ITINERARY

Day 01 DEPART HEATHROW

Depart from London Heathrow flight to Saigon.

DAY 02 ARRIVE SAIGON – HALF DAY CITY TOUR (B/-/-)

Xin Chao! Welcome to Saigon, Vietnam. You are met by your guide upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport and being transferred to your hotel in Saigon for check in. Early check in with breakfast is included for you so you have time to fresh up after long flight. This afternoon, we begin our sightseeing around Vietnam's largest and busiest city with a visit to the imposing Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1886 and 1890, and the French-style Central Post Office.
We continue to the Reunification Palace. This was the scene for the final stages of the American War in Vietnam when a North Vietnamese tank bulldozed through the gates and the tank commander ran to the fourth floor of the palace to raise a North Vietnamese flag from its rooftop, being directed on the way by the recently appointed President of South Vietnam. Later, we will drive to Ben Thanh Market where we will have some free time to enjoy some bargain hunting!
Overnight in Saigon.

DAY 03 SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA - SAIGON (B/L/-)

After a delicious breakfast, your adventure will start when you travel to Ben Tre in Mekong Delta.
On arrival in Hung výõng Pier. Boating on Ben Tre River – one of tributaries of Mekong river- is along mangrove tree from town to country. Witness lively activities in morning as fishing, coconut cargo boats carrying on river.... Stop at traditional brickwork to see how to make bricks by hand. Go on by boat to My Long village, walking to hamlet to see making rice paper and enjoy some rice cake. Turn on Cai Son canal winding through coconut jungle, visit coconut workshop, have a look stages of coconut processing from husk off, prize out to peel out by hand. Go on small waterway and stop at a bee garden, enjoy some fruits, honey tea and listen to local music as well. Visit candy mill and enjoy some sweet by the way. Continue short walking to visit farmer house who is making sleep mats.
Cycle rural tracks or drive tuk tuk through coconut grove, vegetable plains (cucumber, bitter melon...).Keep going by row boat on shady palm tree canal and stop for lunch at Green Garden riverside restaurant. Boating back Hùng výõng pier by motorboat. Tour end. Overnight in Saigon.

DAY 04 SAIGON CU CHI TUNNEL (B/-/-)

The Cu Chi Tunnels, 70km Northwest of downtown Ho Chi Minh, is a well-known historical vestige of the Vietnamese revolution. As a distinctive architecture, this cobweb-like tunnel complex is a network of underground dug-outs of over 200 kilometers long, consisting of many layers and turnings with meeting, living and fighting quarters.
Visit Cu Chi Tunnels. Watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed before seeing various mantraps, the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers. Spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels to see how the Viet Cong communists were able to survive in this underground network.
Return back to your hotel and overnight in Saigon.

DAY 05 SAIGON – FLY TO DA NANG – HOI AN (B/-/-)

Time at leisure until having transfer without guide to Saigon airport for your short flight to Da Nang.
Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, meet our guide and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 06 HOI AN AT LEISURE (B/-/-)

Full day at leisure for your own activities.
Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 07 HOI AN AT LEISURE (B/-/-)

Full day at leisure for your own activities.
Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 08 HOI AN AT LEISURE (B/-/-)

Full day at leisure for your own activities.
Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 09 HUE FULL DAY TOUR (B/-/-)

After breakfast, Take 3.5 – 4 hour drive from your hotel in Hoi An to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Tomb of Minh Mang. Emperor Minh Mang reigned in the Nguyen Dynasty, the last of the Vietnamese dynasties, from 1820-1840. The complex comprises of almost 40 monuments and is surrounded by gardens and pools, making it one of the more beautiful tombs in Vietnam. Continue to Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, which was built only for the Imperial family, concubines and eunuchs. The Forbidden Purple City is still being restored many years after the destruction caused by street fighting and bombing during the American war. the tile-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge is an arched wooden span 17m long and 4m wide. Lined on both sides with wooden platforms, the bridge has been recognized as among the most rare and beautiful in Vietnam. Then drive back to Hoi An.
Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 10 HOI AN – FLY TO HANOI – HALF DAY CITY TOUR (B/-/-)

