Vietnam heritage tour - 12 Days

On your arrival, you are met local guide and driver who will take you to hotel. If time is permitted, you will take an orientation tour of Ha Noi and take a cyclo ride (pedicab) around the ancient quarter of Ha Noi. It absolutely is a fascinating way to get the first look of this peaceful and beautiful city.

Evening we enjoy the Water Puppet Show, a unique northern Vietnamese art performance that we cannot be missed on our schedule for today. We will have a chance to learn more about the rural life of Vietnamese peasants and national heroes via a series of history story which were beautifully demonstrated by the artists.

Hanoi - Water Puppet Show

Today, we visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s house on stilt where he lived and worked from 1958 -1969, his fishing pond and his garden.

We visit One Pillar Pagoda built in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054. Continuing our excursion, we visit Van Mieu, the temple of literature dedicated to Confucius and his four best disciples built in 1076. This is also the first university in Vietnam to educate Vietnamese bureaucrats, nobles, royalty, and other members of the elites from 1076 to 1779. The interesting thing is the collection of steles of doctorates whose name, birthplace, year of the examination, and the rank of diploma, were engraved onto the marble stone stele placing on the top of the turtle. There are 1307 graduated doctor names on 82 steles in this place.

Hanoi - One Pillar Pagoda

After visiting this wonderful place, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.

Later in the day we visit to a World Cultural Heritage Site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel which was built in 11th century be the Ly Dynasty, making the independence of Dai Viet. The Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel is the most important and the best-preserved of this heritage site. 

Return our hotel and then free at leisure.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel

An exciting new day waiting us to discover, we depart for Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

There are a lot of photo opportunities on our way to Ha Long as we drive through the rural area, street markets, paddy fields, vegetable farms, poultry farms, and lotus farms. We take a rest stop at Hong Ngoc shop after a 2- hour drive for a coffee break, and then continue to Ha Long Bay.

At midday, we board the junk for an overnight cruise. Have a welcome drink on board, then enjoy a pleasant cruise. Seafood lunch is served on board while the junk is slowly going among the islands and islets.

There are some activities for us to join in this afternoon such as: visiting the cave, swimming at Ti Top beach, climbing up the top of Ti Top Island for panoramic view of the bay, kayaking, and joining squids finishing at night. The junk is anchored in a quiet bay for overnight. Dinner and overnight on board.

Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site

Morning, we just join the Tai Chi Class on sundeck for half an hour and then we will have breakfast. We visit Sung Sot cave, fantastic stalactites, and stalagmites in all different sides with beautiful natural color. Enjoy a pleasant cruise back to the pier for disembarkation.

Drive to Ninh Binh for overnight.

Sung Sot cave

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This complex consists of as inscribed Hoa Lu, Tam Coc- Binh Dong and Bai Dinh Temple. This site consists of Dinh and Le Temples dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh Emperors. Continue our day with a boat ride to Tam Coc, a picturesque scenery which is known as Ha Long on land. The Tam Coc (“three caves”) portion is a three-hour excursion by small boat along the Ngo Dong River beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The route includes floating through three natural caves (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba), the largest of which is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. Bich Dong is our next visiting place, it is a pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dating 1428, comprising three structures: Ha Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Finish our day with a visit to Bai Dinh Temple, a complex of Buddhist temples on Bai Dinh Mountain. The compound consists of the original old temple and a newly created larger temple. It is considered the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam and has become a popular site for Buddhist pilgrimages from across Vietnam.

Return Ha Noi and then free at leisure.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex (Source:  collectd)

Morning we take a short flight to the central region of Vietnam, the area having a lot of world heritage sites: Phong Nha - Ke Bang, Hue, Hoi An and My Son.

On our arrival Dong Hoi Airport, we meet our guide and driver, then proceed to the pier for our boat trip heading Phong Nha Cave, a part of World Natural Heritage of Phong Nha – Ke Bang, that held several world cave records, including the longest underground river as well as the largest combined caverns and passageways.

Return Dong Hoi town then check in hotel. Free at leisure.

