EXPERIENCE LIFE & HISTORY VIETNAM IN 18 DAYS

Day 1: Arrival – Ho Chi Minh City Tour – Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Your driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in the exciting district 1 area of HCMC.

Return to your hotel and overnight in HCMC

Day 2: HCMC – Cu Chi Tunnels – City Tour (B/L) – Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

0800h: You will be picked from your hotel and travel out of Ho Chi Minh City to visit the famous Vietcong tunnels at Cu Chi. The incredible system of tunnels, covering nearly 250km, was shelter to over 16,000 communist guerillas during the American war. You will gain an insight into the tenacity of the soldiers and have the opportunity to go inside the tunnels.

Lunch will be in HCMC and after you have enjoyed your meal you begin your guided HCM City tour You will visit many interesting and famous places including, Ben Thanh Market, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. The Central Post Office, finished in 1891 is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam’s largest post office.

1630h: Return to your hotel and overnight at the Hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 3: HCMC – Cai Be – Mekong (B/L) – Overnight in Mekong

0800h: Pick up from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and transfer by road to the Mekong Delta, also known as the land of nine dragons. Once you are outside of the city, you will see many interesting sights in the rural villages on your drive to the delta region.

1100h: Arrive at the Cai Be River Wharf and board a charming shuttle boat that will take you to your Oasis in the Mekong Delta. On arrival you will be welcomed by the smiling staff wearing local traditional costume who will meet you at the iconic front bamboo-shaped gate. After checking into your private bungalow, you will be able to enjoy a delicious lunch in the restaurant.

Relax over lunch and then begin a private walking tour to discover the nearby village where you will visit families making coconut candy which is a specialty of the region. You will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with local people, known for their friendliness, warmth and generosity, so you can experience their way of life.

Overnight in Mekong Delta

Day 4: Cai Be Floating Market – HCMC (B/L) – Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Start the day with a delicious breakfast, before boarding your rowed sampan for a visit to Cai Be floating market which is an exciting feature of life on in Mekong Delta. Visit the market early and you will see the most vibrant scene on Tien River with hundreds of boats gathering to trade their fresh produce and other goods.

On your return from the floating market, (depending on time) you will continue on your discovery of the Mekong Delta by either cycling down tranquil winding lanes or cruising peacefully along the network canals. You will enjoy the fresh air, beautiful views and have the opportunity to taste some freshly picked fruit in local orchards.

1100h: Unfortunately it will be time to check out and once again board the shuttle boat back to Cai Be Harbor. Travel back to Ho Chi Minh City

Overnight in HCMC

Day 5: HCMC – Da Lat – Elephant Waterfall – Linh An Pagoda (B/L) – Overnight in Da Lat

Relax at your hotel until its time for our driver to meet you and transfer you to HCMC airport for your flight to Da Lat.

Arrive to Da Lat where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Relax: You will be picked up from your hotel and begin your tour with a drive out into the surrounding countryside. Along the way you have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful panorama of the forest covered mountains while making short stops to visit flower and vegetable farms along the way.

Next you will be able to enjoy a visit to a minority village and gain an insight into their daily lives. You will also visit people making local wine and have a stop at the silk factory and learn hot the silk is transformed from the cocoons.

After lunch it will be time to visit the spectacular 30m high Elephant waterfall and the nearby Linh An Pagoda.

From a distance, the Linh An Pagoda which is 1082M above sea level looks like the head of a dragon but the giant statue of laughing Buddha is what has made the pagoda famous.

On the way back into Da Lat you visit the Hang Nga Guest house which is also known as the crazy house due its unusual design which overall makes the building look like a giant tree. However, there are many other shapes contained within the structure and since it’s opening in 1990, it has proved to be a favourite with visitors.

1530h (approx): Arrive back to your hotel.

Overnight in Da Lat.

