Vietnam, land of legends - GIR01

Hanoi arrival and transfer to hotel / free time (-)

Arrival in Hanoi. Meet by driver without guide for transfer to hotel. Rooms are generally available around 2:00 PM.

Overnight at the hotel.

Hanoi / visits - Hoa Lu (Terrestrial Halong Bay or Ninh Binh) / walks (B,L)

Breakfast.

Meet at 08:00 AM with the guide and driver to begin the guided tour.

Departure for a visit to Ho Chi Minh's house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue with a visit to the Temple of Literature, a magnificent edifice of several buildings, built in 1070 during the reign of Ly Thanh Tong to celebrate the cult of Confucius and his 72 main disciples.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Depart for Ninh Binh and visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Vietnam. Built in 1136 during the Ly dynasty (1009-1225), the ancient temple is located on Dinh mountain, which culminates at 187 meters. The visit will be done by electric car.

Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.

Ninh Binh / visits – Halong (B,L,D)

Breakfast and departure by bike for a visit to Thai Vi temple & Bich Dong Pagoda.

And then, a beautiful 1h30 rowing sampan ride at Thung Nang (Sun Valley) to admire the beautiful natural landscapes and magnificent limestone peaks.

After lunch, depart for Halong via the Red River delta with photo stops.

Arrival in Halong, check-in at the hotel.

Dinner at a restaurant in Halong and overnight at the hotel.

Halong / Junk cruise - Hanoi and night train to Hue (B,L,D) - Train around 7:30 PM

Breakfast and meet at 07:30 AM for departure for a private boat cruise in Halong Bay – a World Heritage site, to discover its many karst islands emerging from the turquoise waters of Halong Bay.

Lunch on board.

Halong Bay spans over 1,500 km² and has nearly 3,000 islands and islets. It is undoubtedly one of Asia's most sumptuous landscapes. The bay's waters are teeming with fish, crabs, and shrimp. Visit spectacular caves.

Drive to Hanoi with a visit to a ceramic factory in Dong Trieu.
Arrival in Hanoi. A nice walk in the “Train Street” and then dinner at a local restaurant.

Transfer to the station for the Hanoi - Hue night train (4-berth cabin).

Overnight on the train.

Comfort Option:

Hanoi – Hue flight, around 7:30 PM: with airport transfer / and airport/hotel + overnight at the hotel + dinner at the hotel.

Hue arrival / visits and walks (B,L,D)

Breakfast on board as a picnic (in a basket), prepared the day before in the cabin.

Arrival in Hue.

Meet by the Center team and then transfer to the city for the following visits:

the Thien Mu Pagoda by boat on the Perfume River, so named because in autumn, the flowers of the fruit trees along the river then perfumed the city of Hue.

You will continue your discovery of the ancient imperial city with the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, built between 1865 and 1867, then the Imperial City of Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Hue / visits - Hai Van Pass - Danang - Hoi An / visits (B,L,D)

Breakfast.

Walk through the shaded streets to the lively Dong Ba market.

Depart for Hoi An, passing the Hai Van Pass along the coast, with beautiful views of the Lang Co peninsula.

Stop for a visit to the Cham museum and Marble Mountain. This place of pilgrimage and spiritual retreats is composed of several Buddhist pagodas, remnants of Cham civilizations, and caves in the mountains.

Arrival in Hoi An.

Lunch at a local restaurant, with traditional Hoi An dishes.

In the afternoon, you will visit the city of Hoi An. It is one of four Vietnamese sites classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Visit its market, the Japanese bridge, an ancient house, and a Chinese congregation.

Dinner at the restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Hoi An / free time and on-site options (B)

Breakfast. A free day for your personal discoveries, shopping, rest, or going to the beach.

Meals at leisure and overnight at the same hotel.

Hoi An is nicknamed "Little Venice" because of its canals and small bridges with Japanese and Chinese influences. Formerly, Hoi An was called Faifo in French, the official name used during the colonial period. Hoi An, with more than 800 buildings of historical interest, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Option: 35 USD/person for groups of 04 people or more

Discovery in the villages on the outskirts of Hoi An such as: Tra Que and Cam Thanh.

Meet at 08:00 AM with the guide for a day of visits and discoveries on the outskirts of Hoi An.

Departure from the hotel for a bike ride to the authentic villages on the outskirts of Hoi An, then a basket sampan ride to the nautical palm arroyos to see fishing activities.

Note that for those who do not cycle, you have another option with the help of a scooter on site, and the supplement on site directly with the scooter driver.

Continue the walk to the villages of Cam Thanh and Tra Que where you will rest at home, and then attend a family cooking class.

Lunch with locals. Relaxation with traditional foot massages, a nap, and return to the hotel for rest and free time for your personal discoveries.

Hoi An - Danang and flight to Can Tho / Free discovery (B)

After breakfast,
Free time for your personal discoveries. Check out from the room around noon.

Meeting with the driver (without guide) for the transfer to Danang airport for the flight to Can Tho (flight around 1:30 PM).

Arrival in Can Tho.
Welcome by the local team for the transfer to Can Tho city where you can take your personal strolls.

Free dinner and overnight in Can Tho.

Can Tho / floating market - Sadec / visits - Vinh Long - Cai Be (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting at 06:00 AM with the guide for departure to Cai Rang floating market - the most authentic in the region.

Visit of the ecological garden with exotic fruit trees and tasting of its fruits on site.

Disembarkation and then on the way back with a stop in the city of Sa Dec in Dong Thap province. You will visit the ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le. The house was the residence of the family of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, the first lover of the French writer Marguerite Duras. This love later became the memoirs on which Marguerite Duras wrote the famous novel "The Lover" published in 1984 (translated into 40 languages). Visit of Mr. Quach's pagoda and the local market. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Road to Vinh Long and then embark on a boat to reach the Homestay.

Dinner and overnight at the homestay in Cai Be.

Cai Be / walks and visits - Saigon / visits (B,L)

Breakfast.

You depart by sampan to cross a Cai Be market and then go to visit the local factories: Puffed rice candy, caramel candy, rice alcohol distillery.

Walk in the orchards and lunch at a local's home with the local specialty "Elephant Ear Fish".

Disembarkation and then the road to Saigon by highway.

Upon arrival in Saigon, you visit the Chinese Quarter (Cho Lon).

Discovery of its old quarters, its Binh Tay wholesale market (Cho Lon), the Thien Hau Temple "the celestial lady". Built by Cantonese immigrants at the beginning of the 19th century, this pagoda honors the goddess of the sea and is considered the most beautiful pagoda in the city.

A panoramic tour of the western district will allow you to take a photo in front of the former Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace), Dong Khoi street (formerly Catinat street), the cathedral, the post office built by Gustave Eiffel (1891).

Transfer to the hotel for rest and personal discovery.

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Saigon.

Saigon / free time - Departure - (B)

Breakfast included.

Free day and check-out around noon.

Meeting for transfer to the airport for the return flight.

The idea of this free day for those who want to extend their trip:

• Either to beaches like Mui Ne or on Phu Quoc island
• Or to other Indochinese countries like Cambodia and Laos or Thailand and others.