DAY 1
Depart on your scheduled flight to Hanoi.
DAY 2
Arrival in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, for a three night stay.
DAY 3
This morning we have included a city tour. You will see the recently restored Opera House and visits will be made to Hoan Kiem Lake, the Quan Thanh Temple and the Temple of Literature. This will be followed by a walking tour of the Ancient Quarter plus a rickshaw ride. This afternoon a visit will be made to the One Pillar Pagoda and then to Ba Dinh Square where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state. A visit will also be made to the simple cottage where Ho lived and worked. This evening there will be an included Water Puppet show.
DAY 4
Full day included tour to Halong Bay, a truly beautiful spot. You will take a four hour boat cruise, including seafood lunch, amongst the dramatic limestone peaks that rise out of the sea. You will also enter one of the vast caves of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. The drive to Halong Bay is through rich green rice paddy fields.
DAY 5
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Hue, former capital of Vietnam. Here you will visit the Thien Mu Pagoda in its gorgeous setting overlooking the Perfume River, and the majestic royal tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. A cruise on the Perfume River is also included.
DAY 6
Morning visit to the Citadel, seat of royal power in ancient times. Despite war damage, there is still plenty to see, including the Noon Gate, Royal Palace and Flag Platform. You will then depart for the beautiful coastal drive to Hoi An, via Lang Co Beach, Cloudy Mountain and the city of Danang, where a visit will be made to the Champa Museum, celebrating the artistic glories of the Cham people from the 7th to 15th centuries. Continue to the Marble Mountains and China Beach before arrival in the charming seaport of Hoi An for a three night stay.
DAY 7
Hoi An is a delight – a picturesque, ancient riverside town and the most enchanting place on the Vietnamese coast. A morning walking tour of its quaint streets includes the Japanese Covered Bridge, a 200 year old merchant’s house, and the 15th century Chuc Thanh Pagoda. Hoi An is a relaxed and beautiful place in which to stroll and explore. In the afternoon there will be a guided bicycle ride into the countryside.
DAY 8
We include an excursion to the stunning monuments at My son, a major religious centre in the Champa Kingdom.
DAY 9
Morning transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Cam ranh. On arrival you will drive inland to Dalat, nestled amongst mountains, pine-clad hillsides, lakes and forests.
DAY 10
This morning you will visit the town’s bustling market. The cool climate produces fresh vegetables and fruit that are rarely found in a tropical country. A visit will also be made to the summer residence of Vietnam’s last emperor, Bao Dai and to Dalat Cathedral before travelling out to the countryside which surrounds Dalat for a leisurely drive.
DAY 11
Morning departure for the drive to ho Chi Minh City, better known as saigon. Before descending from the Central Highlands, stops will be made at silk weaving farms, and coffee and tea plantations. Saigon is a city of amazing contrasts. Evidence of former French colonisation still remains and this combined with the culture of the predominantly Buddhist population and the booming free-market economy makes for a memorable visit.
DAY 12
Morning included city tour visiting the Presidential Palace, the War Museum and the famous shopping street formerly known as rue Catinat. We will also pass Notre Dame Cathedral. This afternoon you drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an amazing series of underground passages first constructed in the late 1940s by the peasant army fighting the French and later extended by the Viet Cong rebels.
DAY 13
Depart Saigon for a fabulous day’s journey deep into the Mekong Delta. The river Mekong, descends for 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, and is constantly busy with sampans, barges and houseboats. You will drive first to Cai Be, on the River Mekong, where you will board a boat to cross the wide river, and then cruise through every shade of green along narrow inlets and canals to a lunch stop at a farmer’s house. Visits will be made to local workshops along the way. Very little has changed over the centuries in this part of Vietnam, and everything and everybody has to travel by boat. Continue by boat to Vinh Long, then by public ferry to Can Tho for an overnight stay.
DAY 14
Morning boat trip to the extraordinary floating market at Cai Rang. Return to Can Tho to explore this bustling township and important trading post on the busy Mekong. Afternoon return drive for a final night in saigon.
DAY 15
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
DAY 16
Arrival in the UK.