Trip Overview:
Our Heritage Tour Vietnam is designed to offer all the insights of the most typical World heritage sites from North to South Vietnam. This trip offers you the best chance to experience the three regions of the country through the local’s eyes as well. The guided heritage tour Vietnam brings you to Hanoi – the capital city of thousand years and the UNESCO city; Halong Bay – the world Natural Heritage and the Natural Wonder. It is the first natural heritage site in Vietnam; Hue Imperial city where you can visit its valuable Monuments listed as UNESCO heritage site; the neighbouring Quang Binh with Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park and the Phong Nha natural cave is recognized as the world heritage and hits many world records for its beautiful formation; Hoi An – the ancient town with specially and exceptionally well-preserved architectures recognized as the world heritage site- the must-see spot in central Vietnam; My Son Sanctuary, an ancient ruin temple complex of the Cham kingdom. All best natural and cultural heritage sites are included in this trip. In parallel, during this trip you will enjoy the local special cuisines in different regions, interact with the local people through their daily activities and hearing their storey about lives and traditional cultural performances. Let’s read our detailed tour itinerary below to check out all the incredible things that our Heritage tour Vietnam has to offer.
Places of visits: Hanoi-Halong Bay – Hue city – Phong Nha-Ke Bang – Hoi An – My Son – Danang – HCM city – Tay Ninh – Mekong Delta – Cu Chi tunnel.
HERITAGE TOUR VIETNAM BRIEF ITINERARY:
Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL
Day 2: HANOI – CITY TOUR (B/-/-)
Day 3: HANOI – HALONG BAY (B/L/D)
Day 4: HALONG BAY-HANOI -HUE (B/L/D)
Day 5: HUE CITY TOUR (B/L/-)
Day 6: HUE – DONG HOI – PHONG NHA CAVES – QUANG BINH – HUE(B/-/-)
Day 7: HUE – DANANG – HOIAN (B/-/D)
Day 8: HOI AN FULL DAY TOUR (B/-/-)
Day 9: HOIAN – MYSON – HOIAN cooking class (B/-/D)
Day 10: HOIAN – DANANG – SAIGON city tour (B/-/-)
Day 11: SAIGON – TAY NINH – CU CHI TUNNEL (/L/-)
Day 12: SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA Cruise (B/-/-)\
Day 13: SAIGON FREE AT LEISURE
Day 14: SAIGON DEPARTURE
THE HERITAGE TOUR VIETNAM IN DETAILS
Image of Halong Bay-Hoian-HCM city
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Welcome to Vietnam
Upon arrival at Noi Bai international airport, get your baggage then go to the airport lobby. You will be welcomed by our local guide and transfer to hotel in central Hanoi. At the hotel, our guide will give you tour briefing and do an orientation walking tour around the hotel. You will have free time tonight at leisure. Overnight in hotel
Day 2: Visiting Hanoi UNESCO city tour (B)
Morning start our tour to discover Hanoi, a peaceful city with beautiful trees and lakes, the city has thousand years of history and culture. We will drive over the French Quarter, that can explain to you why this city so called “Paris of the East” before visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – the symbol of the country and Presidential Palace, Presidential Garden, his House on Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda. Then visit Temple of Literature – the central of culture of Hanoi.
Afternoon visit Ethnology Museum in which you can study the great outline of 54 ethics people living in Vietnam. Back to the center of the city for discovering the Old Quarter by a Cyclo ride through the busy streets, you have good chance to experience the local lives along the narrow lanes and alleys. Your tour will be concluded with great experience of Water Puppet show – the unique art of Vietnamese people from Red River Delta. Overnight in hotel.
Day 3: Overnight Cruise Tour to Halong Bay – The World Natural Heritage Site (B,L,D)
This morning we will enjoy a scenic drive from Hanoi to Halong bay through Red River Delta. Take a short break en-road, upon arrival at Halong Harbour, check in the Junk; Receive cruise briefing and check in to cabins and begin cruise. Passage the picturesque “Dragon descending to the sea” Bay has 1,969 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy fresh seafood lunch with deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu. Cruise to Titop Island where you can take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with our Junk, go swimming on a quite beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. Transfer back to the boat and sail for approximately 45 minutes to the second destination – the Bat Cave area. Upon arrival, you can either take a 40 minute kayaking program to the nearby Bat Cave and lagoon and surrounding waters (Kayaking is available unless already booked as part of your package) or visit the largest floating fishing village in Halong Bay with opportunity to interact with fish men who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. We will travel to the village on the tender and tour the village for approximately 20 minutes. Back on board, enjoy cocktails while watching sunset before dinner. In the evening, you can watch the famous Indochina Movie in the dining room or join squid fishing from the boat with the crew. Depending on weather conditions, we can travel by tender and you will be able to board the squid boat and see how the local fishermen catch squid and other fish. Overnight on board.
