DETAILED ITINERARY.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is free for relaxation. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in HCM city.

After breakfast, drive to the extraordinary Cu Chi tunnels, just outside Ho Chi Minh City. During the war for independence, "Viet Cong" guerillas built the labyrinth of narrow tunnels virtually underneath U.S. bases, using them to hide during bombing raids and to stage surprise attacks. Optional side trips en route to Cu Chi include visits to see how rural people live and work. View occupations such as cashew nut farming, duck breeding, rice farming and production of rice paper, a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Return to HoChi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Visit the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Post Office, Chinatown, Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple. A relaxing "Health and Beauty" package is optional. Participants can enjoy 30 minutes of one of the following: shampoo and head massage manicure;foot massage or facial massage. Overnight in HCM city.

Drive to Ben Tre. Here, take a boat to Coconut Island. Enjoy a brief walk on the island, trying native fruits and viewing local handicraft productions. Continue by boat to Tan Thach commune tovisitafamily-run enterprise making coconut candies. Take a horse-drawn cart to Quoi Son to visit a bee farm and to enjoy tea and candies. Float on a sampan through the narrow, tree-lined canals of the Mekong Delta. Enjoy lunch at Qui Island. After lunch continue by boat to Phu Tuc village for an overnight stay. Enjoy fishing and sightseeing during a late-afternoon rowboat trip along the Tien River. Visit a local family home and have a dinner of traditional Mekong Delta foods. After dinner take in a performance of traditional rural music. Spend the night in a homestay in Ben Tre.

After breakfast depart for Cai Be. Take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries to view the daily lives of people who work and play on the waterways of theMekong Delta. The trip includes a visit to the unique "floating" market at Cai Be and to a family-run business producing rice paper - a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Visit a fruit wholesale market, a local school and a French-influenced Catholic Church. Return to Ho Chi Minh City . Overnight in HCM city.

After breakfast at hotel we will have a cenic drive from Ho Chi Minh City to the central highland resort of Dalat. En route stop at rubber, tea and coffee plantations. A visit to a silk-making business is optional. Upon arrival inDalat, visit Prenn waterfall and enjoy a brief view of the city byhorse-drawncart. Overnight in Dalat.

In the morning, tour the summer residence of Vietnam's last emperor, Bao Dai. Drop by the colorful Da Lat Market to see a variety of flowers, vegetables, and fruits available in Da Lat's temperate climate. The drive to Nha Trang begins with a series of mountainside switchbacks affording spectacular views of the arid lowlands and the sea. Stop near the seaside town of Phan Rang to visit Po Klong Garai, a well-preserved 14th century Cham Tower. Follow the coastal road to Nha Trang, stopping at a vineyard along the way. Upon arrival in Nha Trang, hotel check-in then rest of day free to enjoy this beach town . Overnight in Nha Trang

After breakfast a hotel, we will go to enjoy Nha Trang's turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. We kake a morning boat cruise to offshore islands in Nha Trang Bay. Afternoon we visit the Ponagar Cham Towers, the Long Son Pagoda, the Cathedral of Nha Trang. A visit to a local fish and food market is optional .Overnight in Nha Trang

The drive from Nha Trang to Qui Nhon passes through perhaps the most beautiful stretches of coastline in all of Vietnam. The range of colours and vistas seen along this coastal and mountainous drive are unparalleled in South East Asia. Stop en route at Dai Lanh Beach to enjoy the transparent, turquoise waters, and at a Cham ruin near Tuy Hoa. A visit to the tomb of Han Mac Tu - a famous Vietnamese poet - and the rocky outcrops at Hoang Hau is optional .Overnight in Quy Nhon.

In the morning, visit the Thap Doi Cham Tower before continuing north to Hoi An. Stop en route at Sa Huynh Beach and at Tam Quan for some refreshing coconut juice. Along the rest of the drive, view the daily life of rural villagers processing cassava, farming rice and weaving grass. Arrive in HoiAn late in the afternoon. Overnight in Hoian.

Take a full-day tour of this quaint town, visiting ancient merchants' houses, a Phuc Kien temple, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and the colourful riverside market. Visit a workshop where artisans make Hoi An's famous lanterns. Guests learn how the lanterns are made then have a chance to create their own lanterns, from designing the frame to gluing the cloth. Overnight in Hoian

Drive from Hoi An to Hue. Stop en route at the Marble Mountains, famed for its stonecutters and for being a "Viet Cong" guerillas hideout during the Vietnam War. Continue on to Hue, passing over a spectacular mountain pass and by a seaside fishing village. Upon arrival in Hue visit the Imperial Citadel. Drive to the outskirts of Hue to visit the elaborate tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. Stop en route at local families to learn how Vietnam's famous conical hats and colorful incense are made. Overnight in Hue.

Morning boat cruise through the centre of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. Visit the seven-storey, Thien Mu Pagoda along the riverbank. Check out and transfer to airport for the flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival transfer to hotel. See the beautiful colors of Hanoi during a late afternoon. Cyclo ride through the city's old quarter. In the evening enjoy a water puppet show - a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Overnight in Hanoi.

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 and coffee 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. Overnight on Junk.

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 backup 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.

The morning is free for shopping before transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for departure.

PACKAGE COST:

Our tour prices are subject to change in case of increases in airfares, ground transportation costs, entrance fees, etc.

INCLUSIVE OF ABOVE PRICES:

v English speaking guide

v All accommodation on twin sharing with daily breakfast

v Meals as indicated (B = breakfast; L=Lunch; D = Dinner)

v All transfers/ transport by private car/ van/ bus

v Entrance fees and permits during guided time

v Boat ride in Halong bay and in Mekong river

v Flight : Hue – Hanoi

v Soft sleeper train Hanoi - Hue; Saigon –Nha Trang

v Service Charge & Government taxes

EXCLUSIVE OF ABOVE PRICES:

v International airfares & airport taxes

v Pre/post trip arrangement

v Visa and visa arrangement

v Travel insurance

v Meals not indicated

v Other personal expenses

v Tips and gratuities

WHAT TO BRING:

v Sun block

v Camera + Film

v Insect repellent

v Original Passport

v A wide brimmed hat

v Swimming costume

v Sun glasses

ACCOMMODATION IN THE EQUIVALVENT CITIES AS IN THE BELOW LIST OR SIMILAR:

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