DAY 1 : ARRIVE IN HA NOI
Take off the Flight … to …
Arrival in Hanoi at …
Customs formalities and luggage recovery (Estimated time approximately 30 minutes).
You will then be greeted by your guide and driver, outside the airport, transfer to Hanoi city for a day tour of the city
Lunch at the restaurant
HANOI CITY : is the capital of Northern Vietnam and keeps this role until now. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River and far about 1760 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate with plentiful precipitation. In addition, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centers of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint.
Hanoi Cyclo : an hour cycling around and take photos in the Old Quarter.
The Old Quarter (36 old streets) : has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city. Ha Noi 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. Once a bustling area where merchants and artisans gathered to sell their products, Ha Noi Old Quarter consists of many small, meandering streets, each bears the name of the goods that was specifically traded there such as Hang Bac (Silver Product), Hang Ma (Paper Product), Hang Go (Wood Product), just to name a few.
Water Puppet show : is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. 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. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water.
Overnight at the hotel in Ha Noi.
DAY 2 : HANOI – NINH BINH
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure for Ninh Binh
NINH BINH : is a province in Red river delta. It is far about 90 kilometers from Hanoi with convenient transportation system. The city itself is a fairly uneventful place, but it is surrounded by a stunning landscape of lush green paddy fields and striking limestone outcrops and is the hopping off point for sights and attractions including Tam Coc and Trang An, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Phat Diem Cathedral, Van Long and Cuc Phuong National Park.
Lunch at the restaurant
King Dinh Tien Hoang’s Temple: The temple is located in Truong Yen village, Hoa Lu town, in a garden of 5 hectares wide. It faces the East, and stands in front of Ma Yen Mount, where King Dinh Tien Hoang’s tomb was located.The temple was built in the 17th century, with a special architecture.
King Le Dai Hanh Temple: is almost the same as Dinh Temple in term of architectural design, except for some details. Le Dai Hang temple also consists of three parts: Bai Duong used for the community, Thien Huong, in memory of the royal mandarins of King Le, and finally, the altar in memory of the King.
Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex : is a complex beauty – landscapes called as an ‘outdoor geological museum’ with numerous caves, mountains, valley water, trees and the historic relic. The Trang An eco-tourism site is considered the “Ha Long Bay land”. Here, space was so quiet that the only sounds were those of the trains. In the distance, visitors have the opportunity to perceive the white flowers of the reeds in the foothills. While enjoying fresh air and mountain scenery, which takes visitors into a magical world. On June 25th, 2014, at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Qatar, the UNESCO named Trang An Landscapes Complex as a world heritage, becoming the first recognized cultural and natural heritage site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Thien Ha cave : is located in the hillside of the Tuong Mountain rang with the height of nearly 200m. The gate of the cave is about 4m high with various stalactites in different features at the very beginning of it. Going into the cave and looking back, you will see a sparkling light ribbon coming through the gate to reflect the stalactites. All the length of Thien Ha cave is about 700m with two areas: 200m dry cave and 500m water cave.
Overnight at Ninh Binh Hotel
JOUR 3 : NINH BINH – HA LONG BAY
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart by road from the famous Halong Bay, for a memorable cruise on the bay.
Ha Long Bay : in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. It was called ‘the wonder standing in the heaven’. In the heart of stone islands, there have the beautiful caves such as Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave, Sung Sot Cave, and Tam Cung Cave that are really the castles of the heaven. With the special values, on December 17th 1994, in the 18th session of World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, Halong Bay was officially recognized as the World natural heritage. In November 2000, Halong Bay was recognized by UNESCO as the World natural heritage about the values of geomorphology. On April 27th, officially stated that Halong Bay became one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Halong Bay Cruise: On board a junk, you’ll have a memorable cruise. Enjoy a delicious seafood meal on board and spend your day admiring one of Vietnam’s natural wonders. Visit islets, caves, If the heart tells you, you can make a dip in the jade waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.
DAY 4 : HALONG BAY – HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel
You will have the opportunity to see the sunrise over the bay.
After we continue the cruise to Bai Tho Mountain in the other beautiful bay of Bai Tu Long.
Lunch and return to the pier
Back to Hanoi
Tonight transfers to Hanoi airport for the flight to Hue.
