Vietnam Discovery Tour

Meet on arrival at Hanoi/Noi Bai International airport and you will be met by your guide and transferred to the hotel in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital is described by almost all who go there as "an old-fashioned city". Old-fashioned in style, it is a city of lakes, parks, trees, villas, mansions and an area called the Old French Quarter where crumbling houses are crammed into narrow alleyways that are still named after the goods that were traded there - Silk Street, Gold Street, even Fried Fish Street! Wide tree-lined bicycle-filled boulevards, elegant colonial French mansions, the grandeur and solemnity of Ho Chi Minh's monumental Mausoleum, the incongruous rustic simplicity of the house in which 'Uncle Ho' lived out his final years, the barely concealed misery of the Hoa Lo Prison, the 'Hanoi Hilton' where so many prisoners of war were incarcerated, the religious pride that constructed the beautiful temple of Literature compound - it's all here in Hanoi, a microcosm of the Vietnamese culture. Lunch at local restaurant. P.m: Sightseeing around Hanoi: Visit to Temple of Literature built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university, Fine-Art Museum, Quan Thanh Temple. Cyclo tour (2hours) visit to the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Evening: Water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art. Accommodation

This morning, you will take half day Tribute to Uncle Ho Tour. Visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state.  (Subject to opening times the interior of the mausoleum can be visited). See the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. Nearby visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, an extraordinary tribute in abstract form to the life of the 'father of the country' and the evolution of Vietnamese independence.  French architecture is a feature of Hanoi, and the nearby former Governor's Residence is a fine example.  See also the One Pillar Pagoda, and hear the legend of its construction, born from the love of an emperor in the 11th Century, continue to visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Army Museum. Lunch at local restaurant in Hanoi. P.m: Drive to HaLong Bay. Upon arrival, check in to the hotel. Accommodation at hotel in Halong Bay.

Breakfast at hotel. Discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. "Dragon descending to the sea" as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. A 5-hour boat trip will visit one grotto, then continue to explore more of these wonders of creation. Seafood lunch on board. P.m: Drive back to Hanoi. Accommodation.

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport for morning flight to Hue. Arrive in Hue, the royal city of Vietnam's last ruling dynasty and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Boat trip on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (Heavenly Lady Pagoda), Imperial Citadel and Royal Museum. Lunch at local restaurant. P.m: Visit Tu Duc and Khai Dinh Tombs (Nguyen Kings’ tombs). Accommodation in Hue.

Breakfast at hotel. Depart Hue for Danang across the Hai Van Pass (Pass of the Ocean Clouds), passing through many pretty red-tiled villages with fruit orchards, enjoying spectacular views of sky and sea. Upon arrival in Danang, transfer to visit Cham Museum, continue to visit Marble Mountain and China beach and then drive to Hoi An. Check in to the hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. Walking tour in Hoi An - Discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Its sizeable community of foreign merchants resulted in a unique architectural style with Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influences. Accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Danang Airport for morning flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Meet on arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh and transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing around Saigon: Reunification Hall (Former Presidential Palace), Former US Embassy, History Museum & Ben Thanh Market. Lunch at local restaurant. P.m: Photo stops at the famous sites such as City Hall, Grand Theater, Center Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. Accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to My Tho (2-hour drive from Saigon). Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda. My Tho is a prosperous town of 170.000 inhabitants in the Mekong Delta. It is famous for its extensive orchards and immense rice fields. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong River and visit an orchard on an island, with lunch en route. Continue with a visit to a snake farm. Pm: Drive back to Saigon with a short city tour at China Town & Thien Hau Temple. Accommodation.

Time at leisure for own activities before transfer to the airport. A.m/P.m: Depart Ho Chi Minh by international flight for next destination.

End of services