Best of Vietnam

13 days Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Trip Code: HS-BOV

Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City
Savor Vietnam's scenic, historical, cultural and culinary delights as you travel the length of the country on this fun filled 2-week trip. There is so much to discover - from the chaos of Saigon to the charms of Hoi An, the atmospheric imperial capital of Hue, vibrant Hanoi and the natural beauty of Halong Bay.


Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Arrive in bustling Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As passengers will be arriving at various times today, there are no planned activities. Some suggestions include: Taking a walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter – a maze of street, each one traditionally devoted to a different product or industry. In the evening attend a performance at the famous Water Puppet Theatre. Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) or Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Museum. The Mausoleum houses the remains of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of the unified Vietnam (the mausoleum and museum is closed in October-December)

Day 2: Hanoi – Lao Cai (B)
Today you visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Museum. The Mausoleum houses the remains of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of the unified Vietnam (the mausoleum and museum is closed October-November), pass by Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple for your luck pray. On afternoon , spend 2 hour with the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu). On the evening, we will board the overnight train to Lao Cai.

Day 3: Lao Cai – Sapa (B)
After arriving in Lao Cai in the morning, we transfer 45 minutes to Sapa. An afternoon excursion will take us to the village of Ta Phin where we'll have a chance to interact with some of the local ethnic minorities such as H'mong, Dao, and Zai. We will spend an hour or two strolling through the villages before returning to Sapa early evening.

Day 4: Sapa – Lao Cai – Hanoi (B)
We can take walking onto Dragon’s Jaw mountain, enjoy traditional music performance, walking through Sapa local market. Take the afternoon to relax before catching our overnight train back to Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)
We'll arrive off the train in Hanoi in the early morning and transfer directly to Halong Bay (3 hours).Thousands of islands rise dramatically from the waters of Halong Bay and, to further their beauty, intricate caves have been hollowed out through these limestone karsts formations. Aboard a sailing junk visit some of these islands and caves, perhaps taking a pre-dinner swim, before spending a peaceful night beneath the stars.

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue (B,L)
In the morning, continue the cruise to Man's Head Island and Tortoise Island and visit Luon cave by small bamboo boat. After an early lunch on board head back to Hanoi with time for shopping or further sightseeing until our overnight train to Hue (approx 13hrs).

Day 7: Hue (B)
We arrive into Hue mid morning and will transfer to our hotel. It's then time to explore Hue, once the imperial capital. We can visit Thien Mu Pagoda and one of the Nguyen emperors tombs whilst soaking up the scenery of the countryside.

Day 8: Hue – Hoi An (B)
We'll take a morning tour around the Citadel which also contains the Forbidden Purple City, modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. Badly destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968, significant restoration work has since occurred. Late morning or early afternoon we'll drive over the Hai Van Pass and in to Hoi An arriving late afternoon (approx 4hrs).

Day 9: Hoi An (B)
The picturesque port town of Hoi An, once known as Fabio, was an important trading town with strong south Chinese influence and connections. We suggest you take a walking tour of this living museum which includes the Museum of History and Culture, the Tan Ky house, the Japanese bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall and lunch at a riverside restaurant to sample some of the local delicacies.

Day 10: Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City (B)
We leave Hoi An and drive to Danang (45 min) for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is a sprawling metropolis that was once the capital of South Vietnam and remains the country’s commercial center.
You can take a tour by cyclo (rickshaw) to various sights around town. See Notre Dame Cathedral, Gustav Eiffel's Post Office, the Opera House, Rex Hotel, and town hall or you may wish to visit the War Remnants Museum or the Reunification Palace.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta (B)
Head south to the Mekong Delta where we'll spend the night with a local family. Exploring by boat and on foot, we'll experience a different lifestyle from what we've seen elsewhere in Vietnam.A 2-3 hour drive takes us to Vinh Long where we will board our covered, wooden boat to explore the Mekong Delta and have a chance to see the local cottage industries of this area.

Day 12: Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City (B)
After breakfast we head back to Ho Chi Minh.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh departure (B)
Departure is after breakfast, when our tour ends


Tour price:
3* star: 919$ Per Person (Min. 2 persons)
4* star: 1,229$ Per Person (Min. 2 persons)
5* star: 1,549$ Per Person (Min. 2 persons)


What's Included
Entrance to Halong Bay, Halong Bay boat cruise with seafood lunch and dinner, Water puppet show, Sapa excursion to hill tribe villages, Guide and entrance to Imperial Citadel and tomb, Mekong Delta

Group Size
Max 15, Avg 10

Group Leader
Local guides

Accommodation
Hotels (10 nights), sleeper train (3 nights), junk boat (1 nights)

Transport
Train, local bus, air conditioned bus, boat, cyclo, and airplane.

Meals Included
14 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 1 Dinner.

Meal Budget
Allow USD200 for meals not included.