Day 4: Continue Cruising Halong Bay – drive back Hanoi to fly Hue (B/L)
Greet the day with a morning Tai Chi exercise with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries served in the dining room. Cruise to Surprise Cave area then transfer to the Cave by tender. This is one of two most beautiful Caves in Halong Bay with great collection of stalagmites and stalactites in the beautiful space. It is really a wonder of nature. Back to the boat for a final glimpse of the Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock with Set Menu or Buffet Brunch served in the dining room. Check out the boat by noon. Re-join your guide and driver to drive back to Hanoi airport, catch a flight to Hue. Upon arrival at Hue airport, our local guide will pick you up and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hue city.
Day 5: Explore Hue Imperial City – World Cultural Heritage Monuments (B,D)
Inside Hue Imperial City
Morning take a cyclo trip from your hotel over famous Trang Tien bridge and Dong Ba market. The cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue, getting over the streets, local shops for the over view of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. Stop at Noon gate of Imperial Citadel for the walking tour to the inner area of the citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City. Afternoon visit Tu Duc Tomb, discover beautiful and impressive architecture of this unique construction in Hue as well as the story of the King there. The rest of the day is free at leisure. In the evening, enjoy the home hosted dinner in the beautiful Garden House of Mr. Phan Thuan An, the famous professor in Hue. This house used to be the house of Princess Ngoc Son
Day 6: Discover Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in QUANG BINH (B)
Depart early in the morning from your hotel in Hue to Phong Nha (190km – 4 hours). On the way, stop to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang – a catholic church formerly built in the forest near Quang Tri up from the old DMZ. Later, several buildings of La Vang were rebuilt and destroyed during the war. Have lunch in Dong Hoi.
Afternoon, take a boat trip along Son River to explore the Phong Nha Cave. Among 300 caves and grottoes in Phong Nha Ke Bang national park, only 20 have been surveyed. Notably, Phong Nha is the most beautiful cave which holds several records for the highest and longest cave, the longest underground river, finest beaches inside and the most splendid stalagmites and stalactites. These amazing natural art works have been given beautiful names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.
Return to Hue, on the way stop to visit Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River which became an important landmark in the partition of the country into a northern and a southern zone along the 17th parallel. Overnight in Hue.
Day 7: Continue Visiting Hue Pagoda then drive Da Nang – Hoi An (B)
Morning we drive to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue city then take a walk around Kim Long Village where you can visit the original ancient house of the former mandarin, mingle with local people and experience their daily activities in the village. Then drive to Danang. Upon arrival to Danang, visit famous Cham Museum with great selection of sandstone sculptures from 4th to 13th century. Drive to Hoi An, on the way stop at Danang Beach. Check in the hotel and take the orientation walk to the town. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Hoian.
Day 8: Enjoy Hoi An city tour – UNESCO Heritage ancient town (B)
Morning take a walking tour to Hoi An ancient town. Visit Thang Loi Handicraft workshop in Phan Chu Trinh Street. You will have the chance to experience all the typical traditional handicraft of Hoi An, such as wood carving, mat weaving, lantern making, silk worm raising, spinning and weaving, table cloth making and embroidery picture. These handicrafts made great contribution to upgrade living standard of local people since Hoi An turn to be popular destination for the tourists. Then take a walk to Hoi An ancient town. We will start the walk from small alley from Phan Chu Trinh Street to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. This is the typical ancient street of Hoi An, that can show you great atmosphere of the ancient town. Visit the Japanese Cover Bridge – the symbol of Hoi An. After that visit Tan Ky, the most well-known and authentic ancient house in town. Then take a walk along the Nguyen Thai Hoc – the ancient street of Hoi An to the market of the town. Visit the local market and Phuc Kien Congressional Assembly Hall, the communal place for Chinese community from Fukien province in China as well the worshiping temple to Thien Hau, the Goddess protecting people on the sea – that was so important for the Chinese Merchant and Fishman in the past. Then you have free time for discovering the town on your own or shopping.
