Ho Chi Minh City , Cu Chi, Cai Be, My Tho, Mekong Delta, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay 14 Days/ 13 Nights

After breakfast this morning, drive out to Cu Chi Tunnels, 70 km from Saigon to spend some time examining this 250 km long underground maze where thousands of fighters and villagers hid and fought during Vietnam war. The networks, parts of which was several storyes deep, included innumerable trap doors, constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories... After that, we return to Ho Chi Minh City in time for lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, our city tour will be started with visits to Independent Palace, The Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame. We also see the architecture of Central Post Office, City Hall, Opera Theatre. Go shopping at Ben Thanh market. Rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to discover Ho Chi Minh City at leisure. Dinner tonight is on your own.

We have breakfast at our hotel and then depart for My Tho in the Mekong Delta, one of Vietnam’s scenic treasures. Upon arriving in My Tho, we board a boat for a cruise on the upper part of the Mekong River visiting the floating fish market. Then we’ll board a sampan to cruise a narrow canal that will take us to a small orchard and apiary where we can sample some of tropical fruits and honey-flavored sweets, coconut candy factory. In the afternoon, travel back to Ho Chi Minh City for your own dinner. 

After breakfast we travel to overland to Dalat, the city of Eternal Spring, admiring the rice paddies, vegetable patches, and gently sloping hills we pass by. Established as a hill station at the beginning of the 20^th century, Da Lat is reminiscent of an alpine town with its French chalets and pine forests. Reaching Da Lat check in at hotel and leisure. Have dinner at local restaurant and overnight in Da Lat.

After breakfast at our hotel, we tour a full-day tour of Da Lat city and surroundings such as Lat Village, a visit to the art deco former summer residence of Emperor Bao Dai and Lam Ty Ni Pagoda where the Buddhist monk and local celebrity Vien Thuc produces his abstract paintings and writes poetry, Cathedral, Dambri Waterfall, the “Valley of love”, Xuan Huong Lake. Then visit a workshop where you’ll see the making of Dalat’s famed artichoke tea and wines. Rest of afternoon and evening are yours to spend the leisure. 

Leaving for Nha Trang in the morning, the road descends to the arid coastal city of Phan Rang with a stop at Ngoan Muc pass. On the way visit the Po Klong Jarai Cham Tower, perched on a rocky hill surrounded by prickly pear cacti. After Phan Rang, the highway one turns north and follows the coast past salt ponds and vivid green rice fields to Nha Trang. Check into hotel upon arrival. We enjoy dinner tonight at our hotel.

After breakfast we tour the tour of Nha Trang city, a growing community that is blessed with miles of beautiful beaches and whose residents remain devoted to the sea for fishing and recreation. We board our wooden boat to visit a local fishing village and Hon Tam beach as well. After lunch at local restaurant, visit the Institute of Oceanography, Ponagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2^nd century AD. The towen was built between the 7^th and 12^th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists then visit Long Son Pagoda. The balance of the day is free at leisure for sunbathing as you wish on white sandy Nha Trang beach. Dinner tonight will be arranged by your own.

After breakfast, we depart for Cam Ranh airport for short flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang Airport, pick up and transfer to down town for visiting Cham sculpture Museum and have lunch. After lunch, proceed to the ancient town of Hoi An, an ancient, well-preserved port town that’s changed in the past two centuries. After check into hotel, we take a walking tour of the ancient quarter and see its historic streets and mossy houses such as Phuc Kien Congressional House and Japanese Bridge, historic houses with brick exteriors and wooden interiors... We enjoy tonight dinner at our hotel.

After a buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Hue, the royal city of Vietnam’s last ruling dynasty, located on the central coast of Vietnam, north of Danang. Upon arrival in Hue, pick up and transfer to check in to hotel. After lunch at local restaurant, we will tour the Citadel, find the Imperial Enclosure, and see its inner Forbidden Purple City, a private area reserved for the emperor. We tonight have dinner at local restaurant accompanied by Royal music and traditional Hue folksongs. 

After breakfast at our hotel, we take a boat trip  to visit Thien Mu pagoda, Hue’s most reserved religious monument built on a hillock overlooking the Perfume River and the tomb of Minh Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1840. visit tomb of Tu Duc who had  the longest reign of any Nguyen monarch, lived a life of ultimate imperial luxury. Then visit the tomb of Khai Dinh built from September 1920 and lasted for 11 years. It is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern. Rest of the day is free for independent exploration of this fascinating city. Dinner tonight is on your own. 

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Phu Bai airport for flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi city you will be met by our trip leader who will be with you through your stay. After lunch at local restaurant, we start an afternoon city tour including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the national leader whose memory is honored here. We will also visit The House on stilts, see the distinctive One Pillar pagoda. Moving out to visit the Temple of Literature, where Vietnam’s first university was established here in 1076, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Som Temple. We together tonight enjoy a dinner at Vietnamese local restaurant. 

After breakkast at our hotel, transfer to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival in Halong, transfer to pier for a cruise on spectacular Halong Bay. With its clear, emerald waters and mountains draped in velvety cloaks of vegetation, “The bay of the descending dragon” is dotted with more than 3,000 mountain islands rising from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf Tonkin, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Our vessel is of particular interest – we board a junk, a wooden sailboat in the traditional Vietnamese style. We drop anchor at an island pierced with surreal grottoes, then enjoy lunch on board. We resume our cruise in the afternoon and also enjoy dinner on our boat, where we will spend the night.

Rising early you may have a chance to see the sunrise in Halong Bay. We continue our cruise of beautiful Halong Bay this morning before returning to Hanoi. After lunch at local restaurant, we visit the Museum of Ethnology, where we will learn about fascinating cultural diversity of the ancient land. This evening we enjoy a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre. We enjoy a late dinner at local restaurant.