SOUTH & NORTH VIETNAM TOUR.HO CHI MINH CITY - DA NANG - HOI AN - HUE - HA NOI - HA LONG - NINH BINH.09 DAYS - 08 NIGHTS.

DAY 01: HO CHI MINH CITY ARRIVAL (Dinner)

Arrive at Tan Son Nhat international airport and check in at hotel.This full day tour will take you to  The War Remnants Museum which has a wealth of images from the wars, the most moving being a gallery entitled 'Requiem' which is dedicated to Vietnamese and foreign journalists and photographers who perished during the French and American conflicts, Reunification Palace was the base of  Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. It made its name in global history in 1975. A tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War. Today, it's a must-visit for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City.  The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975. You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1880 by French colonists, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. It is one of the most famous landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City, thanks to its special architecture, rich spirituality and oozing history. The impressive red bricks of the cathedral make it outstanding in the modern city that has been rapidly growing up. The outside of the buildings, for instance, was built totally of red bricks from Marseille without plastered or cemented. However, it still remains fresh orange-red color until today. Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel. 

DAY 02: HO CHI MINH CITY - MY THO - CU CHI TUNNELS (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)      

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to beautiful My Tho city (Mekong Delta). Take a boat excursion on the Mekong river and then visit 04 islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix. Stop at Thoi Son island (Unicorn) to taste tropical fruit while you are listening to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music" performed by the islanders, Coconut Candy Workshop, a famous specialty of Ben Tre province. You can learn how to make coconut candy. Transfer to Ben Tre by boat and then take a short walk on village roads to explore the daily life of local people. You are visiting one after another, Family size honey bee farm and enjoy honey tea. You’ll take a canoe on Vam Chua arroyo, Rice Paper Production Workshop..Lunch at local restaurant. Take the boat back to My Tho pier and drive on to Cu Chi Tunnels which are part of a massive war museum in Ho Chi Minh. They offer visitors a sneak-peek at the underground life of Vietnamese soldiers back in 1948. The site has over 120 km of underground tunnels, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armoury, hospitals, and command centres. After the war against the French, Vietnamese soldiers expanded the tunnels and included effective air filtration systems, which helped them survive the Cu Chi carpet-bombings. The tunnels served not only as living quarters, but as supply routes and hospitals for thousands of guerilla fighters. Many died there from malaria and other diseases, and a few were also born or married. Today, they are viewed by some as a testimony to the Vietnamese people’s resiliency. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 03: HO CHI MINH CITY - DA NANG - HOI AN (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)                          

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Tan Son Nhat international’l airport. Board a flight to Da Nang via _____ Arrive in Da Nang city and visit Cham Sculpture Museum which shows the most complete collection of rare and valuable items of the famous Champa Kingdom. Son Tra Peninsula, you can enjoy sea bath on My Khe Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches voted by Forbes Magazine, Linh Ung pagoda with the highest Lady Buddha statue in Vietnam (67 meters height, approximately 30 stories). Lunch will be served at local restaurant. Continue visiting Ngu Hanh Son. The Marble Mountains, also referred to as Ngu Hanh Son or Mountain of the Five elements, consist of  five  mountains:  Thuy Son (Water Mount), which is the highest, Moc Son (Wood Mount), Kim Son (Metal Mount),Tho Son (Soil or Earth Mount) and Hoa Son (Fire Mount). Leave for Hoi An ancient city, 30 km from Da Nang city. Arrive at Hoi An city and take a walk to downtown  to visit Hoi An Museum of History & Culture. This small museum displays a range of artefacts such as photographs of local architecture, ceramics and pottery depicting the changing faces of Hoi An including the Champa era dating from 7th-15th centuries and Dai Viet from 15th to 19th centuries. The museum also contains relics spanning 2,000 years of Hoi An history and offers an interesting insight into the heritage of Hoi An including traditional burial rites with some very old coffins on display alongside what is a very eclectic mix of exhibitions portraying Hoi An throughout the ages. Next, you will visit The Kwan Temple which was founded in 1653. This small temple is dedicated to Quan Cong, an esteemed Chinese general who is worshipped as a symbol of loyalty, sincerity, integrity and justice. Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall or Fujian Assembly Hall was built around 1690 and functions as a traditionel assembly hall for the Chinese ethnic group from Fujian, China to socialise, but later was transformed into a temple dedicated to their deity named Thien Hau - the goddess of the sea who protects sailors from danger. Another must-see attraction in Hoi An is Japanese Covered Bridge, dating back to the 18th century and is a beautiful historical piece of Japanese architecture. It is claimed that it was created by the Japanese then living in Hoi An as a way to reach the Chinese quarter across the water. The bridge was opened by Nguyen Phuc Chu Lord in 1719 who carved three Chinese symbols above the door in commemoration. The bridge also features the sculptures of two dogs and two monkeys representing the Chinese years in which many Japanese Emperors were born along with the fact that the building of the bridge began in the year of dog and was completed in the year of monkey. Adjacent to the Japanese Covered Bridge is Phung Hung Old House that stands on eighty columns. It was built in 1780, some other features of the old house include the Yin and Yang style roof, which is traditionally made out of convex designs. On the other hand, the tiles that interlock the roof are made in concave design. The next destination is Hoi An Handicraft Workshop. This 200-year-old Chinese trading house is a historic structure where contemporary travelers can bear witness ancient Vietnamese crafts. On-site artisans construct silk lanterns, practice traditional embroidery, throw terra cotta pottery and weave fabric. The Handicraft Workshop has artisans making silk lanterns and practising traditional embroidery in the back. It makes a sufficiently diverting break from sightseeing. Last but not least, you will have a chance to enjoy Traditional Music Performance (17h30) which includes music, dance and song. Check in at hotel and take a short walk to discover the beauty of Hoi An ancient city. Dinner will be served at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 04: HOI AN - HUE (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)                     

