Vietnam Sojourn

ITINERARY

10 Days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Nha Trang

Tour Overview:

Blessed with a ravishing coastline, emerald- green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the world’s best cuisines, Vietnam has it all. In this tour where city and sea meet, you can sink your toes in the white sandy beaches of Nha Trang and take a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter of bustling Hanoi.

Day 1 (Wed) - Arrive Beijing

Arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. You are welcomed at the airport and escorted to your hotel.

Day 2 (Thu) - Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Hutong Tour

Start your day off by exploring Hanoi’s illustrious history. In the morning, visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Closed on Mondays & Fridays) before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. You will then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, which is imbued with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. In the afternoon, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi and learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture. The tour includes a stop at an ancient Vietnamese “long house.” In the evening, take delight in watching a traditional water puppet performance whose origin dates back over a thousand years. (B)

Day 3 (Fri) - Great Wall Excursion & Summer Palace

Drive through green rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay. You will board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a seafood lunch and a swim (if weather permits) before visiting a grotto of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea. (BLD)

Day 4 (Sat) - Temple of Heaven & Lama Temple / Xian

Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf. You will be returned to Hanoi and transferred to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. (B)

Day 5 (Sun) - Terra Cotta Warriors

In the morning you will visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels where Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Highlights include the Reunification Palace (photo stop), the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda. (B)

Day 6 (Mon) - Xian / Chongqing

Depart for the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival in My Tho, enjoy a boat cruise along the river. Experience an exciting horse-drawn cart ride to visit a local house where you will enjoy tea and taste home grown fruits. Board a sampan and drift along the narrow, tree-lined canals for further exploration of the Mekong Delta. After lunch, visit a family-run business making coconut candy before returning to My Tho. On the return trip to Ho Chi Minh City, visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda if time permits. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by the late afternoon. (BL)

Day 7 (Tue) - Chongqing / Cruise

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the coastal city of Nha Trang. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. (B)

Day 8 (Wed) - Shibaozhai

Enjoy Nha Trang’s turquoise waters and white sandy beaches with a morning boat cruise to offshore islands in Nha Trang Bay. In the afternoon, visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers, the Dam Market, the Nha Trang Stone Cathedral or the Long Son Pagoda where the giant Sakyamuni Buddha statue sits on the top of the hill. (BL)

Day 9 (Thu) - Qutang Gorge / Wu Gorge / Shennong Stream

The day is at your leisure to explore the city. (B)

Day 10 (Fri) - Xiling Gorge / Yichang / Shanghai

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Saigon and connecting departure flight home, taking along with you memories of a most enchanting trip. (B)