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hiddencharm · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 15

Day 1: Ho chi minh arrival (D)
Upon arrival to Saigon airport, you will be greeted by the guide of Asia View Travel and transferred to our hotel in center of Saigon. Free time at leisure to relax. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 2: Ho chi minh city – Cu chi tunnel (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel, we then take city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals,visit to Reunification Palace, then visit War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral. General Post Office. Afternoon, drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In places, it was several stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years....

Day 3: Ho chi minh – Mekong river cruise on boat (B, L, D)
Pick up at your hotel in Saigon 8:00am and transfer to Cai Be. 11:30 - 12:00 boarding LE COCHINCHINE boat. Enjoy welcome drink. Transfer to a local boat for an extensive visit of Cai Be: the floating market, the mazes of waterway, local pop-rice and sweets production. Visit of colonial buildings, old houses, delightful flower gardens and local coconut candy and rice paper manufacturers. LeCochinchine continues its cruise to Cochien. Lunch served on board. Embark on a pleasant walk or cycle on the footpaths of the countryside to discover tropical fruit orchards and the local people's activities. Visit a cottage industry, a local farm and sample seasonal fruits. Leisurely cruise on the Mekong River while taking in the beautiful scenery. Enjoy an aperitif over the sunset.
Dinner and night on Lecochinchine Boat.

Day 4: Mekong – Ho chi minh – Hoian (B)
Rising up to the sound of River and Mekong Delta coming to life for another lovely day we enjoy the sunset. After breakfast, we cruise along the canals and visit a village on the bank of Co Chien or, an opportunity to appreciate the way of life of the local inhabitants, and their hospitality. Leisurely cruise up the Hau river while enjoying the beautiful scenery Arriving Cantho, we explore the Cai Rang market, one of the most bustling floating markets in Mekong Delta with hundreds of small boats ladden fruits barging and jostling for space as owners attempt to sell their goods. Boat through the palm-shaded creek to see local houses and green orchards,ship building yards, local markets in full swing. Disembark and drive back to Saigon airport for the flight to Danang VN 319 18:45// 20:00 Arrive in Danang, pick up and transfer to Hoian. Overnight at hotel in Hoian.

Day 5: Hoian – Myson (B)
Breakfast in the hotel departure for My Son, one of the most important Cham site in the country and it’s set amongst lovely hills. My Son is another of Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Hoi An. This afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An. Hoi An is a lovely riverside township with narrow streets and old buildings. It’s also a great place for ethnic crafts. UNESCO has listed Hoi An as a World Heritage Site in Dec 1999. Driver back to Hoian. This afternoon, you have plenty of time to discover what Hoi An has to offer. The ancient architecture of Hoian is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese influence. There are plenty to see in this delightful and tranquil town, some of which are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market.

Day 6: Hoian – Danang – Hue (B, L)
We embark on Northern bound journey to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The scenic route passes through Da Nang as we are climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and dropping down to the picturesque fishing villages of Lang Co. A visit to beautiful Cham museum in Danang where display Cham’s finest sculpture and artefacts in the world. The scenery en route is beautiful as we hug the coastline of the South China Sea before winding our way up the spectacular Hai van pass. Here we stop to admire the stunning views. The journey takes about 5 hours. In the afternoon we commence to visit the beautiful Thien Mu Pagoda, which now becomes the symbol of Hue and the elaborate royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc Tomb are not to be missed. We include these in a guided cruise on the Perfume River which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside as well as an enjoyable visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang Tomb, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 7: Hue – Hanoi (B, D)
This morning, we will have our first glimpse of Hue to visit the Forbidden Purple City. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the Citadel was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. Take the flight to Hanoi. Pick up at Noibai airport, transfer to hotel, check in, relax. This afternoon, we visit Literature temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh temple, West Lake. Enjoy water puppet show. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi – Halong Bay on boat (B, L, D)
Breakfast at hotel and then at 8:30am start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stop en route for photos before arriving to Ha Long City. We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island.

Day 9: Halong – Hanoi (B)
Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas . The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at 3:30pm. Do the walking and shopping in the Old Quarter, take a cyclo tour around Hanoi Old Quarter to understand more about simple life of Hanoian. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 10: Hanoi – Luang prabang (B, L, D)
Transfer to airport for the flight to Luangprabang. Upon arrival at the airport, you are met and transferred to the hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. After a short rest, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, we explore Street Night Market, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textile by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 11: Luang prabang – Pak oucave (B, L)
After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the distillation of local rice wine. On return, we take a short drive to Ban Phanom, well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 12: Luang prabang – Vientiane (B, D)
The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign, and the Central Market are not to be missed. We visit these sights, this morning before we catch a flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival, we see the major temples including the oldest Wat Sisaket, a temple of thusands of miniature Budha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous, sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, sunset by Mekong riverside and late evening. Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 13: Vientiane departure (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free until transfer to airport your departure flight. End of tour.
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Halong tours-Mekong tours