bustling HCMC (formerly Saigon), the country's commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and Hotel de Ville. If desired, also visit the moving War Remnants Museum. Explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and house wares. The urban modern Ho Chi Minh City with its numerous shopping malls, cinemas, discotheques and a bewildering number of bars. Overnight in HCMC.

Day 3 .HCMC - Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temples 
This morning we drive to Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh to observe the midday service. Following lunch we will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels and then return to HCMC at around 6 pm. Tay Ninh , near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The temple's exterior is decorated with multi-colored dragons of all shapes and sizes competing for space with a number of religious symbols. Above the main entrance is the all-seeing holy eye, the symbol of the Cao Dai sect. The interior is just as engaging as statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side by side. The trip to Tay Ninh is combined with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height, the tunnel system stretched over 250km. from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam War must have been like. Overnight in HCMC.

Day 4: HCMC City - Mekong Delta
Leave HCMC to lush My Tho where we cruise on a private boat through the green vegetation of the canals to an orchard, where we are treated to a delicious lunch in a bonsai garden in the heart of the Mekong, complete with tropical fruits. We also visit the snake farm Dong Tam that breeds snakes for, among other things, snake wine and enjoy a bonsai garden in Trung Luong, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, a combination of Asian and European pagoda before heading Can Tho city, heart of the Mekong Delta. Overnight in Can Tho.

Day 5: Mekong Delta - HCMC City
You wake up to the sounds of the Mekong River welcoming a new day. Take boat trip to join in the Cai Rang floating market - one of the most bustling floating markets in Mekong Delta with hundreds of small boats barging and jostling for space to sell their goods and to experience the Mekong rural lifestyle. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort the guests back to the hotel through myriad canals. Lunch at local restaurant before return to Ho Chi Minh City . Overnight in HCMC. 
Alternative for people can wake up early: Join in Floating market by "The Lady Hau" cruise. Enjoy breakfast on the "Lady Hau" while cruising to the floating market. When the "Lady Hau" arrives at Cai Rang floating market, guests are transferred to a local traditional boat to enter the market. Then, continue cruising with the guide along narrow creeks to visit a noodle factory and an orchard. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort the guests back to the hotel by local boat through myriad canals. (Starting at 6:30 AM, the Lady Hau cruise and tour extension takes around 4 hours; minimum 4 persons).

Day 6: HCMC - Nha Trang
Free until transfer to airport for flight to Nha Trang. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 7: Nha Trang 
Full Day Cruise in Nha Trang Bay with some stop for snorkeling and swimming. 
Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 8: Nha Trang
Free time at the resort. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 9: Nha Trang - Danang - Hoi An
Free until transfer to airport for flight to Danang, visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages on the foot of Marble Mountain before arriving in Hoi An. Free at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 10: Hoi An
We enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. In the afternoon, free at leisure or shopping for souvenir. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 11: Hoi An - Danang - Hue
Leave Hoi An for Hue. This afternoon we embark on a tour of Hue City including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market. Overnight in Hue.

Day 12: Hue 
Rising up in the ancient land, breakfast in hotel, we board on a private boat for cruising on the romantic Perfume River. This time we head out for the countryside. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded with ancient tombs of emperors past, and a visit to some of these tombs will be on the itinerary for today. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day, setting in the river`s converge will give you a great view on the Perfume River and surrounding area. From here we will cruise further to the ornate Minh Mang's tomb. Overnight in Hue.

Day 13: Hue - Hanoi
Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Hanoi. The colonial capital city Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental pagodas and temples. In the afternoon visit Hanoi: Vietnam's artistic and intellectual capital. You will take the cyclo tour to explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquer ware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Also visit Hanoi's main cultural attractions, including the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature. Enjoy the evening water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 14: Hanoi - Lao Cai
Full day of leisure until transfer to the Ha Noi Railway for the overnight train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train.

Day 15: Lao Cai - Sapa
Early morning pick up from the station and transfer to Sapa. Once at Sapa, you will early check-in (room subject to availability). Freshen up, and have breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel and then enjoy a free morning to explore around town. From the hotel there will be a walking tour to the hill tribe villages of Cat Cat, home to the H'mong hill tribe's minority peoples. As you walk to the villages nestled in the valley below Sapa, you will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here you have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families that live in the area. Overnight in Sapa.

Day 16: Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi
We explore the Sapa Sunday market and then set out on our 3-4 hour trek that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through several hill tribe villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van, home to H'mong, and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. We will stop for a picnic lunch on the way to Ta Van village. We transfer back to Lao Cai for the night train journey back to Hanoi. Overnight on train.

Day 17: Hanoi - Halong Bay ( L / D )
Early arrival in Hanoi around 5 a.m. Pick up from here, transfer to local restaurant for breakfast and morning coffee. Leave Hanoi by private vehicle at 8:30 a.m. arriving at the jetty around 12:30 p.m. Our crew welcomes you on board the Deluxe Cruise. Enjoy a welcome drinks, check-in to your cabin. A fresh seafood lunch will be served at 1 p.m. At that time, we will begin our 3.5 hours cruise through mystic Halong Bay to see the amazing karsts with different formations: Mat Qui (Monster's face) islet, But Moc islet, Cap De islet, Trong (Drum) cave, Trinh Nu cave, floating fishing village, with its unique way of life. Then head to Luon cave, enjoy swimming, sun bathing at Ti Top beach or climb the peak of the mountain for a breath-taking panorama view of Halong Bay. Enjoy another seafood feast for dinner and for the night owls, there is an option of night fishing. Overnight on board.

Day 18: Halong Bay - Hanoi ( L )
Rising to the sound of lapping bay waters, we have time for an early morning dip followed by breakfast. Sitting on the upper deck, you can relax while taking in the breath-taking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay. After breakfast, explore Sung Sot cave, swim and relax. Our boat cruises back to the jetty while brunch is served. We continue cruising through the bay, along the way seeing more of the fascinating formations. Cruise check-out. Our boat arrives at the harbor by noon for our drive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 19: Departure
Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for departure flight.

Inclusion:

• Private guided tour
• Air-conditioned private transport
• Bottled water and wet tissues
• All entry fees
• Domestic flight
• Meals as mentioned in day by day itinerary
• Airport pickup and drop-off

Exclusion:

• Accommodation
• Other meals not mentioned in itinerary
• Travel insurance

Additional info

• A confirmation voucher will be sent to you at a time of booking
• Itinerary can be adjusted and tailored to your desired travel arrangement
• Accommodation and international flight can be quoted as add-on
• Please provide all traveler’s full names
• Tour is conducted in English. Other languages might be catered for upon request.
• If you cancel at least 14 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee. If you cancel between 7 and 13 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee. If you cancel within 6 days of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.

Please contact us for quotation.