Vietnam Indulgence

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

• Discover the hill station of Sapa, walk through the remote villages and meet the friendly hill-tribe people.
• Cruise Halong Bay, Taste the exotic day-catch seafood, Spend a night on luxury traditional junk boat.
• See the most historic sites of major cities, boat along the Mekong River, Crawl the tunnels of Cu Chi.

⇒ Tour grade: Easy to moderate (customizable)
⇒ Trip code: VL06 (private tour/ what is it?)
⇒ Trip duration: 15 days/ 14 nites
⇒ Destinations: Hanoi - Sapa - Halong Bay - Hoi An - Hue - Saigon - Mekong.
⇒ Meals included: 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 1 dinner (Allow extra Meal budget minimum $20US/per day).
⇒ Transports: Private Car or Bus, Cyclo (rickshaw), Flight, Reunification Express Train, Halong Bay Junk Cruise.
⇒ Accommodation: 9 night in hotels, 1 night on Halong Junk Cruise.
⇒ Tour guides: English speaking tour guides (other languages are available upon request with different service rates).

TOUR INCLUDES:

• Accommodation based on twin shared room at selected hotels with daily breakfast
             Check-in time at all hotels is 2.00PM and check-out time at all hotels is 12.00PM.
            Early  check-in and late check-out is subject to availability with surcharge.
• Meals as mentioned (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner).
• Profestional English Speaking tour guide or other languages upon request.
• Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air-conditioned vehicle.
• Sightseeing fees and permits during guided time.
• Train tickets: Hanoi – Sapa (round trip).
• Domestic flight tickets and taxes: Hanoi – Da Nang, Hue – Saigon.

TOUR EXCLUDES:

• Travel Insurance (Compulsory).
• Visas and airport departure tax.
• Meals, drinks and other those mentioned in the itinerary.
• Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature.
• Tips and gratuities.

► Why Choose Indochina Pioneer

►What they say... (See more comments from some of our past travellers

Mrs Skerritt from New Zealand
"All the arrangements were excellent and the staff in India were splendid; particularly our tour guide Hung Nguyen who was charming, knowledgeable, helpful beyond the call of duty and enthusiastic. We particularly appreciated being met and assisted with all the transfers which went very smoothly."

Rebecca Kingston UK
Very interesting and enlightening on Vietnamese history - learning alot of 'unknown' facts and information that I didnt know.  What I heard of the war years ago was only what was released through the media. Huong our tourguide was always friendly, helpfull and quick offer any advice or assistance when he could.
 

Contact Person: Steven Quinn E-Mail: sales@indochinapioneer.com Call Us: +84 43715 3627 | Fax: +84 43715 3626 Customize this tour | Hotline: +84 983 145 799

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BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 1   :    Arrive Hanoi
Day 2   :    Hanoi City tour
Day 3   :    Hanoi – Train to Sapa
Day 4   :    Sapa
Day 5   :    Sapa – Hanoi
Day 6   :    Arrive back Hanoi
Day 7   :    Hanoi – Halong
Day 8   :    Halong – Hanoi – Da Nang/ Hoi An
Day 9   :    In Hoi An
Day 10 :    Hoi An - Hue
Day 11 :    Hue City tour
Day 12 :    Hue – Fly to Saigon
Day 13 :    Saigon City tour – Cu Chi tunnels
Day 14 :    Saigon – Day trip to Mekong Delta
Day 15 :    Departure day

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi
Arrive and transfer to Sofitel Metropole Hotel. In the evening we enjoy a cyclo (rickshaw) tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter before having dinner in one of the finest restaurant in town.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2 Hanoi City tour (B, L)
Embark on a full day tour of Vietnam’s capital, famed for its tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture and a thousand years of history. Our first stop is at the Ho Chi Minh Complex which consists of his Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and the One-pillar Pagoda. (Every year Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed between October and December for reembalmment the body and can only be visited from outside).

The tour is followed by the Temple of Literature – site of Vietnam’s first university and later a temple dedicated to Confucius. We then take lunch in one of Hanoi’s local authentic restaurants. In the afternoon, we continue with the Museum of Ethnology where we learn more about Vietnam’s amazing ethnic diversity comprising of 54 different groups. Later we visit the Hoa Lu Prison – originally built by the French and now a museum and better known to many as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ where several prominent American pilots were interred including former US Presidential candidate John McCain. We end up our day by watching the traditional Water Puppet performance in a theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3 Hanoi - Overnight train to Sapa (B)
Morning is free until check – out time at mid-day. The rest of the day is at our own leisure.  Tonight we take the overnight train to the border town of Lao Cai. The accommodation for tonight will be in soft sleeper berths on the train (4-shared cabin).
Overnight on A/C train

Day 4: Sapa walk to local villages (B)
We arrive early in the morning at Lao Cai train station near the Chinese border and transfer by road to Sapa (approx. 45 minutes). Enjoy breakfast in Victoria Resort and Spa and later we commence a walk to the H'Mong village of Cat Cat, walking through the community of Black Hmong people down to Cat Cat waterfall with the remains of a French power-plant. We end up at the main road where we are picked up by our private vehicle back to Sapa town.

