BEST OF VIETNAM

Board your flight for your exotic tour of Best of Vietnam.
Relax and enjoy the in-flight service en route to Hanoi, Vietnam.
Cross the international dateline.

Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is free for rest or to begin exploring the city.

After breakfast, take a full day tour to explore the architecture and history of Hanoi. In the morning, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s former residence, the one Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. In the afternoon, visit the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, the Hoan Kiem lake and Ngoc Son temple. Tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter by cyclo is a relaxing way to end the day.

Day at leisure to explore the city on your own or take an optional tour. Many options are available.

Travel by road through the rural countryside to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrive at Cat Ba and board the Emeraude Boat (deluxe cabin). Enjoy a refreshing “Welcome Cocktail” upon check-in on the sun deck. Cruise commences while the lavish buffet lunch is served at the restaurant. Visit by Tender to see the Sung Sot Caves (Cave of Surprises), weather permitting. Option of Kayaking or Swimming near Hang Trong anchorage Vietnamese cuisine demonstration at the sun deck Complimentary canapes at the sun deck bar Scrumptious International Buffet Dinner served at the restaurant. Evening Movie show at the sun deck. Accommodation on board boat.
NOTE: Halong Bay Cruise itinerary subject to change per boat schedule and terms. Details given are for deluxe category.

Tai Chi exercise at the sun deck and continuation of cruise. Breakfast Buffet (or brunch) served in the restaurant. Disembark and retrace your steps back to Ha Noi visiting Phu Lang Village enroute. Board flight to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival in Hue, transfer to the hotel.

Morning boat cruise through the center of Hue on the romantic Perfume river. Later visit the seven storeys Thein Mu Pagoda along riverbank; drive to elaborate tombs of Emperor Khai Dinh and Tu Duc. Finally stop at a home business to see families involved in making conical hats and colorful incense sticks. In the afternoon visit the Imperial Citadel and Dong Ba Market

Travel overland to Danang on a trip that is the highlight of central Vietnam. The three-hour drive hugs the coast, winds through emerald- green paddy fields and climbs over the dramatic Hai Van Mountain pass. Visit stone cutters at the Marble Mountains, famed for being a Vietnamese guerrilla hideout during the Vietnam War. Later, arrive in the ancient port town of Hoi An. Rest of the day is free for rest or exploring Hoi An.

Take a half day walking tour of this quaint town, visiting ancient merchant’s houses, a Hokkien temple, the 400 year old Japanese Covered bridge, and the colorful riverside market. Afternoon drive to visit a workshop where artisans make Hoi An’s famous lanterns. Guest learns how the lanterns are made then have a chance to create their own lanterns, from designing the frame to gluing the cloth. Finish the day with a sunset boat trip on the Thu Bon River to visit the Thanh Ha Pottery Village.

Depart Hoi An for Danang to board flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. Late this afternoon take a walking tour of Saigon’s two famous streets – Dong Khoi & Le Cong Kieu.

After breakfast drive to the extraordinary Cu Chi tunnels, just outside Ho Chi Minh City. During the war of independence, Vietnamese guerrillas built the labyrinth of narrow tunnels virtually underneath the U.S bases, using them to hide during bombing raids and to stage surprise attacks. Depending on the seasons, you may stop en route to see local farmers harvesting crops or cashew nut farming and production of rice paper, a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, etc. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day tour visiting the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, Chinatown, Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple.

Depart Ho Chi Minh City for a scenic morning drive to Cai Be, stopping en route at the ornate Cao Dai Temple in Ben Luc. From 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 the Mekong Delta. The trip includes lunch at a local home, visit to the floating market at Cai Be, visit to an ancient Delta House, and visit to a family ran rice paper production business.
Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the evening.

Day at leisure to explore the city on your own or take an optional tour. Many options are available.

After breakfast, transfer to the international airport to board your flight for the USA.