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Day 1
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Arrive Hanoi
Upon arrival at the airport, meet and transfer to the Silk Path Hotel - 4* for two nights.
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Day 2
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Hanoi (B/L)
In the morning, visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature,which is imbued with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. In the afternoon, visit HoaLo Prison, the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi and learn about the Vietnamese traditional architecture. The tour includes a stop at an ancient Vietnamese "long house". In the evening, you will take delight in watching a traditional water puppet performance whose origin dates back over a thousand years.
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Day 3
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Hanoi - Ninh Binh (B/L/D)
Drive to Ninh Binh. Upon arrival, you will take delight in a scenic bicycle ride around paddy fields, pagodas, small villages and markets. A visit to Vuon Thi Village will offer you a chance to interact with the local people by partaking in their daily activities. Discover the lifestyle, hospitality and friendliness of the local Northern people when you prepare your lunch with a local family. Later, work alongside the farmers in the field and learn how water rice is cultivated. Then, you will surely be mesmerized by the soaring limestone cliffs whilst cruising on the river. Finally, continue to Ninh Binh with an overnight stay at Legend Hotel - 4*.
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Day 4
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Ninh Binh - Halong Bay (B/L/D) This morning, drive through the green rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay. Upon arrival, board the Indochina Sails Junk – 4* for a cruise amongst hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a seafood lunch and a swim (if weather permits) before visiting a grotto of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Drop anchor during the late evening for an overnight stay amongst the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea. |
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Day 5
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Halong Bay - Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An (B) Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf area. Transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your evening flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Hoi An, transfer to the Life Heritage Resort – 4* for two nights. |
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Day 6
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Hoi An (B)
Start the day on a walking tour to explore this World Heritage Site. Highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market. In the afternoon, visit one of Hoi An’s famous lantern workshops and learn to personally make a lantern. End the day by taking a sunset boat trip on the Thu Bon River.
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Day 7
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Hoi An - Danang - Ho Chi Minh (B/L) Take a morning boat cruise to Kim Bong Village where you will visit a shipbuilding yard and cycle through the village with stops at old colonial houses, temples and local cottage factories. Continue cruising towards the Thanh Ha pottery village where you will gain some hands on experience in shaping pottery items. Drive to Tra Que Village for a visit to a kind ergarten. Join the pupils in planting trees before walking to a farm to discover traditional gardening methods. Taste the local specialty “Tam Huu” spring rolls and indulge in a traditional herbal footbath. Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to the InterContinental Asiana Hotel – 5* for two nights. |
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Day 8
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Ho Chi Minh (B/L) At dawn, take a cab to Tao Dan Park and mingle yourself with the locals who are in the middle of their morning exercising routines. Some gather here to get in shape, others to lose weight or gain an energy booster for a new day, and the remaining to simply socialize with their friends. There are several active activities including: Tai Chi, jogging, and badminton. Visit the Saigon Bird Club and be entertained by the lively chirping song birds whilst sipping a cup of Vietnamese hot coffee with condensed milk. Take a walk to the famous Ben Thanh Market and pass some ornate Chinese and Hindu temples along the way. Enjoy your breakfast with an authentic Pho noodle soup at Pho 2000, which had the honour of receiving the former US President Bill Clinton. Take a cab back to the hotel. Later on, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the recent war. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour . Highlights include the Reunification Palace (photo stop), the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, War Remnants Museum, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda. |
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Day 9
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Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta (B/L/D) Leave Ho Chi Minh City for Tien Giang province. Upon arrival, cross the river and then cycle on the Cai Thia village path. En-route stop at an orchard for fruit tasting. We then take a boat to a local house where you will have lunch followed by a sampan ride through small creeks before arriving at your home stay. On arrival, be welcomed by the host of Ut Trinh. In the afternoon, you can relax or walk around the islet. Later in the evening, take part in the dinner preparation with the host. |
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Day 10
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Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh (B) After breakfast, start cycling on the islet, passing orchards, local market, schools & villa ges. Then take a boat trip to Vinh Long town before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight at the Intercontinental Asiana Hotel – 5*. |
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Day 11
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Depart Ho Chi Minh (B)
Head to the airport. |
| Vietnam Encounter & Homestay |
| Land Only*2012 |
January - December |
| Twin Occupancy |
1,800 |
| Single Occupancy |
2,650 |
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*Price includes internal Vietnam flights, hotel with daily breakfast, private car transportation, sightseeing & admissions with English speaking guide and meals as specified. Basic lodging during homestay experience. Hotel Supplement from Dec 24 - 31 and during Lunar New Year applies, and compulsory dinners apply on Dec 24 & Dec 31, please enquire.
Price per person, minimum 2 persons traveling together. Vietnam Entry Visa fee is $120 and not included in the package.
Entry Regulations:
All Canadian citizens require a Canadian passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into the country. An entry visa is necessary to enter Vietnam prior to arrival. You will need to fill out an application form, 2 passport size photo and a copy of your passport to obtain an entry visa.
Please check with your country’s Foreign Affairs office to find out about entry requirements for non-Canadians and Americans.
Climate:
Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate with wet and dry seasons varying from north to south and with elevation changes. November-April is the dry season in the north, Central Highlands and south. Temperatures range from 14-33 degrees Celsius.
Currency:
The basic unit of currency is the Vietnamam Dong (VND). At present, the exchange rate is VND20,921 to C$1 and VND20,830 to US$1. As exchange rates fluctuate many times every day, this rate might not accurately reflect the rate during your trip. Please check exchange rates closer to your date of travel.
Electricity:
Vietnam uses both the 110 and 220 volt system.
Tip: This system may differ from the one you use at home. If it is different, please purchase an adaptor from a travel store near you, to take advantage of the power ports in your hotel room.
Language:
The official language is Vietnamese, tonal language with a mixture of Mon-Khmer, Thai and Chinese. French is still spoken among the older generation while English is more likely to be the second language of the younger generation.
Health Requirement:
No vaccination certificates are required unless coming from an infected area. For all health requirements and recommendations, travellers should check with their doctors for change in requirements.
Airport Facilities and Tax:
The international airports are Tan Son Nhat (Saigon) International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Departure taxes are formulated into the price of your airline ticket.
Shopping:
Vietnam is particularly known for its various styles of lacquer ware (mother of pearl inlay and duck shell) and its growing silk industry. Contemporary paintings and copies of masterpiece work are also widely available in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Extreme caution should be noted when buying goods. Any goods that are considered "antique" will be confiscated. It is illegal to export any item that might be considered "antique" from Vietnam.
Cuisine:
Traditional Vietnamese cuisine boasts 500 specialties varying from the famous spring rolls to tamarind crab. Meals are generally not spicy but make use of a wide array of interesting sauces. Ho Chi Minh City has an increasing selection of international restaurants including Italian, French, Indian, Japanese and Chinese.
For more information please visit:
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=316000
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- Hanoi city tour with cyclo tour inside the Old Quarter
- Visit to the countryside near Ninh Binh
- Bicycle through the paddy fields to visit local family
- Stay on a traditional wooden junk on Halong Bay
- Explore the merchant town of Hoi An
- Sunset boat cruise on Thu Bon River in Hoi An
- Visit bustling Saigon and the labyrinth of tunnels in Cu Chi
- Travel to the Mekong Delta for a unique homestay experience
- Hanoi: Silk Path Hotel ****
- Ninh Binh: Legend Hotel ****
- Halong Bay: Indochina Sails ****
- Hoi An: Life Heritage Resort ****
- Ho Chi Minh: InterContinental Asiana
Hotel *****
- Mekong Dellta: Ut Trinh Homestay
(simple, yet unique,
lodging)
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