Best of Vietnam Tour 11 days

DAY 1: ARRIVE SAIGON Greetings from Saigon, the thriving capital of Vietnam. When you arrive, take a taxi from Tan Son Nhat airport to Saigon's city center, then check into your hotel. at will to unwind and overcome jet lag. Saigon overnight. Note that check-in for hotels often begins at 14.00. Early check-in if the hotel has space. DAY 2: SAIGON – CITY TOUR - CUCHI TUNNEL (B, L) The Reunification Palace, a testament to the bloody end of the Vietnam War in 1975, is where the city tour begins. Today, the opulent structure houses a museum and a hall for business meetings. The Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the city's most well-known buildings, and the Central Post Office, both in colonial design, are close to the Palace. The War Remnants Museum will be our final trip for the day. In a nearby restaurant, lunch will be served. We travel by land to the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels in the late afternoon. These tunnels were built by Vietnamese insurgents as a defense against American attacks during the Vietnam War. We may even partially crawl into the tunnel, visit their kitchen and infirmary, and learn how they managed to stay alive there. Later, head back to your hotel. Saigon overnight. Meal: Lunch at a nearby restaurant; breakfast at the hotel. DAY 3: SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA – SAIGON (B, L) We depart Saigon this morning for My Tho, located in the Mekong Delta, stopping en route to see the lovely Vinh Trang pagoda. When we get there, we'll take a leisurely boat trip along the river to see the fishing communities, fruit plantations, and stilt houses that line the bank. Have lunch in the orchard garden before continuing to Tortoise Islet. After that, take a boat to An Khanh, a less popular destination in Ben Tre, and enjoy paddling a hand-rowed sampan through natural canals while enjoying fresh fruit and honey tea to the sounds of "Southern Vietnamese folk music," played by locals. As you stroll around the fruit plantation and village, stop at a family-run company that embodies the ideal rural way of life, sample some delectable coconut candy, and take in the pastoral scene. Saigon overnight Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant. DAY 4: SAIGON – DANANG – HOIAN ANCIENT TOWN (B) Transfer to the airport in the morning for your subsequent trip to Danang. Once you arrive, a driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel in Hoi An so you may check your bags. We'll explore the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, the reticent Chinese Assembly Halls, the ancient homes and Trading Houses, pagodas, and the market by the Thu Bon River with our guide in Hoian. Here, we might experience the same emotions as the artists who view the Hoi An rooftops as a magical old world with an Oriental feel and a source of inspiration. In addition, this is a great town for shopping for raw silk, soft silk, and lanterns. You can also get your garments customized here in a day. The next day in Hoian. Ho Chi Minh hotel overnight. Meal: Breakfast at the hotel DAY 5: HOIAN – TRA QUE COOKING DEMONSTRATION – HOIAN (B, L) Ride a bicycle for 30 minutes to the Tra Que herb village from your hotel. While taking a brief stroll through the vegetable garden, learn about the village's past. Then take part in gardening tasks including clearing the land, adding seaweed fertilizer, raking the dirt, planting, watering, and collecting veggies. Before making lunch with a local family, take a foot soak. Participate in making 'Tam Huu' spring rolls and 'Banh Xeo,' a popular pancake in the middle area of Viet Nam. After lunch and your morning excursions, you receive instructions on how to pick and package the veggies. Bicycle back to your hotel after saying goodbye to your host family. The afternoon is free for leisure activities like shopping for silk products, picking up souvenirs, having your garments created on the same day, or simply relaxing on the beach. Hoi An hotel overnight. Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at Tra Que vegetable village. DAY 6: HOIAN – MYSON SANCTUARY – HOIAN – HUE (B) After breakfast at the hotel, we'll travel from Hoian to the My Son Sanctuary, where you may explore the undiscovered riches of the Cham culture, which formerly flourished in what is now Central Vietnam. My Son was also named one of UNESCO's five World Heritage sites in Vietnam as a result of the intrigue and construction mysteries surrounding the Cham towers. It is a sizable religious complex with more than 70 temples and towers of various architectural styles. Return to Hoi An by car so you can catch a bus to Hue. The bus departs at 5:00 o'clock. Stay the night in Hue. Meal: Breakfast at the hotel DAY 7: HUE CITY TOUR – STREET FOOD - HANOI – BY FLIGHT(B, L) Hue is distinguished by the oldest royal architectural creations and the most traditional Vietnamese way of life, and is designated by UNESCO as the first Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam. We shall explore the city's splendor this morning from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City. Continue on to the vibrant Dong Ba market to see local business life and see many of the products used to make Hue's traditional cuisine. The best way to learn about a place's culture is to sample its distinctive food. We'll leave on a special street food trip about midday to explore Hue's other side. Our tour begins with Filtered tapioca dumplings (Banh Loc) or Sticky rice dumplings on a fried dumpling (Ram It) and ends with the renowned Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun Bo Hue). The modest restaurant where the street food tour ends serves Sweet soup (Che) a delicious regional specialty cooked with tapioca and other regional ingredients. Alternatively, Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk is available if the sweet soup is not your thing. Immediately departing for Phu Bai Airport to catch an aircraft to Hanoi. Picked up and taken to a central hotel for check-in after arrival. Hanoi overnight stay Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant. DAY 8: HANOI CITY TOUR (B, L) Early in the morning, between 8:00 and 8:30, your Old Quarter hotel in Hanoi will be visited by a bus and a guide. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the first stop on the itinerary. Visitors can learn about the life and accomplishments of the late great leader Ho Chi Minh from the tour guide. Visitors then move on to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda, both of which feature impressive structures from the eleventh century (1049). The Tran Quoc Pagoda is up next on the itinerary. Located in a quiet nook of West Lake, one of Hanoi's largest lakes is the Ly Nam De (541_547) temple, which is the oldest structure in Vietnam. Next, head to Bat Trang, a village famous for its handmade ceramics (apply on Mon, Wed & Fri). Let's eat at 12:15 o'clock. In the Afternoon, the Guest Explores the Ethnology Museum (apply on Sun, Tue, Thu & Sat). After that, you'll head to Vietnam's first and largest university, the Temple of Literature, which was established in 1070 by King LY Thanh Tong. Vietnam's educational system is based on the moral philosophy of Confucius, whose founder Chu Van An was the first teacher of Quoc Tu Giam. The Ngoc Son Temple is your final destination. Tours typically conclude between the hours of 15:30 and 16:00. Hanoi overnight stay Meal: Breakfast, Lunch at a local restaurant.