Day 6: Da Lat – Nha Trang (B/L) – Overnight in Nha Trang

0730h: Your driver & guide will meet you at your hotel and you will depart on your road transfer to Nha Trang

1500h (approx): Arrive to Nha Trang and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Nha Trang

Day 7: Nha Trang Countryside Tour (B/L) – Overnight in Nha Trang

0800h: Your driver and English speaking tour guide will meet you at your hotel and you will begin your day of discovering villages and countryside around Nha Trang.

You will see some of the large lush green rice fields and watch the locals and water buffalo going about their daily life.

Next is a visit to an old Vietnamese home built in the 19th century where you will enjoy some of the local fruits and Lotus Tea. Then it will be time to move onto a traditional Village where you will see sedge mat weaving and the making of pottery stoves.

Your guide will also take you to see the Communal house where people go to pay respects to the village founder and you will have time to observe more of the rural life style.

Lunch will be at a clean local riverside restaurant before you start your journey back into Nha Trang. Along the way, time permitting, you will stop for a visit at a local nursery school and village market.

Overnight in Nha Trang

Day 8: Nha Trang – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ancient Town (B) – Overnight in Hoi An

Relax until our driver arrives to transfer you to the Nha Trang airport where you will board your flight to Da Nang.

Arrive to Da Nang where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An.

1300h: Your English speaking guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a two hour walking tour of Hoi An Old Town. Famous for its quant mixture of Chinese, Japanese and European architecture, the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. You will visit, the Japanese bridge built in the 16th century and famous for being the only covered bridge known to incorporate a Buddhist pagoda, the 200 year old Tan Ky house, museum of trade ceramics and several other historical sites.

You will then have free time to continue exploring the old town or to go shopping for those special items.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An – Hai Van Pass – Hue (B) – Overnight in Hue

0830h: Your driver and English speaking guide will meet you at your hotel and you will depart on a road transfer to Hue stopping at the Marble Mountains and travelling over the famous and very scenic Hai Van Pass.

1430h: Arrive Hue and check into your hotel. Time to explore the local area around your hotel before dinner (not included).

Overnight in Hue.

 Day 10: Tour – Dong Ha – Khe Sanh (B/L) – Overnight in Dong Ha

0800h: Your driver and English speaking guide will meet you at the hotel and you will start a brief tour of Hue City including a visit to the Imperial Citadel and a short trip on the Perfume River to visit Tu Duc Tomb.

1100h: Start towards the site of the former American combat base at Khe Sanh.

You will travel to Dong Ha and stop for lunch.

After lunch you will drive out of town & then turn onto the famous Route 9 which leads to Khe Sanh. Along the way you will pass by the site of Camp Carol and The Rock Pile which were two important observation posts on the southern side of the DMZ.

At Khe Sanh you will have the opportunity to visit the war museum and take a walk through a reconstruction of the bunkers which allow you to experience how the Marines stationed at the combat base lived.

Return to Dong Ha and overnight in Hotel.

Day 11: Dong Hoi – Phong Nha Caves (B/L) – Overnight on Train

0800h: Your English speaking guide and driver will meet you and you will start towards Phong Nha caves in a private air conditioned vehicle.

Phong Nha cave itself which lends its name to the whole system is probably the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, enchanting visitors with evocative names such as Lion, Fairy Caves, Royal Court and Buddha.

Phong Nha means Cave of teeth; unfortunately the ‘teeth’ (or stalagmites) that were by the entrance are no longer there. Once you get further into the cave, it’s mostly unspoiled. In 1990 a British expedition explored 35km of the cave and made the first reliable map of the underground (and underwater) passageways. They discovered that the main cavern is nearly 8km long, with 14 other caves nearby.

Lunch will be in local restaurant and after lunch you will drive to Ke Bang National Park.

Ke Bang National Park has restricted encroachment into the limestone areas and as a result, the limestone karsts are almost entirely forested, apart from steep cliff faces. The only clearing of forest has been in flat valleys within the limestone massif, and in lowland areas bordering it. Natural forest covers the majority of the national park and the most widespread forest type is limestone forest but there are also significant areas of lowland evergreen forest. The reserve is largely covered in tropical forest with a high level of biodiversity and endemic species. Lack of research means the true significance of the biodiversity and geology of the area has not been fully assessed.

