Day 1: ARRIVAL IN HANOI (by A/C car)        

Arrival in Hanoi, warmly welcome to everybody, a moment of courtesy meeting of the tour guide in the meeting point's Noi Bai Airport.

Hanoi - its legendary beginnings from 1,010 to 15th century then before the World War II, after 1954 as well, is the cradle of Red River Delta civilization with green rice-fields, its Old streets and colonial Quarter, its calm lakes, the shaded boulevards, its verdant public parks and sunny smiles with truly Far-East Asian faces ...Our experienced tour guide will transmit you the most lovely aspects of Hanoi - the ancient city of 1,000 yrs, during 45' by coach from the airport to your hotel in the centre city.

Please note that standard check in time is 14.00, check out at 12.00. Early check in or late check-out is subject to room availability. Hotel would probably guarantee early check in or late checkout as an extra surcharge on depend to the rooming’s status at that time.

You will enjoy later an interesting tour by traditional Pedicabs, the best and most stylish way as far more charming to see Hanoi and to take in the sights and sounds of the Old quarter is by Cycle ( a tricycle ), your people will enjoy 1 hour cycle tour the Old Quarter and shopping streets to watch the daily lives of the people living on and around the busy areas, the small rickshaws will carry you strolling around the Old Quarter and shopping streets, to relax and view to daily-life surrounding or communicating is a good way to have a full impression of the city, catch the spirit of Vietnam.

A moment free in Garden of Hoan Kiem Lake to enjoy the lovely Hanoi landscapes in the sunset until the time of water puppet show, a unique art form of Vietnamese, at Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe, and you will also experience more about a specific culture in South-East Asia coming from agriculture of wet rice during the performance.

Transfer to hotel for check in and free at leisure for your own activities. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

Day 2: HANOI - HALONG BAY (by A/C car 175km, a Cruising tour by wooden junk) 

After breakfast, drive straight up to Halong Bay, 175 km from Hanoi, the highway is smoothly and cost you of 3.5 - 4 hours usually, since we have to stop somewhere for the rests or visiting also. Landscapes en route are very interesting with the immense rice-fields, farmers are working in the fields, small and peace villages ....there are the sweet beginnings to talk with then explanation of Vietnam by our tour guide.

Upon arrival, transfer to the Marina for a 5-hour cruising tour by a big wooden Junk on Halong Bay, this is a golden time for your voyage - a masterpiece of Nature is dawning in the bright morning sunlight. 

Ha Long Bay is constituted by 3000 small and big islands of all shapes.

In 1994 UNESCO classified Halong Bay as a World Natural Heritage and in November 2000, the World Heritage Committee reconfirmed this classification, your excursion to Halong Bay will re-evaluate the classification of UNESCO to this fairyland

In the book intituled “Wonders of the World” published in 1950. The French marshal Lyautey compared it with Venice rocks in the “Letters of Tonkin and Madagascar “ (June 24, 1895).

The French novelist Yvonne Schultz did not hesitate to praise the miraculous beauty of this bay:

All heights and ten thousand forms; imagination, imitation, pagodas, Hindu temples, menhirs, Chinese towers, pieces of chess-board or true immense mountain. And the extraordinary flows simulating the ruined keeps, the broken down bastions, a succession of palaces with the open belly and tribes of mutilated idols.

HALONG BAY is nearly a hidden bay with thousands of limestone islands densely rising from the blue jade water in a sea area of over 1500 square kilometres. Its 1969 green islands enfeeble the strong winds blowing from the ocean to leave the transparent water of the bay often calm in cool and healthy air. From time to time, sailing Junk appearing and disappearing between the islands make the poetic sight more colourful like sparkling pearls or coral reefs found out in the bay. The beauty of the bay is not monotonous, at different positions of viewing; it will astonish viewers with quite different fascinations. In the caves and grottoes of stone islands, visitors will discover and admire how many impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The caves have strange but very accurate names, have their own legends in their names as Thien Cung (Heaven Palace) grotto, Dau Go (Wooden Head) grotto, stop-over to visit the caves, your sailing Junk will continue to visit around the shapely islets of fighting cock, incense-burner and others. Landing in Titop Islet, there is the calm and so clean sand & transparent beaches, somewhat little rocky mountains and a beautiful tall terrace, enjoy sun-sea bathing there that always waits to give you the most wonderful sea bathing in calm, transparent water under the sunlight.

We shall suggest you do not miss a romantic lunch with very fresh sea-food on-board, since after visit the floating-rafts/houses of living sea-food, taste the specialties of Halong Bay is quite a life-time experience (see supplement).

The Junk sailing back to Marina and free at leisure for your own activities at hotel.

(we highly recommend a strolling walk along the shore of Halong Bay while the sun is setting down, enjoy yourself the pure breeze, beautiful view of glow of sunset in the sky… is the perfect compensation to the busy days recently).

Overnight in Halong Bay. (B)

 

Day 3: HALONG BAY - HAI PHONG - HANOI (by A/C car 170km)    

After breakfast, check out then drive back to Hai Phong, a City of port – situated on the coast of the East Sea.

