BEST OF VIETNAM – 12 DAYS

This morning, you will visit the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, the neighboring neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, and the City’s Centre Post Office before passing past the grandiose Opera Theatre and City Hall. Arrive at the Ben Thanh Market, where traders sell a wide range of items and handicrafts to suit every taste.
After lunch, you depart for an afternoon excursion to Cu Chi. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground maze of passages utilized by the Viet Cong as a defense against American airstrikes during the Vietnam War (or “American War” as it is referred to here). Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Park Hyatt Hotel.

Today you take a day excursion to the Mekong River Delta to discover the rich culture and magnificent fluvial environment. Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel after breakfast and transport you to Cai Be. Board your private sampan for a journey to Cai Be’s colorful floating market, which passes by a stunning cathedral. Visit local cottage businesses and home factories to witness how rice paste, rice biscuits, and coconut sweets are manufactured, as well as the longan fruit drying process and a visit to the evergreen islands in the center of the meandering canals. Enjoy a delightful meal served in the cool shadow of fruit orchards at an Indochine Villa. Walk leisurely couples of minutes to Ba Bon Bridge where your driver will pick you up to transfer back to Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Park Hyatt Hotel.

You have the day to yourself until midday, when your driver will take you to the airport for a trip north to the coastal town of Nhatrang. Meet your tour guide and driver at Cam Ranh Airport, then see the old Po Nagar Cham Tower, Long Son Pagoda, the Alexander Yersin Museum, the XQ factory where beautiful handmade embroideries may be seen, and Dam Market. Check into the Evason Ana Mandara Resort, which is located on a magnificent length of the beach and boasts over 20,000 square meters of tropical gardens overlooking the sea, making it one of Vietnam’s most desired coastal settings. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach. With a stunning panoramic view of Nhatrang Bay, you may dine indoors, on the terrace, or on the beach. Enjoy a huge international breakfast buffet and sophisticated fine dining cuisine for a delectable supper at the resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Accommodation: Evason Ana Mandara Resort Nhatrang.

A morning boat ride on Nhatrang Bay takes you to various neighboring islands where you may swim and snorkel in the lovely turquoise seas. You return to shore after a delicious fish meal. Explore Nha Trang at your own speed in the afternoon. Do not miss a 90-minute pampering treatment at Ana Mandara’s exquisite Six Senses Spa, which is located alongside the beach in a coconut plantation and sets new spa design standards with the use of natural tones, traditional Vietnamese style, and water elements (Sensory Spa Journey package – The Soul of Six Senses).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Evason Ana Mandara Resort Nhatrang.

Today you fly to Danang on a short trip. Your driver will greet you at the airport and transport you to The Nam Hai, a wonderful resort located in the gorgeous surroundings of the East Sea. The Nam Hai offers a lush tropical environment suited to leisure and relaxation along a one-kilometer stretch of beautiful white sand beach on Vietnam’s Central Coast.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: The Nam Hai Resort.

Immerse yourself in the peace and tranquillity of this peaceful riverbank village. Hoian was a prosperous international port from the 16th to the 18th century, frequented by Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Arab traders who came to deal in the high-quality silk still manufactured in the vicinity. Today, Hoian is a pleasant tourist destination known for its diverse architecture, talented tailors, and several cafés. Take a half-day walking trip through the historical town center’s tiny winding lanes, stopping at Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tan Ky family mansion, and the famed Japanese Bridge.

After lunch, take a short boat trip to a nearby island and visit a handicraft village specializing in ceramics. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: The Nam Hai Resort.

You have the day off today.
Please contact our travel advisers for more information about visiting Myson – Holy Land of Lost Champa Kingdom or an Eco-excursion to the countryside.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: The Nam Hai Resort.

After breakfast, travel to Danang Airport to take a flight to Hanoi in the morning. Your driver and guide will greet you outside the baggage claim area at Noi Bai Airport and transport you to your accommodation in the city center. Check into the award-winning Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, a French colonial-style hotel in the center of Hanoi.
Enjoy a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter’s narrow streets lined with French colonial buildings in the afternoon, followed by a gourmet dinner at Le Beaulieu Restaurant, the home of fine French food, with gastronomic cooking, regular regional specialties, an epic cheese board, and a professional wine list.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel.

You have the entire day today to visit Vietnam’s lovely capital. Hanoi is an eclectic blend that provides something for everyone, with its broad tree-lined boulevards, French colonial buildings, calm lakes, and ancient oriental pagodas. The Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt home), the Presidential Palace, the neighboring One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, West Lake, with the calm Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple, and one of the city’s museums are all included in your city trip (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). Later in the afternoon, enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture.
You are free in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel.

After breakfast at hotel, your driver will meet you at hotel at 8:00 A.M to take you on a 4-hour drive passing the countryside of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay.
Welcome on board and set sail through Bai Tu Long Bay while seafood lunch is served. Rest your eyes on the azure waters of this magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth, passing picturesque area around Mat Quy islet, Am islet. Mid-afternoon, get to Cua Van fishing village and enjoy a pleasant bamboo boat row through the village with a museum and a school among floating homes. Visit Tien Ong cave then back on board to enjoy sunset cocktails and canapé. Dinner is served on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: Violet Cruise.

Begin the day early with a Tai Chi session on the top deck, where you will be able to take in the breathtaking dawn over the sea. Following that, you may go swimming at Soi Sim beach or join your chef for a culinary demonstration to learn more about Vietnamese food art. On the way back, enjoy a deep cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay, past Pearl Farm, Phao Dai islet, Tam Cung cave, Hon Xep islet, Dau Moi temple, and the chance to sail through the renowned L’Indochine movie location (subject to tide condition).
Before arriving at the port, enjoy a buffet brunch on board.
Transfer to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport for your departing flight. Good luck and safe travels!

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.