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Best of Vietnam
Days 1:
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon and the largest city in Vietnam.
** Depart CX829 @ 2335 / Arrive HKG @ 0650 / Depart CX767 @ 0850 / Arrive SGN @1020 **
Days 2:
Day 3:
Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International airport, you will be met and transferred to the for two nights. Rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at the Lemon Grass restaurant. *D
Day 4:
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. En route to Cu Chi, seasonally we can see how rural people live and work. View occupations such as cashew nut farming, rice farming and production of rice paper, a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Stroll along Dong Khoi Street, the main shopping thoroughfare and heart of old colonial Saigon. Pass by City Hall, the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Continue with a tour of the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. End the day at the central Bin Thanh Market. Lunch and Dinner will be at a local restaurant. *B*L*D
Day 5:
Depart Ho Chi Minh City for a scenic morning drive along the Mekong Delta to Can Tho. (approx. 169 km) Can Tho is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta, located on the south bank of the Hau River. Upon arrival, check-in to the for one night. Rest of the day is at leisure. *B*L
Day 6:
After an early breakfast, embark on a private boat to Cai Rang Floating Market, the biggest and most bustling of the Mekong Delta markets. View buyers on smaller boats weave between the large barges selling wholesale produce. Sail through the market, watching people haggle and trade. Late morning, travel back to Ho Chi Minh City to board your flight to Danang. Upon arrival at Danang airport, you will be met and driven through the Marble Mountains for Hoi An (approx. 2 hrs). In Hoi An, check-in to the for two nights. Rest of the day is at leisure. Lunch and Dinner will be at a local restaurant. *B*L*D
Day 7:
Start the day with a walking tour of this ancient trading port. Visit Quan Cong Temple, a Chinese Temple founded in 1653; Phuoc Kien Pagoda; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge; the Tran Family Chapel; Sa Huynh Museum; Phung Hung House and the Quang Dong Pagoda. Finish the day with a sunset boat trip on the Thu Bon River to Kim Bong Village located on Cam Kim Island.
*B*L
Day 8:
Depart Hoi An for the ancient capital of Hue. Take a three-hour drive along the coast, through emerald-green paddy fields and over the spectacular Hai Van mountain pass, a trip highlight in itself . En-route, visit Danang, the fourth largest city boasting a pleasant year-round climate. Visit the Cham Museum, housing a collection of Cham sculptures, made out of sandstone. Upon arrival in Hue, check-in at the for two nights. In the afternoon, visit the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19 th century and modeled after the Forbidden City of Beijing and the Dong Ba market. Tonight, enjoy an e vening dinner at Y Thao Garden, renowned for its collection of rare “Bleu de Hue” ceramics and traditional Hue glassware. Enjoy traditional Hue dishes, considered by many to be Vietnam’s finest cuisine. *B*L*D
Day 9:
This morning, take a boat cruise through the center of Hue on the Perfume River. Visit the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda and the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, known for its magnificent architecture, military statuaries and elaborate decorations along the riverbank. Venture into the countryside around Hue to the Imperial Tomb of Tu Duc, the longest reigning Vietnamese emperor. Also visit the Imperial Tomb of Khai Dinh, dramatically located on a hillside, it is the last of the monumental tombs of the Nguyen dynasty, completed in 1931, this tomb incorporates distinct European elements into the traditional Vietnamese architecture. Lunch and Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
*B*L*D
Day 10:
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the for two nights. Experience a full day to explore the architecture and history of Hanoi. Visits include t he One Pillar Pagoda, which was constructed to celebrate the tale of the heirless Emperor Ly Thai Tong, who dreamt about receiving a son from the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, seated on a lotus flower. It is the most interesting of the city’s numerous pagodas, and beneath the ornate curved roof people come to pray for fertility and well-being, with allegedly miraculous effects and the Temple of Literature , Vietnam’s historical seat of learning and the most sacred place for the disciples of Confucius. Afterwards, head to Hoan Kiem Lake, which contains an islet with the tiny Tortoise Pagoda. Enroute, pass other colonial landmarks such as the magnificent Opera House and St. Joseph’s Cathedral and Bao Tang Lich. End the day with a walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Lunch and Dinner will be at a local restaurant. *B*L
Day 11:
This morning, drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong. Upon arrival in Halong, relax on a 4 -hour boat cruise on a traditional wooden boat among the emerald waters and craggy limestone cliffs of Halong Bay, stopping at different islands to explore some of the many caves in this area. Enjoy a seafood lunch on board. Return drive to Hanoi. Rest of the day is at leisure.
*B*L
Day 12:
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight back home via Hong Kong.
*B
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