9 DAYS/8 NIGHTS - GOOD MORNING VIETNAM 
(HANOI - HALONG BAY - HUE - MY SON - HOI AN - SAIGON)

 

DAY 1: HANOI / ARRIVAL
Upon arrival you will be picked up by our local station guide who brings you to the hotel. The today's sightseeing program depends on your arrival time. The guide will talk abt the history of Hanoi and their Hoan Keim Lake legend! If time permits you will visit Old quarter of Hanoi by cyclo - it's a bit of little Amsterdam - similar houses... Overnight in Hanoi. 

 

Sofitel Metropole/premium opera wing (5*)

Sheraton/dlx room (dlx)

Melia/dlx room (1st class)

DAY 2: HANOI - FULL DAY TOUR (B)
After breakfast, mid morning, enjoy a stroll through the Temple of Literature to have more in-depth Vietnamese culture and history and of course to Uncle Ho's former residence and the one pillar pagoda.Your sightseeing will also include the visit of the Museum of Ethnology (but closed on Mondays) to enhance your understanding of Vietnam's diverse culture through its unique presentation of objects & dress from daily life. If time permits you can finish your sightseeing with the visit to Hanoi's former Hoa Lo prison. This evening you will enjoy the colorful traditional water puppet performance (you may ask your guide to join the show and explain the story to you). Overnight at the hotel.

Please note: you may as well visit Uncle Ho in his museum (but again: Mondays and Fridaysclosed). AND: Uncle Hoe travels for abt 2 to 3 months yearly to Russia - for a new make over: it might be he won't be residing when you are there... 

DAY 3: HANOI - HALONG BAY (B, L, D)
After the breakfast you will will have a 3 hours transfer to Halong Bay. The Gulf of Tonkin was once the haunt of Vietnamese and Chinese pirates. With 3 limestone and dolomite islets sprinkled over an area of 1,500 square kilometers, Halong Bay offers a wonderland of karst topography. Arrive at Halong Bay port and board the traditional wooden cruiser for your exciting tour of Halong Bay. Sea food lunch on bord. Dinner and overnight on board. 

Itinerary with Emeraude
08.30-13.00: Pickup by private car at your hotel about 8.30. Spend 3 hour sight seeing country Vietnam on the way to Halong city. Welcome by Emeraude staff and embark with the shuttle boat for short transfer (approximately 5 minutes) to the Emeraude. Welcome cocktail and check-in on board the Emeraude. After checking in, have lunch at the restaurant. 
13.00-16.00: Cruise among hundreds of islets to discover unspoiled pockets of Halong Bay and its remote, floating fishing villages. 
16.00 onward: Kayak or swim from the vessel's stern deck. At the Hang Trong anchorage, whet your appetite with an onboard cooking demonstration. After sunset, enjoy dinner at the restaurant, before retiring to your cabin for a good night sleep or join the crew and learn squid fishing. Accommodation and overnight on board.

Itinerary with Ginger
08.30-12.30: Pickup by private car at your hotel about 8.30. Spend 3 hour sight seeing country Vietnam on the way to Halong city. Arrive at Pier just before 12.00 AM. Welcome by Ginger staff and embark with the shuttle boat for short transfer (approximately 5 minutes) to the Ginger. Welcome drink is served.
13.00-18.00: Enjoy lunch on board while the Ginger cruise Cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay, passage into the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. 
After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with Halong Ginger golden sails, go swimming on a quite beach at Soi Sim Island or sunbathing on the sundeck. 
At sunset time, kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover Hang Doi with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Later afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village.
18.30-21.00: Back on board Halong Ginger, enjoy cocktails while watching sunset and later unwind at Ginger restaurant.

 

Itinerary with Traditional Junk
8.30 am pick up you at your hotel in Hanoi. Travel to Ha Long city for about 3 hours drive. Upon arrival,   transfer to a junk for a cruise around Ha Long Bay with a delicious local seafood lunch served on board. Passing Dog Island, Incense Urn Island, Ga Choi Island, Finger Island, Hoa Cuong Island, and visit Surprise cave and short swim at Titov beach (if weather permitted). Have dinner on board. In the evening, enjoy the night fishing and later over night on board.

 

DAY 4: HALONG BAY - HANOI - HUE (B,L)
Itinerary with Emeraude
Early morning: 07.00:  Attend in a Tai chi course to relax yourself in the early morning of Orient or wake up early to see Sunrise.
07.00-09.00: The Emeraude sail once again through the breathtaking scenery of Halong Bay heading for Halong city, it is your time to take breakfast at the Emeraude restaurant. 
09.00-10.00: Check out of cabin. Transfer by shuttle boat to Emeraude Pier. Pick-up by our car.
10.00 am  till afternoon: Drive back to Hanoi and take a flight to Hue. 
Your guide for Central Vietnam will await you in Hue  and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Itinerary with Ginger
06.30:  Greet the day with a morning Tai Chi exercise with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. Coffee or tea is served.
08.00-09.00: Visit beautiful limestone Sung Sot grotto.
09.00-11.00: Buffet brunch is served while enjoy last glimpse of the Halong Bay.
11.30 am  onward: Time to say good bye to Halong Bay and back to Hanoi for flight to Hue. Your guide for Central Vietnam will await you in Hue  and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Itinerary with Traditional Junk
In the morning, cruising to Bai Tu long bay, Fire Island, Bo Nau Island, fishing village. Having lunch on boat and arrive at Ha long wharf about 12.00 noon. Return to Hanoi by private car, arrive in Hanoi about 16.00 pm then heading to airport for afternoon flight to Hue . Your guide for Central Vietnam will await you in Hue  and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

 

La Residence/dlx river view (5*)

La Residence/sup room (dlx)

Morin Hotel/colonial dlx (1st class)

DAY 5: HUE (B)
Today you will spend a full day in Hue, the former capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty of emperors from 1802 till 1945. After breakfast start a scenic boat trip upstream the Perfume River on board a dragon boat to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda , Hue's most preserved religious monument standing on the riverbank with its seven-floor tower. Then visit to the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen emperors once ruled Vietnam. You will further visit King Tu Duc's tomb and King Minh Mang tomb (typical formal oriental style designed). Overnight in Hue. 

