DAY 1 HANOI
Arrive in Hanoi, city of lakes, shaded boulevards and public parks. Transfer to your hotel.
DAY 2 HANOI
Today, your visit will include Hoan Kiem Lake in the city center and the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius. After lunch, visit a museum and return to your hotel. In the evening enjoy a welcome dinner.
(B/L/D)
DAY 3 HANOI · HALONG
Morning departure for Halong Bay. After check-in on your “junk” boat, start cruising amongst thousands of islands emerging from the Gulf of Tonkin. Visit Dinh Huong and Ga Choi islands and Songsot cave (or similar). Lunch and dinner on board. (B/L/D)
DAY 4 HALONG · HANOI · HUE
Breakfast on board. Continue cruising in the morning before your departure by road to Hanoi airport for your flight to Hue. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. (B)
DAY 5 HUE
Visit the Old Imperial City modeled after the Forbidden City of Beijing, the Thai Hoa Palace, and the Halls of the Mandarins. Enjoy a leisurely boat ride on the Perfume River and visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue cruising to the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang, a majestic complex of courtyards, pavilions and temples. (B/L)
DAY 6 HUE · DANANG · HOI AN
Take the scenic route to Hoi An with spectacular landscapes and mountains. Stop in Danang and visit the Cham Museum, China Beach and the Marble Mountains before arriving in Hoi An. (B/L)
DAY 7 HOI AN
Enjoy a walking tour through the cobbled streets to see the central market and the harbor. Visit a private house and its traditional setting. Continue to the Japanese Covered Bridge, built by the Japanese community to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream. (B/L)
DAY 8 HOI AN · DANANG · HO CHI MINH
Transfer to Danang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. (B/L)
DAY 9 HO CHI MINH · MEKONG DELTA · HO CHI MINH
Immerse yourself fully in the local culture of the Mekong Delta with a day out to rustic Ben Tre. A journey of about two and a half hours will bring you to a peaceful area of lush orchards, green rice paddies and coconut fields. Hop on a bike for a ride along the shady paths to visit the home of local antique collector, Uncle Six. Continue your two-wheeled exploration along rural pathways that wind their way alongside dense vegetation and small tributaries of the Mekong. Board a rowing boat and cruise along the small canals under the shade of the coconut trees. Then change your mode of transport to a motorised boat. After a delicious lunch of local specialties cooked by the host, visit some local workshops to see how rice paper and sticky coconut sweets are made. (B/L)
DAY 10 HO CHI MINH
Begin your tour with the historic city center. Pass by City Hall and the old Opera House (outside views only). Visit the Central Post Office. Afterwards, dive into modern history with a tour of the Reunification Palace, formerly the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president. Continue to the harrowing War Remnants Museum. After lunch, head out to Cholon (China town) and visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the Giac Lam Pagoda. Visit the Binh Tay Market and the Ben Thanh Market. (B/L)
DAY 11 HO CHI MINH · CUCHI · HO CHI MINH
Depart for Cuchi. Visit the Cu Chi tunnels used during the Vietnam War, with 200km of underground galleries, an arms factory, living quarters, rural hospitals, and kitchens and command centers. Return to Ho Chi Minh and enjoy a walking tour of Old Saigon. (B/L)
DAY 12 HO CHI MINH · SIEM REAP (ANGKOR WAT)
Transfer to the airport and flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Today, visit the crown jewel of Khmer architecture – Angkor Wat. The temple complex of Angkor covers 200 acres and is probably the largest religious monument ever built on earth. (B) Accommodation › Khemara Angkor for 3 nights.
DAY 13 SIEM REAP
Morning departure to the temples of Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre. In the afternoon, excursion to Kampong Kleang with boat trip to the floating fishing villages. (B)
DAY 14 SIEM REAP
Today, visit the Roluos group of temples and Ta Prohm, a most popular attraction of Angkor known as the “jungle temple”. Much of the jungle has not been cleared and it looks very much like the monuments would have appeared when European explorers first stumbled across them. In the afternoon, visit Angkor Thom, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Elephant Terrace. (B)
DAY 15 SIEM REAP
Transfer to the airport for your flights home. (B)
