VIETNAM HERITAGE JOURNEY 16 DAYS 15 NIGHTS PACKAGE

Itinerary

Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL (NO MEALS)

Pass By: Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Arrival at International Noi Bai Airport, meet your guide holding the welcome signboard on which is your name and transfer you to Hanoi center. Hotel check in time is 14h00. Rest and relax.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at 3*Gondola Hotel or similar

Day 2: HANOI FULL DAY CITY TOUR

Stop At: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, 2 Hung Vuong Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Morning start our tour to discover Hanoi, a peaceful city with beautiful trees and lakes, the city has thousand years of history and culture. We will have the first impression of the city by authentic Cyclo ride from your hotel to Hanoi Old Quarter – where you can experience the real daily life activities of local people in the oldest area of Hanoi. Then you will ride by the French Quarter along wide and green typical French boulevard that can explain to you why this city so called “Paris of the East” before taking a walk to Ngoc Ha village. You can see the village as an Oasis in the middle of the city, that still keep all the typical daily life activities as well as the typical community sense of the village in Red river Delta along your walk. Then visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – the symbol of the country and Presidential Palace, Presidential Garden, his House on Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda. After that, visit Temple of Literature – the central of culture of Hanoi that worship to Literature – the only subject for student to study in the feudal system just hundred years ago and Confucius. At lunch, enjoy the typical and authentic cuisine at Season of Hanoi Restaurant.


Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen Street Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Afternoon visit Ethnology Museum in which you can study the great outline of 54 ethics people living in Vietnam. This museum is the only one in Vietnam that many artifacts display in there still exist in the life of local people but not extinct like most of the museums, that will create very good reflection about the life, culture, customs, religions and costumes of Vietnamese people. Back to the center of the city for the short walk to discover the Old Quarter.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: The Quintessence of Tonkin, Da Phuc village, Sai Son commune, Quoc Oai district, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
After dinner, we will drive to Quoc Oai, Ha Tay to enjoy QUINTESSENCE OF TONKIN SHOW (1 hour journey) – staged entirely on water, the open – air performance provides a broad overview of village life, from folklore to music, poetry, water puppetry, Buddhism and more. Show lasts 1 hour, then we transfer you back to the city.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at 3* Gondola Hotel or similar

Day 3: HANOI – TAY PHUONG PAGODA – DUONG LAM VILLAGE

Stop At: Duong Lam Ancient Village, Son Tay Commune, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Morning we will take one hour drive to Tay Phuong, one of ten most beautiful pagodas in Vietnam. Located on the top of the hill, this pagoda is very famous about the collection of Buddha and Arhat statues from 17th century and unique architecture. After that, back to the car for driving to the ancient village of Duong Lam, the place so called “Hoi An of the Red River Delta” as still preserve many hundred-year-old houses constructed by laterite stone – the unique material just can be found in this area. That is the reason why Duong Lam also has the name “The laterite ancient village”. Upon arrival, take the pleasant walk by the gate of the village to Mong Phu Communal House. This is one of very few village gates still remained intact locates by the old Banyan Tree as the typical image of the village in the Red River Delta. After visiting the Communal House, just take a seat at the tea house nearby and enjoy some local fresh green tea and special candy made from sticky rice flake. This is the oldest Tea House in Vietnam as the villagers made used of the spare material from constructing the Communal House to build this Tea House from 400 years ago. Then our guide will take you to walk along some small alleys in the village. The village has constructed very special system of alleys in “fish bone” style that every single alley comes to death end for the security reason. That could be the reason why many families in the village still using the old gate with the handle from outside to help the guests open the gate themselves. The walk will concluded by the visit of the most beautiful ancient house in the village of Mr. Huyen family and enjoy the authentic home hosted lunch prepare by hospitable people in his family.

After lunch, we will take another bike ride in the rural area around the village that lead you to green rice field, interesting resting house had been constructed hundred years ago for people working on the field to rest in the shade and breeze in the hot summer day. You also can visit the thousand year old tree line that had been recognized as Heritage Trees in Vietnam before coming back to the village for the drive back to Hanoi. Return to the city in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at 3* Gondola Hotel or similar

Day 4: HANOI – HALONG BAY BY SHUTTLE BUS

Stop At: Halong Bay Vietnam
In the morning drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay by Red River Delta with beautiful rice field and activities of local people along the way. Upon arrival to Halong, embark to Renea Cruise – an authentic Junk on Halong Bay. You will be greeted by the hospitable cruise. Enjoy the welcome drink and cruise briefing on board. Check in your lovely room then enjoy lunch while the Junk start sailing to Bai Tu Long Bay with beautiful topography and scenery of lime stone mountain. The Junk will cruise to Cap La and anchor by the fishing village there. From here, you can have a beautiful one and half hour discovery of Halong Bay on the Kayak. Back to the junk for swimming in emerald water of Halong Bay. Then you can relax on the sun deck and enjoy the beauty of Halong in the sunset while the Junk sailing to Cong Do.

Accommodation: overnight cruise in the bay
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight on 3* Renea Cruise or similar

Day 5: HA LONG BAYEXPERIENCE

Stop At: Halong Bay Vietnam
You can great the sunrise of Halong Bay on the sun deck with cup of tee or coffee available on the junk. Then enjoy the breakfast in fresh air and beautiful scenery of the Bay. The Junk will start cruising to Cong Dam while discovering geological values of Bai Tu Long Bay. Upon arrival, you can enjoy kayaking through the hidden lagoons and geological park in Cong Dam then back to the Junk for sunbathing, relaxing or swimming before lunch on the junk. After lunch, we will sail to Cong Dam Fishing village. The villager will take us to their village on the traditional basket boat, rowing by their village, visit the beautiful lagoon then visit the school, local fish farm and interact with local fish man in the village. The basket boat will take us back to the junk then we sail back to Cong Dam area. In the evening, enjoy the impressive private dinner in the Thien Canh Son Cave. It will be one of the highlight on your trip in Halong.

Accommodation: overnight cruise in the bay
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight on 3* Renea Cruise or similar

Day 6: HA LONG – HANOI – OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO DONG HOI

Stop At: Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay 008433 Vietnam
In the morning we will cruise around Bai Tu Long Bay. The junk will stop in a beautiful place for your last swim on the cruise. Then we will cruise towards the harbor while A La Carte lunch is served. Disembark at noon, then drive back to Hanoi for the night train to Dong Hoi.

Accommodation: overnight train
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight on Livitran Express Train or similar

Day 7: DONG HOI -PHONG NHA CAVES – QUANG BINH

Stop At: Phong Nha Caves, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park 510000 Vietnam
Arrive to Dong Hoi Station in early morning. After breakfast in town, we will drive to visit Phong Nha, the second Natural World Heritage in Vietnam. The beautiful boat trip along Gianh River give us a great change to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of lime stone mountain and daily activities of local people along the way. Visit the cave of Phong Nha, where the longest underground river in the world starts then transfer to Phong Nha Lake House to check in. In the afternoon, explore the village while participating in various social and cultural activities such as pond fishing, planting and gardening, or even playing volleyball with the local youth.

Accommodation: homestay in Phong Nha
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Phong Nha Lake House