Heritage Tour - 8 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 is a fascinating way to get the first look of this peaceful and beautiful city.

Cyclo ride (pedicab)

In the evening we enjoy the Water Puppet Show, a unique northern Vietnamese art performance. We will have a chance to learn about the rural life of Vietnamese peasants and national heroes via series of history stories which were beautifully demonstrated by the artists.

Water Puppet Show (Source: Collected)

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.

Uncle Ho’s house

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.

One Pillar Pagoda

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

Later in the afternoon, we visit Ethnology Museum which is very good collection about the ethnic groups in Vietnam. The simple agriculture stools, fish traps, hand weaving cloths, crafts, festivals, folk arts, traditional houses, and lively activities of each tribe, are all here for us to discover. Finally, we visit history Museum, the exhibits from stone age, bronze age, and rehistoric era, to the modern age to show how the Vietnamese has been strugling for the independence, peace, freedom, and love.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Later in the afternoon, we visit World Cultural Heritage Site of Thang Lang Imperial Citadel which was built in 11th century by the Ly Dynasty. The Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel is the most important and the best-preserved of this heritage site.

World Cultural Heritage Site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Returning our hotel, and then we have free time.

An exciting new day waiting us to discover, we depart for Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km2 with a high density of 775 islands and islets in all sides reflecting on turquoise water. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.

Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site (Source: Collected)

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.

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 on different sides and its beautiful natural colour. Enjoy a pleasant cruise back to the pier for disembarkation then drive to Ninh Binh for overnight stay.

Sung Sot cave

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This complex consists of as inscribed Hoa Lu, Tam Coc- Binh Dong and Bai Dinh Temple. Start our day with a visit Hoa Lu Old Capital which was the economic, political and culture center of Dai Co Viet, an independent Vietnamese polity founded in 968 AD by the local warlord Dinh Bo Linh who was known as Dinh Tien Hoang Emperor. This site consists of Dinh and Le temple 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.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex

Bich Dong is our next visiting place, it is a pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dating to 1428, comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Finish our day at 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.

Late in the afternoon, we drive to Noi Bai airport  for a short flight to Hue which is the old capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. Hue is famous for its Citadel, Imperial City, Forbidden City, and the royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal regime of Vietnam. Hue represents an outstanding demonstration of the power of the vanished Vietnamese feudal empire at its apogee in the early 19th century. The integrity of town lay out and building design make it an exceptional specimen of late feudal urban planning. Hue complex is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

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.. This pagoda is one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam and is also the Buddhist school of Hue City. Visiting this site, we will see the old car which was used by Thich Quang Duc who immolated himself to protest the Saigon government during the American and Vietnam War in 1963. After visiting this place, we continue our boat trip to Minh Mang’s tomb which is located on bank of Perfume River. We finish our boat trip at Minh Mang' tomb, then drive to Khai Dinh’s tomb which is located on Chau E Mountain, the tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern style, and built in 1920. Returning our hotel for lunch.

Huong River to Thien Mu pagoda

Later in the afternoon, we visit to the Imperial and Forbidden City of Hue, most of the buildings of a heyday royal dynasty were destroyed during the turmoil of the war but there is still the sense of grace and majestic of the rulers. Enjoy Nha Nhac Vietnamese court music show,  World Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Nha Nhac developed during the Le Dynasty (1427-1780) and became highly institutionalized and codified under The Nguyen monarch (1802-1945). The role of Nha Nhac is not limited to musical accompaniment for court rituals: It also provided a means of communicating with, and playing tribute to the Gods and Kings as well as transmitting knowledge about the nature and the universe.

 Imperial and Forbidden City of Hue

We finish our day at Dong Ba market where can buy our souvenir, handcraft items, foods, many other things. Returning to our hotel, then we have free time.

Today, we will enjoy the most beautiful distance in Central part of Vietnam on our way to Hoi An, a world heritage site. It is only 140 km long but there are many things for us to see such as: Tam Giang Lagoon, Lang Co beach, Lang Co fishing village, Hai Van pass, Da Nang City, Marble Mountain, and Hoi An, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Hoi an, an exceptionally well-preserved example of traditional Asian trading port, is outstanding material manifestation of fusion of culture over time of international maritime commercial center in Southeast Asia. Hoi An, a lovely old seaport city located on the bank of Thu Bon River, is not only famous for its architecture, temples, pagodas, old trading houses, tailor shops but also the hospitality and friendly people.

Tam Giang Lagoon

On our way to Hoi An, we will stop at Lang Co beach and its fishing village before driving up to the top of Hai Van (Ocean and Cloud) pass. We also visit Cham Museum which all artifacts were collected in My Son sanctuary, and it is an amazing collection of art and culture of Champa of Kingdom.

On our arrival Hoi An, we check in the hotel, then take a history walking tour to the old quarter of Hoi An. We visit most of local tourist attractions such as: Thien Hau Temple, Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky Old House, and then we are free at leisure.

Hoi An old town

There is no activity until for departure flight.
Check out the hotel, then you are transferred to Da Nang International Airport for your flight.
This tour can be easily extended to following destinations for few days:

- Ho Chi Minh City
- Phu Quoc Island
- Nha Trang