Day 1 (D) Arrival in Hanoi
You’ll be greeted at the airport and driven to your hotel. You may have time to
relax after the journey before a ‘Welcome’ dinner at a famous Hanoi restaurant.
Day 2 (B,L) Hanoi City Tour
In the morning, we’ll visit the famous one thousand year old Temple of
Literature. After the visit, we’ll drive towards the western part of the city to
visit the Ethnology museum. This museum will give you an insight about 54 ethnic
minority groups in Vietnam. The museum is one of the most interesting site that attracts
a large number of tourists. In the afternoon, we visit the Zen spa, an escape from the city life. Here you
will enjoy a unique Zen herbal therapy, a traditional Vietnamese healing drawing
on local plants and herbs. This therapy is a common practice in the past to
stimulate and encourage blood circulation, relief of aching joints, relaxation
of muscles and melt away tension.
Day 3 (B, L,D ) Hanoi-
Halong
Depart Ha Noi from for a 3.5 hour drive to Ha Long City through the Red River
Delta with a break en route. Arrive at Halong City at about noon time and transfer to the Red Dragon Junk. Check in
to your cabin before starting the cruise while enjoy a savory lunch with fresh
local seafood (vegetarians catered for). We will cruise pass the former film
studio of the world famous Indochina and a number of impressive rock
formations. In the afternoon, there will be plenty of time to enjoy swimming and
kayaking as well as exploring a cave. Dinner and overnight in your cozy cabin.
Day 4 (B, L) Ha Long Bay – Hanoi
Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise or join the morning exercise. Breakfast is
served while you enjoy fresh air on the deck. We will later reach the tranquil
lagoon where we will embark a bamboo sampan rowed by a local girl to explore the
untouched floating village in Vong Vieng. We will visit local houses, fish
farm, schools and have a chat with the friendly fishermen. We will then start
cruising another way back to the city while an Ala carte lunch is served. We get
back to the pier before noon and you will then be transferred back to Hanoi.
Day 5 (B) Hanoi
- Nha Trang
This morning, transfer to Hanoi airport for a flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival
at Cam Ranh airport, you will be transfer to Evason Ana Mandara & Six Senses Spa
- Nha Trang. Here you will enjoy a free day to relax on the beach or enjoy some
of the best treatment at the resort’s spa. The Six Senses Spa presents a
Vietnamese experience of specialty treatments together with an extensive menu of
traditional therapies, and provides a truly relaxing and revitalising experience
to rejuvenate the senses. The treatment is at your choice and cost.
Day 6 (B) Nha Trang
After breakfast, a car will arrive to take you to board a boat for a morning
cruise to some of the small islands in the bay. You’ll anchor off Mun Island for
snorkelling and a glass bottom boat ride to see colourful corals and the
mysterious marine life. You’ll then cruise to Tam Island to swim or relax
on the beach before heading to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island. This afternoon, after a brief visit to the impressive Ponaga Cham tower, you’ll
be driven to the Thap Ba hot spring spa. After relaxing in the mud baths
and mineral water pools, you’ll be driven back to your hotel. Nha Trang’s Thap Ba spa is well worth a visit. You can wallow in mud in an
outdoor bath, shower in spring water, and bathe for as long as you like in a
large hot mineral water swimming pool set in beautiful gardens. There are two
bath options – private and communal. The private baths each accommodate two
people and are shielded by bamboo screens. The communal bath takes up to six or
eight people, are cheaper, and are much more fun. Bathing costumes
(functional, but definitely not fashionable) and towels are supplied. The baths
are on terraces on a rocky slope, and the gardens are bedecked with colourful
‘paper trees’.
Day 7 (B) Nha Trang- Dalat
A free morning at leisure in Nha Trang to enjoy the resort facility. After
lunch, drive to the highland city of Dalat. Dalat is an odd sort of
place. Established as a hill resort at the beginning of the last century, it
attracted homesick French colonials longing for the city’s spring-like weather
and pine forests. Today’s architecture is a mix of standard Vietnamese dwellings
and European style villas, many in art deco style. Vietnamese people call it the
‘romantic city’, but the name owes more to comfort of the cool temperature than
rings and roses where nuptials are concerned. We reach Ana Mandara Villas Dalat
Resort & Spa in the late afternoon.
Day 8 (B, L) Dalat
In the morning, you’ll ride a cable car to Truc Lam Pagoda and Tuyen Lam Lake.
The pagoda is quite plain, but is surrounded by an attractive flower garden.
There are good views of the lake, which lies below and can be reached by steps,
and the thick forests on the far side. You will then visit Emperor Bao Dai’s
Summer Palace, the Crazy House and Dalat market. We’ll return to your resort for an afternoon treatment at La Cochinchine Spa at
your own choice and cost. There is a possibility to enjoy the resort facility such
as heated swimming pool, entertainment center or joining a cooking class.
Day 9 (B) Dalat – Cooking Class - Ho Chi Minh city
In the morning, you’ll enjoy a 3-hour cooking class at the hotel with a skilled
chef. He’ll take you to a local market to learn the differences between Northern and
Southern cuisine. Upon returning to the restaurant, you’ll learn how to cook
some typical Southern dishes representative of the South of Vietnam. In the afternoon, fly to Ho Chi Minh city and enjoy free time for shopping.
Day 10 (B,L) Cao Dai temple and Cu Chi tunnels
After breakfast drive to the town of Tay Ninh, headquarters of the religion
Caodism, an eclectic fusion of Eastern and Western religious philosophies. We
see the noon mass at the temple (appox.1 hour). In the afternoon, your guide will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a
maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by
both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong.
Day 11 (B, L) Ho Chi Minh city – Mekong delta
Morning departure from Saigon through urban sprawl.
You will travel to Cai Be. There,
you’ll cruise on the Mekong River, visit, fruit orchards, traditional family-run
brick kilns, and drop in to look at some traditional cottage industries. Spend some minutes rowing through densed palm tree–canals. Get to visit another
islet for a short walk in a peaceful atmosphere and shade of fruit trees. You'll
also call in at a local house to listen to the traditional music of the Delta
performed by local people. Late in the afternoon, you’ll drive further into the Mekong Delta to Can Tho
where you’ll spend the night.
Day 12 (B,L) Mekong delta – Saigon
After breakfast and a boat cruise, you’ll arrive at the bustling Cai Rang
floating market – the largest floating market in Mekong River . Both the journey
and the market provide insights into the unique Mekong rural lifestyle. Feel
free to take photographs, talk or bargain while our boat siding with them.
Afternoon drive back to Saigon.
Alternative for Day 10+11: Mekong Eyes cruise
Day 13 (B): Saigon Departure
After breakfast, you’ll be free until your driver arrives to take you to Tan Son
Nhat airport for your departure flight.
