DAY 1:        HO CHI MINH CITY                            (L, D)

Upon arrival in Saigon you will be met by a Travel Indochina representative and transferred to your hotel. This evening meet your tour leader (or local guide) and the rest of the group for welcome drinks and a tour briefing.

DAY 2:        CITY TOUR AND CU CHI TUNNELS             (B, L, D)

Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s commercial capital and a city of extraordinary energy. Nowhere is Vietnam’s rush to modernise more visible. Despite this, Saigon, as it is still known, is a friendly and welcoming place with many reminders of its turbulent past and a palpable momentum towards the future. This morning begin a walking tour of Saigon’s famous and historic city landmarks. The walk will take you through the heart of the city along Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), past the Rex Hotel, Ho Chi Minh Square, Municipal Theatre and Notre Dame Cathedral. Then take a tour of the Reunification Palace (formerly the Presidential Palace) and War Remnants Museum.

For lunch you might want to try “Pho” (pronounced “fur”) the delicious Vietnamese noodle soup, before travelling to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels are located in an area known during the Vietnam War as the “Iron Triangle” on account of the strength of its communist insurgency. Established as a means of waging guerrilla war against superior French and later American fire power; the tunnel network stretches over 250kms and extends to three levels underground, providing a remarkable insight into the method and determination of Communist forces during the Vietnam War. Return to Saigon by late afternoon.

DAY 3:        MEKONG DELTA            (B, L, D)

This morning you will drive to Cholon, the Chinatown district of the city to visit the huge Binh Tay wholesale market and the ornate Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. From there you will travel south to My Tho, gateway to the Delta and Vietnam’s agricultural heart. Known as the “rice bowl” of Vietnam, the Delta is the most fertile region in the country, and Vietnam’s main source of rice and tropical fruits. Stop en route at an unusual Cao Dai pagoda, a bizarre sect combining a mix of all the world’s great religions, including Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Arriving in My Tho, board your boat and travel to one of the islands located in the middle of the Mekong River. On the island visit a fruit orchard and sample some of the local produce, then board a smaller sampan that winds along narrow canals. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy some local hospitality over lunch with some tea or rice wine before returning to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.

DAY 4:        HO CHI MINH CITY - HOI AN             (B, L, D)

This morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Danang Airport and then drive south to Hoi An. En route you will visit the Cham Museum, the Marble Mountains and China Beach. The Cham people occupied this area of Vietnam from the 4th to the 16th centuries and in the Cham Museum you will find the best examples of Cham sculpture anywhere in the world. Continue south to the Marble Mountains, a series of large marble outcrops that have acquired mythical significance over the centuries. The caves of the Marble Mountains have a number of sacred Buddhist shrines as well as a former communist guerrilla hospital from the Vietnam War. From the Marble Mountains there are great views across China Beach and the surrounding countryside.

A short drive away is China Beach, you then travel further south to Hoi An which was Vietnam’s most active trading centre over many centuries and has been largely preserved. The architecture of the city reflects the influence of Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, French and British traders. Hoi An is also the town where French Missionary Alexandre De Rhodes introduced Catholicism to Vietnam as well as the Romanised script that has become the standard Vietnamese script. This afternoon, take a walking tour of enchanting Hoi An visiting an old merchant house, the Hoi An Museum, a Chinese assembly hall and the Japanese Covered Bridge.  

DAY 5:        HOI AN                 (B, L, D)

This morning become a Hoi An ‘local for a day’ and join local farmers to learn about their cultivation techniques with hands on experience. Learn about the unique farming methods native to Vietnam and have a chance to interact with the local people and experience a side to Vietnam few tourists see. The afternoon is free for you to explore this beautiful town with its many clothing shops, colourful fish market and river life. In the late afternoon, take a boat cruise along the tranquil Thu Bon River starting from its mouth and arriving back into Hoi An itself, just as the traders used to do years ago! This evening dine at one of Hoi An’s appealing restaurants or take part in an optional fun, hands-on cooking class and learn how to prepare some of the local delicacies.

DAY 6:        HOI AN – HUE                (B, L, D)

After checking out this morning, travel to the old imperial capital of Hue via the spectacular Hai Van Pass. This drive is considered one of the most beautiful in Vietnam and takes you through a combination of both rural and coastal settings. Hue has a lovely location on the banks of the Perfume River. As Vietnam’s capital throughout the Nguyen Dynasty, as a centre of Vietnamese Buddhism and scholarship and finally as the setting for some of the Vietnam War’s most bloody fighting, Hue provides a unique window into Vietnam and its complex past. Begin your exploration of this city with a visit some of the magnificent Royal Mausoleums that surround Hue; the tomb of the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tu Duc, followed by the French influenced tomb of the twelfth emperor, Khai Dinh.

DAY 7:        HUE

This morning you will visit the impressive home of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors (1802-1945), the Citadel. Much of the Citadel was destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 but is gradually being restored. Continue on to the much revered Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s oldest and most beautiful religious monument, before enjoying a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River out to the rarely visited tomb of the emperor Minh Mang. Spend some time exploring the vast grounds of this complex with its many temples and beautiful gardens before returning to Hue by road. Finish the day with a cyclo ride through the quiet streets around town.

DAY 8:        HUE – HANOI                 (B, L, D)

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. On arrival begin your discovery of Hanoi, which has been the political and historical centre of Vietnam for almost 1000 years and has a wealth of sights to explore. Heavily influenced by French colonial architecture, Hanoi is both historically beautiful and a vibrant capital city sure to entice you. Begin your Hanoi experience by visiting the Ho Chi Minh Quarter. See the Old Citadel, walk along beautiful tree- lined boulevards until you reach Ba Dinh Square, site of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and where Ho Chi Minh first declared independence from French rule in 1945. Ho Chi Minh is without question one of the great figures of 20th century history and ‘father of modern Vietnam’. Visit the humble house on stilts from which ‘Uncle Ho’, as he is affectionately known, ruled Vietnam until his death in 1969. You can also view the nearby Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda and the intriguing Ho Chi Minh Museum, which houses an almost surreal exhibition of the life of Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s struggle for independence. Drive across the city to Hanoi’s first university - the Temple of Literature - dating back to 1070. This historical centre of learning is now dedicated to Confucian worship.

Next you will visit the infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’ - Hanoi’s former central prison made famous first for the incarceration of the leaders of Vietnam’s National Liberation movement and later US Air force pilots shot down over North Vietnam. The site of the prison was recently developed, however one wing has been retained as a museum. This evening you will have the opportunity to enjoy a performance of Hanoi’s famed water puppets.

DAY 9:        HALONG BAY                (B, L, D)    

This morning your journey will take you east (approximately 170 km or three hours drive) to Hon Gai, the gateway to Halong Bay. En route pass fields of busy workers farming their rice using traditional methods of cultivation. Halong Bay achieved international fame as a key location in the French film ‘Indochine’ starring Catherine Deneuve. The bay has assumed an important position in Vietnamese legend for many centuries however and continues to capture the imagination of visitors. On arrival transfer to the port for a magical four hours aboard your boat cruising around the bay. Considered Vietnam’s greatest natural wonder, Halong Bay boasts over 3,000 islands that rise out of the sea to provide a spectacular natural environment. Admire its beauty and scale before stopping at one of the many secluded bays for a refreshing swim (weather permitting) and enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on board your boat. This afternoon travel back to Hanoi.

DAY 10:      DEPART HANOI              (B, L)

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.