Vietnam, train nostalgia - GIR01a

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

Arrival in Hanoi. Welcome by the driver without a guide for transfer to the 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,D)

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 complex of several buildings, built in 1070 during the reign of Ly Thanh Tông to celebrate the cult of Confucius and his 72 main disciples.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Departure to Ninh Binh and visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Vietnam. Built in 1136 under the Ly dynasty (1009-1225), the ancient temple is located on Dinh Mountain, which rises to 187 meters. The visit will be conducted by electric car.

Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

Ninh Binh / visits – Halong (B,L,D)

Departure by bike for a visit to Thai Vi temple & Bich Dong Pagoda.

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

After lunch, departure 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

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

Lunch on board.

Halong Bay extends over more than 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 beautiful stroll 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.

Welcome 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.

Departure 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 the Marble Mountains. This place of pilgrimage and spiritual retreats is composed of several Buddhist pagodas, remnants of Champa 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 and On-site Options (B)

Breakfast. 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 of use during the colonial period. Hoi An, with more than 800 buildings of historical interest, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Option:

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 water coconut palm waterways to see fishing activities.

Note that for those who do not cycle, you still 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 a local house, 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.

Price per person: 35 USD (or 32 Euros).

Hoi An / free – transfer to Danang station for night train to Saigon (B,D) - Train around 1:30 PM

After breakfast

A free day for your personal discoveries. Check-out from the room around noon.

Meet with the sole driver (without a guide) for transfer to Danang train station to take the night train to Saigon.

Sleeper train - 4-bed cabin

(04 people in one cabin except for Lunar New Year). Dinner on board in the form of a packed meal. Overnight on the train.

Comfort Option:

Flight Danang – Saigon, around 7:30 PM: with transfer to the airport / and airport/hotel + overnight at the hotel + dinner at the hotel.

Saigon arrival / visits and walks on (B,L,D)

Morning arrival, welcome by the local team and transfer to the city for breakfast and city discovery.

It is both the country's largest city and Vietnam's economic powerhouse.

Upon your arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), you will be very impressed by the traffic.

Full day of discovery of Ex-Saigon with 02 different districts:

Chinatown “Cho Lon” with the Thien Hau pagoda and the Binh Tay wholesale market.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon,

Discovery of the Western district with the central post office built by Gustave Eiffel, the opera house and the Cathedral from the outside and photos in front of the Presidential Palace (or Reunification Palace).

Visit of a lacquerware craft workshop.

Check-in at the hotel, and free time to discover the bustling Saigon at your own pace.

Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Saigon.

Saigon – Mekong (excursion to Ben Tre) (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meet at 08:00 AM for departure to the Mekong for discoveries and visits

Upon arrival at Ham Luong pier. Cruise on the Ben Tre river to explore the lively activities along the river such as fishing, water transfer, and even traditional brick making practiced by impression and firing.

Visit one of the many coconut processing workshops located along the canal. Light up the natural scissor streams where they seem to get smaller and smaller to go to the village.

Walk to the family workshop making mattresses and tasting fruits and tea.

Xe loi ride (cart) on shaded paths, passing green rice fields and vegetable plains to experience reality and discover the tropical culture of the Farmers.

Lunch at a local's home, with the specialty "Elephant Ear Fish"

Afternoon - sampan ride along the canal, before returning by boat to Ham Luong pier.

End your visit by returning to Ho Chi Minh City

Transfer to the hotel for rest and personal discovery.

Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Saigon.

Saigon / free time - Departure - (B)

Breakfast included.

Free day and check-out around noon.

Meet for transfer to the airport for the return flight.

The idea of this free day for those who want to do the extension:

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