CTV12: Vietnam Overland tour 14 days

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Itinerary in brief:

Day 1: Ho chi minh arrival
Day 2: Ho chi minh city – Cu chi Tunnel (B, L)
Day 3: Ho chi minh – Mekong delta- Caibe floating market (B, L)
Day 4: Ho chi minh – Nha trang (B, L)
Day 5: Nha Trang island tour (B, L)
Day 6: Nha trang – Quy Nhon (B, L)
Day 7: Quy Nhon –Hoian (B)
Day 8: Hoian Ancient Town (B)
Day 9: Hoian – Hue (B, L)
Day 10: Hue –  Hanoi (B, L)
Day 11: Hanoi  city tour (B, L)
Day 12: Hanoi – Halong bay on board (B, L, D)
Day 13: Halong – Hanoi (B)
Day 14: Hanoi departure (B)

Itinerary in Details:

Day 1: Ho chi minh arrival
Arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcome and transfer to hotel by Asia View Travel guides with signboard, check in, relax.  Overnight at hotel in Ho chi minh. (The first day’s program can be re- arranged according to your arrival time in Ho chi minh).

Day 2: Ho chi minh  city – Cuchi tunnel (B, L)
This morning we will take city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, takes in the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, bustling Ben Thanh Market. After lunch in town drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In places, it was several  stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years.... getting married, giving birth, going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which made this whole thing possible. But even so, the planning and construction was incredible. People dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke. There were also hidden  trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. Today, the trees and bushes have grown back. And since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. Overnight in HCM city

Day 3: Ho chi minh – Mekong delta – Caibe floating market (B, L)
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Cai Be, stop for photos at Tan An town over the flat rice fields. Arrive to Cai Be, start the motorized boat ro visit the Cai Be floating market, see how river life goes on, experience how people exchanging goods, fruit and many other commodities on their vessels. Visitors then roam into the small villages to visit the orchard, fruit plantation. Keep cruising to Vinh Long through small canals to enjoy the charm of the Upper Mekong Delta. Visit some hand made family business products such as the coconut candy mill, the crispy rice popcorn. Arrive in Binh Hoa Phuoc village the green pearl of Vinh Long town where you can indulge yourself into the nature. Have lunch with fresh river food served in the heart of the garden. Take a nice walk through the bonsai garden. Meet the car/van in Vinh Long. Back to HCMC.

Day 4: Ho chi minh – Nha trang (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel, free do the shopping in the city center until transfer to the airport for flight to Nha Trang. Pick up, transfer to the hotel, check in. The rest of the day free and relax at beautiful Nha Trang beach.

Day 5: Nha Trang island tour (B, L)
Start from your hotel to Cau Da port. Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island is the first place to visit, many sea species of Nha Trang/Khanh Hoa province make a small ocean world there. Mun Island is the best island for snorkeling where you can see lots of lives colorful corals and fish. Visit a fishing village and taking a fresh lunch at the island. On the way back you will be able to see caves in which the sea swallows make their nest.

Day 6: Nha trang – Quy Nhon (B, L)
Breakfast at hotle, drive from Nha Trang to Qui Nhon passes through perhaps the most beautiful stretches of coastline in all of Vietnam. The range of colour  and vistas seen along this coastal and mountainous drive are unparalleled in South East Asia. Stop en route at Dai Lanh Beach to enjoy the transparent, turquoise waters, and at a Cham ruin near Tuy Hoa. A visit to the tomb of Han Mac Tu - a famous Vietnamese poet - and the rocky outcrops at Hoang Hau is optional .Overnight in Quy Nhon.

Day 7: Quy Nhon –Hoian (B)
In the morning, visit the Thap Doi Cham Tower before continuing north to Hoi An. Stop en route at Sa Huynh Beach and at Tam Quan for some refreshing coconut juice. Along the rest of the drive, view the daily life of rural villagers processing cassava, farming rice and weaving grass. Arrive in Hoi An late in the afternoon. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 8: Hoian Ancient Town (B)
The ancient architecture of Hoian is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese influence. There are plenty to see in this delightful and tranquil town, some of which are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market. We visit these on our morning walking tour past many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town's multi-cultural past.The town is also famous for it's shops in particular  it's large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could  have a whole new wardrobe made for you here! Perhaps you would like to hire a bicycle and head off on a scenic ride to Cua Dai beach, about 4 km away. There's even the chance to improve your culinary skills with a Vietnamese cooking lesson! One thing is for sure - there is no shortage of things to do in this town!

Day 9: Hoian – Hue (B, L)
We embark on northern bound journey to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The scenic route passes through Da Nang as we are climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and dropping down to the picturesque fishing villages of Lang Co. Afternoon we visit the Citadel, containing the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple city, the Emperor's private residence. Both were almost totally destroyed during the Tet offensive of 1968. We visit vibrant Dong Ba riverside market. Overnight at hotel  in Hue.

Day 10: Hue –  Hanoi (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel. We embark on a boat for cruise upstream on the Perfume River which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside as well as an enjoyable visit to The beautiful pagoda of Thien Mu. One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. Disembark the board for a visit the elaborate mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc, Emperor Khai Dinh. Lunch at local restaurant. Transfer to Phu Bai airport for flight to pick up at Noi Bai airport to hotel, transfer to city center, check in, relax. . Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi city tour  (B, L)

This morning we start city tour  with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh (Close on Monday, friday & November), the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam, the Restored Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake) and Ngoc Son Temple.  Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit the impressive Ethnology Museumthe, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups, Quan Thanh Temple, West lake, take a cyclo tour  around the 36 streets of the Hanoi old quarter to learn more about simple life of Hanoian. Enjoy water puppet show- a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. 

Day 12: Hanoi - Halong Bay on board  (B, L, D)
Breakfast at hotel and then start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stop en route for photos and coffee before arriving to Ha Long City. We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Overnight on Junk.

Day 13: Halong – Hanoi (Brunch )
Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, free rest of the time. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 14: Hanoi departure (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free time until  transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Say goodbye Vietnam.

Thank you for traveling with Asia View Travel.

Accommodation Options

Tour excludes

• All accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
• 2 days 1 night cruise on  Halong Bay ( private cabin - sharing boat )
• All tours & transfers in private air-conditioned vehicle
• Domestic airfare & airport taxes: Ho chi minh – Nha Trang, Hue - Hanoi
• Private English or French  speaking guide
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary at local restaurant with local foods (B = breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
• Boat cruise as stated
• Entrance fees and permits for all sights visited
• Mineral water & towel
• Government taxes & Service charges

Tour excludes:
• International flights to and from Vietnam
• Vietnam visa arrangement (upon request visa on arrival at 15 USD, not including stamping fee at 25 USD)
• Meals not indicated in the itinerary
• Kayak in Halong Bay
• Surcharge on Christmas, New Year and our Lunar New Year
• Personal travel insurance (Compulsory)
• Personal expenses such as Telephone and Laundry bills
• Tips and gratuities