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and then drive to Hue city. Arrive in Hue city and visit Minh Mang’s Tomb. The  tomb has an area of 18 hectares, surrounded by a wall enclosing inside 40 monuments, including palaces, temples and pavilions. The structure of the tomb is  symmetrical central axis by way of road, where the different monuments are lining up. This axis is known with the name of trail Than Dao, which runs through a Lake of lotus flowers. Lunch will be served at local restaurant. Take a dragon boat excursion on the Huong river to visit Thien Mu Pagoda or Heavenly Lady pagoda was built in 1601, on a hill overlooking the Perfume river, 4km southwest of the Citadel, this pagoda is an icon of Vietnam as well as Hue citadel. It is considered as one of the oldest and prettiest religious buildings in the country. The name of the pagoda came from a legend that an old woman once appeared on the hill and said that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country’s prosperity. Hearing of this, Lord Nguyen Hoang ordered the construction of the pagoda for the “Heavenly Lady” (Thien Mu), The Citadel Complex of Hue, set up by Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945, is now one amongst the relics of the Hue ancient Capital – the World Cultural Heritage, capturing much of tourists’ attention.The poetic and beautiful Hue of Vietnam was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation's capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang Trung. It is a huge complex covering an area of 520 ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Purple Forbidden Citadel). Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.                     

DAY 05: HUE - HA NOI  (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and transfer to Phu Bai airport. Board a flight to Hanoi via ____.Arrive in Ha Noi city and the first stop in your itinerary is Temple of Literature is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Originally built as a university in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars and sages, the building is extremely well preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty. Visiting the Temple of Literature you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place that has seen thousands of doctors’ graduate in what has now become a memorial to education and literature, Hoan Kiem Lake - Ngoc Son Temple (the Temple of the Jade Mountain) is the most scenic natural landscape of the city. Whenever referring to Hoan Kiem Lake, people often remember other outstanding structures such as Pen Tower, The Huc Bridge, Turtle Tower, Tran Ba Temple, etc. which are closely related to Ngoc Son Temple. With regard to history, Ngoc Son Temple was built in 19th century. Initially, the Temple was called Ngoc Son Pagoda. Later on, the Temple was renamed as Ngoc Son Temple because the place was only used to worship a scholar Van Xuong and Tran Hung Dao, a hero of Vietnam in 13th century, who defeated Nguyen invaders (China), After lunch at local restaurant, you are going to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest of its kind in Hanoi, dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De Dynasty (544 - 548). The Buddhist shrine has undergone several changes throughout the years, particularly its renaming from An Quoc to Tran Quoc (protecting the country) by Emperor Le Huy Tong in the 17th century, The Old Quarter, located in the middle of Ha Noi, a rapidly developing city where changes take place every hour, the Old Quarter with its old-styled narrow streets full of antique brick houses seems to nostalgically resist the flow of time while still actively trying to adapt to the dynamic atmosphere of the modern city. Enjoy Water Puppet Show. Water puppetry  "Making puppets dance on water") is a tradition dating back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition. The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 06: HA NOI - HA LONG (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and leave for Ba Dinh Square to start sight-seeing tour of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, one of the most visited attractions in Hanoi. It is the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh, the most iconic and popular leader of Vietnam, known to his people as ‘Uncle Ho’. His body is preserved here in a glass case at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in central Ha Noi. For visitors, a trip to Uncle Ho’s final resting place can be an extraordinary experience as it is not just an average attraction; it’s a part of a unique history. Started in 1973, the construction of the mausoleum was modeled on Lenin's mausoleum in Russia and was first open to the public in 1975, One-Pillar Pagoda was built in 1049 in Dien Huu pagoda relics located by One Pillar Pagoda Street, near to Ho Chi Minh President Mausoleum, Ba Dinh District. Legend has it that King Ly Thai Tong (1028 – 1054) was old but he had no son. One night, the King dreamed about Guan Yin Buddha sitting on a lotus, carying a boy and giving it to the king. Shortly after, the queen gave birth to a son. The king built a lotus-shaped pagoda and named it Dien Huu Pagoda. After lunch at local restaurant, leave for Ha Long city.Arrive at Ha Long city and check in at hotel. Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 07: HA LONG  - NINH BÌNH (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and transfer to tourist wharf. Board a private junk and begin a magnificent 04-hour cruise through the spectacular limestone karsts of Ha Long bay. The junk take you along hundreds of islets (Dinh Huong islet, Fighting Cock islet, Dog islet..) to discover unspoilt pockets of Ha Long bay,  Sung Sot Cave was allegedly first discovered by the French in 1901, who took it upon themselves to name it “Grotte des Surprises”, or Surprising Cave, because of its ‘surprising’ beauty. The cave welcomed its first visitors in 1993, a mere one year before Ha Long bay would receive its first bestowment of World Heritage site status from UNESCO, Titov Beach, located in the heart of Ha Long bay, which is only 08 kilometers from the Southeast of Bai Chay harbor, Titov Island is regarded as one of the most attractive site for both international and domestic tourists to Ha Long.The name Titov is named by President Ho Chi Minh, after the Russian astronaut Gherman Titov on the occasion of his first visit to Ha Long bay in 1962. Lunch will be served on the junk. Return to the wharf and drive to Ninh Binh. Arrive at Ninh Binh city and check in at hotel. Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 08: NINH BINH - HA NOI (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)       

