Vietnam Heritage Trail

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. Upon arrival in Hanoi, private car and tour guide will pick you up at Noi Bai 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 6pm tonight. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. 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. In free time, step out onto the streets to explore the chaotic capital of Vietnam. Hanoi is an alluring city of contrasts, best discovered on foot. Tonight perhaps get to know your new travel buddies over a glass of fresh bia hoi. This is a foamy, light beer made fresh each day and served in basic, open-walled ‘brew halls’. Take up a brightly coloured plastic chair and sip your tasty brew.

Notes: If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, 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). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception or your booking agent in advance.

You will be picked up from your hotel lobby for 3.5 hour bus ride through the country side of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Water buffalos, paddy fields (rice transplanting time: February and June) and daily Vietnamese farmer life are on both sides of the way. Comfort break time at Hai Duong city.

Arrive in Halong City at noon, we board a traditional wooden junk and start the cruising trip to the centre of the bay. Fresh seafood lunch (vegetable menu available) is served while the boat is gliding out. Get ready for exotic photos and absorbing the most magnificent natural splendors, limestone bedrocks and sheer cliffs of tiny islands highlighted with fanciful names: Fighting Cocks (symbol of Halong Bay), Duck(quick swim is an optional choice), Finger, Incense Burner, and Stone Dogs Islands.

Visit the most beautiful cave in Ha Long bay “Amazing cave”. After that go to Titop Island for swimming or kayaking (optional) or climbing up the peak for a breath-taking panorama view of Bai Tu Long bay (Weather permitted). Continue to enjoy this relaxing cruise on the way back to Ha Long harbor, our waiting vehicle transfers you back to Hanoi. Trip ends at your hotel around 19h30. Stay overnight in Hanoi.

Our tour guide will pick up you at your hotel for 2 hour drive to Ninh Binh province (98 Km). On arrival visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, the biggest pagoda in Vietnam with 500 La Han statues, biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam with 10 meters in height, 100 tons in weight. Have lunch in local restaurant with some local special dishes such as Goat meat with elderberry.

After lunch and break, depart to visit Trang An, the eco tourism attraction with an area of 2000 ha. There is nothing more exciting when travelling on small boats which are glides on the blue water and immerse yourself with natural of Trang An eco-tourism. You will visit cave complex such as: Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou in mystery and wildness, see scenery of moutain and the rivers. Perhaps, there are not any place in the world which have a landscape of “Halong Bay” on land like Trang An. In history, Trang An was impacted of the process of marine transgression, marine degradation in a few thousand years ago. It is mountains, island which is types of karst topographies, it brings its self waterline on the limestone cliffs which is equal to waterlines on Halong Bay. Get on the car for return to Hanoi where you arrive at 17h00.

Your leisure time until transfer to Noi Bai airport for 1hr10min flight to Hue, the former capital of Vietnam in 17th, 18th century. Hue has been recognized a World Heritage Site by UNESCO thanks to its outstanding cultural and historical values. Upon arrival you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Stay overnight in Hue.

You will be picked up from your hotel for a full day Hue city tour with a visit to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. The ancient citadel reflects the pomp and ceremony of the dynastic rulers as well as the scars of many years of turmoil, both ancient and modern (the Royal Citadel was badly damaged in the latter stages of the war) but retains a sense of grace and majesty even today.

Then depart for Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River constructed in 1601, the 21-meter tower is the centerpiece of the pagoda and represents seven reincarnations of Buddha. On the pagoda grounds is the famous Austin car a resident monk drove to Saigon in 1963 to protest against the southern regime. The photo of his self immortalization is one of the most well known images of the war. Have lunch in local restaurant with Hue cuisine.

In the afternoon see the tomb of the former emperor Minh Mang which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds. Journey on to Khai Dinh’s Tomb which is traditional Vietnamese in design with a European touch making it unique from the other tombs in Hue. Before heading back to your hotel take time to stroll around Dong Ba Market with your guide. The market is another of the must see sites in Hue, the stalls are teeming with color and a great place to catch a glimpse of everyday life.

Return to your hotel where the full day explorer ends at about 17h30. Stay overnight in Hue.

Pick you up at your hotel in Hue City Center and leave for Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Quang Binh Province. Drive about 200km from Hue to the Son River in Quang Binh province, where you take a boat trip to the famed caves at Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. On the way, you will be introduced Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River where Viet Nam country was bisected between Southern and Northern (keep seating on the bus and listen to tour guide). Stop on the way to visit La Vang Holly Land (40 kilometers from Hue) which became the National Marian Center of Vietnam on April 13, 1961. Then have lunch and relax at a local restaurant in Phong Nha Ke Bang.