1700h: Return to Dong Hoi and board the train to Hanoi.

Overnight in a shared 4 Berth soft sleeper compartment on the train.

 Day 12: Hanoi – Hanoi City Tour – Lao Cai / Sapa (B/L) – Overnight in Train

0430h: Arrive Hanoi and transfer to your hotel for early check in, a rest and breakfast.

0800h: Guide will meet you at your hotel & you will depart to visit:

Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum. Next stop is a visit to the Temple of Literature

1200h: A delicious set menu lunch will be provided for you in a local restaurant.

1300h: Your tour recommences with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology which is widely acknowledged as the best in Vietnam and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples.

Then it is on to the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake .

The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses and street vendors, selling a wide variety of goods. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ were related to the products being sold there. Hence you can walk from Fish Street to Tin Street to Bamboo Street and you will enjoy exploring the area while riding in a traditional cyclo.

1730h: Back to your hotel where you will have free time before checking out to have dinner and a short rest.

2000h: Our driver will pick up from your hotel and transfer to Hanoi train station.

2100h: Train departure and sleep the night in a shared 4 berth, soft sleeper cabin on board the train. Travel time approx 9 hrs.

Day 13: Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B/L/D) – Overnight in Ta Van

Arrive at Lao Cai railway station at 0600h where you will be met and transferred by shuttle bus to the township of Sapa which takes approx one hour.

0800h: After breakfast, a morning shower and leaving your main luggage at the hotel, we will walk from Sapa towards Muong Hoa valley. Here you will discover the wonderful scenery of the Hoang Lien mountain range and meet people of the Black H’mong tribes before Trekking through terraced rice paddies and minority villages along the Muong Hoa River.

You then cross the suspension bridge towards the Zay village, arriving at Ta Van, where we have dinner cooked on a wood fire and enjoy the hospitality of a local Zay family.

Overnight in Home stay accommodation.

Day 14: Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Sa pa (B/L) – Overnight in Hanoi

Enjoy views of the magnificent landscape with your sunrise coffee and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Once we have said our goodbyes, we will set off to trek through bamboo forests towards Giang Ta Chai waterfall, cross over a rattan suspension bridge and enter Giang Ta Chai village which is inhabited by the Red Zao minorities.

Here we will experience daily life before crossing over Muong Hoa River up walk up the mountain to visit Supan village, the home of the H’mong people. We then board the bus back to Sapa before starting your road trip back to Ha Noi.

Day 15: Hanoi (B) – Overnight in Hanoi

Enjoy a relaxing day in Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 16: Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D) – Overnight on Cruise

0745h-0830h: Your transport will pick you up at your hotel and you will depart for Ha Long Bay. You will stop for a short break at the Humanity center situated approximately half way on to the bay and enjoy local specialties.

1200h: Arrive Ha Long Bay and transfer by tender to your luxury Junk where the captain will welcome you on board the boat.

A delicious lunch will be served for you as the boat passes through many of the thousands of islands and islets within Ha Long Bay.

1530h: You will have the opportunity to explore what is commonly thought to be the biggest and most amazing cave in Halong Bay, the Surprise Cave.

1700h: Kayaking for an hour around the fishing village and observe the daily life of the local community there. Then back to boat for Sunset Party.

1930h: Enjoy a dinner of local or western food and spend a romantic night on board the Junk.

Day 17: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B/L) – Overnight in Hanoi

Rising to the sound of lapping bay waters, there will be time to have an early morning dip followed by breakfast.

After breakfast it will be time for you to pack your belongings and prepare for check out.

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 while your guides point out some the interesting formations found within Ha Long Bay.

1030h: Short cooking class on board where you will learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls.

As boat slowly cruises back to the jetty, a delicious lunch will be served in the dinning room.

1300h: Arrive back to Ha Long and transfer to Hanoi

1700h: Arrive Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 18: Ha Noi – Departure (B)

Relax until time to transfer to the Hanoi airport where your time travelling with Laughing Roo will unfortunately come to a close.

End of tour.