Afternoon depart for the cyclo trip to Cam Nam Village (this is exclusive discovery feature of ICT). The cyclo will take you from the town to Cam Nam Bridge. You will have the first stop for the photo opportunity of the activities and scenery on the Thu Bon River. Then the cyclo will take you along the Thu Bon River bank, where you can have another photo stop for panorama view of Hoi An from other side of river. You will ride along the riverside and cycle through local villages of Cam Nam. This is untouched area by tourism with very friendly and hospitable local people. You can see their daily life activities or even viewing the interior of their house and their life through always opened doors. The cyclo trip will be ended at green small canal covered by water coconut trees. Embark on the boat and take a cruise to Thu Bon River. You can experience the local daily life along river, such as fishing, farming, catching clam …. Come back to Hoi An around sunset time. Overnight in Hoian.
Day 9: Visit My Son Ruin Temple complex with cooking class in Hoian (B/-/D)
Early morning we will drive to My Son, the Holly land of Champa kingdom date back to 4th -13th century. Arrive to My Son before it getting crowded by the other tourists, you will have great chance to discover and feel the great ancient atmosphere of the complex of nearly 70 difference towers there, where you can find the best brick sculpture in the world. My Son also had been recognized to be culture world Heritage in 2000. Afternoon free for shopping and further discovery of Hoian on your own before attending to the cooking class at Morning Glory Restaurant; dinner at the restaurant. Overnight in Hoian.
Day 10: Departure Hoi An for Saigon with a short city tour (B)
Morning transfer to Danang airport for the flight to Saigon. Upon arrival take tour to Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post office. In the afternoon take a tour to China town, the special identity of Saigon. Visit Thien Hau Pagoda, where hundreds of local people come and burn the incense for their luck, prosperity and happiness. After that, take a walk around Cho Lon, the biggest whole sale market in town. It is great combination of busy and bustle atmosphere of the market and traditional Chinese Architecture there.
Day 11: Different Experience with Tay Ninh including a trip to Cu Chi tunnel
Prayers at Cao Dai Temple
Morning depart for Tay Ninh, the head quarter of Cao Dai religion. On arrival we will have time to visit the impressive Holy Temple of Caodaism, the famous local religion that is the symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity and Buddhism before attending the fantastic mid-day mass. After having lunch in local restaurant, drive to Cu Chi, the famous network of tunnels were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 250km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels, the tunnels are between 0.5 to 1m wide, just enough for a person to crawl along. Transfer back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 12: Reward a day cruise at Mekong Delta (B/L)
Often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam, the fertile Mekong Delta is famous for its agriculture production as well as its tropical fruits and flowers gardens. Boating along these canals and visiting the floating markets always proves to be a fascinating and rewarding experience. On this full-day trip, you will boat through the lush green vegetation of these famous canals. Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho. A former naval base, My Tho is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival into My Tho, you’ll board a private boat for a cruise on the Mekong River. You’ll have a chance to visit local villages in the area and learn more about the traditional lifestyles, culture and customs of people who call the Delta their home. Your local guide will take you to visit an island with dense gardens where you’ll have a chance to sample tropical fruit and visit a coconut candy factory. Continue by motorized cart to a bee farm, then hop into a small rowing boat allowing you to get deeper into the canals of the Delta.
Boat through the lush green vegetation of the canals to an orchard, where you will be treated to a delicious lunch of Mekong cuisine at Diem Phuong Restaurant. After lunch return to Ben Tre for a visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in HCM city.
Day 13: It’s time to Have Your Day Free at Leisure in Saigon (B)
Enjoy today free at leisure, relax or go for shopping on own in city centre the whole day.
Day 14: Say goodbye Saigon and fly home (B)
Breakfast at hotel and free time until transfer to airport to fly home. End of the Heritage Tour Vietnam 14 days. Many thanks for joining our Heritage Tour Vietnam and hope to serve your next vacation to Indochina.
OUR HERITAGE TOUR VIETNAM INCLUDED:
– English speaking tour guide
– All accommodations of 3-4 star hotels or nice boutique hotels in city center.
– Domestic air-tickets: Hanoi – Hue; Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City
– All meals indicated in the tour program
– Private A/C transfer and transportation
– 2 day 1 night join-in deluxe cruise Halong bay
– All entrance tickets during the guided tours
– Government taxes
– Bottled drinking water
– Boat trip in Mekong river
– Water puppet tickets in Hanoi
– Rickshaw ride tours
– Cooking class in Hoian
TOUR PRICE: please contact us for more information and get best price from our promotion packages.
