VIETNAM HIGHLIGHT TOUR 19 DAYS

Pick up at the hotel. Drive to Bat Trang, the famous pottery village approximate 15km from Hanoi , which is surrounded by fertile farmland. Watch the artisans form, paint and glaze their products, which are then backed for several days in huge kilns. Proceed to Hai Phong, the largest port in North Vietnam , 102km east of Hanoi . Short orientation tour: Du Hang pagoda and Hang Kenh Communal house, both with fine examples of traditional woodcarvings. After lunch at a local restaurant continue to Halong Bay . Transfer to hotel. Overnight at your selected hotel in Halong city.

Discover Halong bay, listed as a World Heritage site. “Dragon descending to the sea” as it is know in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing 5-hour boat trip through Halong bay, fresh seafood lunch is prepared and served on board. Afternoon, drive back to Hanoi for overnight.

Full day city tour: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Monday, Friday and the entire months of October and November), Ho Chi Minh’s Residence, One-Pillar pagoda, Temple of Literature built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. Afternoon visit Museum of Ethnology , Hoan Kiem lake with Ngoc Son temple and Old Quarters. Evening: Water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art.

Drive to Cuc Phuong national park 4-hour easy trekking to discover the rich flora of the park. Lunch en route at a local restaurant. Drive to Ninh Binh and transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner and overnight at your selected hotel in Ninh Binh

Drive to Hoa Lu, often called ” Dry Halong Bay “. Limestone rocks rise from rice fields and winding streams. Enjoy the spectacular scenery during a leisurely boat ride in traditional local sampans to Tam Coc caves. Lunch at local restaurant.

Visit Bich Dong pagoda and temple of the Dinh and Le Dynasties. Proceed to Phat Diem for visiting the stone church, a striking architectural complex in the style of a Vietnamese pagoda. Return to Ninh Binh for accommodation at simple hotel.

Full day drive to Dong Hoi through charming rural scenery, where offers a glimpse into the life in the southern Red River Delta. Lunch en route. Arrive in Dong Hoi, transfer to hotel for overnight.

Drive to beautiful Phong Nha caves accessible by boat on the clear water of the Son River . Lunch en route. Proceed south to visit Vinh Moc tunnels, dug to accommodate an underground village safe from American air raids in the north of the DMZ. Continue driving through the sites of the fierce battle fields of Vinh Linh, Doc Mieu and Dong Ha before arriving in Hue , the former Royal city of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Transfer to hotel. Overnight at your hotel.

Boat ride on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu pagoda and Minh Mang tomb. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit Imperial Citadel with its Forbidden city and Tu Duc tomb and local market. Overnight at your hotel.

Depart by coach to Da Nang . The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van pass offers spectacular views of mountains, sea, idyllic beaches and villages. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the Cham museum then continue to the Marble Mountains with its beautiful grottoes and temples, which can be reached by climbing steep steps (please wear appropriate shoes). We continue further south to the charming historic city of Hoi An, transfer to hotel for overnight.

Drive to My Son, the imperial city of the Champa empire of the 4th to 12th centuries, My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious ruins comprising more than 70 architectural remains. Return to Hoi An, known to early Western merchant, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow street; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. During a leisurely discovery tour on foot you will visit some of the historic merchant and community houses, places of worship and famous bridges. Overnight in Hoian hotels.

Drive to Da Nang and transfer to the airport for a short flight to Nha Trang. Visit the Institute of Oceanography and Po Nagar Cham tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2nd century AD. The town was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists. Transfer to hotel. Overnight at your hotel in Nhatrang hotels.

Full day at leisure. Ovcernight at hotel.

Leisure time until transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city . Upon arrival, transfer to hotel and lunch. City tour: War museum, the Post office and Notre Dame Cathedral, former Presidential Palace, (from out side for picture only), China Town with Thien Hau pagoda and local market. Overnight at hotel.

Drive to Cu Chi and visit the amazing complex of underground tunnels. There are more than 200km of underground tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. Proceed to Tay Ninh, center of the Cao Dai religion founded in 1926, a combination of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. You will have the opportunity to watch the worshippers in their white long tunics during noon mass. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City . Overnight at hotel.

Coach trip to My Tho and visit Vinh Trang pagoda. My Tho is famous for its extensive orchards and immense rice fields. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong river and visit an orchard on an island. Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Can Tho and transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight in Cantho hotels.

Boat trip on the Mekong river to visit Cai Rang floating market, you also have opportunity to watch local villagers producing rice paper, pop-rice, and rice husking. Continue by car to Soc Trang to visit Bat Pagoda, Clay pagoda and Khmer museum. Lunch en route. Drive back to Can Tho. In the afternoon, drive to Chau Doc, with an en route visit by boat to the Bang Lang stork sanctuary in Thot Not. Overnight at your hotel.

Visit Sam Mountain, Lady Xu temple, Thoai Ngoc Hau temple, Tay An pagoda and boat trip to the Islamic Champa village. Lunch en route. Depart Chau Doc to Sa Dec, visit the flower village. Return Ho Chi Minh city and transfer to hotels. Overnight at your hotel.

Breakfast at hotel and at leisure until transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure.