Vietnam
ESSENTIAL VIETNAM — 8 Days/7 Nights (EVN/EV)
For clients who have only 1 week or so, this will be a good trip as
it covers the highlights of Vietnam: vibrant Ho Chi Minh, the imperial
city of Hue, magnificent Halong Bay, and fascinating Hanoi.
Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City.
Meet your guide and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in HCMC.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City—Cu Chi—Ho Chi Minh
City (B)
A morning city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called
Saigon by many locals, takes in the former Presidential Palace, the
Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, a lacquerware factory and
Thien Hau Pagoda in the city's bustling Chinatown. In the afternoon,
visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel
network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long
struggle for independence. Overnight in HCMC.
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh
City-Danang-Hoi An-Hue (B)
After breakfast transfer to Tan Son Nhat
Airport for the short flight to the central port city of Danang. On
arrival in Danang transfer to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries whose architecture and relaxed
lifestyle have changed little over the years. Take a walking tour of the
ancient town center to visit the former merchants' homes, the 400
year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the colorful market. Leave Hoi An
early in the afternoon for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
The scenic route passes through Danang before climbing over the Pass of
Ocean Clouds and dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing
village of Lang Co. Arrive in Hue late in the afternoon and transfer to
hotel. Overnight in Hue.
Day 4: Hue (B)
A boat trip on the romantically
named Perfume River visits Hue's best-known religious site, Thien Mu
Pagoda, and the mausoleum of former emperor Minh Mang, in a tranquil
setting of gardens and lakes. In the afternoon visit the elaborate
mausoleums of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh and the Imperial Citadel
from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Overnight in
Hue.
Day 5: Hue—Hanoi—Halong (B)
Transfer to Hue Airport after breakfast
for the short flight to Hanoi, the modern day capital of Vietnam.
Transfer by road to Halong. Overnight in Halong.
Day 6: Halong—Hanoi (B,L)
A morning cruise in a private junk on the emerald
green waters of Halong Bay, among the 3,000 spectacular limestone
islands. The cruise ends with a fresh seafood lunch on board. Return to
Hanoi by road in the afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 7: Hanoi (B)
A full day city tour of Vietnam's capital. Hanoi is a unique Asian city
with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes
and oriental temples. The city tour includes such sights as Ho Chi
Minh's Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum, the
Temple of Literature, the Lake of the Restored Sword, and the Old
Quarter. In the evening enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet
show. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 8: Depart Hanoi (B)
Departure day. At leisure
until transfer to Noi Bai Airport for onward flight.
** plus estimated airfare 240.00 for HCMC-Danang/ Hui-Hanoi
Essential Vietnam (8 days / 7 nights)
2005 rates range from $630.00 (standard class hotels) to $710.00 (superior
class hotels) per person, based on double occupancy + estimated airfares within
Vietnam of $138.00
|
