Heritage tour 11 days

 Hanoi - Ha Long - Phong Nha - Hue - Hoi An - My Son 

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the best local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

9.00: Pick up at your hotel

9.30 - 10.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, his simple stilt  house where he lived

10.30 - 11.00: You'll visit the Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda located on West Lake

11.00 - 12.00: Visit Temple of Literature - the first university in Vietnam

12.00 - 13.15: Lunch at local restaurant

13.15 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam's 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of city.

16.15 - 17.15: You'll have around 1 hour to walk around the Old Quarter. You'll drive back to your hotel. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

8.30: You'll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world's largest marine limestone "karst" landscape.

10.00: You'll take a short break at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.

10.30 - 12.00: You'll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

12.00: You'll board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. It will take you first to the World Heritage area where you'll visit Amazing Cave and a famous beach in Ha Long Bay. You'll be able to swim, fish, climb a hill for an overview of the Bay's remarkable seascape. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood.

You'll spend the night on the boat.

If you don't like seafood during this trip, please let us know what you like so we can arrange for you.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi (B, L, G)

7.30: You'll have western breakfast on boat.

8.00 - 8.30: You'll venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan.

8.30 - 11.45: You'll spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by lunch just before docking to the harbour.

11.45 - 15.00: You'll drive back to Hanoi for your refreshment at your hotel

22.30 - 22.45: You'll drive to the station for your overnight train to Dong Hoi.

You'll spend the night on the train.

Day 5: Dong Hoi/Phong Nha/Dong Hoi (B, L, G)

5.00 - 6.00: Arriving in Dong Hoi station in the morning, you'll be picked up to your hotel for refreshment and have breakfast in the hotel's restaurant.

8.30 - 12.30: You'll travel to visit Phong Nha cave, one of the world heritage site in Vietnam. You'll take a boat trip along the river to see the water cave and dry cave. You'll return to Dong Hoi for your  free time to relax on the beach in the afternoon.

You'll spend the night in Dong Hoi.

Day 6: Dong Hoi/Hue (B, L, G)

Your time will be your own until you'll escorted to drive to Hue. On arrival, you'll check in your hotel in the city centre and have a Hue city tour in the afternoon.

14.30 - 16.30: You'll be picked up to visit Imperial Citadel, once the seat of the Emperors of the powerful Nguyen Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945.

16.30 - 17.30: You'll visit the bustling Dong Ba market, which is one of the most famous markets in the Centre areas.

You'll spend the night in Hue.

Day 7: Hue (B, L, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 10.00: You'll be taken by car to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, a tranquil pagoda in the banks of the Perfume River.

10.00 - 12.00: Take a cruise along the Perfume River to the Royal Tombs of Minh Mang, the most majestic emperor with many wives and more than 100 children.

12.00 - 13.30: Drive back to Hue for lunch at a typical Vietnamese restaurant.

13.30 - 16.45: In the afternoon, you'll drive to visit Royal Tu Duc tomb, the "poet Emperor". You'll then be picked up to visit the Royal Khai Dinh tomb is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley.

16.45 - 17.30: The last famous site in your programme will be Tu Hieu pagoda, which is one of the most famous pagodas in Hue. In the evening, you'll have dinner at one of a typical famous garden house.

You'll spend the night in Hue.

Day 8: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

7.30 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel, you'll then be picked up to travel to Hoi An.

8.30 - 12.00: You'll drive to Lang Co Beach and the lagoon far below. You'll then cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van with excellent view to see Danang spread out.

12.00 - 14.00: You'll have lunch at local restaurant and have a brief to visit Cham Museum, a remarkable Hindu statuary.

14.00 - 15.45: Driver and guide will take you to visit Marble Mountain, Stone Carving village where you can admire the stone products of local people.

15.45 - 17.30: You'll continue driving to Hoi An and have a time to visit  Hoi An Town, and enjoy its considerable significance in the history of Vietnamtown.

You'll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An/My Son/Hoi An (B, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.15: Drive to visit the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary, the guide will show you the remains of the remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose.

11.15 - 12.00: You'll return to Hoi An. Rest of day will be free perhaps to stroll around the Old Quarter of relax on the beach. You'll spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 10: Hoi An free (B)

You’ll be free to stroll around the Old Quarter for silk shopping or relax on the beach as you wish!

Day 11: Hoi An/Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (B, G)

After breakfast at your hotel, you'll be free and then be driven to Danang airport for your flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. You'll transit for your international departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Valid until December 31, 2008

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Contact Us for more details

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.

• Domestic flight tickets: Danang - Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes.

• Train ticket: Hanoi - Dong Hoi, air-condition soft four bed cabin.

• Boat cruise as programme.

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.

• English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary

• Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants and full board on the boat in Ha Long Bay.

• Government taxes

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas

• Dinners, except as specified above.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard 

• Hanoi: Sofitel Plaza Hotel (***** overlooking the West Lake, indoor swimming pool) or similar

• Dong Hoi: Sun Spa Resort (**** best hotel in Dong Hoi, private beach and swimming pool)

• Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel (**** colonial building overlooking the Perfume River) or similar

• Hoi An: Victoria Resort Hotel (**** resort on China Beach) or similar

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** near the city centre) or similar

• Dong Hoi: Sun Spa Resort (**** best hotel in Dong Hoi, private beach and swimming pool)

• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel (**** on the bank of the Perfume River) or similar

• Hoi An: Dong An Beach Resort (**** beside Cua Dai beach) or similar

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Army hotel (*** city centre with swimming pool) or similar

• Dong Hoi: Sun Spa Resort (**** best hotel in Dong Hoi, private beach and swimming pool)

• Hue: Heritage Hotel (*** city centre) or similar

• Hoi An: Lotus Hotel (*** with swimming pool, 2km from town centre) or similar.

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

• Hanoi: Nam Hai Hotel (** city centre) or similar

• Dong Hoi: Phong Nha Hotel (local standard, near Nhat Le beach) or similar

• Hue: Green Bamboo Hotel (** city centre, local standard) or similar

• Hoi An: Pho Hoi Riverside Resort (*** overlooking the river) or similar