This morning you will be transferred without guide to Da Nang airport for your flight to Hanoi.
Meet our guide upon arrival and transfer to your hotel before having city tour this afternoon. Then visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, opened by the government to help preserve as well as present the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups. Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country, which is composed of 54 ethnic groups and today we will learn more about these groups, their traditions and languages.
Then drive to Old Quarter and have a walking tour to discover this lively part of city. Pay a visit to Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake.
This evening we enjoy a performance of the famous Water Puppets. Vietnamese Water Puppets were invented thousands of years ago by farmers in the Red River Delta region near Hanoi, as a means to entertain themselves when the rains flooded their rice paddy fields. Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 11 HANOI – HALONG BAY (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 Take a 2.5-hour scenic drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay
12:00 Arrived at Bhaya Cruise Center, located within the Tuan Chau International Marina 12:45 Board the Bhaya Classic and inspect your cabin before heading to the restaurant for a safety briefing. Enjoy the welcome drink while meeting the Cruise Manager and the crew. 13:00 Try an assortment of Vietnamese dishes during a buffet lunch as the Bhaya Classic cruises towards the southeast of Halong Bay, passing Trong Mai Islet, Ngon Tay Islet, Con Coc Islet, and Cua Van Floating Culture Center.
15:00 Kayak to Trinh Nu Cave - one of the finest sunlight-filled caves in Halong Bay covering an area of 2,000m2 with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. Trinh Nu Cave is an exclusive destination for Bhaya Cruises’ passengers
15:45 Take a swim or sunbathe on Trinh Nu Cave’s beautiful private beach.
17:00 Return to Bhaya Classic and freshen up for the evening’s activities. Bar opens for Happy Hour for buy one get one free on a selection of drinks with complimentary snacks 17:30 Join the exciting Master Chef “Halong Bay Edition” Competition and fruit carving demonstration on the sundeck (or in the restaurant, depending on the weather). Try your hand at creating authentic Vietnamese dishes, with the winner of the competition awarded with surprising gifts. Don’t miss out on admiring the sunset over enchanting Halong Bay as Bhaya Classic anchors for an overnight stay.
19:30 Savor the delicious set menu dinner in the restaurant.
21:00 Free time to enjoy a drink at the bar or stargaze on the sundeck.

DAY 12 HALONG BAY (B/L/D)

06:15 Rejuvenate the body and the mind with a refreshing Tai Chi lesson during sunrise on the sundeck of Bhaya Classic.
07:00 Breakfast is served in the restaurant while Bhaya Classic cruises towards the center of the World Heritage Site.
08:45 Transfer to Bhaya Spirit (a wooden junk with a lounge, a dining room, and a sundeck) for excursions.
10:00 Kayak at Ba Ham Lake (or Ang Du Area, depending on the weather)
12:15 Enjoy lunch on the Bhaya Spirit while the ship cruises towards Cua Van Area.
14:00 Sight-see around Cua Van Floating Culture Center well-known for its location in the heart of Halong Bay, by kayak or traditional rowing boat. The area is considered one of the most beautiful destinations in the world by Travel & Leisure Magazine.
15:00 Return to Bhaya Classic for some time at leisure to relax or try the onboard spa.
17:00 Check out the bar’s complimentary snacks while taking advantages of the Happy Hour promotion of “buy one get one free” on a selection of drinks.
19:30 Appreciate the exotic flavors of the set menu dinner on the last night of cruising in Halong.
21:00 Free time to enjoy a drink on the sundeck or rest in the cozy cabin.

DAY 13 HALONG BAY – HANOI (BRUNCH/-/-)

06:15 Don’t miss out the sunrise Tai Chi lesson this morning as complimentary tea and coffee is served.
07:00 A light breakfast is served in the restaurant while Bhaya Classic cruises towards the center of Halong Bay.
07:30 Explore Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave inside Halong Bay with 10,000 square meters of space hold thousands of stalactites and stalagmites and are threaded by a 500-meter paved passageway.
08:30 Return to Bhaya Classic and prepare to check out.
09:30 Enjoy the brunch buffet as Bhaya Classic cruises back to the port, passing Lom Bo Island, Trong Mai Islet and Ba Hang Fishermen Village.
10:30 Disembark from Bhaya Classic at Tuan Chau International Marina. Hẹn Gặp Lại! Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 14 HANOI - DEPARTURE (BRUNCH/-/-)

Check out this morning after breakfast and drive to visit Ho Chi Minh complex, starting at the President’s Mausoleum from outside. Continue to his humble “house on stilts”, see the French colonial Presidential Palace and the 11th-century One-Pillar Pagoda.
Then be transferred to Hanoi Airport for your onward flight.
End of services!

TOUR PRICE PER PERSON IN £ STERLING

Hotel supplements may apply at certain times of the year

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES :

· Airfares international and domestic
· 10 nights’ shared Accommodation in twin/double room with daily breakfast
· 3 Days/2 Night cruise on boat in Ha Long Bay
· Early check-in on Day 2 with Breakfast
· All transfers and transportation with air-con vehicles
· Local ENGLISH speaking guides
· Mekong Delta-Saigon: 1 guide for city tour & Mekong Delta
· Da Nang: 1 guide for airport pickup
· Hanoi – Halong Bay: 1 guide (our guide will not escort clients on the cruise)
· All entrance fees as program
· Private boat trip in Ben Tre
· Meals (B/L/D) (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) as indicated in the program. You can upgrade to half board or full board options please ask for details
· 2 bottles of mineral water per person per day on bus on days of transfer and sightseeing only

TOUR PRICE EXCLUDES :

· Meals (other than mentioned in the program)
· Drinks
· Visas to Vietnam
· Mineral water beyond that supplied
· Tips
· Early check-in or late checkout
· Insurances
· Optional excursions and activities
· Additional transfer required due to an emergency situation
· Items of a personal nature (Phone calls, laundry, beverages…)
· Peak season surcharges if any All not mentioned above

GALLERY