Enjoy a tour in Hai Phong with visit to Du Hang Pagoda is located at 121 Du Hang Street, Le Chan District, Haiphong. It is considered an ancient architectural relic of the city. The pagoda was built under the Ly dynasty. It was later renovated in the 17th century by Nguyen Dinh Sach, an officer of the imperial guard who resigned and became a Buddhist monk. In 1899, during the reign of Thanh Thai King, a monk by the name of Thong Hanh expanded the pagoda and built a bell tower. The existing pagoda resulted from the repair work carried out during that time. Inside the pagoda are several statues that are intricately engraved in the style of the Nguyen dynasty. Valuable relics, such as bronze tripods and gongs, are also kept in the pagoda. Continue to visit Hang Kenh Communal House famous for its valuable wooden sculptures. Then, transfer to Hanoi for check in and time of rest. Overnight in Hanoi. (B)

 

Day 4: HANOI - HA TAY (by A/C car 90km)  

Morning, you take an excursion to Ha Tay province to visit Chua Huong (Perfume Pagoda). The Huong Pagoda (Perfume Pagoda) is located in Huong Son district, Ha Tay province, about 75 km away from Southwest of Ha Noi. Surrounded by vast green rice-growing plains, this is a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain. The scenery of Huong Son is that the mountains, river and forest and appears like an oasis in the middle of the great plains of northern Viet Nam.

Visitors will have a good time with a one and a half - hour boat trip on Yen Vi Stream from Ben Duc (Duc wharf) along the tranquil scenic waterways to Thien Tru wharf. From here, take a cable car to the Main Cave Pagoda. Most temples were set amidst a chain of blue mountains, forests, lakes and grottoes. Among the better known sites here are Thien Chu (Pagoda Leading to Heaven), Giai Oan Chu (Purgatorial Pagoda), and Huong Tich Chu (Pagoda of the Perfumed Vestige). The highest cave is situated on the top of the mountain. Thousands of stone steps easily challenge tourists' adventurous desires. Even elderly women are devoutly wearing long kerchiefs while murmuring their prayers between their lips in the belief that it would lessen the arduousness of the climb.

From Main Cave Pagoda, it takes about one hour to go down to Thien Tru Wharf. Visitors have rest time before drive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi. (B)

 

Day 5: HANOI - HO CHI MINH CITY (by A/C car, plane)

After breakfast, check out & enjoy a half day tour of Hanoi, let’s experience the basic concepts of political Vietnam currently by visit to the Chairman Palace area, there are Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, Ba Dinh National square, Stilt House; One Pillar Pagoda, a nice group picture should photo in the parade yard of Ba Dinh National square with the great back view of Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Continuing to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple are located on an islet of West Lake, then the Temple of Literature, is a classic Confucianism temple from the category "Confucianism", was founded as a Confucian Temple and a huge statue and alter to Confucius remain there today, the first university in Viet Nam was founded here and many rows and rows of big stone slabs that sat on the backs of stone tortoises. These slabs are actually the stele of the school's successful doctorate candidates. Then, transfer to Noi Bai Airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Warmly welcome to everybody, a moment of courtesy meeting then self-introduce with Indochina Incentive House's representative and tour guides in the meeting point's Tan Son Nhat Airport. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City, a young city with the age of more than 300 years, a centre of culture, education, commerce and tourism of Vietnam, the biggest city of Vietnam mix with the West and the Orient, and once known as the "Pearl of Far East".

Transfer to hotel for check-in and free at leisure for your own activities for the rest of day.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (B)

 

Day 6: HO CHI MINH - CU CHI TUNNELS (by A/C car 70km)

Morning depart to Cu Chi Tunnels located at the threshold of Saigon and adjacent to the revolutionary base, played an important role in the two wars on before 1975. Visitors will have a lot of questions as knowing that Cu Chi was an "underground village" with its labyrinth of interlaced tunnels having a combined length of more than 200 km of tunnels built here by the Communist guerrillas are the highlight of South Vietnam tours. You will be guided to the bedrooms, meeting rooms, air-raid shelters, smokeless kitchens, and experience life underground during your short visit to this extraordinary tunnel complex. Opportunity to crawl into the tunnels for discovering and hearing all things of it. You can also try shooting with real bullets here (your own account).

In the afternoon, visit Neo-Roman Notre Dame Cathedral - one of the most splendid and typical of the beautiful French-built churches in Ho Chi Minh city, next Municipal Post Office - Saigon's French-style main post office to admire and take photos of its nice architecture that is one of the Ho Chi Minh City’s symbolizing images, then drive slowly along a historical boulevard which the impressive buildings as the old US Embassy the Prime Ministerial building and many more, there are like the historical witnesses to the ups and downs, political upheavals of a Nation and its generations. Followed up, you will visit to the Reunification Palace - a symbol of Saigon old Government before 1975, (also called former President Palace) to learn the sorrowful historic of Vietnam Ideology War from 1954-1975. Later, pass by Ho Chi Minh City People Committee (also the old French City Hall before 1975), and Municipal Theatre built in 1899. Then drive slowly along a historical boulevard which the impressive buildings as the old US Embassy the Prime Ministerial building and many more, there are like the historical witnesses to the ups and downs, political upheavals of a Nation and its generations. Left time is saved for you to do shopping at Ben Thanh Market - a most typical market of Vietnam, is a big marketplace in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City, with how many things are available for your choice. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and today is considered one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài (traditional long-dress for female Vietnamese), and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.

Back to the hotel for good night. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (B)

Day 7: DEPARTURE FROM HO CHI MINH CITY (by A/C car)

Today, after breakfast, free at leisure for your own activities until check-out then transfer to airport for a flight back home. Have a safe trip!

It’s timely; you have to say good-bye Vietnam. We (Toan Vinh Tours) thank you very much for your choice of our company as your ground handler in Vietnam then may be Indochina countries on further, be sure all our people are your best friends always and beyond. May we will meet and honoured welcome you have other voyages to Indochina in the days coming, continuing to discover, to experience the endless imposing landscapes, and then get the really restful moments in a diversified World and this colourful Sub-region of the Mekong River: VIETNAM - LAOS - CAMBODIA - THAILAND - MYANMAR! GOOD-BYE & DO HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN! (B)