Highlights of Vietnam

Hanoi Full-Day City Tour with with Old Quarter Cyclo Ride

Discover the highlights of Hanoi during this revealing full-day city tour of the “Paris of the East”, home to faded-yellow colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and picturesque lakes. The experience includes a visit to the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing marble-and-granite monument which houses the preserved body of Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh, affectionately known by the Vietnamese as “Uncle Ho”. Afterwards, visit the One Pillar Pagoda, an ornate Buddhist temple constructed in 1049 whose shape mimics a lotus blossom. Then continue to Ho Chi Minh’s House, a simple wooden house in tranquil surrounds where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Following this, you will venture to the Temple of Literature, the first national university of Vietnam that was established in the late 11th century and which is an exquisite example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the intriguing Museum of Ethnology, which showcases an extensive collection of traditional costumes and artefacts from Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups. You’ll then embark on a thrilling one-hour Cyclo Tour through Hanoi’s tumultuous Old Quarter, known for its “36 streets of 36 wares”, which is a labyrinth of shop-lined streets scattered with street vendors, mopeds and authentic eateries. Your introduction to Hanoi will conclude with a Water Puppet Performance, a distinctly Northern Vietnamese art form believed to have originated in the flooded rice fields of the Red River.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Silk Path Luxury Hanoi – Hang Bong (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

Lan Ha Bay to Hoi An

Wake up early to enjoy the bay bathed in ethereal morning light. After breakfast, you'll continue cruising quietly through the spectacular limestone formations of Lan Ha Bay.

After disembarking your cruising vessel, you will meet your guide at the pier and transfer to Hanoi’s airport for your scheduled flight to Da Nang.

Once you arrive in Da Nang, you will be transferred to your next hotel in Hoi An, whose beautifully preserved Ancient Town bustles with local life and authentic Vietnamese culture.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Anantara Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Boutique Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

INCLUDES : Breakfast, Lunch

Hoi An Culinary Experience at Market Restaurant

In the morning, learn the secrets of preparing traditional Vietnamese cuisine during a market tour and cooking class. Visit a local market in the company of an experienced chef from the Market Restaurant and Cooking School. Here your chef will share shopping tips including how to select the freshest eggs and ripest fruit and which herbs are best used in Vietnamese cuisine. Afterwards, you’ll continue to the culinary school, which occupies an elegant French colonial-style building. Here you’ll participate in an interactive cookery course, with the chef teaching you all about the essential ingredients of Central Vietnamese cuisine. Afterwards, you can enjoy the fruits of your labour and taste the authentic dishes you’ve prepared.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Anantara Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Boutique Hoi An Resort (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

INCLUDES : Breakfast, Lunch

Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Highlights Tour

A two-hour drive northwest of Ho Chi Minh City lie the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of labyrinthine, connecting underground tunnels that were of major strategic import for the Viet Cong during both the Vietnam War and their earlier fight against Vietnam’s French colonialists. Established in 1948 to protect Viet Cong guerillas from French air and ground sweeps, this innovative tunnel system also served as living quarters, communication and supply routes and housed hospitals plus food and weapon caches. Touring these underground compounds, you will gain a detailed understanding and appreciation of the tunnels as well as an insight into the hardships and fierce resilience of the Viet Cong against their adversaries.

With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Ho Chi Minh City is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite its modernity, the city maintains a strong link to Vietnam’s past and a city tour will allow you to discover some of its most notable historic landmarks. These include the elaborate, Romanesque-style Notre Dame Cathedral, whose construction was completed by the French colonialists in 1880. You’ll also visit the Central Post Office, built in 1891, which is another stunning example of the city’s French colonial architecture. The head to the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon government during the Vietnam-America War. You’ll then go to the War Remnants Museum, which gives a vivid perspective of the war with America through the eyes of the Vietnamese. Afterwards, you’ll experience Ho Chi Minh City’s famed street coffee culture as your guide provides a brief language lesson as well as insights into the daily life of the city’s residents.


Accommodation:
Deluxe Category: Hotel des Artes Saigon – MGallery (or alternative hotel of equal standard).
Superior Category: Liberty Central Saigon CityPoint Hotel (or alternative hotel of equal standard).

INCLUDES : Breakfast

Depart Ho Chi Minh City

INCLUDES : Breakfast