Takeoff at… On the flight…
Arrival in Hanoi at … installation at the hotel.
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 5 : HA NOI
Breakfast at the hotel
Then visit:
Temple of Literature : founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius (Khong Tu). Inside you’ll find a pond known as the ‘Well of Heavenly Clarity’, a low-slung pagoda and statues of Confucius and his disciples. A rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture, the complex honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishment. It is the site of Vietnam’s first university, established here in 1076, when entrance was only granted to those of noble birth.
Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the centre of the ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’ or Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake.
Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) : refers to a legend of the great Vietnamese hero, Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that Le Loi netted a gleaming sword while out fishing in a sampan and when he returned as King Ly Thai To, after ten years of battle, he wanted to thank the spirit of the lake. As he prepared the sacrifice there was a timely peal of thunder and the miraculous sword flew out of its scabbard, into the mouth of a golden turtle (Vietnamese use the same word for turtle and tortoise) sent by the gods to reclaim the weapon.
Ha Noi Opera house : was constructed for ten years from 1901 to 1911 and modeled on Palais Garnier – the older of Paris two opera houses, Hanoi Opera House embraces the European architectural style under the Renaissance period with the Italian-made marble floor, copper chandeliers and exquisite French murals on the ceiling, thus making the place one of Hanoi’s singular architectural landmarks.
Lunch at the restaurant
West lake ( Ho Tay) : is the biggest freshwater lake of northwest center of Hanoi, Vietnam. With a shore length of 17 km (about 10.6 miles) and 500 hectare (about 5 km2) in area, this is the largest lake of the capital and a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, hotels and villas.
Tran Quoc Pagoda : is the oldest pagoda in the city, originally constructed in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Lý Nam Đế (from 544 until 548), thus giving it an age of more than 1,450 years. When founded the temple was named Khai Quoc (National Founding) and was sited on the shores of the Red River, outside of the Yen Phu Dyke. When confronted with the river’s encroachment, the temple was relocated in 1615 to Kim Ngu (Golden Fish) islet of Ho Tay (West Lake) where it is now situated. A small causeway links it to the mainland.
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 6 : HA NOI – DONG HOI – HUE
Breakfast at the hotel
Then transfer to Hanoi airport for the flight to Quang Binh
Take off on the flight … to …
Arrival in Quang Binh at …, then visit:
Phong Nha Caves : only 60km away from Dong Hoi City, this number one cavern in Vietnam has become an increasingly famous attraction in recent years. Phong Nha Cavern has many sections, with a total length of up to 20km. The mouth of the cavern has a width of 20m and a height of 10m. Phong Nha has more than 20 caves with a huge 1500m-long main hall as well as many supplement halls which are hundreds meter long. The outer caves have 10m high ceilings and the inner caves have 25-50m high ceilings. It is hard and even nearly impossible to describe in words the majestic beauty of those caves and halls painted with the glistering color of underground water reflecting on huge blocks of stalagmites and stalactites.
Lunch at the restaurant
Or Paradise Cave : dubbed as “underground palace” Heaven is one of the wonders of the magnificent and magical world most. Cave is nestled deep in the World Natural Heritage National Park Phong Nha Ke Bang, terrain catto neck, dating formed today about 350 to 400 million years. Thiên Đường Cave (Paradise Cave) is a cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, 60 km northwest of Đồng Hới city. According to experts, Paradise is more beautiful and magnificent than Phong Nha and Tien son. Paradise Cave (Thien Duong Cave) is newly-discovered cave in Quang Binh Province. Its length is 31 km. The widest spot is about 150 meters. It brings a fantastic beauty that make tourists in Vietnam Tourism praise. It was discovered in 2005 but after five years of mining, paving the way, building the up-and-down way, Paradise Cave is opened by Truong Thinh Group in September 2011.
Then depart to Hue, on the way visit:
the Hien Luong Bridge crossing the Ben Hai River which was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975, the Doc Mieu base, the Quang Tri Citadel, the La Vang Church.
Overnight at the Hue Hotel.