In the afternoon we drive 40 mins to Ta Phin village, which is home to the distinctive Dao (pronounced Zao) community. We walk around the village, meet the local, enjoy a friendly chat with them and learn about their lifestyle. From here we will return to Sapa and free time in the afternoon. Overnight in Sapa

Day 5 Sapa – Train back to Hanoi (B, L)
After breakfast we are picked up at our hotel and transferred to the settlements of Lao Chai and Ta Van, nestled in the valley below Sapa, the whole new world is opened to us with rice terraces, colourful local ethnic minority people on their way to and from Sapa. These people are the Red Zao, Hmong and Tay. We walk through those two villages. Enjoy our picnic lunch in a busy restaurant-like place by the stream. Transfer back to Sapa town. The remainder of the day is free at leisure. This afternoon, we are transferred back to Lao Cai for another overnight train to Hanoi.
Overnight in A/C train

Day 6    In Hanoi (B)
We arrive back to Hanoi station in the early morning. Transfer back to our hotel. Early check in is upon availability but breakfast will be arranged for us. Free day at your own leisure. Relax at our hotel or enjoy some downtown shopping.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 7: Hanoi – Halong (Bhaya Cruise) (B, L, D)
We depart Hanoi for a four-hour drive to the World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. We arrive at noon, check in at the Bhaya Cafe in Halong City. We will then board the Bhaya Classic for a welcome cocktail followed by a cruise briefing. A delicious Vietnamese buffet lunch is served while we are cruising around majestic Ha Long Bay.
 
In the afternoon a tender will take us to the fishing village by tender (30 minutes each way), then return to the vessel to enjoy some free time. Optional activities we may enjoy include: visiting the fishing village by local row boat or kayak; a swim off the boat; sunbathing, traditional massage, or a trip by tender to an isolated pristine beach for swimming and snorkeling.
 
In the evening Bhaya Classic reaches its overnight anchoring point, near Ho Dong Tien.  On deck, enjoy Happy Hour and a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. A sumptuous seafood dinner is served on board.  After dinner, we may want to join in some night fishing off the boat.    

Day 8: Halong – Hanoi – Fly to Hoi An (B)
Start our day with Tai Chi on the Sundeck with complimentary tea and coffee, then enjoy our cruise as bhaya Classic passes beautiful spots. We will have the chance to explore the Surprise Cave (Sung Sot). We will then return to Bhaya Classic and enjoy a buffet brunch served on board. The vessel cruises leisurely back to the harbor where we disembark at Bhaya Café, Halong City. From here we take our private transfer to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, meet our tour guide and transfer to Hoi An and stay 2 nights at the Life Resort.

Day 9 Hoi An - Walking tour of the Old Quarter (B, L)
From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port. Today it is a quaint riverside town popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailor shops, and cafes. Morning we enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tam Ky house, and the Japanese Covered Bridge. We enjoy lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant before taking a short boat trip to a nearby island to visit Thanh Ha handicraft ceramic village and the boat building yards. The rest of the day is free to explore the charming town or visit tailor shops to get some cloth made to measure. Overnight in Life Resort.

Day 10 Hoi An – Hue (B)
This morning visit Cham Museum and drive over the spectacular Hai Van Pass to Hue, the 19th century Nguyen empire capital. Check in the La Residence Resort and Sapa. In the afternoon, we take a guided tour to the ancient walled Citadel containing the former Imperial Palace. The Citadel was closely modelled along the lines of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Overnight in Hue

Day 11 Hue City tour – Perfume River cruise (B, L)
Morning cruise on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda followed by lunch in a restored royal home from the Nguyen Dynasty. In the afternoon we continue to proceed to the surrounding countryside to see the final resting place of the Emperors by visiting two of the most impressive Royal Tombs.  Drive back to town and take a stroll in Dong Ba market.
Overnight in Hue

Day 12 Hue – Fly to Saigon (B)
After breakfast we are transferred to Hue airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Upon arrival we are taken to our hotel and then tour of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, Reunification Square and the War Remnants Museum. Return to our hotel and the remainder of the day is free for further exploration of the city.
Stay at the Park Hyatt Saigon for 2 nights.

Day 13: Saigon City tour – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
We start our day with a visit to the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels. This extreme 3-level underground system is in total, about 250km stretching from Saigon suburb to the Cambodia border and was home to Vietcong guerillas for 10 years of the last brutal war.

Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is an odd mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The trip to Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh is scheduled after our exploration of Cu Chi tunnel, allowing us to experience the grand mid-day service. Drive back to Saigon in the evening.
 
Day 14 Saigon – Mekong Delta/ Cai Be Princess Cruise (B, L)
Depart Saigon we drive 3 hours to the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, we embark on Cai Be Princess to cruise the Mekong River. This deluxe sampan cruise starts along the Mekong canals to Dong Hoa Hiep Island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During this cruise you will discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the typical Mekong delta rural life. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River still remain unknown to many people.

Lunch awaits at Le Longanier restaurant at La Residence de Phu An resort, a superb Indochine style resort. After a short walk along a narrow canal, the excursion will end at the docks where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon.

Day 15 Departure Day (B)
Free morning until transfer to the airport for our flight home. 

                      Wishing you an Unforgetable Holiday with Indochina Pioneer!

This tour is private and can be well tailor-made to suite your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and per person basis. The final price will be privately quoted upon your own number of participants, time of travel, grade of hotel rooms and other detailed services. Please click on BOOK button and fill in the requested information then our travel consultant will customize the best value holiday for you. Thank you!
 

♦ REMARKS:
1. We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina particularly, hotel price makes up most of the cost of your holiday in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. All of our prices are calculated upon twin-shared basis.
2. Price base in twin share basis accomodation.
3. Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
4. More people more discounts. Please enquire for more details.
 

The hotels listed below are just suggestive for the best valued of this Vietnam Luxury Holiday Package 8 day trip, yet Indochina Pioneer also offers more options of our own hand-picked hotels with different levels or to customize your hotel requests to match your own taste and budget. Please kindly Contact us for more favourable deals.
 

Contact Person: Steven Quinn
E-Mail: sales@indochinapioneer.com
Call Us: +84 43715 3627 | Fax: +84 43715 3626
Make an enquiry | Hotline: +84 983 145 799