Vietnam Heritage Tour – 12 Days
Itinerary Details:
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Upon arrival in Hanoi you will be welcomed by our staff and transferred to your deluxe hotel. In the evening we have an orientation meeting, and then enjoy the unique Water Puppet show performance. We also have a welcome dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. Dinner included.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Lao Cai
Hanoi is has been called the Paris of the Orient because of its shaded boulevards, parks and many old buildings, and it still retains a certain old world charm. In the morning, after breakfast, we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a place of pilgrimage for Vietnamese. We also visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's House on stilts, and the One Pillar pagoda, and the Temple of Literature, built in 1076, it was the first Vietnamese University. After lunch we visit the Ethnology Museum, and then we take a
cyclo (pedicab) tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. In the evening we get ready to take the overnight Victoria sleeper train to Lao Cai.
Overnight on train to Lao Cai. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Note: The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open from Tuesday to Thursday and on weekends from 8am to 11pm. It is closed on Monday and Friday. The mausoleum is also closed for two months of the year, usually October and November, for maintenance.
Day 3: Lao Cai - Sapa
Our local staff will be at the station to meet us upon arrival, and we will head to the nearby China/Vietnam border gate where we can observe the start of the early day trade taking place between the two countries. Then it is about a one hour drive through incredibly scenic countryside to the hillside town of Sapa. In the 1880s the French first arrived in Sapa, and it became known for its natural beauty, and cool climate, and in the early 20th Century it was a summer resort for the French. It is set high in the hills and has spectacular views of the valley and the surrounding countryside. After checking in to the hotel, there will be free time to explore the town and the market. After lunch we take a 3
hour walk to the traditional H'Mong village of Cat Cat to see their culture and a way of life that hasn’t changed for centuries, and we will also see a waterfall. Then we will return to Sapa and have a look around the local Market with its fresh vegetables and local foodstuffs.
Overnight in Sapa resort. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 4: Sapa - Hanoi
Today after breakfast in the resort, we go by jeep to the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van. We drive through the valley with beautiful, terraced rice paddies, to visit the H'Mong and Zao, villages to see their
traditional lifestyle. The trip to these villages will take about 3 hours, and then we return to Sapa, and that afternoon you will have more free time to explore this fascinating town. In the late afternoon we leave by bus to return to the Lao Cai Station and catch the overnight sleeper train back to Hanoi.
Overnight on train to Hanoi. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 5: Hanoi Free Time
We arrive back in Hanoi in the early morning, and our transport vehicle will be waiting to transfer
us back to our hotel. After checking in, the day is free for you to further explore this vibrant town, and go shopping or sightseeing.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 6: Hanoi - Halong Bay
In the morning after breakfast, we depart for beautiful Halong Bay, driving through the verdant green rice fields of the Red River Delta. We reach the coast and the magnificent Halong Bay, a World Heritage Site of some 1,600 islands and spires forming a spectacular seascape.
We arrive in time to board our 1910 style luxury Indochina river vessel and check in to our deluxe cabins, and then have a delicious seafood lunch on board. Our vessel will take us on a cruise of this amazing bay, and we marvel at the limestone peaks and islands in strange shapes that rise out of the blue-green water. We will view caves and grottos with stalactites and stalagmites, and if the weather permits, we can swim in the clear waters around our boat. We can also go kayaking to explore some of the hidden parts of the bay.
Overnight onboard our luxury cruise vessel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 7: Halong Bay – Hanoi
After breakfast in the ship’s dining room, we continue our cruise and explore such places as Luon Cave, Turtle Islet, Human Head Islet, and Saddle Islet. After lunch on board we disembark and leave Halong Bay to return to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 8: Hanoi – Hue (Domestic Flight)
In the morning after breakfast, we leave for the airport and take a short flight to Hue, the ancient
imperial capital of Vietnam. It was once the seat of the Nguyen emperors (1802 – 1945), and was populated with bureaucrats, princesses, traders, astrologers, courtiers, and others. Unfortunately the city suffered damage during the Vietnam War, but there are still many architectural treasures to explore. Upon arrival we check in to our hotel, and in the afternoon we visit the Citadel, the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. In the evening, we will have a royal meal, which was only eaten by the Emperor in the old days.
Overnight in Hue hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 9: Hue – Hoi An 
In the morning we will take a boat cruise along the Perfume River. We will stop to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the best loved pagodas in Vietnam, and it is considered to be the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is an active Buddhist temple and its origins date back to 1601. One of the most poignant displays in the complex is the car that took the monk Thich Quang Duc to his self-immolation in 1963 in Saigon to protest the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. Then we continue our boat trip to the majestic and scenic tomb of the Emperor Minh Mang. After lunch, we leave Hue and head south through coastal rice paddies to the small fishing village of Lang Co,
then we take the scenic, mountainous route over the spectacular Hai Van Pass. We arrive at the picturesque riverside town of Hoi An in the afternoon, and check into our hotel.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 10: Hoi An
Hoi An used to be a thriving, international, commercial seaport used by Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, English and French traders. They came to trade for many things but especially for the high quality
silk which is still produced in the area. In 1995 UNESCO recognized Hoi An as a Cultural World Heritage site. Today Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular among tourists for its charming architecture, cafes, souvenir shops and tailors. Many of the old buildings in the narrow streets have changed very little over the last 100 years. In the morning we take a walking tour through the narrow, winding streets of the Old Town, and visit the Fukien Assembly Hall, the 200 year old traditional Kan Ty home, the Japanese covered bridge, and the Hoi An Museum. There are also many handicraft workshops, and tailors making custom tailored clothes.
In afternoon you will have leisure time to explore this fascinating town further, or go to .jpg)
nearby Cua Dai Beach.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 11: Hoi An – Danang - Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Domestic Flight)
In the morning after breakfast we drive to Danang for our flight back to Hanoi, or to Ho Chi Minh City, whichever you would like. After arrival, we check in to the hotel, and in the afternoon you have free time to see more of Hanoi, or to explore Ho Chi Minh City. 
Overnight in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 12: Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Today after breakfast in the hotel, you well be free until it is time to get ready for your departure transfer.
Breakfast included.
End of Trip. This is a suggested premium itinerary. At Travel Loops we specialize in custom tours designed to fit your needs and requirements. Please let us know the type of individual, customized tour you would like, and we can arrange it for you.
Cambodia
visit H'Mong and other hill-tribe villages to learn about a culture and traditional way of life not changed for centuries. The town of Sapa itself is an experience you won't forget. A former French summer resort, it is high in the hills with spectacular views of the valley and the surrounding countryside. 
walking and hiking is required. 
