9 Days Highlights of Vietnam

^{9 Days / 8 Nights}

Itinerary (Hanoi - Halong - Hue - Danang - Hoi An - Danang - Saigon)

9 DAYS HIGHLIGHTS OF VIETNAM
TOUR CODE : VN-T-11

Day 1 : HANOI (-, -, -)
Meet on arrival at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport, transfer to hotel for check in. Rest of day at leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2 : HANOI - HALONG - HANOI (B, -, -)
Travel to Halong Bay by boat. This four-hour boat ride explores Halong Bay, passing the islands of Trong, Mai, Am, Chen and Cong Troi (Heaven Gates). Stop at one of the islands and visit beautiful caves such as Hang Dau Go, Bo Nau (the "Pelican" caves.) and Thien Cung ( "Heaven Palace.")
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3 : HANOI (B, -, -)
In the morning, visit One Pillar Pagoda and Temple Of Literature. Continue to Hoan Kiem Lake, this lake contains an islet with the tiny Tortoise Pagoda, topped with a red star. Then Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a glass sarcophagus set deep in the bowels of a monumental edifice that has become a site of pilgrimage.
In the afternoon, visit Opera House and St Joseph Cathedral. Continue to Bao Tang Lich, once the museum of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient. Exhibits include artefacts from Vietnam's turbulent history including some from prehistory, proto-Vietnamese civilisations, the Dong Son culture, the Oc-Eo culture and the Khmer Kingdoms.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 4 : HANOI - HUE (B, -, -)
After breakfast, transfer by flight from Hanoi to Hue. After check in at hotel, visit Imperial City located in the Citadel and modeled after the Forbidden City in Peking. There are numerous palaces and temples within these walls, as well as towers, a library and a museum such as Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Halls of the Mandarins, Nine Dynastic Urns, and Forbidden Purple City. After lunch, visit Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. This place was once the Royal Palace of Tu Duc and consists of pavilions in a tranquil setting of forested hills and lakes. Continue to Dong Ba Market, a local market near the Imperial City.
Overnight in Hue.

Day 5 : HUE - DANANG - HOI AN (B, -, -)

Excursion on Huong Giang River to the Thien Mu Pagoda with boat trip. The Pagoda is just outside of Hue, on the bank of the Perfume River, this was a hotbed of anti-government protest during the early 1960s.
In the afternoon, transfer from Hue to Hoi An. Journey south along Highway 1 past the Hai Van Pass, an incredible mountainous stretch of highway with spectacular views, and Lang Co, a pretty, island-like stretch of palm-shaded sand with a crystal-clear lagoon on one side and many km of beachfront facing the South China Sea. Visit Cham Museum, this houses probably the best collection of Cham art to be found anywhere in the world. There are more than 300 artifacts in the museum, many dating to the 4th century. There are beautiful sculptures reflecting the 1000 year Cham period.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6 : HOI AN (B, -, -)
After breakfast, sightseeing in Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town south of Danang. Known as Faifo to early western traders, it was one of South East Asia's major international ports during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. You can visit Quan Cong Temple, Phuoc Kien Pagoda, Japanese Covered Bridge, Tran Family Chapel, Sa Huynh Museum, Phung Hung House, and Quang Dong Padoga.
Contine to Kim Bong Village on Cam Kim Island by boat. Kim Bong Village is a village of woodworkers and boatbuilding families.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 7 : HOI AN - DANANG - SAIGON (B, -, -)
Transfer from Hoi An to Danang Airport and flight from Danang to Saigon. After arrival, visit Cu Chi Tunnels, an important base during the American War, because of its strategic location. The Vietcong built a 200km long network of tunnels connecting command posts, hospitals, shelter and weapon factories. Dug out of hard laterite by hand tools without the use of cement, this amazing network was never discovered.
In the afternoon , sightseeing in Saigon, the largest of Vietnamese cities, with the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life visible everywhere. There are street markets, sidewalk cafes and sleek new bars. The city churns and bubbles. Yet within this teeming metropolis are 300 years of timeless traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture. To the west of the city is District 5, the huge Chinese neighborhood called Cholon, which means 'Big Market'. Visit many interesing places such as Notre Dam Cathedral, City Hall, War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, Binh Tay Market, Thien Hau Pagoda.
Overnight in Saigon.

Day 8 : SAIGON (B, -, -)
Visit My Tho, capital of Tien Giang Province. The economy is based on fishing and the cultivation of rice, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, longans and citrus fruit. Continue to Cai Be Floating Market, the bustling market with wholesalers on big boats mooring here, each specialising in one or a few types of fruit or vegetables. Customers cruise the market in smaller boats, and can easily find what they are looking for as the larger boats hang samples of their goods from tall wooden poles. There are also good views of the huge Catholic cathedral on the riverside. On the way back to Saigon visit of Cai Dai Temple of Ben Luc.
Overnight in Saigon.

Day 9 : SAIGON (B, -, -)
End of Service

*B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner