The Vietnam Explorer 14 day
tour is your best choice if you want to experience
the totality of Vietnam: the land, the people, the
culture, and the history, as a Vietnamese person
would be. In this tour, as you travel through the
country you will experience all forms of transport:
car, train, airplane, boat, walking and hiking.
During 2 weeks traveling with VietAsia Travel,
you will trace the path of the founding of Vietnam,
starting in Hanoi and ending in Saigon.
This is the ultimate tour of Vietnam-an in-depth
exploration of Vietnam’s most interesting cities and
countryside. Traveling across the country from North
to South, you can explore the colonial elegance of
Hanoi - our romantic capitol, Halong Bay - our
world's natural heritage site, Sapa - with
magnificent mountainous views and opportunities to
meet with H'mong and Dzao hill tribes, Hue - the
ancient citadel of the last King in Vietnam until
1954, Hoi An - a magical lantern-lit town for all
tourist alike, our beloved Mekong Delta - the lush
forests and major cultivation area for Vietnam, Can
Tho - a discovery of daily life in the delta, and
finally, the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon -
all a major city has to offer. |
DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 01: Arrive Hanoi - Hello Vietnam
Upon arrival in our thousand years Capital – Hanoi
City, our guide will welcome you at Noi Bai airport
and then transfer you to your hotel in the city
center. Relax some time to recover some what from
jet-leg and for the refreshment.
If time permits, take an orientation tour of Hanoi.
You will know our legend/history about Hoan Kiem
Lake (the lake of the Restored Sword), our
architectural and our way of with small streets and
its name (Old quarter). Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
Day 02: Hanoi - Night train to Sapa (B)
Today, we will take the sightseeing of the most
city's outstanding historical and cultural sites.
The visit includes:
- The complex of Ho Chi Minh historical sites, also
called the political center of Vietnam.
- One-pillar Pagoda and The Temple of Literature for
the brief understanding about the two most popular
religions in Vietnam (Buddhism and Confucianism).
- Visit one of the museums in Hanoi (Museum of
History, Museum of Ethnology, Museum of Fine Art).
- Enjoy our welcome show of northern rural of
Vietnam – Water Puppet show.
You will have time for dinner then transfer to
Railway station for night train to Sapa. Overnight
on the train in 4 soft berths cabin with A/C.
Day 03: Sapa (B)
Arrive at Lao Cai train station at about 6.00am.
Meet the local guide at the main entrance and take
our private car for the transfer to Sapa 35km away.
Have breakfast and relax before exploring Sapa town
and the local market in the town.
In the afternoon, take a 2km short trekking with the
local guide to Cat Cat Village, the home of H’mong
Ethnic. Meeting and talking with locals at their
home to learn more about their daily life and get to
know their habits. From here, you will have a chance
to see the hydroelectric power station built by the
French by the wonderful waterfall. Get back to the
town in late afternoon. Tonight we suggest you the
RED DZAO restaurant for your dinner.
Day 04: Sapa villages (B/L)
A whole day today is for discovering the nature as
well as different culture of hill tribal people.
From hotel we start our trekking up and down hills
with nice rice terraces, spectacular scenery the
Fansipan Mount, and through scenic Muong Hoa valley.
We walk up and down the rice terraces, hills, bamboo
forests and streams to Lao Chai and Ta Van Villages
which is decorated by terraced-fields and the house
of H'mong, Red Zao and Zay people. You will have
great opportunity for taking photos of breathtaking
landscapes, meeting friendly hill-tribe people at
home and work, and getting to understand their
tradition, habits...Enjoy lunch at a local house. We
will return to our hotel in Sapa by jeep in late
afternoon. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
Note: A full or half day trekking or moving by jeep
and short walk is on your request.
Day 05: Sapa market - Night train back to Hanoi
(B)
After breakfast we will leave for Bac Ha Hill Tribe
Market for about 3 hours driving to the market. Join
in the colorful market of the tribal people in this
region. On the fair market the H'mong, Dzao, Phu La
people in their best traditional costumes go to the
market for shopping and meeting friends and
relatives…
Say goodbye to the colorful market and drive to Chay
River where you will get on a boat for a river
adventure. You are bound to feel great and find
yourselves smaller among high Rock Mountains and to
be surprised at white and breathtakingly waterfalls
while cruising along the river. Get off the boat to
visit a village of the Tay Minority (Trung Do
village) by the river. After the boat trip, we drive
back to Laocai and pay a short visit to the
Vietnam-Chinese border gate.
