14 Days – Vietnam Total Immersion

Morning, start a full day city tour beginning with Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November) and the rural style house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History and the Museum of Ethnology. Go to Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Next, take a one-hour cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Morning, after breakfast at hotel, transfer in a private coach about 100 km South of Hanoi (2.5 hour drive) to Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province. Discover the first capital of Vietnam, which was founded in the 10th Century by the Dinh Dynasty as a stronghold against the Northern invaders and shortly later was inherited by the Le Dynasty. Visit the two old temples one dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang, the only king of the Dinh Dynasty and also Vietnam’s first emperor and the other to the succeeding kings of the Le Dynasty. Enjoy an-hour cycling tour on quiet roads through the picturesque landscape of villages, paddy fields, rivers and rocky outcrops to Tam Coc about 12 km away. Afternoon, start a boating tour of Tam Coc, which is also referred to as “an inland Ha Long” for its strikingly similar terrain of rugged rocky mountains rising up from the lush wetland and constituting a magnificent maze. Cruise along the meandering river through paddy fields and past the karst formations before entering the half-submerged entrances of three caves for a visit. These are major representatives of a host of natural caves and grottoes present in local mountains. Stop for a short break near a small shrine before returning to the dock and proceed to Ninh Binh town for hotel check-in. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Ninh Binh

Morning, depart for Van Long Nature Reserve, a 3,000 ha area of wetland and limestone mountains. Take a small bamboo boat to travel around and enjoy the scenic views of towering mountains, vast expanse of water and flocks of bird. Rich in wildlife; Van Long is home to a many species of migratory birds and a wide variety of animals including those rare and endangered like the Delacour’s langur. The reserve is an ideal bird-watching place where you may sight white storks, herons, spoonbills, pygmy geese and crakes. Afternoon, move on to Kenh Ga floating village in Gia Vien District and take a motor boat down the Yellow Dragon River. Visit the Kenh Ga Hotspring, and if time allows, you can have a shower or a swim in the hot water from the local mountain spring or you can walk through the green paddy fields to visit the Van Trinh Cave, which is considered the biggest and most beautiful cave in Ninh Binh Province. Transfer to Ha Long for overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Halong

Morning, free time for leisure until check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch/ Dinner Accommodation: overnight on cruises in Ha Long Bay

Wake up at 06:30 AM and refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. Tai Chi is an ancient internal martial art often practiced in soft and gracefully slow moves to enhance internal harmony and vitality. Have tea and coffee onboard before proceeding to Titov Islet or Soi Sim Island to trek and swim. Check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for flight to Hue. Arrive in Hue, welcome by our guide and transfer hotel for check-in and time at leisure. Meals: Brunch Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hue

Morning, welcome by our guide and begin to sightsee the city. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s which features three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Move on to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s second-to-last king, which is the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style. Take an hour cyclo tour around the peaceful city. Afternoon, start sightseeing again with a boat cruise along the Perfume River for sightseeing and visiting two prominent historical landmarks namely Minh Mang Tomb, where Minh Mang, the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried, and Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist monastery still in use with its origin dating back to 1601. Late afternoon, transfer to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hoian

Morning, meet our guide at your hotel and transfer out for a full day city tour to discover the charm of Hoi An as a renowned World Heritage Site. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Highlights for sightseeing include the town’s iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities. Afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Thu Bon River to enjoy the countryside landscapes. Land on Kim Bong village where carpentry has been practiced since the 16th Century as the village’s trademark to visit some old-fashioned boatyards using timber as the main material. Move on to Thanh Ha village to see its traditional ceramic production trade still alive and thriving despite the 500-year passage of time. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hoian

Transfer to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for flight to Hochiminh. Arrive in Hochiminh, welcome by our guide and transfer to hotel for check in and time at leisure. Afternoon, take a city tour to visit the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica a neo-Roman cathedral built by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles, the Saigon Central Post Office, which was designed and constructed in the early 20th Century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, Cho Lon area or the city’s China Town and the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built by the Cantonese community in the area in 1909. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh

Morning, after breakfast, travel by road to the Mekong Delta, the world’s largest delta and Vietnam's largest rice bowl. On arrival in My Tho City, capital of Tieng Giang Provine, embark on a boat and navigate through intricate canals while observing the local daily life up close as well as the landscape of waterways and lush islands. Land on the Unicorn Island to enjoy wandering through verdant orchards, tasting fresh fruits and listening to some Southern style traditional music. Move on to the second delta province, Ben Tre, where you will watch local villagers make coconut candy in a rural workshop, walk around briefly and try riding a horse-pulled carriage. More cruising to some bee-keeping households to taste fresh homegrown honey and honey tea.  Go back Ho Chi Minh City and spend time at leisure. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh

Morning, transfer to Mui Ne beach in Phan Thiet Province. Arrival Mui Ne beach, check in and free at leisure. Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Mui Ne

Full day free at leisure Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Mui Ne

Full day free at leisure Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Mui Ne

Leisure time until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City for departure