Vietnam Highlights - 15 Days
Itinerary Details:
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
When you arrive, you will be welcomed by our professional staff and transferred to your luxury hotel. After checking in and getting settled, we will have a 1-hour cyclo tour of the old quarter of the city. In the evening, we enjoy the unique Water Puppet performance, and we will have a welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants in Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. Dinner included.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
After breakfast we start our tour of the city by visiting the Ho Chi Minh Complex. There we see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda. We then visit the Temple of Literature which was originally built as a temple to Confucius. This is the site of Vietnam's first university, and dates back to 1070. Inside are the stone stele on the backs of turtles, inscribed with the names of the university graduates. The
complex is divided into five courtyards with different paths which were reserved for the Emperor and the mandarins. One of the courtyards contains the statue of Confucius flanked by two bronze storks standing on turtles. This temple emphasizes the importance the Vietnamese place on education. Lunch will be in a first-class restaurant in Hanoi. In the afternoon there will be free time to do shopping or explore the city on your own.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. 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: Hanoi - Halong Bay (overnight cruise)
Today we head out of Hanoi for Halong Bay driving through the green countryside. When we arrive, we are welcomed on board the Halong Ginger junk, and we set sail on the bay while lunch is served. We cruise on this magical bay, and see the thousands of limestone islands rising from the emerald-green water. After lunch, take a short stop at a nearby view-point for a sweeping panoramic view of the bay. We can go swimming on a quite beach, or just sunbathe on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon
we visit a fishing village and have an opportunity to interact with the local inhabitants. We can also kayak or take a small boat to explore caves and coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board, we enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset and later have dinner in the Ginger restaurant.
Overnight in deluxe cabin. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi
In the morning we greet the day with a Tai Chi exercise class, and with the chance to see the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, we visit a beautiful
limestone grotto, and then we have our final view of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock for our return to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 5: Hanoi - Hue (Domestic flight)
After breakfast in the hotel, we transfer to the airport for our morning flight to the ancient imperial city of Hue. After landing, you will be greeted by our staff and transferred to our hotel for check-in. Lunch will be Vietnamese cuisine in a first-class restaurant in Hue. In the afternoon, we visit the Imperial city, and the Dong Ba Market.
Overnight in Hue hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 6: Hue
In the morning, we take a boat cruise on the Perfume River, and along the way we stop to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is one of the best-loved pagodas in Vietnam, and it is considered the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is an active Buddhist temple dating back to 1601. One of the more unusual items on display there is the car that took Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc in 1963 to Ho Chi Minh City where he set himself on fire to protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. We then continue our boat trip to the majestic and scenic tomb of Emperor Minh Mang. That afternoon you will have free leisure time for the rest of
the day.
Overnight in Hue hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 7: Hue – Hoi An
After breakfast we depart Hue on our way to Hoi An. We travel along the coast and over the Hai Van Pass with its spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Hoi An was once a flourishing trading port in south-east Asia for Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French traders. They came to trade for many goods, but especially for the high quality silk. This quaint and
picturesque riverside town still has a wealth of century’s old traditional architecture, and the influences of several different cultures can be seen in the old houses, shops, cafes and other buildings along the riverside and in the narrow streets. Hoi An became a world Heritage site in 1995. In recent years it has also become famous as a place to get inexpensive tailored suits.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 8: Hoi An
In the morning today we take a walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the old town of Hoi An and we visit the Fukien Assembly Hall, the 200 year old Tan Ky house, the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Hoi An Museum, the Hoi An Market, and handcraft workshops. In the afternoon we take short boat ride to the interesting Thanh Ha pottery village, and the famous Kim Bong woodcarving village.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 9: Hoi An
After breakfast today you will have the whole day free for leisure activities. You can explore the many narrow streets of Hoi An, go shopping, or go to beautiful Cua Dai Beach.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 10: Hoi An - Danang - Ho Chi Minh (Domestic flight)
Today in the morning we take the short drive to Da Nang, and take the afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After the short flight, we are greeted by staff at
the airport and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day will be free time for you to relax.
Overnight in Hoi An hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Our tour of the city starts after breakfast at 8:30am. Our first stops are the Reunification Palace, and the former Presidential Palace. Then we will visit the War Remnant Museum containing artifacts and photographs documenting the Vietnam War, and before lunch, we stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office.
Our delicious lunch will be served at a “Pho 2000” restaurant in the center of the city. In the afternoon, we are off again, and visit the Ben Thanh Market, and the Cho Lon District which is the China Town of Saigon.
On our tour you will experience the rather hectic Vietnamese way of life in the city. But on the way back to our hotel we visit the Giac Lam Pagoda. Originally built in 1744, it is one of the oldest pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City. The tranquil surroundings are a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it affords us a bit of relaxation and contemplation.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels – Cao Dai Temple
In the morning we drive from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels. On our way we drive through countryside of rubber plantations and rice paddies. Before entering the tunnels, we see a video showing how the tunnels were constructed. Then we take a tour of the network of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow easy access by tourists. Also on display are various booby-traps and the remains of an American tank. There are also numerous bomb craters made by bombs dropped by B52 bombers.
Next we drive to Tay Ninh near the Cambodian border, home to the unique Cao Dai sect whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is a mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. We join the Cao Dai worshippers for their daily noonday ceremony chanting religious hymns wearing white and brightly colored robes. We have lunch, and then return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City - Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho
In the morning we depart for Cai Be where we take a boat ride through the canals and see the stilt houses and the fruit orchards along the riverside. We then visit the Cai Be wholesale fruit market before taking a boat to an island where we enjoy a delicious lunch in the middle of an orchard. After lunch, we continue cruising through the canals under the shade of the coconut trees. We also visit a local family where we can experience the agricultural lifestyle, walking through the fruit plantation on An Binh Island. We take a boat to Vinh Long, and then transfer to our vehicle to drive to Can Tho.
Overnight in Can Tho hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 14: Can Tho - Cai Rang – Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast we take a morning boat trip to the busy Cai Rang floating market. Then we continue cruising through the small waterways, and visit a rice noodles making village. You can also try crossing a “Monkey Bridge", which is a kind of bridge with one pole to walk on. Then we head back to Ho Chi Minh City by way of Vinh Long where we see the local snake market.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh hotel. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Today after breakfast it will be time to prepare for your departure, and you have leisure time until 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.
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go shopping and explore on your own. 
village, and a famous woodcarving village. 