You will have time for your own dinner at a local
restaurant in the town before driving to the
railways station for night train to Hanoi. Overnight
on the train in a air-con soft berth cabin.
Day 06: Hanoi - Drive to Ha Long Bay - World
Heritage Site (B/L/D)
The train arrives back to Hanoi early in the
morning. Meet the guide and driver at the station
and drive to city centre and take a stroll along the
picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake where each morning around
6am, groups of locals gather to do their exercises
along the lovely tree lined promenade. You may cross
over the red bridge at the north end to Ngoc Son
Temple and the Tortoise Tower which are on a small
island.
Get to a local restaurant for breakfast and
refreshment. After breakfast, you will leave for Ha
Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World
Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine
limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you will board
your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the
old Vietnamese court vessels with sails, a wide
transom and rectangular superstructure, that will
take you first to the busy World Heritage area and
then to some of the less well-known grottoes and
caves. Weather permitting, you will be able to swim,
fish, climb a hill for an overview of the Bay’s
remarkable seascape, or venture into some of the sea
level caves in a small sampan. All your meals will
be provided on board, usually based on fresh
seafood. Your overnight will be aboard.
Day 07: Halong – Da Nang - Hoi An (B)
Participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply
watch the sunrise over the magnificent bay. Enjoy
your morning cup of coffee or juice before setting
out to the near- by cave by row boat. Watch for
monkeys high on the cliff tops. Return back to the
junk, where breakfast is served, while sailing
around Bay Tu Long bay where the movie “Indochine”
was filmed.
Your cruise will end at noon and you will be met by
your driver for the transfer to the airport in Hanoi
for the late afternoon flight to Danang.
Arrive in Danang, you will be met and transferred to
your hotel in Hoian town, around 30km away.
Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
Day 08: Hoian - Myson Sanctuary (B)
Morning, take a discovery trip to My Son, 40km from
Hoi An. Located in a lush valley, My Son was a
capital and religious center of Cham people, now
remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries. My
Son, considered being in the same league as some of
Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites,
including Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar,
Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia.
These towers and sanctuaries were built from the 7
to 13 centuries. Admiring great architectural and
art works of the Cham lost Kingdom. Having a brief
understanding of the history, culture for which My
Son was recognized the World Cultural Heritage.
Return to Hoi An in the morning.
In the afternoon, you will have a guided tour to see
the interesting sights of this ancient city. Some
hundreds years ago, this town thrived on trading
with the Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. You will
visit a historical Old House, Japanese Covered
Bridge, Old Temple and Silk Factory. Overnight at
hotel in Hoian.
Day 09: Hoian - Hue & Royal Palaces (B)
After breakfast in the hotel, you will have a four
hour drive over the scenic Hai Van pass along the
coast to the old citadel of Hue. You will have a
short stop in spectacular Lang Co beach for
refreshment. Visit Cham Sculpture museum and Marble
Mountain in Danang before continue on our drive to
Hue.
Afternoon, take the sightseeing in Hue to the
Ancient Imperial Citadel, a complex of palaces and
temples built by the Nguyen from early 19th Century
for which Hue was recognized by UNESCO as a World
Cultural Heritage.
Then you will embark on a drive to Hue’s
countryside, through scenic villages and green rice
fields to reach the Emperor Ming Mang’s tomb. It is
one of the most beautiful of all Emperors tombs, in
a complex of pavilions, temple, courtyards and
lakes.
Recommended: There is an optional Dinner Cruise with
Vietnamese traditional folk music on a private
dragon boat on Perfume River at extra cost.
Overnight at hotel in Hue.
Day 10: Hue - Ho Chi Minh City (B)
Early morning, enjoy a leisure boat ride along the
scenic Perfume River to visit Thien Mu pagoda and
admire sunrise before getting back to hotel for
breakfast. Then transfer to the airport for a
morning flight to Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon).
