Magnificent Vietnam
8 nights, 10 days tour to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Danang, Saigon & Mekong Delta, from $2250 INCLUDING AIRFARES!
Itinerary
Day 01: Australia / Ho Chi Minh City
Take a flight from Australia to Ho Chi Minh City via Vietnam Airline. Upon arrival, Meet your tour guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in.
Ho Chi Minh City also known as Saigon is Vietnam's largest city with a growing population of around 8.4 million. This is a city on the go 24 hours a day, where everybody seems to be busy either buying, selling, studying, working or just enjoying themselves. Despite the fact that modern high-rise buildings have begun to dominate the skyline in recent years there are still many fine examples of French colonial architecture in Ho Chi Minh City. The city is crammed full of restaurants and bars ranging from simple pavement stalls where you can buy a bowl of noodles for a few cents to sophisticated restaurants serving fine European cuisine at a fraction of the price you would pay in Europe. Ho Chi Minh City's nightlife has become very cosmopolitan in recent years and there are literally hundreds of bars, pubs, nightclubs and discotheques to pick from for a night on the town. It is also a real shopper s paradise with modern shopping centres and trendy boutiques rubbing shoulders with traditional street markets.
Day 02: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi – Ho Chi Minh City (B/L)
Full Day Cu Chi Tunnels & Saigon City Tour
In the morning, pick up at the hotel in Saigon. Drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi was a bitter battleground for many years during the Vietnam War. Don’t miss a visit to this “underground village,” an intricate network of more than 200km (125 miles) of Cu Chi District, 75km (46 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City. Explore a short segment of this labyrinth of interlaced tunnels; you will be amazed by the tunnels’ numerous branches connecting to underground hideouts and shelters, before testing your marksmanship with an AK-47 rifle at local rifle range (optional). Transfer back to Saigon. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, the city tour will take you around Vietnam’s busiest city, from downtown to Chinatown. You will get to know Saigon’s history and culture with stops at the Reunification Palace and Thien Hau Temple. You will not only learn about the past but also get a glimpse of the daily life of street vendors at the Binh Tay Market and see other places of interests such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Municipal Post Office. You can stop over at a well-known lacquer workshop to pick up some unique gifts for your loved ones. Transfer back to the hotel.
Day 03: Ho Chi Minh City – My Tho – Danang – Hoian (B/L)
Enjoy a full day excursion to My Tho, a peaceful town on the bank of Mekong River. The tour comprises a cruise on Mekong River, a visit to orchards and local homes, a sampan ride on palm-shaded creeks, a taste of seasonal fruit & honey tea and a performance of traditional southern singing. Lunch of Mekong specialties is arranged. Return Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.
Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for your flight Danang. Upon arrival in Danang, about 40 minutes drive (30 km) from Danang to the ancient town of Hoi An.
Day 04: Hoian (B/L/D)
Boat trip to a carpentry village and a pottery village continued by a city walk to Hoi An's old quarter with History Museum, Chinese Assembly Hall, Japanese covered bridge and historic old house.
We will take a boat ride to visit the carpentry village of Cam Kim, where local carpenters build fishing boats or make furniture using techniques dating to the 18th century. Then the boatman will take us to the pottery village of Thanh Ha to see the locals make simple pottery objects used in their ordinary life. After lunch we start the walking tour to the Culture and History Museum. Afterwards we walk along the main street to the Chinese Assembly Hall of Fujien Chinese community. The hall, built in 1697, has been used as the worshipping place. Next we'll stop to see the Japanese covered bridge built in the early 17th century by Japanese traders who settled in the town. The special pagoda-shaped bridge is now the official symbol of Hoi An. We finish with a visit to a historic old house of this UNESCO-recognized town.
