9 Days - 8 Nights
35+2
3+
Car
Cultural & Historical
From October to March
Upon arrival to Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport you will be welcomed by our guide holding a sign with your name on it. After you collect your luggage, will lead the way to your awaiting vehicle. The distance is about 35km far from Hanoi city center and it’s approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour for transfer.
Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.
Meal: None
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Morning, start a full day city tour beginning with Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which contains a rich collection of audio-visual documentation and more than 15,000 artifacts including life-size traditional houses depicting all aspects of life, culture, customs and belief of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon, visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. Explore Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Afterwards, visit Hoan Kiem Lake or “Returned Sword Lake” which originated from a legend of a sacred sword. On an islet in the lake, there locates Ngoc Son Temple which is accessible by a classically red painted wooden bridge. Touring through the Old Quarter, famous for its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past by cyclo or enjoy a coffee at a local café.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Following breakfast leave Hanoi for a 2.5 hour drive to Ha Long Bay including a 20-minutes stop on the way. Arrive at the jetty in Ha Long City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. Be welcomed onboard and have lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on Ha Long cruise
Enjoy the fresh morning in the middle of the bay, the sun rises on Ha Long in the morning and breakfast is served (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruise slowly through the magnificent rock formations and back towards port. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi.
Arrive in Hanoi late in the afternoon for flight to Hue. Arrival Hue airport, welcome by our guide & driver then transfer to hotel for relaxing.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch (Or 1 brunch)
Overnight at hotel in Hue
Morning, our guide pick you up at your hotel then you will take a full day tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics.
Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Next, move on to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Vietnam’s second-to-last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style. Lunch is served at a local restaurant.
Afternoon, take a dragon boat cruise along the Perfume River to enjoy the open view of the river and beautiful landscape along the banks. On the way, drop a visit to Thien Mu pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery overlooking the river from a vantage point with its origin dating back to 1601. Then transfer by car to Minh Mang Tomb, where the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried. Last, stop for shopping at Dong Ba market, which is the city's traditional commercial center.
Meal: Breakfast , Lunch
Overnight at hotel in Hue
Morning, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel then transfer to Quang Binh Province (200km, the driving time is approximately 4 hours). After arrival at the Son River, take a boat trip to explore the caves at Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
The Park is one of the world's two largest limestone regions. In comparison with 41 other world heritage sites which have karsts, Phong Nha has dissimilar geomorphic, geologic and biotic conditions. The karsts of Phong Nha can be traced back to Palaeozoic 400 million years ago. This makes Phong Nha is the oldest major karst in Asia. The area has numerous grottoes and caves. Vietnamese and British scientists have so far surveyed a total of 20 caves with a total length of 70 km. Of these surveyed caves, 17 were in the Phong Nha area and three in the Ke Bang area. Following the narrow underground river, you explore the most impressive Phong Nha cave, from which the name to the whole system. The Cave is famous for its rock formation which have been given names such as the "Lion", the "Fairy Caves", the "Royal Court", and the "Buddha". Afterwards, you return to Dong Hoi for lunch before driving back to Hue.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at hotel in Hue
Morning, transfer South to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Stop en route in Da Nang City to visit visit Marble Mountain, a group of limestone and marble hills filled with caves. Travel to the top and gaze upon the city, seeing new high rise buildings standing alongside traditional wooden houses. Then explore the mountain’s main cave to see a beautiful Buddha statue built in the Cham style. The tour comes to a close with a visit to the Cham Museum. Browse the remarkable collection of Cham sculptures and artefacts dating from the 7th to 15th century. Following the visit to the museum, continue transfer to Hoi An ancient town.
Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles, and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts. You will also visit the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at hotel in Hoi An
Morning, meet our guide at your hotel and transfer about 40 km West of Hoi An to visit My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO-recognized world heritage which was once a religious center of Cham people where royal ceremonies and burials were performed. The site now is a colony of partially ruined Hindu temples from the total of 70 constructed by Cham Kings between the 4th and the 14th Centuries in dedication to god Shiva. It is regarded one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and is often compared with other temple heritages of Southeast Asia such as Angkor in Cambodia, Ayuthaya in Thailand or Borobudur in Java.
Afternoon free at leisure to discover the city by yourself
Meal: Breakfast
Overnight at hotel in Hoi An
Our driver picks you up at hotel in Hoi An and transfer for Da Nang airport for flight to next destination.
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