In the afternoon, take a boat to cruise on the Son River upstream to visit Phong Nha Cave. The Park is one of the world’s two largest limestone regions. In comparison with 41 other world heritage sites which have karsts, Phong Nha has dissimilar geomorphic, geologic and biotic conditions. The area has numerous grottoes and caves. Vietnamese and British scientists have so far surveyed a total of 20 caves with a total length of 70 km. Following the narrow underground river, you explore the most impressive Phong Nha cave, from which the name to the whole system. The Cave is famous for its rock formation which have been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.

Return to Hue where you arrive at your hotel around 19h00. Stay overnight in Hue.

Depart from your hotel in Hue towards Hoi An. En route, stop to see the scenic fishing village Lang Co Beach. Lang Co beach attracts visitors with its stunning white sand beaches and crystal blue water. Continue driving for 20km on Pass of Ocean Clouds (Hai Van Pass) – the highest pass in the country and one of the most scenic and historic hillside roads in Vietnam to visit My Son Holy Land, a World Heritage site, 50 km southwest of Hoi An. Located in a lush valley My Son was the capital of Champa dynasty and religious center of Cham people.

Lunch is prepared in a local restaurant before we take a walk or transfer inside the My Son Valley where you can explore the wonderful temple complex with our guide.The My Son temple complex is one of the foremost temple complexes of Hinduism in South East Asia and is the foremost heritage site of this nature in Vietnam. Though the complex has been destroyed over time, we still see many majestic ancient ruins of temples in the area.

Transfer to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed little over the years. Arrive at your hotel and check in. Rest of the day is at your leisure. Stay overnight in Hoi An.

Pick up from your hotel for a walking tour around this enchanting port town. Follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old housesinfluenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the local fish market…. Hoi An is a destination with two faces – the charming, old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, and the beach with its new resorts and long stretch of clean white sand. In keeping with Hoi An’s heritage as a trading port, the town’s tiny shop houses now host a range of craft shops and artisans including some of Asia’s best bespoke tailors. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in the day. You spend two more hour boat trip on the Thu Bon River to enjoy the natural view and discover the normal life of local fishing people. Then having luch at local restaurant. Return to your hotel where the half day trip ends.

The rest of your time is left free to relax in this beautiful area. You could take a taxi or make the easy five-kilometre bicycle ride through the rice paddies and shrimp ponds to Cua Dai beach. Alternatively Hoi An is one of the best places to shop for souvenirs, especially if you’re looking for t-shirts, paintings or ceramics. For those interested in getting clothes tailored, this is definitely the place to shop. Another good idea is to take a boat trip out to a village specialising in ceramics and boat-building (optional).

Transfer to Danang airport (30km from Hoi An) after breakfast for the short flight to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals (1.10 hour flight). Upon arrival in Tan Son Nhat Airport we transfer to your hotel downtown Saigon. The busy city of Saigon, used to be the capital of South Vietnam, is the biggest commercial and cultural centre of Vietnam.

In the afternoon depart Ho Chi Minh City for the drive to Cu Chi district. Leaving the city behind, the scenery changes to views of rice paddies, villagers drying noodles by the side of the road and other scenes typical to southern Vietnam.

Arrive and start the visit of the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which consist of an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. Start the visit with the Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc sections of the tunnel. Here you can imagine what it was like to be a guerrilla complete with Russian Carbine rifles and AK 47’s on display. In the late afternoon journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.

This morning, leave bustling Ho Chi Minh for the 2 hour drive to the delta town of Cai Be. The local traditional wooden boats, vast emerald rice fields and lush back waterways; these are the things that make Cai Be such a desired destination. On arrival board your boat for a cruise of Cai Be floating market. Traders work the river and some have been living on these waters for generations. Produce at the market are hung on a pole in front of boats to attract customers and make it easier for people to see from afar what is on offer. Immerse yourself in a world of lush vegetation from the Mekong Delta as you pick through the fascinating and lively market, watching buyers bargaining for produce.

After visiting the market continue to a cottage factory where ‘pop-rice’, rice paper and coconut candies are made. Return to the boat for the cruise to Tan Phong Island. Next, take a rowing boat along the maze of shady canals. Head for a local orchard to enjoy the local tropical fruits, and visit artisan workshops to see the handicraft producers of the village at work. Break for lunch at an orchard garden. Lunch will be local Mekong style serving specialties of the area. Afterwards, you will ride bicycles to villages, sightseeing and soaking up the rural ambiance or enjoy cooking class. If you prefer to relax, you can laze in a hammock. Following your cruise drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

The day is at your leisure for last minute sight-seeing or shopping on your own until your transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your onward flight. Your Vietnam Heritage Trail tour ends.