Trip code : GTBV-DS-BIZ 07-E Itinerary:Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Dalat, Ho Chi Minh city, Mytho, Mekong deltaDuration: 13 days/ 12 nights Detailed itinerary:Day 01: Arrival Hanoi Upon arrival in Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi city you will be met by our trip leader who will be with you through your stay. Then transfer to down town for check-in to hotel. After that, we have an orientation walk around the neighborhood. We together tonight enjoy a welcome dinner at Vietnamese local restaurant. Stay first night in Hanoi Meals: 1 DinnerDay 02: Hanoi - Halong After breakfast this morning, we start our tour of Hanoi with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the national leader whose memory is honored here. We will also visit The House on stilts, see the distinctive One Pillar pagoda. Moving out of this, we’ll visit the Temple of Literature, where Vietnam’s first university was established here in 1076. After lunch at local restaurant, we set off for Ha Long Bay of Vietnam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We arrive in the early afternoon and transfer to hotel for check. We tonight have dinner at Vietnamese restaurant with traditional music. Stay overnight in Halong Bay Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 03: Halong Bay - Hanoi Rising early you may have a chance to see the sunrise in Halong Bay. After breakfast, transfer to pier for embarkation the private boat to discover spectacular Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage of outstanding natural beauty. With its clear, emerald waters and mountains draped in velvety cloaks of vegetation, “The bay of the descending dragon” is dotted with more than 3,000 mountain islands rising from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf Tonkin, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. A 4-hours boat cruise will lead you to visit Thien Cung cave and Dau Go grotto, stone Dog, Fighting Cocks.... Fresh seafood lunch will be served on board. After the boat cruise, we return to Hanoi for refreshment. Dinner tonight is on your own. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 LunchDay 04: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc After breakfast at our hotel this morning, we drive to Ninh Binh, one of the ancient capitals of Vietnam during 10th and early 11th centuries. Enjoy a 95km drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam’s first capital, Hoa Lu. Situated on the edge of the Red River Delta in a narrow valley surrounded by limestone mountains. After visiting the two remaining sanctuaries of the ancient citadel which are dedicated to the two former Vietnamese Kings, you will take enjoyments from a relaxing ride on small sampans on the river as we are rowed through winding rivers cutting through the rice paddies to the grottoes of the sacred Tam Coc Caves. Enormous limestone karsts jut out from the green rice fields, which is why this area is often referred to as ‘the dry Halong’. The boats are rowed by a local man or woman into the caves, you will have a chance to witness the daily life of local people, watch them making the embroidery, a traditional product here for many years, share funs with them... After visit, disembarkation and return to Hanoi for refreshment. This evening we enjoy a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre. We enjoy a late dinner at local restaurant. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 05: Hanoi – Hue After a buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Noi Bai airport for our short flight to Hue, the royal city of Vietnam’s last ruling dynasty, located on the central coast of Vietnam, north of Danang. Upon arrival in Hue, pick up and transfer to check in to hotel. If the time permits, we will tour the Citadel, find the Imperial Enclosure, and see its inner Forbidden Purple City, a private area reserved for the emperor. After lunch at local restaurant, visit tomb of Tu Duc who had the longest reign of any Nguyen monarch, lived a life of ultimate imperial luxury. Then visit the tomb of Khai Dinh built from September 1920 and lasted for 11 years. It is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern. Rest of the day is time for shopping. We tonight have dinner at local restaurant accompanied by Royal music and traditional Hue folksongs. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 06: Hue - Da Nang – Hoi An After breakfast at our hotel, we take a boat trip to visit Thien Mu pagoda, Hue’s most reserved religious monument built on a hillock overlooking the Perfume River and the tomb of Minh Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1840. After lunch at local restaurant, drive to the ancient town of Hoi An, an ancient, well-preserved port town that’s changed in the past two centuries. After check into hotel, we take a walking tour of the ancient quarter and see its historic streets and mossy houses such as Phuc Kien Congressional House and Japanese Bridge, historic houses with brick exteriors and wooden interiors... We enjoy tonight dinner at our hotel. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 07: Hoi An – Da Nang – Nha Trang This morning you are free to explore the town of Hoi An on your own. After lunch at local restaurant, we head to Danang airport for our flight to Nha Trang. Arriving in early evening, we enjoy dinner tonight at local restaurant. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 08: Nha Trang After breakfast we tour the tour of Nha Trang city, a growing community that is blessed with miles of beautiful beaches and whose residents remain devoted to the sea for fishing and recreation. We board our wooden boat to visit a local fishing village and Hon Tam beach as well. After lunch at local restaurant, visit the Institute of Oceanography, Ponagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu site dating back to the 2nd century AD. The tower was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists then visit Long Son Pagoda. The balance of the day is free at leisure for sunbathing as you wish on white sandy Nha Trang beach. Dinner tonight will be arranged by your own. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 LunchDay 09: Nha Trang – Da Lat After breakfast we travel to overland to Dalat, the city of Eternal Spring, admiring the rice paddies, vegetable patches, and gently sloping hills we pass by. We arrive in Dalat around noon. After checking into our hotel, embark on an orientation walk to become familiar with neighborhood. After lunch at local restaurant we visit the “Valley of love”, Xuan Huong Lake, then visit a workshop where you’ll see the making of Dalat’s famed artichoke tea and wines. Take a cable car to hilltop to visit Truc Lam Pagoda. Rest of afternoon and evening are yours to spend the leisure. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 LunchDay 10: Da Lat – Ho Chi Minh city After breakfast we depart for Ho Chi Minh City – formerly known as Saigon, with stopover to visit Preen waterfall. Take a short break at Bao Loc tea & coffee plantation. Lunch will be arranged en-route. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh city, check into hotel and leisure. We have dinner tonight at local restaurant. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 11: City tour of Ho Chi Minh city After breakfast at our hotel, our city tour will be started with visits to Independent Palace, History Museum, the Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame. We also see the architecture of Central Post Office, City Hall, Opera Theatre. After lunch at local restaurant, we visit Thien Hau Pagoda built by Cantonese Congregation in the early 19th century located in Chinatown, is dedicated to Thien Hau. We also see a lacquer ware workshop, Ben Thanh central market. Rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to discover Ho Chi Minh city at leisure Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 Lunch, 01 DinnerDay 12: Ho Chi Minh city – Mytho We have breakfast at our hotel and then depart for My Tho in the Mekong Delta, one of Vietnam’s scenic treasures. Upon arriving in My Tho, we board a boat for a cruise on the upper part of the Mekong River visiting the floating fish market. Then we’ll board a sampan to cruise a narrow canal that will take us to a small orchard and apiary where we can sample some of tropical fruits and honey-flavored sweets, coconut candy factory. In the afternoon, travel back to Ho Chi Minh city for your own dinner. Meals: 01 breakfast, 01 LunchDay 13: Departure Free at leisure for last minute shopping until transfer to Tan Son Nhat In’t airport for your departure flight. Meals: 01 breakfast | 
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