Vietnam Classic Tour 9 Days

You will be warmly welcomed upon arrival at Hanoi airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will take a private walking city tour to visit local markets and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, known for its 36 streets and former craft guilds. In the evening you will enjoy a water puppet performance before a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and an overnight stay in Hanoi.

The post-colonial capital city of Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, numerous lakes, pagodas, and temples. This full-day tour takes you around Hanoi’s most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, and the One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Also on the tour will be the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, peaceful West Lake “with “lovers’ street” Thanh Nien), the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, and one of the city’s museums, either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum. You will stay overnight in Hanoi.

Today you leave Hanoi for Halong Bay (a World Natural Heritage site) via the Red River Delta. Upon arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise on the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay, swim on a quiet beach, or sunbathe on the sundeck. In the late afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset, you can kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board, you can enjoy watching the peaceful sunset and later unwind at a restaurant. You will stay overnight onboard.

You’ll wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves and birds welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay and after breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto. You will have a walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Then you will drive back to Hanoi and stay overnight.

You will transfer to the airport for your noon flight to Hue. Upon arrival at Phu Bai Airport, you will be transferred directly to your hotel. In the afternoon you will embark on a tour of the city, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum, and Dong Ba market. You will stay overnight in Hue.

Rising up in the ancient land, you will enjoy your breakfast in the hotel and then board a private boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River. You will visit the Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), and then take a drive to visit King Minh Mang’s tomb and King Tu Duc’s tomb before lunch at a local restaurant. You will then head to Hoi An Ancient town over the Hai Van pass. You will stop in Danang for a visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages at the foot of the Marble Mountains before arriving in Hoi An. Once in Hoi An, you will check into the hotel and have some free time to explore the town. You will stay overnight in Hoi An.

In the morning you will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. You will then leave Hoi An for Danang Airport to take a one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
In the afternoon you will embark on a city tour of HCMC (Saigon) including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, and bustling Ben Thanh Market. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

This morning you will drive to Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh. Cao Dai Holy See Temple is the cathedral of the Cao Daism religion and home of the Divine Eye, the official symbol of this unique religion. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. You will also be able to observe the midday service.
Following lunch, you will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers, and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life was like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

There is no activity planned for today, so you can enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.