Best Of Vietnam Tour 13 Days

Description

BEST OF VIETNAM TOUR 13 DAYS

Ha Noi →Ninh Binh →Ha Long Bay →Hoi An →Hue →Ho Chi Minh→ Ben Tre

Come to discover the best of Vietnam tours on this 13-days program. From North to South. Start with the colonial charm of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, then travel to the natural wonderland of Ha Long Bay. This Vietnam Revealed tour takes you deep into our beautiful country, immersing you in our rich culture and elegant landscapes.

Flexible Itinerary

DAY 1. HANOI ARRIVAL

Activities:

When you arrive at the Noi Bai International airport you’ll be met at the baggage claim by our friendly guide. Just look for the sign with our Viet Heritage Travel logo and your name.

We’ll get you to your hotel and see that you’re comfortable, plus we’ll give you an introduction to the city at the same time. Then the rest of the day is yours to settle in, relax, and explore the area.

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital city and home to seven million people. Traditional and refined with French colonial architecture, tree-lined boulevards, scenic lakes and a bustling Old Quarter, Hanoi has a sophisticated charm. Observe locals practicing Tai Chi by the lake, with barbers and food vendors plying their sidewalk trade.

Meals: N/A

Included: car, tour guide, Hanoi hotel, nature, history, heritage.

DAY 2. HA NOI – NINH BINH – HOA LUA TAM COC – HA NOI

Activities:

Enjoy breakfast at hotel, we leave Hanoi for Hoa Lu – Tam Coc, enjoying the beautiful sceneries of the rural areas on the way
After arriving in Ninh Binh province, the guide takes you to visit Hoa Lu – the Ancient Royal capital of Viet Nam. We will visit Dinh king temple and Le king temple. In the 10th century, finding out the heroic histories of this two Kings in Chinese Wars. If time permits after visiting Hoa Lu (for the fit and healthy), take a half-hour walk up one of the surrounding limestone karst hills, the climb is rewarding with spectacular views.
After that, we go to Tam Coc (10 km far from Hoa Lu).Have lunch at local restaurant.

After lunch you will get on bamboo boat – rowed by the local people – in Hoang Long river to visit Tam Coc (three caves) on the way. You pass through three enormous caves that provide a brief respite from the intense summer sun. It takes approximately two hours to go up and down the river and along the way, you witness local fisherfolk, village life along the river and, of course, the striking limestone karst formations that Tam Coc is famous for.

Should you feel adventurous climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Following its back by sampan to Tam Coc town before returning to Hanoi where you arrive in the late afternoon.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Included: car, tour guide, Hanoi hotel, boating, heritage, nature, biking.

DAY 3. HANOI SIGHTSEEING DAY

Activities:

You are met with Viet Heritage Travel tour guide at 08:30am in the hotel lobby and then start to visit Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from 4 Sep to 4 Dec every year), his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and the One Pilla Pagoda. Later to visit the Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance influence that Vietnamese society has placed on education.

Lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, drive to visit 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. Then we enjoy one hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter – a must for any visitor to Hanoi! This evening, enjoy a Water Puppet Show – a favourite experience for all visitors to Vietnam. Originated in the 10th century, water puppetry is a unique folk art that cannot be found anywhere in the world but Vietnam. Back to hotel, check in and relax.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Included: car, tour guide, Hanoi hotel, heritage, history, cultural.

DAY 4. HA NOI – HA LONG BAY

Activities:

07:30 – 08:00 am: Our shuttle bus will come to pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi centre. Drive to Halong City.  Enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta country side.

Stopover at Hai Duong province for refreshment about 30 minutes. Arrive at Tuan Chau island – Take break and welcome drink at Halong Cruise Lounge

Transfer to Halong Cruise. Welcome drink – receive cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Enjoy buffet lunch with Vietnamese dishes served while cruising through the bay, passing the most beautiful and quiet areas, such as Incense Burner, Dog Stone Islet, Fighting Cock, Soi Sim beach, Coconut Three Island. Visiting Luon cave, the perfect combination of lime-stone mountains and jade-green sea by bamboo boat with local people. Enjoy quiet space and pure air, you will feel relaxed truly. If you are lucky, you will see monkeys on islands.

Visiting the beautiful Ti Top beach for swimming (if the weather permits), Ti Top Beach is especially famous for its fresh atmosphere, clean water, and smooth white sand that create a great ambiance for tourists to relax or passengers can take steps to reach on the top of  Ti Top beach to have a whole panorama view of Halong Bay.

Back to the boat and free time while sailing to Luon Bo area, and anchor overnight. Option: Massage service available. Please book with Cruise Manager directly (please see massage menu)

Attend the Cooking class on sundeck – How to make Vietnamese spring rolls – traditional Vietnamese food. Then enjoy Happy Hour (Buy one drink-get one free). It is time for chit chat and relaxing. Watch the magnificent sunset over Halong Bay.