You will explore this cosmopolitan city on a guided
tour. High lights are the famed Notre Dame
Cathedral, Central Post Office, Reunification
Palace, War Remnant Museum, Municipal Theater, Ben
Thanh Market, Cho Lon and a Buddhist Temple.
Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta - Can Tho
(B/L)
After breakfast, depart the hotel and drive
Southward to the Cai Be – Vinh Long Province. Here
you will see the Mekong Delta (“Nine Dragon River
Delta). This is special experience of Mekong Delta.
We will visit the Candy factory, orchard garden,
listen to traditional music and have lunch with
family in the garden.
We cross the island in the middle of Mekong River by
oars boats.
Stay overnight in CanTho – the capital of Mekong
Delta. Late afternoon take the short walk to the
local market nearby.
Day 12: Cairang floating market - Ho Chi Minh
(B/L)
Rising early to the sounds of the Delta coming to
life for another day, we breakfast and start our
trip with a boat cruise on sparking streams along
the endless waterway of Mighty Mekong River to Cai
Rang floating market. There will be hundreds of
boats loaded with fruits, vegetables and fish
jostling for trade. Sellers advertisers their wares
by crying out across the waters. We visit the lush
orchards and are treated to a delicious tropical
fruits. Afternoon drive to HCM. Overnight at hotel
in HCM.
Day 13. Saigon - Cuchi Tunnels - Caodai Temple (B)
Depart Hotel early in the morning for Cu Chi to
visit the Tunnels. Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of
underground tunnels begun in 1948 by the Viet Minh
in their struggle against the French. These tunnels
were expanded and used by the Viet Cong during the
war between Vietnam and America. Americans called
this the “Iron Triangle” and was a stronghold of the
Vietcong for almost thirty years. Walk underground
in the tunnels. From here you will continue on to
see the Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, where each day
at noon a prayer service is held. It is a striking
structure on a very large compound. The term Cao Dai
(meaning higher tower or place) is a euphemism for
God. Caodaism was found in the 1920’s by Ngo Minh
Chieu, using a combination of teaching from Buddism,
Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
and other religions into one religion to promote
peace. Return to hotel in HCM in mid afternoon and
free in the rest of the day. Overnight at hotel in
HCM.
Day 14: Departure from Saigon - Farewell to
Vietnam (B)
You will be free until the departure time. Driver
will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the
airport in HCM for your departure flight home or to
next destination. Say farewell to Ho Chi Minh &
Vietnam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOUR
COST:
The cost is quoted in US Dollars per Person (Pax)
base on TWIN/DOUBLE share basic, and applied for
private tour.
Peak season surcharge may be applied for Christmas
Eve, New Year's Eve, Tet Holiday.
Class/Group of |
Cost/Person |
Cost inquiry |
Standard (3 star hotels) |
from 958 US$ to 1263 US$ |
Contact |
Superior (3+4
star hotels) |
from1000 US$ to 1308 US$ |
Contact |
Deluxe (4 star
hotels) |
from 1250 US$ to 1554 US$ |
Contact |
Luxury (5 star
hotels) |
from 1655 US$ to 1954 US$ |
Contact |
Include:
Accommodation as specific or similar, base on TWIN
sharing
All transportation by private car,
Round trip train ticket Hanoi - Laocai – Hanoi (soft
sleeper A/C cabin)
Boat trip as mentioned in the itinerary
Overnight boat trip in Halong bay
All domestic flights: Hanoi > Danang, Hue > HCM
All entrance fees
English speaking guide
All meals as mentioned in the program
Exclude:
International flights
Meals except otherwise mentioned
Vietnam Visa (15 US$/person) upon request
Tipping, drinks, insurance, and personal expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PA TOURS specializes in
private and
personalized travel services and
tours in
Vietnam,
Cambodia &
Laos.
Planning your personalized travel on Private Asia
Tours is easy and enjoyable. You can always change,
modify, or adjust your package details to suit your
travel plan, flight schedule and budget before
actually making the final purchase. The
custom-design service of PA Tours is absolutely
free!
|