DAY 7 : HUE
Lunch at the restaurant
then visit:
Hue : is located in central Vietnam on the banks of the Huong River, a few miles inland from Bien Dong. It is about 700 kilometers south of the Hanoi national capital and about 1100 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City. Throughout the centuries, the quintessence of country converges here to create a fantastic natural picture with romantic river and charming mountain. The architecture seems to be mixed with wonderful nature, which creates the charming picture.Today, Hue becomes the typical city of Vietnam. Every two years, people welcome Hue festival.
The Perfume River: Cruise 5 kilometers to reach the pagoda of the Celestial Lady
Thien Mu Pagoda : is situated on Ha Khe hill, on the north bank of the Perfume River, 5 kilometers from Hue city. The beautiful pagoda was built in 1601. The most striking feature of the pagoda, Phuoc Duyen tower (initially called Tu Nhan tower), was erected in 1884 by King Thieu Tri, and has become the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is the highest stupa in Vietnam, and is often the subject of folk rhymes and cadao about Hue, such is its iconic status and association with the city. More importantly, it is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. To the left of the tower is a pavilion sheltering an enormous bell. The bell, called Dai Hong Chung, was cast in 1710 by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu. It is famous for the great size, which is 2.5m high and 3,285 kg weigh.Besides, there are several popular works of art inside the pagoda, which are of great captivation to tourists.
The village making conical hats.
The tomb Khai Dinh: former emperor (1916-1925) puppet installed by the French, he appreciated a certain kitsch that reached its peak in the aesthetics of his tomb, concrete mixture of Asian and European style.
Lunch at the restaurant
The Citadel of Hue (Kinh thanh hue), is a large fortress built in the 17TH century (year 1805) mandated by Emperor Gia Long in the city of Hue in Central Vietnam. This huge and magnificent monument has been designed combining the concepts of Chinese geomancy (the best example is The forbidden city in Beijing) and the military principles of the French architect Sébastien de Vauban. The resulting final set are precious palaces, beautiful temples melted between walls, ramparts and moats, which coexist in total harmony.
Overnight at hotel in Hue
DAY 8 : HUE – DA NANG – HOI AN
Breakfast at the hotel
Visit :
Tu Duc Tomb is considered as one of the most beautiful and picturesque and largest works of architecture of Nguyen Dynasty’s royal palaces and tombs. People say that Tu Duc Tomb is a must in every tour to Hue City.
Then depart to Danang
Da Nang cty : is one of the cultural and educational centres of Vietnam, and it is also one of the biggest cities in Vietnam. Da Nang has an area of 1.200 km2, It is not only convenient location but also easily accessible port. It is far 108 kilometers from Hue ancient capital to the North-South. Da Nang terrain has either coastal or mountains. The high and slope mountain is in the South and North-South, from here, many mountains lasts to the sea. The mountainous terrain accounts for large area with the high of 700-1.500 meters. The nature blesses for Da Nang to locate near three world culture heritages.
Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village : apart from its great beaches and beautiful landscapes, Da Nang boasts the Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, which is a typical and unique craft village to the south of the city. Situated at the foot of the Marble Mountains in Ngu Hanh Son District’s Hoa Hai Ward, this craft village has a proud history covering more than 200 years.
Marble Mountain : was formed by five mountains Metal (jīn). This is a masterpiece of natural, fanciful and dreaming landscapes that the Creator has endowed Da Nang. With the system of caves, ancient Buddhist temples and traditional villages, Ngu Hanh Son is attractive stopover on the journey to discover Central Heritage. Located about 8 km to the southeast of Da Nang city center, Ngu Hanh Son has the beauty of convergence: sky, sea, mountain and river with values of the history, the culture and the spirit.
Depart to Hoi An for about one hour by bus
Lunch at the restaurant
Hoi An : is one of the most famous destinations in the middle part of Viet Nam , 30km far from Da Nang. Hoi An ancient town was recognized as the World heritage by UNESCO. Moreover, the diverse cultural influences remain visible today from the culture of Kingdom of Champa ,the Asian culture of Japanese, Chinese, Indian and the Western culture during the trading time from the 16th century. Since 1998, the Hoi An resident decided to preserve one of the beautiful culture that’s using colored lanterns. On the 14th of each lunar month, residents will switch off their lights and hang cloth and paper lanterns on their porches and windows. Others electronics as TV, radios, street lights and neon lights are turned off, and a sparkling, romantic and mysterious view is opened. Hoi An residents place offerings of food and incense on their ancestral altars and then go to visit the pagodas. The scent of incense and the sounds of people singing add to the town’s enchanted atmosphere.