19.30 – 23.00: Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese  BBQ Set Menu Dinner

Evening activities include: Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar, watching movies and many sort of Vietnam cultural films, relaxing and spending a romantic night on Halong Cruise’s music, playing cards, chess are available, reading magazines in room and dining room. You may also try your luck at squid fishing & fishing from the boat. 

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Included: cruise, cruise in Ha Long Bay, swimming, cruising, heritage.

DAY 5. HA LONG BAY – HA NOI – FLY TO DA NANG – HOI AN

Activities:

Wake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax watching the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat.

Return to the junk, watch the fruit carving demonstration and participate in the Cooking Class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. Then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City, where your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport to catch your short flight to Danang.

On arrival, your tour guide and driver will transfer you to hotel in Hoian, a destination with two faces: the charming, old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, and the beach with its luxurious resorts and long stretch of clean white sand.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Included: car, Hoi An hotel, cultural, heritage.

DAY 6. WALKING TOUR OF HOI AN ACCIENT TOWN AND BOAT TRIP

Activities:

A comprehensive walking tour through the delightful Hoi An Ancient Town, a beautifully preserved Unesco World Heritage Site which has remained virtually unchanged through the centuries. Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to Hoi An Town. Exploring Hoi An on foot is one of the best ways to absorb the beauty of this city. While walking around Hoi An, exploring the small yet beautiful town, which tourists find to be a place of quiet and peace. The unique atmosphere combines elements of Vietnam, China and Japan. The most remarkable views are from the ancient houses, reminding visitors of a long gone past and providing a momentary glimpse of a more subdued and simple time.

The tour includes visits to many of the town’s renowned Ancient Houses which boast remarkable architecture, Assembly Halls of Chinese influence, Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop and of course the must-see Japanese Covered Bridge. Mostly the houses here were designed with the Chinese, Japanese architecture. Because in accordance with the history, the Chinese, Japanese used to come here for settling down and doing business. Besides, you can recognize the Eastern and Western architectures through these ancient houses. After lunch, walk to the Bach Dang dock where you will embark on the boat. From the boat you can enjoy that busy daily life of Hoi An people. Continue to Thanh Ha pottery village where you can learn and enjoy the daily life of local people. Thanh Ha Pottery Village in the 16th and 17th century Thanh Ha was a thriving village. It was famous for earthenware that was sold in many provinces throughout central Vietnam. Observe all the steps of making a pottery product such as vase, pot, kettle, cooking pot. Then embark to the boat to visit Kim Bong carpentry village. Most of Hoi An old town’s architecture was made by their ancestors, dating back to the town’s heyday as a commercial port. Upon arrival in the village, you’ll see the artisans working with their skillful hands on the crafts and visit ship-building yards. Kim Bong’s common products such as furniture, religious statues and finely crafted wooden doors can be found and bought on souvenirs shops. The style of Kim Bong Carpentry is said to be the excellent combination of Cham kingdom, China, Japanese… and of course the talented hands of Vietnamese craftmen. Transfer back to Hoi An by boat.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Included: car, tour guide, Hoi An hotel, boating, walking.

DAY 7. HOI AN COUNTRYSIDE TOUR WITH COOKING AND BIKING.

Activities:

This morning, escape the masses and head out for a bicycle tour through the countryside around Hoi an. Start today by biking to Tra Que, a vegetable and herb-growing village. The country road to Tra Que winds through rice paddies and rural landscapes. At Tra Que see the gardening of herbs and vegetables using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago; no electrical machinery here. You’ll pick some fresh vegetables and herbs to be used in your upcoming cooking lesson. You’ll then to the local village market and with shopping list in hand you’ll purchase a range of local ingredients. You’ll then continue to a family house in Tra Que with a chance to enjoy some local foot massage and soak your tiring feet into nice warm herbal water as a local treatment before cooking class. Working together with the family chef, you’ll learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional Vietnamese ultensils (still in use today). You’ll have a chance to sit and enjoy your own creations.

In the afternoon, bid farewell to your host family before biking to fishing village and water coconut forest in Cam Thanh. This place acted as a refuge for people and local soldiers during the Vietnam war, but now it is famous for producing vast amounts of seafood products. Upon reaching the village, anglers will take you in bamboo basket boats to row into magrove forests, canals… and you’ll have fun with traditional fishing techniques. Bike back to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Included: car, tour guide, Hoi An hotel,  cuisine, biking.

DAY 8. HOI AN – HUE SIGHTSEEING

Activities: 

Have breakfast at your hotel in Hoi An. Pick you up and transfer to Hue. Drive through the Pass of Ocean Clouds for a stunning panoramic view of the mountains and sea. Arrive in Hue.