Breakfast at the hotel. Take a driving tour to Ninh Binh and visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the biggest pagodas in Vietnam with 500 La Han statues, biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam with 10 meters in height, 100 tons in weight.It consists of several temples and over 500 intricately carved statues of Buddha, including one that’s made of bronze and is 10 metres in height. Set within the Gia Sinh Commune, it attracts a huge crowd of local devotees and travellers looking to pay their respects and have their fortunes told by the resident monks.There are two main pagodas of the same name, one of which is located on the slopes of Dinh Mountain. Lunch will be served at local restaurant and your next destination is Trang An tourist attraction. Take a boat trip to visit cave complex. This route is designed for anyone who likes exploring geology. Moreover, only this tour will take you through most of the caves (09 caves and 03 temples). Drive back to Ha Noi city and check in at hotel. Dinner will be served at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel.

DAY 09: HA NOI  DEPARTURE (Breakfast)       

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and transfer to Noi Bai international airport for your departure flight. END OF TOUR.

QUOTATION. ALL PRICES ARE BASED ON US DOLLAR.

TRIP DETAILS

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Airport transfers on the first and the last day of your guided holiday.
• Luxury air-conditioned minivan.
• 08-night accommodation based on twin-sharing with daily breakfast at 3-star hotels.
• 23 meals (08 breakfasts, 07 lunches, 08 dinners).
• Drinking water (02 bottles/pax/day).
• Experienced English speaking tour guide.
• Sightseeing tours and entrance fees.
• Boat excursion in My Tho, Hue, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay as specified.
• Domestic air tickets. HCMC - DA NANG and HUE - HA NOI.
• Travel Insurance.

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

• International air tickets.
• Vietnam visa fee (Around US$ 25/pax)
• Meals unspecified in the itinerary.
• Tipping for tour guides and drivers.
• All porterage and restaurant gratuities
• Personal expenses (Porter, laundry, telephone fee, optional tours…).

​CHILDREN POLICY

• Children from 0 - 05 years old: Free of charge (*).
• Children from 06 - 10 years old:
• Sharing bed with two adults: 50% of adult price.
• Sharing room with two adults, using extra bed: 80% of adult price.
• Twin-sharing room with one adult: 100% of adult price.
• Children from 11 years old: 100% of adult price.
• (*) One child traveling with two adults will be free of charge; the 2nd child will pay 50% of adult price.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellation made within:

• 07 days prior to departure date: 100% of reservation cost.
• 08-14 days prior to departure date: 50% of reservation cost.
• 15-29 days prior to departure date: 25% of reservation cost.
• 30 or more days prior to departure date: 10% of  reservation cost.

CONTACT:  Mr. Sơn Ca, Sales Officer. Cell Phone: 0932 768 576

                       Ms. Họa My, Sales Officer. Cell Phone: 0934 794 002

                       Travel Department. Tel:  028.38 360 344 - 028.38 388 007

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TRANG THANH TRAVEL IS PLEASED TO SERVE YOU.