Dinner at Dao Tien Restaurant
Day 05: Hoian – Danang – Hue (B/L)
Arrival by This morning we drive to Hue, passing Danang, Lang Co and Hai Van Pass. On the way you will pass Truong Son Mountain range that is just south of China Sea which give the spectacular views of the Vietnam coastline. Upon arrival Hue, visit the Citadel at the Imperial Palace. It was completed in 1833 and from here the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty ruled Vietnam till 1945. Entering the citadel via a stone bridge you can see the Thai Hoa Palace, an important venue for official receptions and other important court ceremonies. The ostentatious columns supporting the roof are lacquered and inlaid with gold. There is a pair of smaller halls behind the Thai Hoa Palace used by mandarins to prepare for court ceremonies. A one hour pedicab ride gives you a chance to assess the size of the citadel and to watch the daily life of people living in its boundaries.
Visit Dong Ba Market (famous for its conical hats)
Day 06: Hue – Hanoi (B)
In the morning you board a traditional “Dragon Boat” for a 40 minutes ride on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, which overlooks the river. The Thien Mu Pagoda or the Heavenly Lady pagoda has two sections. The front of the Pagoda houses the seven-storey octagonal Phuoc Duyen tower, with its has become the symbol of Hue. The other section of the pagoda is its rear portion, where the monks of the temple live and practice Buddhism. The Pagoda was the center of Buddhism in central Vietnam. In 1963, in an act of defiance against the Diem regime, Thich Quang Duc torched himself in downtown Saigon. Today, pagoda visitors can see the car that took him to Saigon kept in the rear of Thien Mu Pagoda.
Your trip to Hue will be completed by a visit to the tomb of Minh Mang - one of the most interesting emperor tombs in Hue. Its architecture harmonizes perfectly with the surrounding scenery. Like in other tombs of this period, the general elements of the tomb architecture are: outer-walls, triple gate (Tam Quan Gate), Salutation Court, Stele House, temples, lakes, pavilions, gardens and the tomb itself.
On the way back to your hotel you stop at a village that is well-known for its production of incense sticks and typical Vietnamese conical hats (if time permits).
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi, the dynamic capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival in Hanoi, transfer to your hotel.
Day 07: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hanoi (B/L)
Depart from Hanoi in the morning to Halong Bay - one of the most magnificent scenic spots in all of Vietnam. Halong is a picturesque bay with almost 2,000 islets rising from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and it was recognized as a world natural heritage site by UNESCO in 1994. Arriving at the pier around noon, begin cruising on a traditional wooden boat among the emerald waters and craggy limestone cliffs of Halong Bay, stopping at different islands to explore some of the many caves in this area. Sail past floating villages, fishermen casting their nets and pearl fisheries and observe the rhythms of daily life on the bay. It'll be an unforgettable experience. You’ll enjoy a lunch of fresh seafood, served on board. Disembark at Halong pier at approximately 16.30 pm and return to Hanoi by vehicle.
Day 08: Hanoi (B/L)
Half day city tour in Hanoi. Visit Ba Dinh Square, Presidential Palace, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.With a millennium-long history, Hanoi is a city of lakes, shaded boulevards and public parks dotted with French-style buildings and historical monuments. During the half-day city tour, you’ll see cultural and historical highlights, comprising Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh’s former residence, Presidential Palace (for outside photo taken), One-pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ngoc Son Temple. The tour gives you time for shopping and socializing with local people.
Day 09: Hanoi / Australia (B)
Free at leisure till transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
Day 10: Australia
Arrive at Australia in the morning.
Departures
2009 - 25/03, 28/04, 27/05, 10/06
Tour cost
(Per Person Share Twin Basis)
From SYD/MEL: $2,250
From ADL/BNE/CBR: $2,360
Land only: $1,550
Single supplement: $640
Hotel List
Hanoi - Majestic Salute or similar
Hue - Century Riverside or similar
Hoi An - Hoi An Hotel or similar
Saigon - Kim Do Hotel or similar
Inclusions and Exclusions
Price includes
International economy class airfare with Vietnam Airlines
3-4 star hotel accommodation
Meals as indicated
Private air-conditioned car
English speaking guide with admission fee as specified
Price excludes
Australian and Vietnamese airport taxes approx.$500* per person
Vietnamese Visa: $80 per person
Travel insurance, tipping and personal expenses
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