Highlights Include :

Royal Cities: Experience the grandeur of the imperial capital of Hué and the fascinating ancient traditions of village life in Hoi An, both World Heritage sites. Tour the acclaimed Cham Museum in Da Nang. Plus, take a cruise along Hué’s Perfume River and visit the peaceful Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist monastery, and the palatial Tomb of Minh Mang.

Ha Long Bay: Enjoy a boat ride through this legendary and breathtaking waterway, a World Heritage site comprising 3,000 islands and a landscape of limestone cliffs.

Mekong River: Spend two days on the Mekong, where boats take you along small tributaries and inlets to the bustling floating market at Cai Rang and other traditional villages.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: Take in-depth tours of the political and cultural capital of Hanoi and spirited and cosmopolitan Ho Chi Minh City.

Cultural Experiences: Savor local cuisine during a private cooking lesson, visit a farming settlement, and have lunch in the home of a local historian.

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam

Pick up at the Hanoi airport and travel to the Vietnamese capital today then transfer to the hotel.

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour ( B, D )

This morning take a walking tour of the Ba Dinh Square complex of sites, including the marble and granite mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace, and the thousand-year-old One Pillar Pagoda. Following lunch on your own, embark on an orientation tour of this French-accented city. Pass Hoan Kiem Lake; visit the marvelous Temple of Literature (c. 1070); and tour the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. Later walk the narrow streets of the diverse Ancient Quarter where tonight you gather at a local restaurant for a welcome dinner. Later, attend a traditional water puppet performance.

Day 3: Hanoi  - Halong Bay Cruise - Hanoi ( B, L )

This morning depart on a full-day excursion to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site. This is Vietnam’s legendary waterway sprinkled with 3,000 islands and islets, and surrounded by a fairytale landscape of limestone cliffs, secret grottoes, and hidden caves. Your tour includes a boat ride and seafood lunch.

Day 4:Hanoi Fly To Da Nang ( B, L )

Hanoi flies to Da Nang, Vietnam’s third-largest city situated on the south-central coast. Upon arrival, tour the acclaimed Cham Museum, which celebrates the Cham people’s Hindu legacy with a fine collection of sculptures and artifacts dating from the 7th to 15th centuries. Arrive at your beachfront hotel where the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 5 : Da Nang and Hoi An ( B , L )

Visit nearby Hoi An, where a succession of Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese traders helped to build an architecturally diverse and colorful village where many ancient traditions still hold sway. A World Heritage site, Hoi An’s Old Town is a charming, car-free pedestrian zone lined with tailors, shops, and art galleries.

Day 6: Hoian - Tour and Cooking Class ( B, L )

A morning walking tour of a local farming settlement reveals the daily life of a local community up close. Nestled amidst seemingly endless rice paddies, the village represents the Vietnam of fable and film, where villagers engage in threshing and harvesting, water buffaloes plow the fields, and residents ride to market with produce piled high on their bicycles. Enjoy a private cooking lesson on regional cuisine followed by lunch in Hoi An. Afternoon free to explore Hoian on your own.

Day 7: Hoian - Hue ( B, L )

Depart for the ancient imperial city of Hue, whose palaces, temples, and tombs evoke its past grandeur as home to emperors and mandarins. Explore the Imperial City, now a World Heritage site, and visit the Central Market where the local's shop. Enjoy lunch in the home of a local historian. Today’s special Hue is accompanied by a performance of traditional music.

Day 8: Hue City Tour ( B, L )

This morning cruise along Hue’s Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist monastery, then visit the palatial Tomb of Ming Mang (c. 1804). Enjoy lunch in the home of a local historian. See the tombs of Tu Doc, a gem of royal architecture; and Khai Dinh, an elaborate mix of ancient and modern, European and Asian. Finish the day with a visit and lunch at the Dong Thein Buddhist Nunnery.

Day 9: Hue Fly To Mekong Delta and Can Tho ( B, L )

Hue flies early to Saigon. Upon arrival transfer to a motorcoach for the three-hour drive south to the Mekong River town of Cai Be. Travel by coach and ferry to the busy river port and the provincial capital of Can Tho.

Day 10: Can Tho and Mekong Delta ( B, L )

Rise early for today’s journey by boat to the bustling floating market at Cai Rang on the Mekong’s lower reaches. After lunch together at a local restaurant, the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 11: Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City ( B, L )

Travel by motorcoach to the upper reaches of the storied Mekong. Here board motorized sampans for an up-close look at river life. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue by coach to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving late afternoon. Dinner is on your own in this vibrant city.

Day 12 Ho Chi Minh City Tour ( B, L )

A morning tour includes the former Presidential Palace, which served as the South Vietnamese government's wartime headquarters. Now called Reunification Palace, it was here that the first Communist tanks rolled into Saigon on April 30, 1975; it remains preserved as a museum almost exactly as it was on that day. Also tour the History Museum, with its excellent collection of art and artifacts of the indigenous peoples of Vietnam.

Day 13:Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels ( B, D )

This morning experience the Cu Chi Tunnels, the infamous underground network from which North Vietnamese forces operated in wartime. Tonight, gather for a farewell dinner.

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City - Depart ( B )

Today depart for the airport and your return flights to your hometown. End The Tour.

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