HIGHLIGHTS OF VIETNAM 7days 7 Nights / 8 Days

Welcome to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Upon arrival, greeted by the local tour guide and transfer to downtown. Check in your hotel. Afternoon, visit Ba Dinh Square– the biggest square in Hanoi where all the biggest cultural, political events of the cities, especially demonstrations, take place. Start our visit at the Complex of Ho Chi Minh including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum(from outside only as it closes in the afternoon), Ho Chi Minh’s house-on-stilts, his fish pond and the One-Pillar Pagoda.

Then, the Temple of Literature which is considered as the first university of Vietnam. Later, we have an overall view of the capital by cyclo in 1 hour, which wanders around the Old Quarter of Hanoi and the Hoan Kiem Lake (the “Sword” Lake). From here wandering on the narrow streets of the Old Quarter to experience the daily life of the local people. Transfer back to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Please note: the standard check in time is 14:00 – 15:00pm. Early check in is not included and subject to hotel availability.

Night activities suggestion: enjoy local beer at Ta Hien Streets, experience the ambience of sleepless street with life music, the young people of Hanoi and also foreign tourists. Hundreds of bars and pubs in the Old Quarter are also at your disposal or just simple spend your time at shopping malls or various boutique Shops

08.00-09.00: Shuttles bus pick up and departure in the morning from Hanoi. We drive across the Red River delta and reach the coast a little before noon. We then embark on a beautifully crafted junk for an overnight cruise in the legendary seascape of Ha Long Bay. Once on board, we are served a delicious seafood-based lunch, while the surrounding limestone outcrops make for a truly magical setting. In the afternoon, we reach a less travelled area where we will devote ourselves to pure relaxation. The program is not fixed and depends on the time of the year and weather, but there will be an opportunity to visit a cave as well as explore afloating villageor do a little bit of kayaking over the course of these 2 days. We end the day on the sundeck as the sun sets on this magical seascape. This evening, you can enjoy an aperitif or attend a cooking demonstration before dinner. Overnight in a comfortable private cabin with an en-suite bathroom.

Note: Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions. Swimming or kayaking excursions may be cancelled due to poor weather.

For those early birds, start the day with a proposed Tai Chi session,while tea and coffee are served as the sun rises and illuminates the surrounding seascape. We then continue our exploration of the bay. Upon returning to the boat, check-out of your cabin and enjoy a light brunch while cruising back to the pier. We disembark and transfer back to Hanoi

You are met in the lobby of your hotel for a 30-minute drive to the airport. Embark on your flight to Ho Chi Minh city,the big metropolis of the South. You are greeted upon arrival and driven to your hotel in the city center, historically called Saigon.

The guide meets you at your hotel. Hop on the van and depart Saigon with a first stop en route to visit a family producing rice paper. Share a bit of time with them and then continue to Cu Chi Tunnels. Getting at the site in the mid-morning, your guide takes you first through an introductory video before visiting the relics. Along the visit, you will have the chance to see various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters. The next hour is dedicated to exploring the maze of tunnels and to understand better how the Viet Cong survived in this underground network. Back to Saigon

In the afternoon, visit the Independence Palace, the former residence of the President of South Vietnam with the “War Room”, where the South Vietnamese forces were controlled, and the room where the North Vietnamese army finally took control in the Fall of Saigon on in 1975. Next visit is the War Remnants Museum, which was previously known as the “Museum of American War Crimes” and contains countless artifacts and photographs documenting said crimes - the killing of civilians, spreading of chemicals, torturing of prisoners, and the effects of the war on the north. Planes, tanks, bombs, and helicopters displayed, and outside the museum are some rooms displaying cultural products of Vietnam. Then head to Notre Dame Cathedral, which was built between 1877 and 1883 with materials mostly imported from France. Neo-Romanesque in form, it is a major center of Catholicism in modern Vietnam, and one of the city’s major landmarks.

Note: Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral from outside only as it's under renovation

Today takes you to My Tho, the capital of Tien Giang Province. Situated on the Mekong River, 75 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, the city is surrounded by orchards and rice fields, which produce grain for the entire country. Visit one or two of the islands that produce traditional handcrafts, coconut candy and bee farms. Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda, the oldest one in the delta on your boat trip on the Mekong River. Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Evening, free time to enjoy the crowded and bustling Ho Chi Minh city – Ho Chi Minh city is the city of bars, pubs & other nightlife activities…

19.00Transfer without guide to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your departure flight. We wish you a pleasant flight!