Charm of Vietnam

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, private car and tour guide will pick you up at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and then transfer you to hotel for check in (the rooms are at your disposal from 14:00) Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today. You can arrive at any time during the day as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. Please check with hotel reception or look on the reception noticeboard for where and when the meeting will take place. If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader.

Notes: An arrival transfer is included. In order to book this service please provide your booking agent with your flight details at least 2 weeks prior to your departure. If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel in time for the meeting, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Morning we drive 2 hours from Saigon to Cai Lay, a small but fertile town in the Mekong Delta through the new national free way. Upon arrival, drop off at the town’s local pier and start boarding our small motorized boat for a 30 min boat trip on one of the small branches of the Mekong River. Witness the lively life on the water of the locals. Disembark at Cam Son bridge where you start a leisure cycling trip (alternative transportation is our “xe loi”, a fun local transportation) into a deep MekongDelta exploration. The ride is about 7km on shady narrow village roads curving over tiny canals and past fruit gardens and sleepy villages. Many kids will greet you with a big smile and “xin chao” or Hello. During the village road, you will have a chance to stop and visit local factories, fish farm, rice paddies to learn briefly about the local economy, business. Arrive at a lush orchard with diverse tropical fruits. Have a friendly chat with the owner – a former veteran with interesting topics about his motherland as well as his daily life both past and present. He will be very happy to walk you around his garden. Enjoy the opportunity to taste fresh fruits picked right from the trees. Then relax with a sampan ride to visit a local ancient house, have a brief interaction with these friendly residents in their 100 year‐old house before tasting their hosted lunch with traditional dishes of the Mekong land. Bid farewell to the family then drive back to Saigon.

Morning visit Reunification Palace – the former Presidential Palace of Southern Vietnamese Government before 1975. Then visit Notre Dame Cathedral,Central Post Office and Historical Museum and enjoy the water puppet show there. After lunch at Ngon Restaurant, transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for a departure flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang then transfer to Hoi An along the beautiful Non Nuoc Beach. Stop to take the photos of the well-known beach with the name China Beach in Vietnam War and Marble Mountain. Upon arrival to Hoi An then check in at hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

Morning take a walking tour to Hoi An ancient town. Visit Thang Loi Handicraft workshop in Phan Chu Trinh Street. You will have the chance to experience all the typical traditional handicraft of Hoi An, such as wood carving, mat weaving, lantern making, silk worm raising, spinning and weaving, table cloth making and embroidery picture. These handicrafts made great contribution to upgrade living standard of local people since Hoi An turn to be popular destination for the tourists. Then take a walk toHoi An ancient town. We will start the walk from small alley from Phan Chu Trinh Street to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. This is the typical ancient street of Hoi An, that can show you great atmosphere of the ancient town. Visit the Japanese Cover Bridge – the symbol of Hoi An. After that visit Tan Ky, the most well known and authentic ancient house in town. Then take a walk along the Nguyen Thai Hoc – the ancient street of Hoi An to the market of the town. Visit the local market of Hoi An and Phuc Kien Congressional Assembly Hall, the communal place for Chinese community from Fukien province in China as well the worshiping temple to Thien Hau, the Goddess protecting people on the sea – that was so important for the Chinese Merchant and Fishman in the past. Then you have free time for discovering the town on your own or shopping.

Afternoon depart for the cyclo trip to Cam Nam Village (this is exclusive discovery feature of ICT). The cyclo will take you from the town to Cam Nam Bridge. You will have the first stop for the photo opportunity of the activities and scenery on the Thu Bon River. Then the cyclo will take you along the Thu Bon River bank, where you can have another photo stop for panorama view of Hoi An from other side of river. You will ride along the riverside and cycle through local villages of Cam Nam. This is untouched area by tourism with very friendly and hospitable local people. You can see their daily life activities or even viewing the interior of their house and their life through always opened doors. The cyclo trip will be ended at green small canal covered by water coconut trees. Embark on the boat and take a cruise to Thu Bon River. You can experience the local daily life along river, such as fishing, farming, catching clam …. Come back to Hoi An around sunset time.

Morning drive from Hoi An to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Upon arrive in Hue, check in then have lunch at the hotel. Afternoon take the cyclo trip from your hotel over famous Trang Tien Bridge to Dong Ba –the famous whole sales market in Hue. The cyclo even can take you by the area selling food in the market along Perfume River. From the market, we will follow the river bank toward to the area around the ancient citadel of Hue, getting over the streets, local shops for the over view of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. The ride will be ended at Noon gate – the main entrance of Imperial Citadel for the walking tour to the inner area of the citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled from 1802 to 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.

Morning we drive to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue city then take a walk around Kim Long Village. It will be great chance to learn about lifestyle of local people there. Visit the hundred years old ancient house that belong the Mandarin of Royal Court in the village and talk to 84 years old lady – the granddaughter of the mandarin in the house. At noon, experience the vegetarian lunch at Dong Thien Pagoda and interact with the nuns there. After lunch, visit Tu Duc Tomb, discover beautiful and impressive architecture of this unique construction in Hue as well as the story of the King there. Back to the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free at leisure.

Morning drive to Phu Bai Airport for the flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – the symbol of the country and Presidential Palace, Presidential Garden, his House on Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda in the area nearby. Lunch at Seasons ofHanoi restaurant then check in your hotel. Afternoon visit Temple of Literature – the central of culture of Hanoi then take the walk to discover attractive area of Hanoi Old Quarter.

In the morning drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay by Red River Delta with beautiful rice field and activities of local people along the way. Upon arrival to Halong, embark to the Junk on Tuan Chau International Harbour. You will be welcomed by the cruise staff, enjoy the welcome drink, cruise briefing then check in your cabin. The junk will start cruising on magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay while you enjoy lunch on board. It also a great chance to admire the fascinating rock formations in the bay. In the afternoon you will visit the secluded cave of Thien Canh Son then take a short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swimming or kayaking. Back to the Junk, relax and get ready for dinner.

In the morning you can admire the sunrise on the bay from sun deck of the Junk. Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee then have the breakfast in the open air. After breakfast, you will have a chance to visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. Then back to the junk for more leisure time for swimming in the middle of the bay. The cruise will be back to the harbor while an a la carte lunch is served. At noon, disembark to the port and drive back to Hanoi. On the way back toHanoi, visit Tho Ha the famous village of terracotta products before 20th century. Upon arrival, take a short local ferry to the village. Visit a local home of Mr. Viet, where you can see how rice paper has been made and have the interesting talk with him about his family and his life. Mr. Viet was NVA (Northern Vietnamese Army) who liberate Sai Gon in 1975. After spend time in his house and talk to the owner for deeper understand about life of local people in the village, we will visit 400 years old pagoda that still remains all original architecture and Buddha statues, specially the holly and peaceful atmosphere that have not been touched by the tourist. Discover village through narrow and zigzag alleys with the old houses had been constructed from broken part of terracotta from the past. Walking over to the end of the village to the dike, where you can see the village from distance over the beautiful lake. Drive back to Hanoi.

You’ll be free in the morning for last shopping until your driver arrives at your hotel to take you to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight. Finish unforgettable Vietnam tour with us. Good bye & see you in the next time!