Hanoi

Tour

Best Choice of North and South

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Hanoi is situated on the right bank of the Red River which is spanned by two bridges, the old Long Bien bridge and the new Chuong Duong bridge. It is an attractive city with lakes, tree-lined boulevards, and flourishing parks, as well as a public centre that is an architectural museum piece.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi - Halong Bay

After breakfast leave Hanoi by road for Halong Bay. Enjoy the dayney through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta and the scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life.

Arrive in Halong and board a traditional sailing junk. Whilst cruising the exquisite waters sample the regions fresh seafood. Visit the most interesting caves of the bay.

Enjoy a swim in the emerald waters of Halong Bay at any spot that you wish to visit. Watch the sun set over the bay whilst enjoying a delicious dinner.

Night fishing.

Overnight on board junk.

Day 3: Halong Bay – Tam Coc

Wake up to fresh coffee and a wholesome breakfast. Visit the Luon Cave on a small boat.
Cruise back to Halong City. En route, the junk weaves through strange-shaped rock formations that inspire comparisons from fighting cocks to dragons and even French General de Gaulle’s nose! After another fresh seafood lunch on board disembark at the dock at Halong City.

Transfer to Tam Coc. Overnight in Tam Coc.

Day 4: Tam Coc – Kenh ga - Hanoi

After breakfast take a sampan on a river through the rice paddies to the grottoes of the sacred Tam Coc Caves. Enormous limestone karsts jut out from the green rice fields giving rise to this place’s other name, ‘Halong on Land’.

Climb up to the Bich Dong Pagoda, which offers a scenic view of the surrounding countryside.

Drive to the site of Vietnam’s first capital, Hoa Lu and visit the two remaining sanctuaries of the Kings Dinh and Le.

Transfert to Kenh Ga and enjoy 2 hour boat trip on Hoang Long river to contemplate the beauties of rural nature and how is the life in this floating village. Visit the fishing village.
Transfer back to Hanoi and overnight at hotel.

Day 5: Hanoi - Bat Trang - But Thap - Dong Ho

Depart for Bat Trang ceramic village and visit this traditional furniture making center. Then transfer to at But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh. It is known for its four-storey stone stupa and referred to as Vietnam’s first Buddhist centre. The pagoda, built in the 13th  century  and  renovated  in 1647 by the Buddhist monk Chuyet Chuyet, is a complex of ten buildings over an area of 100 metres that houses ancient statues and artefacts.

Have lunch and head toward the Dong Ho painting village where people still keep producing  artwork  and paiting of traditional scenes.

Drive back to Hanoi and arrive in late afternoon.  Enjoy a water puppet show in the early evening.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 6: Hanoi – Hochiminh city

A full day city tour of Vietnam’s capital  including the Quanh Thanh Temple, the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the edge of West Lake, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature. After lunch in town continue to the Museum of Ethnology and end the afternoon with a visit to the Lake of the Restored Sword and a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter.

Transfer back to the Airport in the late afternoon fort a flight to Hochiminh city. Overnight at hotel.

Day 7: Hochiminh city - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi

Drive to Tay Ninh, the cradle of  Cao Dai or the Supreme Being religion and witness a noon ceremony. This hybrid religion took root in southern Vietnam during the 1920's after Ngo Van Chieu, a civil servant, was visited by 'Cao Dai' or the 'Supreme Being'. The Cao Dai later told Ngo in a seance that he was to be symbolized by a giant eye. Being a humanist religion, it quickly gained land in Vietnam. Today there is thought to be about 2 millions adherents and one thousand Cao Dai temples.

Head back to Hochiminh-city and visit en route visit the intriguing tunnels of Cu Chi, a complex underground system that housed 10,000 people during the height of the war against American domination and contained sleeping quarters, hospitals and schools.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Hochiminh City – My Tho- Can Tho

Transfer to My Tho. Take a motorized boat trip through the Bao Dinh natural canal; view a house on stilts and the fruit plantation along the canal sides. Visit the My Tho wholesale fruit market. Proceed to the Tortoise Island. Lunch served in the heart of the orchard. Enjoy the nice boat ride through the Tan Tach natural canal in Ben Tre, cruise under the shadow of the water coconut trees. Visit a family factory where you can experience the agricultural production  and lifestyle. Stroll through orchards in Thoi Son island, enjoy the rowing boat ride on creeks before returning to My Tho by rowing boat. Proceed to Can Tho. Check in on arrival and overnight at hotel.

Day 9: Can Tho – Hochiminh City

After breakfast, take the morning boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating market. Keep cruising through the small channels system, visit the rice noodles making village. Experience a “monkey Bridge” in the Delta. Break time for lunch. Return to Hochiminh city.

A half day city tour of Hochiminh City with  Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral and the adjacent Gustave  Eiffel designed Central Post Office.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 10: Depart Hochiminh City

Departure day. At leisure for shopping until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for onward flight.

Information

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Tour Map

Related Places

Hanoi	Ha Long Bay	Tam Coc - Bich Dong
Kenh Ga Village	Cu Chi Tunnel	Bat Trang Pottery Village
But Thap Pagoda	Tay Ninh	Ben Tre
Ho Chi Minh City	Can Tho