Hanoi

Tour

GASTRONOMY TOUR IN SOUTH

Day 1: Arrival of Ha Noi (-/-/D)
Meet up at Noi Bai Int'l Airport, transfer to hotel for check in. Take a cyclo tour around the old quarter streets to discover the local people life.

Day 2: Ha Noi City Tour (B/L/-)
AM: Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple and the Literature Temple - a Vietnam's first university.
PM: Visit the Ethnologic Museum, the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred Ngoc Son Temple, a short walk in the old quarter streets will give you the opportunity to do shopping. Join the Water puppets show, the unique Vietnam traditional art.

Day 3: Ha Noi - Haiphong - Ha Long Bay (B/L/-)
This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the central zone of Ha Long Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The bay itself has an area of 43,400 ha, consists of 775 islands, and forms a triangle with the island of Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) to the west, the lake of Ba Ham (Three Shelter Lake) to the south, and the Cong Tay Island to the east.

AM: Depart for Hai Phong, stop to visit Bat Trang ceramic village. Arrive in Hai Phong, the biggest port town of northern Vietnam; take a short sightseeing tour of Hai Phong takes through tree-lined boulevards to Hang Kenh Communal House, Du Hang Pagoda with fine wooden carvings.
PM: Proceed to Ha Long via two ferry crossings.

Day 4: Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi - O/N Train to Dong Hoi (B/L/-)
AM: Take a 5-hour boat trip to visit Ha Long Bay, this picturesque "Dragon descending to the sea" Bay has 1,969 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Have a fresh seafood lunch on board during the trip
PM: Drive back to Ha Noi. Transfer to Ha Noi Railway Station for a night train to Dong Hoi.

Day 5: Dong Hoi - Phong Nha Caves - Hue (B/L/-)
Phong Nha Caves are the complex of 14 grottoes situated in a region of Limestone Mountains in Ke Bang, 50 km from Dong Hoi Town. Phong Nha caves have a total length of 7,729metres. The caves and the grottoes are 10 to 140 meters high. The deeper one penetrates, the more magical are the natural aspects of the caves. Phong Nha caves seven wonders of their own: The longest water caverns with the highest, the broadest entrance, and the longest underground river in Vietnam; the broadest and most beautiful underground sand and stone beaches; the most beautiful underground lake; the most beautiful and magical stalactites and stalagmites; the biggest and the most beautiful dry cave. UNESCO listed Phong Nha Caves as a World Natural Heritage Site in July of 2003.

AM: Arrive in Dong Hoi, meet & transfer to Phong Nha, take a boat trip to visit Phong Nha caves.
PM: Transfer to Hue

Day 6: Hue City Tour (B/L/-)
Hue Imperial Citadel is bisected by the Perfume River, 13 km inland from the South China Sea in the foothill of Truong Son mountain, 110 km to the north of Danang city. The seat of 13 Nguyen Dynasty Emperors (1802 - 1945), Hue was once Vietnam's splendid Imperial City, Cultural and political center. The dynasty transformed Hue into a stately imperial, whose palaces and grand mausoleums now become one of a unique aesthetic military construction, a cultural wonders of Vietnam. And Hue's famous with many landscapes and its traditional music. Hue Imperial Citadel is the first World Heritage Site in Vietnam to be recognized by UNESCO 1993.

Nha Nhac - Royal music of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) was recognized as One Of The 28 Great Spiritual And Orally Transmitted Heritages Of The World by UNESCO on September 7th 2003. Nha Nhac was used on the royal ritual. Nha Nhac appeared when Vietnam democratic government was established. It has become a royal entertainment since the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and to be developed through later dynasties of Tran, Ho, Le, and Tay Son. In Nguyen Reign, this acknowledged musical style was inherited and developed to the highest level. The orchestra has many instruments belonging to the percussion, strings and woodwind families. Depending on the occasion, servers choose Dai Nhac (Great Orchestra, featuring at least 42 instruments) or Tieu Nhac (Small Orchestra, with just eight instruments).

AM: Take a boat trip on Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and the Royal Mausoleum of Minh Mang, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes.
PM: Visit the Royal Mausoleum of Tu Duc, the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 and enjoy Nha Nhac performance art. Have free time to stroll in the busy Dong Ba Market. Take a boat cruise on Perfume River to enjoy Hue's traditional folk music and dinner.

Day 7: Hue - Hoi An (B/L/-)
The ancient city of Hoi An was an active Eastern Port City during the Middle Ages. The city still maintains it uniqueness of character and possesses qualities rarely seen in the region or elsewhere in the world. Being a large international seaport in Southeast Asia from the 16th to the 19th centuries, Hoi An frequently harbored merchant ships from China, Japan, Great Britain, Portugal and Holland. Foreign traders settled, opened, businesses and thrived in Hoi An. They contributed in large part in the building of Hoi An into prosperous city. This ongoing process of economic and cultural exchange has resulted in a present Hoi An full of magnificent sculptural works. UNESCO listed Hoi An Old Town as World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999.

AM: Depart for Hoi An, 4-hour drive via Lang Co Beach which offers pristine environment of dazzling white beach and crystalline water and you will be impressed with spectacular panorama of mountains and green valley, sea, idyllic beaches and villages at Hai Van pass.
PM: Arrive to Hoi An, visit Hoi An Town with its low tiled houses of Chinese appearance, Japanese covered bridge, brightly painted temples and pagodas make it one of the most delightful places in Vietnam

Day 8: Hoi An - My Son - Hoi An (B/L/-)
My Son - the address that attracts numerous Southeast Asia and Oriental art researchers is the Holy Land of the ancient Champa kingdom in the past. It was built from the 4th to 13th centuries in dedication to Siva God of Destruction and Inventory in Hinduism. It was the most abundant architectural complex representative of Champa arts with over 70 temples, however, about 20 temples and towers have been preserved quite well. The air of mystery in My Son comes from the towers built of bricks adorned with sandstone. They are joined together with no glue and they have stood up to sunlight and rain for thousands of years. In 1999, UNESCO recognized My Son as World Cultural Heritage. Thus, now it is ranked with other renowned relics in the Southeast Asia like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Pagan (Burma) and Brooder (Indonesia).

AM: Drive to My Son, to visit Champa Kingdom from the 4th century.
PM: Free at your pleasure (lying in the beaches, shopping and further discovery of Hoi An)

Day 9: Hoi An - Danang - Departure (B/-/-)
AM: Drive off to Danang, stop to visit Marble Mountain, China Beach and Cham museum then transfer to Danang airport for departure.

Information

Sender

Tour Map

Related Places

Hanoi	Ha Long Bay	Phong Nha Cave
Hue	Da Nang	Hoi An
My Son Sanctuary