Tour Train Set Departure - Vietnam Explorer Northbound /16 days

Tour

Train Set Departure - Vietnam Explorer Northbound /16 days

DAY 1 : ARRIVE HO CHI MINH CITY

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Free to explore the town.

Our Customer Care Executive will meet you at the hotel at 18 00 pm for a trip briefing, answering your questions, as well as giving you some travelling tips in Vietnam.

We then head out for some local delicacies in one of the many fine restaurants in Ho Chi Minh.

Overnight at Hotel. (Dinner)

DAY 2 : HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR

This city tour unravels Saigon’s turbulent past and also provides a glimpse into the fascinating variety the city has to offer. The tour is split into a morning and afternoon schedule, with a tasty lunch in between!

Morning:

The Reunification Palace: This is one of the most important buildings in the city. Here on April 30th 1975 the ‘American War’ officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.

War Remnants Museum: Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, this is a poignant display of the futility of war. Some of the black and white photography in the ‘Requiem’ exhibit is particularly touching, dedicated to both foreign and Vietnamese journalists and photographers who perished during the conflict. The courtyard outside contains the spoils of war, namely rusting jets, tanks and cannons captured from the American military machine.

Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office: Built between 1877 and 1883 this is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture. Remarkably every stone used in its creation was shipped from France to Vietnam. Her two 40m towers, topped with iron spires dominate the city’s skyline. The Old Post Office is another example of French colonial architecture and is also the country’s largest post office.

At approximately 1pm we shall take lunch at the renowned Pho 2000 near the Ben Thanh Market.

Afternoon:

Cholon & Thien Hau Pagoda: Cholon actually means Big Market – a claim that is well justified as Vietnam’s largest market, the Binh Tay is situated here. The district is home to the city’s 400,000 Chinese and has many beautiful temples and pagodas.

Ben Thanh Market: This bustling market is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk Ao Dais.

The tour finishes at approximately 16 00 pm when you will be transferred back to your hotel.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 3 : HO CHI MINH CITY - VINH LONG – CAN THO

Start with our 2-hour drive to Cai Be, where we board our private boat for a cruise through the busy Cai Be floating market. We then make a stop to visit some local cottage industries such as the coconut candy workshop, learn how to make puffed-rice, puff-corn, or witnessing the process of making rice paper.

Continue with our cruise through the maze of canals the criss-cross the An Binh island, we land at Mr. Ba Kiet old house. Here we can enjoy devouring the fresh tropical fruits of the Delta, while having a short traditional music show performed by local artists. Lunch at a local garden restaurant. After lunch, we have a short walk around the island to see how the people here make their living and enjoying their life. We carry on to a Nursery garden, where you can see most of the Delta fruits seedlings. The final point of visit will be a Brick & pottery kiln.

Docking in Vinh Long, we go for 1 hour drive to Can tho. Overnight in Can tho.(Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 4 : CAN THO – HO CHI MINH – OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO NHA TRANG

07.00 AM: We leave the hotel, board a motor boat along the Mighty Mekong River to Cai Rang floating market, the largest of its kind, where a colorful display of boats carrying juicy fruits and vegetables gather for daily exchanging.

Then we continue the cruise & walk on a quiet country road to take in the magnificent scenery and get close to the locals as they go about their daily routine (visit the Noodle Factory or the Crocodile Farm).

Late morning, the boat takes us across Mekong River to Vinh Long on the other side. On arrival, visit the local village making incense stick before drive back to HCMC.

Stop for lunch en route.

Arrive back Ho Chi Minh in the afternoon. Free for personal exploration

After an early dinner we will board the overnight train for Nhatrang. (Breakfast)

DAY 5 : NHA TRANG

Upon arrival in Nhatrang, we are transferred to the Hotel.

After breakfast, start our full day oriented visit of Nha Trang city.

At 09.00 am we make our first stop at the Vietnam Oceanographic Institute to see the whole collection of sea creatures of Nhatrang Bay.

Continue to Long Son Pagoda to fulfill your knowledge of the Buddhist religion in Vietnam.

At 10.30 am, we visit Po Nagar Temples to see how Hinduism is worshipped by both Vietnamese & Cham People, who are now an ethnic minority in Vietnam. Next, we see Chong Promontory Rocks, which are the beauty of the beach with giant hand prints on the stones.

We then make a stop at local Dam Market for some sightseeing & shopping.

Have lunch at a local restaurant.

Then we proceed to Thap Ba Hot Spring center where you can relax yourself and gain your health in Mud soaking and Hot Mineral Springs bathing & swimming (for 1-2 hours) (Just basic mud bath ticket included).

Drive back to Nhatrang. Free upon arrival. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 6 : NHA TRANG BOAT TRIP – OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO DANANG

08 00 am, we are transferred to Nhatrang harbour to have our boat trip in this one of the most beautiful bays of the World.