Visit the Imperial City, which is located in the Citadel. Modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Imperial City was built in the early 19th century. Explore the Thai Hoa Palace, with its spacious hall and ornate roof of huge timbers supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. See the Halls of the Mandarins, the Nine Dynastic Urns and the site where the Forbidden Purple City once stood. Also you will visit Dong Ba market. Afternoon, you will take a boat on Perfume river to visit Thien Mu pagoda and the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, built in 1840, which is known for its magnificent architecture and elaborate decorations and is considered one of Hue’s most beautiful pagodas. Overnight in Hue City.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Included: car, tour guide,  Hue hotel,  history, walking.

DAY 9. HUE – THUY BIEU BIKING – HO CHI MINH

Activities:

Depart cycling from city center to Thuy Bieu village via southern bank of Perfume river. A bit busy at the beginning but worth it when you make it to the village. Then it’s time to swing around. Discover Tiger Fighting Arena, one of historical place, where elephants and tigers’fought to the death for the entertainment of the Emperor, the royal family and mandarin.

Leave the arena behind, we continue biking to Elephant Temple which is a royal temple where the King’s war elephants were buried and honored. Continue riding to Thuy Bieu village, visit the first local house, find out silk paintingcraft by local people. Keep cycling along verdant paths in Thuy Bieu village for relax. Making incense stick private house – A thing can not lack of buddha, ancestor anniversaries in Hue or general worship. Take a part in making : “banh nam” and “banh loc” – Hue speciality cakes – under the host instruction or learn how to make candy . You can enjoy them right after they have cooked.

Keep riding along the roads then leave Thuy Bieu village by dragon’s boat. The tour will be ended at Toa Kham Boat Dock at the city centre, then back to your hotel by bicycle. Then transfer to airport for your departure flight to HCM city. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will pick you to hotel in center. Check in hotel and explore nearby area by your own.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Included: plane, tour guide, Ho Chi Minh hotel, cultural, nature, biking.

DAY 10. HO CHI MINH SIGHSEEING – CU CHI TUNNEL

Activities:

We’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a major part of the Vietnam-American War and a fascinating day trip– explore the mysterious tunnels, find hidden doors and once-deadly traps. After lunch we’ll go back to HCMC and spend the afternoon either visiting the War Remnants Museum or the Reunification Palace Palace, whichever you prefer. Then stroll around the city’s colonial streets in the evening to the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall.

Activities: You’ll visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels, then return to the city and choose either the War Remnants Museum or the Reunification Palace. Then you will enjoy the amazing French Colonial Buildings.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Included: car, tour guide,  Ho Chi Minh hotel,  cultural, history, walking.

DAY 11. HO CHI MINH CITY – MEKONG DELTA – BEN TRE – CAN THO

Activities:

Breakfast at your hotel. The guide pick you up and transfer you to Ben Tre. Arrive at Ham Luong dock, you will take a boat and then cruise along Ham Luong River, a tributary to the Mekong River. The cool breeze from the river and lush tropical islands along its banks will immediately get you excited to explore all the great things ahead.

Arrive and visit various local workplaces to find many wonderful examples of how local people use ageless techniques to create their crafts, including activated charcoal, dried coconut, handy coconut husk brooms, and many family businesses using coir, or coconut fiber, to create amazing art. Cruise around the village roads by “Xe Lôi”, the local vehicle, which is a kind of motorized rickshaw. Kayak through the natural canals to get a unique experience of the peaceful beauty of the Mekong River as well as the rural life there. Having lunch at a local host house.

After lunch, you will have some time for relaxing. Then take a car to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho, check in hotel. Free time

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Included: car, tour guide, Can Tho hotel, boating, biking

DAY 12. CAN THO – HO CHI MINH CITY

Activities:

Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river ( Bassac River), then proceed to visit Cai Răng floating market (& Phong Dien is optional), which are the liveliest in the whole religion. Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made.

Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to cross a “Monkey bridge” which is built by only o¬ne stem of bamboo. Visit the orchard garden. Stop for lunch. On the way back to HCM city by bus the last stop is to see how incense sticks are made (optional visit to Mangrove forest which was a former Viet Cong base used by the guerillas during the War can be arranged on request).

Meals: breakfats, lunch.

Included: car, tour guide, Ho Chi Minh hotel, boating, nature.

DAY 13. HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTURE

Activities:

You have free time in the morning until your private car arrives to take you to the airport for your next destination.

This is the end our Flavor of Vietnam with Viet Heritage Travel. We thank you for joining us on this incredible experience to explore all the wonders of Vietnam. Goodbye, and we hope to see you again next time! Viet Heritage Travel can also arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itinerary does not match your expectations. And if you love explore our country more, you can get our Vietnam tour for more choices.

Meals: breakfast.

Included: plan, tour guide, nature,….