DAY 9: HOI AN
Breakfast at the hotel
Silk Village : Located only about a kilometer away from Hoi An Ancient Town’s bustling center, the Hoi An Silk Village breathes new life into the 300 year-old history of the Maritime Silk Road. The Village is surrounded by verdant mulberry gardens, lotus ponds and horticulture farms. Paths wind through the gardens and ancient houses, built in typical Quang Nam architecture, providing a serene atmosphere that carries you to the days of old.
Walk to the ancient city of Hoi An: visit the Hoi An Historical and Cultural Museum, Quan Cong Temple, Phuc Kien Temple and Headquarters, a 20-minute dance or cham song show offered, visit also the Japanese bridge which was built in 1593 and the old house of Phung Hung … Lunch at the restaurant. The rest of the time is dedicated to shopping or various activities at the hotel. The possibility of cycling by asking at the reception of the hotel.
Lunch at the restaurant
Free time to enjoy the beach of Cua Dai
Cua Dai Beach is located at the end of predictably named Cua Dai Road, running for eight kilometres along the coast, from the tip at the Cham Island ferry port north to An Bang Beach. At the public section – the first part you see where Cua Dai Road meets the beach – there are parts where it is impossible to take a “walk on the beach” without being waist deep in the ocean. This main hub, with its many seafood restaurants and sun chair rentals, used to be the main draw.
Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.
DAY 10: HOI AN – MY SON – HOI AN
Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart to My Son, Hindu sanctuary of the Champa kingdom from the 7th Century, recognized by UNESCO as Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2000.
My Son Sanctuary : about 70km southwest of Danang City and 40km from Hoi An City. Of the 225 Cham vestiges that are founded in Viet Nam, My Son possesses 71 monuments and 32 epitaphs, the content of which is still being studied. According to many researchers, My Son sanctuary architecture was affected by Arabian, Malaysian, Indonesian, especially Indian culture, and it is the convergence of different styles such as ancient style. All of the towers were built from red bricks and sandstone. Today, the brick making and construction remain a secret among many archeologists.Though there are not many remnants left, My Son holly land still boasts the rich culture and arts of ancient Champa kingdom in glorious time.
Back to Hoian, free time for shopping
Overnight at the hotel in Hoian.
DAY 11 : HOIAN – CU LAO CHAM – DANANG – HA NOI
Breakfast at the hotel.
Then depart to Cu Lao Cham Island 15 km from Cua Dai beach. Visit a fishing village, the ancient pagoda of Hai Tang and a lagoon around the island. The possibility of fishing, swimming or lazing on the white sand of Chong beach.
Seafood lunch served on site.
Then depart to Danang. Visit :
Linh Ung Bai But Pagoda : was built with a perfect harmony of modern and traditional features typical of a Vietnamese pagoda. Situated on an area of about 20 hectares on the side of a mountain, the pagoda is a magnificent artwork. It looks to the sea while leaning on a vast primitive forest of Son Tra peninsula. From every corner of Da Nang city, visitors can see the Guanyin statue placed in the pagoda courtyard. It is the highest statue in Vietnam, measuring 67 metres in height and 35 metres in diameter at its base. It is as high as a 30-storey building. Along the two sides of the path leading to the main chamber are statues of 18 Arhats, each describing different human emotions – joy, anger and sadness, and sculptured skilfully. The main chamber, the ancestors’ house, hall and monks’ house are all built and arranged magnificently.
Museum of Cham Sculpture : displayed about 300 original sandstone works and terra-cotta. All works have the date from the 7th century to 15th century. Museum of Cham sculpture is the creativeness which base on Champa ancient art. It is small architecture but unique. Some architects appreciated that it was one of the most beautiful architectural museums in Southeast Asia and the world. The ancient contour in the design of two French architects still retains until now. Coming to museum of Cham sculpture as stepping into ancient culture, it converges all kinds of Cham quintessential culture.
Then transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Hanoi
Take off on the flight … to …
Arrival in Ha Noi at …
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 12 : HA NOI – RETURN
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for the return flight