Quang Binh - Phong Nha Cave

Breakfast at the hotel, then we proceed to Hue City. Hue is the old capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. This city is famous for the Citadel, Imperial City, Forbidden City and the royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal regime of Vietnam. There are some interesting places where were well known during the American and Vietnam War in 1960s-1970s such as: Ben Hai River, this river is considered the natural border of North and South of Vietnam, Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and La Vang. On arrival we check in hotel.

After checking in our hotel, we start our excursion by taking a boat trip to Thien Mu pagoda which was built in 17th century on the top of the hill overlooking Huong River and Truong Son Mountain range.

Then we visit the Imperial and Forbidden City, most of the royal buildings were destroyed during the turmoil of the war but there is still the sense of grace and majestic of the rulers. Entertaining Vietnamese royal court music show that is considered World Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

We drive to the royal tombs of Nguyen Dynasty and visit King Tu Duc’s tomb and King Khai Dinh’s tomb.

Thien Mu pagoda (source: collected)

We finish our day at Dong Ba market where can buy our souvenir, handcraft items, foods, many other things.

Return to our hotel then free at leisure.

Morning, we take a half day trip to a World Cultural Heritage site, My Son Sanctuary of Champa Kingdom, which was very powerful and prosperous Kingdom in Southeast Asia from 4th century to 11th century. 

We drive 2 hours through rural areas, rivers, paddy fields, mountains to visit this fantastic monument of the Cham people. Enjoy Champa Traditional Dance show.

After visiting this site, we drive to Danang City for our lunch, and then visit Cham Museum which all artifacts were collected in My Son area.

We drive to the Marble Mountains to visit Huyen Khong Cave, which was used as the hospital during the American and Vietnam War. Continuing our way up the steps to Thien Phuoc Pagoda for a panoramic ocean view. Finishing our day at the stone carving village.

We drive back to our hotel and enjoy our free time.

World Cultural Heritage site, My Son Sanctuary of Champa Kingdom

 Morning enjoy our breakfast at the hotel, we start our walking to ancient quarter of Hoi An. Our first visit is Fukien Assembly Hall where or Thien Hau Temple. Then we keep on our walking from this temple to Tan Ky, old trading house. There are 7 generations of the Vietnamese merchant family have lived and workred in this beautiful house and they carefully protect their home as its original for over 2 centuries ago. The architecture model of this house is the combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese style. It is 5 minutes walk to Japanese Bridge, an iconic of Hoi An old town. This temple bridge (the bridge where there is a temple on it) was built by Japanese community in 1590s. Finishing our history walking tour in this morning section at Sa Huynh Culture Museum, we have an opportunity to learn more about Hoi An old town. Then we have our free time to wander around this lovely town and there are many other things that we can do in this afternoon.

Hoi An old town

 Most of our time in this morning is free at leisure. Midday we check out then drive to Da Nang airport for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam.

On our arrival, we take an orientation tour around the town and visit some typical colonial buildings that are over hundreds of years old suuch as; Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, the Opera House and City Hall.

Late in the afternoon, we take a sunset cruise on Saigon River.

Ho Chi Minh city - Opera House

 Today we will enjoy the beautiful scenery in Mekong Delta, hundreds of canal and river system and the most productive farm in Vietnam. We just take 2 hour drive to My Tho City, which is located on the bank of Mekong River, one of the longest rivers in the world, then take the boat cruise to Thai Son Island for visiting fruit farm, bee farm and local crafts. We not only enjoy the fruits at the farm and honey tea but also entertain the traditional music show, “Don Ca Tai Tu” which has been selected as the World Intangible Heritage of Humanity. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, we will have lunch at Mekong Rest Stop restaurant and enjoy local specialty.

Seat back and relax on our way back to the hotel.

Rest of the day is free at leisure.

My Tho - Mekong Delta - "Don Ca Tai Tu”

There is no activity for today. Just pack up and relax until your departure flight. The guide and driver will pick you up then transfer you to Tan Son Nhat Airport.