Vietnam Adventure tours – 16
Days/ 15 Nights
Duration: 16 Days/
15 Nights
Depart From: Hanoi
Destinations: Hanoi – Halong bay – Hue –
Danang – Hoi An – My Son – Ho Chi Minh –
Cu Chi tunnels – Mekong Delta River – Siem Reap –
Angkor Wat
Description:
Brief Itinerary
Tour Dates
|
Destinations
|
Meals Included
|
Transportation
|
Day 1
|
Arrival Hanoi
|
Car pick up
|
|
Day 2
|
Hanoi
City Tour
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 3
|
Hanoi –
Halong Bay
|
B, L, D
|
By car + cruise
|
Day 4
|
Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue
|
B, Br
|
By car + cruise + flight
|
Day 5
|
Hue City
Tour
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 6
|
Hue –
Hoian Old Quarter
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 7
|
Hoian – Cooking Class
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 8
|
Hoian – My Son
|
B
|
By car
|
Day 9
|
Hoian Free Time
|
B
|
No transfer
|
Day 10
|
Hoian
- Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi Tunnels
|
B
|
By car + flight
|
Day 11
|
Ho
Chi Minh – Vinh Long – Caibe
|
B, L, D
|
By car + boat
|
Day 12
|
Caibe – Ho Chi Minh
|
B, L
|
By car + boat
|
Day 13
|
Ho Chi Minh City
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 14
|
Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap
|
B
|
By car + flight
|
Day 15
|
Angkor Temple Complex
|
B, L
|
By car
|
Day 16
|
Siem
Reap Departure
|
B
|
By car
|
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Hanoi
Arrival in Hanoi, the tour
guide will pick us up and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Day
2: Hanoi City Tour (Breakfast/ Lunch)
We start our one day city tour from the lobby of
the hotel at 8:30am with our tour guide & driver pick -up. We will drive to
Ho Chi Minh Complex, where we will spend a couple of hour to visit:
Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential
Palace, the Ho Chi Minh museum and one pillar pagoda. Keep going to see the Temple
of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site
of Vietnam's first university dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the
importance that Vietnamese society placed then and now on education. Lunch will be served at a fine local restaurant in Hanoi.
In the afternoon, we will visit one of the most
interesting museums in Vietnam, Museum
of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and
has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam's 54 Ethnic minority people. Finally
we will have chance to enjoy the unique Water Puppet show to hear to
know Vietnamese traditional instruments and singing from the live musicians who
play throughout the show. Overnight
at hotel in Hanoi
Notes:
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: Open from Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 8am to 11pm. Closed on Mondays and Fridays. The mausoleum is closed for two months of the year, usually October and November, when Ho Chi Minh’s body is maintenance. Ethnology Museum is closed on Mondays.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: Open from Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 8am to 11pm. Closed on Mondays and Fridays. The mausoleum is closed for two months of the year, usually October and November, when Ho Chi Minh’s body is maintenance. Ethnology Museum is closed on Mondays.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
We start our 2 day trip at around 08:30 at the lobby
in Hanoi. You will be met and transfer to Halong Bay.
Drive to Halong City through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.
10H00:
Stopover on the way for a refreshment break
12h00:
Arrive at Tuan Chau wharf – Break and photography time
12h30:
Board Glory Cruises for departure.
Welcome drink will be served
13h00:
Lunch is served while cruising through the bay
15h30:
Visit exciting Cua Van fishing village.
The village is free of busy roads and streets, electric lights, houses and high
rise buildings. Instead, there are only herds of little boats and rafts. You
will have the chance to discover the traditional culture and custom of the
fishermen.
16h30:
Enjoy kayaking or swimming (if the
weather permits).
17h00:
Back on board and continue cruising to Drum
Cave (Hang Trong) to dock.
19h00:
Dinner is served.
21h00:
Take some leisure time to enjoy chatting at the bar or enjoy some night
fishing.
Relax and spend a romantic night on
Glory Cruise
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue
(Breakfast/Brunch)
07.00:
Coffee and tea will be served
08.00:
Continue cruising
08h15:
Visit splendid Sung Sot Cave
09h00:
Check out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay, passing Dinh Huong Island, fishing villages, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island
and Sail Island.
09.30:
Buffet brunch (breakfast/lunch) while cruising back through Halong Bay to the
pier
11h30:
Arrive at the pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew
12.00:
Return from Halong to Hanoi.
Arrive
in Hanoi at around 05:00PM then the tour
guide will transfer you to airport for the flight to Hue. Overnight in Hue
City
Day 5: Hue City Tour
(Breakfast/Lunch)
Hue city is known as an
ancient Capital city of many original historical vestiges. There are more than
100 architectural works to be extremely reflected the life of Emperors and
Mandarins under Nguyen’s reign. Situated in the middle of hills on the Southern
Bank of Perfume River are very beautiful tombs of Nguyen Kings.
The tour guide will meet us at hotel and transfer us to have city tour. We will be transferred to the Wharf where we will cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (The Heavenly Lady pagoda) and surroundings. Then we back to the awaiting vehicle to visit Tu Duc King’s tomb, which is one of the most beautiful works of Royal Architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty. The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest.
In the afternoon, we visit Hue Citadel and Tomb of Khai Dinh King. Overnight in Hue City
The tour guide will meet us at hotel and transfer us to have city tour. We will be transferred to the Wharf where we will cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (The Heavenly Lady pagoda) and surroundings. Then we back to the awaiting vehicle to visit Tu Duc King’s tomb, which is one of the most beautiful works of Royal Architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty. The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest.
In the afternoon, we visit Hue Citadel and Tomb of Khai Dinh King. Overnight in Hue City
Day 6: Hue - Hoian Old Quarter
(Breakfast/Lunch)
We will travel by vehicle to Hoian along scenic highway 1A. Along
the way we will stop to visit Hai Van
Pass, My Khe Beach and Marble Mountain – the five elements of the Universe (water, wood,
air, fire and earth). Arrival Hoian, check in hotel and relax. At 3pm, we have
a walking tour in Hoian town. Overnight in Hoian
Day 7: Hoian – Cooking Class
(Breakfast/Lunch)
We start the day at 8.15am
with a drink at Hai Scout Café (98
Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoian Ancient Town, Tel: 3863210) – our meeting point.
Visit Hoian’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds
and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with
the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the
cooking lesson later.
We
board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoian
River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river
life, so make sure your camera is handy.
On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and
vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoian’s and Vietnam’s
well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is
fluded in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food
carving (plate decoratirst demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Incion).
After the
lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.
Recipes (our food contains no MSG):
1. Making fresh Rice paper
2. Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of
Shrimp
3. Crispy
Hoian Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce
4. Seafood Salad with mixed
Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
5. Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay
Pot
6. Food Decoration – Tomato
Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan
* Lunch includes the above meals as well as:
Steamed Ocean Fish on a bed of
Freshly Chopped Vegetables (not included in the demonstration)
* A vegetarian lunch can be provided on
request.
Finish at approximately 1pm
– transfer back to central Hoi An.
In the afternoon you are free
time to relax. Overnight in Hoian
Day 8: Hoian – My Son (Breakfast)
The
trip to My Son in the morning, My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was
an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, and 75km far from Hoi An. 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. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that
comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers
that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main
component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the
divinity of the king. We will back to
hotel in Hoian at 1pm. In the afternoon, free time for relaxing later.
Overnight in Hoian
Day 9: Hoian Free Time (Breakfast)
Today
we are free time for relaxing. Overnight in Hoian
Day 10: Hoian – Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi
Tunnels (Breakfast)
Flight to Ho
Chi Minh in the afternoon at 0930:1040 by Vietnam Airlines
Today we will
take the flight to Ho Chi Minh. Arrival Ho Chi Minh, the tour guide will
transfer us to hotel, check in and relax. In the
afternoon, we visit Cu Chi Tunnel
where is located in the Cu Chi District of Ho Chi Minh city. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and
supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for
numerous guerrilla fighters. The trip ends in Saigon at around 18:00. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi
Minh
Day 11: Ho Ci Minh – Vinh Long
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
The
program will hstart with a visit of Vinhlong market in the town. This is
the best choice for you to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs,
snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegetable.
The
boat of Mekong Travel will take you to visit the brick kilns where you can see
how the local people create bl faeautiful potteries from clay. Then, we visit
nursery garden for you to contact the reamous farmers – Mr Tiger or his
son who is very successful in Vietnam agriculture. We will enjoy some kinds
of fruits from his garden & homemade rice wine when listening to the
traditional music.
The rowing boat will take
you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals and to
enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made
of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers
with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish.
Have some fruits and tea
when enjoying the traditional music at homestay. Check in
home-stay.
One more thing to do in this
trip is biking! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to
see the local farms, houses, real life and the ancestral ways to pick up fruits
in Mekong Delta.
You will cook some dishes
with the owners. We enjoy diner and have cup of tea or rice wine when enjoying
the traditional music. Also, you can ask the locals about the culture,
people and history of this Island. They do not mind to answer some personal
questions.
Overnight
in a private room of local house
Day 12: Caibe – Ho Chi Minh (Breakfast/
Lunch)
Have
early breakfast and have a boat trip to Cai Be colorful floating market
cruising among local barges full of fruits and vegetables.
Then,
an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how to make
rice paper, coconut candy and pop-rice, pop-corn.
It is so interesting to
visit the handicraft village where you can see how they make some special
products: making rice-net for spring-rolls,
fish sauce & Soya sauce, cooking salt, sewing coconut-leaves for cottage
roof. The cruise will end at Cai Be town.
We have lunch before transfer to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh
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Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City Tour (Breakfast/
Lunch)
After breakfast at hotel, at 08:00 with the local tour guide &
driver pick -up, we depart our hotel for the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the
president of the South of Vietnam. After that we will visit War Remnant Museum, where we can see
countless artifacts, photographs and pictures documenting about the second
Indochina war. We also stop at Notre
Dame Cathedral and Old Post office to get good shots for our memory of the
big, modern city of Vietnam.
After lunch time; we continue our city tour with visits: Ben Thanh market and Emperor Pagoda.
Here we can experience our Vietnamese Southern daily life. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi
Minh
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap
(Breakfast)
Flight to Siem
Reap at 0835/0955 by Vietnam Airlines
The drive will transfer you to the airport for the
flight to Siem Reap.
Upon arrival, you would be met and transferred to hotel. In the afternoon we visit the Roluos Group which includes the three
temples: Preahko, Loile, and the mountain-temple of Pre Rup. Overnight in
Siem Reap
Day 15: Angkor Temple Complex
(Breakfast/Lunch)
Today,
after breakfast, we will start our visit of the amazing temples complex of
Angkor. We will begin to explore the complex of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was built by King Jayavarman VII at the
end of the 12th century, a short while after the completion of Angkor Wat.
Angkor Thom, which means “Great City”, is surrounded by a massive perimeter
wall and a moat with five monumental gates and covers an area of more than ten
square kilometers. The most important
monuments are located in the centre of the city, namely the Bayon, the Baphoun
and the Terrace of Elephants. The Bayon is a fascinating piece of
architecture and one of the most photographed. It is a bizarre structure, with
a total of 54 towers elaborately decorated with 216 enormous and enigmatic
smiling faces. The numerous other
structures of this fortified city are the Terrace of the Leper King, the
Phimeanakas, Preah Palilay, Tepranom, Preah Pithu, North & South Kleang and
Prasat Sour Prot. Then, we will visit Ta Prohm. The principal singularity
of Ta Phrom is that it has not been
cleared from the thick jungle, as the rest of the Angkor Complex has been. It
looks nearly the same as in the descriptions of the first French explorers,
shrouded in undergrowth and in the huge roots of old Banyan trees. Then we go
back to hot air balloon station where we can ride a stable hot air balloon for
a truly memorable sunset look over one of the Wonder of the World, Angkor Wat.
Overnight in Siem Reap
Day 16: Siem Reap Departure (Breakfast)
Free time before we will be
transferred to airport for our departure flight home. End of services!
Price Inclusions:
- Entrance
Fees: To scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
- Meals:
All meals as specified in the itinerary.
- Private
Transfers: Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic
spots while sightseeing by private air conditioned vehicle with a driver
and English-speaking guide (as listed above).
- Guide: As outlined in the
itinerary an English-speaking guide and driver will be provided in each
city they will remain with you throughout your time in that city. A new
guide and a new driver will meet you at each city on your tour, to provide
you with the best local knowledge available.
- Hotels:
Hotel fees are based on two people sharing
one room with Double/Twin beds.
All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily Western or Vietnamese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified. - Private
boat on Mekong Delta
& Perfume River
- Boat
cruise 2 days 1 night on Halong Bay
- Homestay
in Caibe
- Cooking
class in Hoian
- Daily
bottle of mineral water
- Service
Charge & Government Taxes
Price Exclusions:
- Excess
Baggage Charges. Passengers holding an adult
fare or half fare ticket are entitled to a free baggage allowance of 20kg,
for economy class. Total weight of carryon baggage for each passenger may
not exceed 5kg. The size may not exceed 20x40x 55cm.
- Personal
Expenses: Expenses of a purely personal nature such as
laundry, drinks, fax, telephone calls, optional activities, sightseeing or
meals which are not included in the tour itinerary.
- Domestic
& international flight with tax airport
- Single
Room Supplement