Our first stop is at the aquarium. We will then head out to Hon Mun Island where you have the chance for swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. From here, continue to Hon Tam Island where you have the choice of relaxing on the beach or for the energetic - there is a choice of water sports.

Lunch stop is at the fishing village of Lang Chai where there is time to explore before boarding the boat back to Nha Trang harbor. Transfer back to the hotel. Free for personal exploration.

Later in the evening, we take our train trip to Danang. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 7 : DANANG - HOI AN

Upon arrival in Danang, we drive for half an hour to the Ancient Town of Hoi An.

13 00 pm We enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, the 200 year old Tam Ky House, and the Japanese covered bridge. (No meal included)

Hoi An is the perfect place to have some clothes tailor-made. There are many tailors, who vary greatly in quality and price. Silks are a good buy here. You may also want to join one of the many cooking classes available to learn how to prepare authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

DAY 8 : HOI AN

Full day at leisure in Hoi An. With Hoi An beach a close 5km from town it is a perfect place to spend the day. Or you can hire a bike and cycle along the paths and lanes to smaller villages near the town. (Breakfast)

DAY 9 : HOI AN – HUE

Car p/u at 09 00 am for your transfer to Hue. Stop along the way to visit the Marble mountains, China beach, Cham museum, Sea cloud pass, Lang co beach.

Arrive Hue in mid afternoon. Free to explore the town. (Breakfast)

DAY 10 : HUE CITY TOUR – OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO HANOI

Start at 08 00 am, we visit the Hue Citadel and Imperial City, which will take us about 2 hours and a half. Then we board our dragon boat for a cruise upstream the legendary Perfume River. Along the way, we stop for Thien Mu pagoda, then continue to the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside where we find the Royal Tombs to the Nguyen Emperors. We visit Tu Duc and Khai Dinh tombs.. After having viewed the splendid landscaped gardens and ornate architecture of the kings' final resting places we return to Hue.

Later in the evening, we board the Reunification Express for our northbound journey to Hanoi. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 11 : ARRIVE HANOI – CITY TOUR

Upon arrival, we are met and transferred to the Hotel.

After breakfast, we embark on our city tour:

Morning
Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975, the complex includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

The Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles mounted on the backs of turtles, inscribed with names of Vietnam best scholars. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education. Lunch

Evening
Museum of Ethnology: This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the ground.

Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan KiemLake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. The Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends.

One hour Cyclo Tour through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities.

Our city tour ends with a Water Puppet Show. Transfer back to the hotel. Free to explore the town. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 12 : HANOI - MAI CHAU

Start at 08 00 am, we drive west towards Mai Chau. Stop for refreshments at Hoa Binh town. Arrive Mai Chau at noon time. Have lunch.

After lunch, we drive to the White Thai village of Khoe. From here we will start our 2-hour trek to Xo village. Our hosts for tonight will be White Thai family who will express their hospitality by inviting us to sample some of their homemade rice wine! After the meal, we can sit down for some chit chats with the family to find out more about their life. Tonight’s accommodation will be a little more rustic than you are used to. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Trekking distance: 7 km/2 hours

DAY 13 : MAI CHAU – HANOI

Following breakfast we begin trekking down the mountains to Mai Chau valley. The distance will be around 14 km. There will be very few people we can meet throughout the trek but some buffalo tenders or farmers going to their fields. We reach Pom Coong village around midday and have lunch there. We have a couple of hours wandering around, doing our last minute shopping of the fine local handicrafts before returning back to Hanoi. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Trekking distance: 12 km/ 3 - 4 hours

DAY 14 : HANOI – HALONG BAY

Pick up (by shuttle bus) from your hotel in Hanoi at 08 00 - 0830 for a four-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Arrive in Halong City:

12h30: Board our Junk, check-in registration 13h00: Have lunch with welcome wine. 14h00: A fantastic cruise in Ha Long bay 15h00. Visit to Thien Cung cave, Dau Go cave, round over Tuan Chau island, or Sungsot cave Swim at lovely beaches.

18h00: Junk cruise ankor by the lagoon 19h00: Enjoy 4 course diner and overnight on Junk.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 15 : HALONG BAY – HANOI

Rising to the sound of ocean coming to life for another lovely day. We breakfast over sunrise:

07 h30: Junk boat once again sets sail through breathtaking secluded Halong bay

08 h00: Enjoy breakfast while cruising 09h 00: Visit Bai tu long Bay , Teapot island , Chopstiks island, Bai tho mountain.

11h 00: Return to Halong city and have lunch on board.

12h 00: Back to Halong wharf and drive back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi around 17 00 pm. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 16 : DEPARTURE

The trip concludes this morning in Hanoi. A transfer to the airport will be arranged if your flight is leaving today. (Breakfast)