DAY 6: HUE - MY SON - HOI AN (B)
Early morning, after breakfast your journey will bring you to Hoi An via Danang. You first visit the Cham Museum in Danang. Built in 1915 this museum displays an intensive and diverse collection of Champa sculptures dating from the 7th to the 15th centuries. It now has nearly 2000 large and small sculptures. Of these, 288 are on display inside the museum, 187 objects in the garden and more than 1.200 objects are reserved in the storehouse. Most of the sculptures in the museum are original and mainly of three kinds of materials, including sandstone, terracotta and bronze. It is a good introduction before you visit the site of My Son - one of the most stunning sights in the Hoi An area, Vietnam's most important Cham site, and as of 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk a short distance for a short jeep ride up the mountain to the site. Then walk again, using several bamboo bridges (they call them monkey bridges, BUT EASY TO WALK ON - ALSO FOR SENIORS OK!) to get into the Cham site itself. Today, the temples and their towers are in ruin, vegetation is growing unimpeded, Sanskrit stelae are all about, and numerous lingam are visible. During the centuries when Tra Kieu (the known as Simhapura) served as the political capital of Champa, My Son was the site of the most important Cham intellectual and religious centre, and also may has served as burial place for Cham monarchs. My Son is considered to be Champa's counterpart to the grand city of South-East Asia's other Indian-influence civilisation: Angkor ( Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Ayuthaya (Thailand) and Borobudur (Java).You continue your journey to Hoi An and have a late lunch snack. Enjoy a walking tour of the ancient town center and take in the former merchants' houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the colorful market with its stalls brimming with tropical specialties. Whoever is still fit can explore this charming small town on their own or with the guide. Just let the guide know! You can also order tailor made cloths which will be ready later at night (around 9 pm) for fitting and then will be ready next morning! Overnight at hotel.

 

Anantara/dlx (5*)

Palm Garden/sup garden view (dlx)

Golden Sand (1st class)

 

DAY 7: HOI AN - LEISURE TIME - FLY TO SAIGON (B)
Relax in Hoi An and wait for your transfer to Danang airport for the evening flight to Saigon where your guide form South Vietnam will pick you up and bring you to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

 

Park Hyatt/Park city view room (5*)

Caravelle/dlx (dlx)

Majestic/colonial dlx (1st class) 

DAY 8: SAIGON - FULL DAY TOUR (B)
Saigon is not only sightseeing but about street markets, where bargains are struck and deals are done; the pavement cafes, where stereo speakers fill the surrounding streets with a melodious thumping beat; and the sleek new cafes and pubs, where tourists chat over beer, pretzels, coffee and croissants. Today you will have a sight seeing tour in Saigon which includes visits to 

Cholon (China Town) with Thien Hau Pagoda, Cholon is in District 5 and is a maze of narrow streets, bustling with people. Most of Vietnam's ethnic Chinese live here and they are the largest single ethnic minority group in the country. Merchants began to settle in Cholon in the 1770s, although many ethnic Chinese fled the country in 1975.

The Thien Hau Pagoda is one of Cholon's must-sees. It is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, protector of the sea. Photographers are spoilt for choice with the ornate decoration inside the pagoda and the statues of Thien Hau. It is popular with worshippers (the air is always heavy with the smell of incense) and there are regular festivals during the lunar calendar.

Notre Dame cathedral, The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. In front of the cathedral in a small garden is a delicate statue of the Virgin Mary. The interior of the cathedral is rather plain, unlike most French cathedrals, with no stained glass but it is a cool escape from the heat outside.

Former post office, Across from the Notre Dame Cathedral, the vast Post Office was also built in the late 19th century in European style. The interior has hardly been touched since it was built and is dominated by a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. The building always seems busy but most people are just visitors rather than customers.

Former Presidential Palace, The Reunification Palace is beautiful in its ugliness, a 1960s monstrosity designed with the help of Soviet architects. Most people will remember the image of a North Vietnamese tank crashing through the gates on 30 April 1975 signifying the fall of Saigon. The tank still graces the front lawn. Rooms open to the public remain exactly as they were in 1975, showing where important meetings were held during the war, as well as some of the private quarters of the president and his family. Most fascinating are a series of underground tunnels housing a telecommunications centre. 

Vien Bao Tang Lich Su Historical Museum, located just inside the entrance to the Botanical Gardens and Zoo, the Historical Museum houses a collection of artefacts covering the last 2000 years of Vietnamese history including items belonging to ancient cultures such as Dong Son, Oc Eo and Cham. The museum was built in 1929 and the collection assembled by the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient. If this is too much for you, you can skip some and just stroll one or two hours through this bustling city! Overnight at the hotel.

 

DAY 9: HO CHI MINH CITY - DEPARTURE (B)

Free time for shopping or just leisure before transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure.