Classic Vietnam Historical Sites 14 days

- Arrive at Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, which is known for its vibrant culture, fast-paced lifestyle, and colonial influences on its centuries-old architecture. 

- Little lakes dot the city, surrounded by busy streets and hidden lanes just waiting to be discovered.

- For those who arrive on time, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel reception at 6 p.m. for a welcoming gathering, and those who wish can head out to dinner. 

- There are no further activities planned for today, so you can arrive in Hanoi whenever you choose. 

*Recommendation: Hanoi Half Day City Tour - Small Group, Hanoi Half day City by Motorbike, Hanoi Insight Vespa Tours, Hanoi Cooking Class Half Day.

Note

- If you want to take advantage of today's complimentary airport transport, fly to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), which is only a 45-minute drive from the hotel. 

- If you miss the welcoming meeting, your tour guide will leave a note at the front desk with any important information.

- If your flight comes earlier in the day, consider taking a trip through the Old Quarter's small streets or taking a quiet stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Morning

- Take a tour of Hanoi's biggest attractions. 

- The city is architecturally fashioned like a French provincial town, with tree-lined boulevards and big low-built residences. 

- Sightsee One-Pillar Pagoda, Confucius Temple, and Presidential Palace 

Afternoon

- Take a stroll through the Old Quarter's winding streets, which are called after different crafts or specialties: Paper Street, Silk Street, Basket Street, and so on.

- Observe how local businesses operate

*The businesses have relatively small frontages but are rather deep inside, known as tube shops in the area. 

- Noodles, snacks, and stir-fries are sold from shoulder panniers on the streets. 

- The aroma of food mingles with that of incense from the many little temples.

Night

- Enjoy your night on your way

- You may be interested in these suggestions: Hanoi By Night Foodie Vespa Tours, Hanoi Food Tour by Motorbike at Nigh

Morning

- Wake up with the sunshine and taste Hanoi's signature breakfast

- Have some free time in Hanoi to visit one of the many museums or Ho Chi Minh's austere mausoleum, similar to Lenin's in Moscow. 

Afternoon

- After that, we'll head off to the famous Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. 

- Admire thousands of jagged limestone islands, like the hairy scales of a submerged dragon, rise out of the jade-green waters. 

*Halong literally translates to 'where the dragon drops to the sea.' According to mythology, the rough seascape was carved out by a dragon's pounding tail as he dashed from the mountains into the sea, cutting the islands in his wake.

Night

- Go along the ancient street near the Sun World to enjoy your dinner

- Get your overnight in Halong

Morning

- Take in the romantic scenery of Halong Bay. 

- Get the opportunity to explore a beach and halt at a cave beneath high cliffs. 

- The odd assortment of tourist boats, traditional junks, and wooden sampans drifting around the waters are fascinating. 

- Have a seafood lunch onboard

Afternoon

- Disembark and prepare your package to return to Hanoi

- Check into a hotel in Hanoi to refresh yourself

Night

- Full your bell by your dinner

- Board the Reunification Express to Hue 

- Get your overnight on the train

Morning

- Say ‘Good morning’ with Hue and enjoy its ancient atmosphere

*Hue, one of Vietnam's significant cultural and religious centers, is a quietly remarkable town. 

- Move to your hotel and get your room

- Take a rest after a night train before starting your new journey there

Afternoon

- Go around to sightsee the Perfume River dividing the city in two and has long been a source of inspiration for poets and painters. 

- Take a boat ride from Hue to Thien Mu Pagoda along the Perfume River. 

- Visit Hue’s oldest and most tranquil temple, which is also the city's icon

Night

- Enjoy Hue cuisine at Hue Night Culinary Tour Half day

Morning

- With a visit to the Imperial Citadel, we can grasp Hue's unique past. 

- Learn about the Nguyen dynasty. 

*From the early 1800s to 1945, Vietnam's governing emperors built this palace on the river's left bank. 

- Admire formal moats and majestic ramparts in the Citadel, which was built by 20,000 men and is a replica of Beijing's Forbidden City. 

Afternoon

- The rest of the day is free to explore some of the Emperors' Tombs on the outside.

- You should visit Tu Duc Tomb or Khai Dinh Tomb 

Night

- Back to your hotel and rest

- Get your dinner at some eateries near your hotel

Morning

- Drive to Tu Hieu Pagoda, which is tucked in a pine forest outside town. 

- Listen to morning chanting. 

- Participate in a meditation instruction taught by the head monk

- The monk will discuss how meditation is fundamental to Buddhism and promotes mental balance and peace of mind. 

- He will next take us in a meditation session in the temple's quiet back corner.

- Before continuing to Hoi An, we return to Hue for breakfast.

- We take a picturesque drive across the breathtaking Col des Nuages, also known as the Hai Van Pass

- Pass through rural sceneries of thatched, wooden cottages and lime-green rice terraces while taking in panoramic sea vistas. 

Afternoon

- Stop in Danang, the former centre of the Champa Kingdom (2nd century AD - 1720), to see the Cham Museum, which houses a superb collection of Cham sculptures. 

- The Marble Mountains' five peaks, which are thought to represent the five elements of water, wood, fire, gold, and earth, are our next visit.

- Natural caves have been turned into Buddhist monasteries with intricate carvings. 

- The beautiful sands at My Khe Beach (nicknamed China Beach by American forces) are just a short distance from the mountains, making it a perfect spot for a quick break. 

- Finally, we arrive at our destination: Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Night

- Relax in your private hotel room

- Go around Thu Bon river and enjoy your dinner on your way

Hoi An Free day

*By the 17th and 18th centuries, the historic merchant town of Hoi An had grown into one of Southeast Asia's biggest international trading ports. 

- Find out the Portuguese first colonized it in the 16th century, and many of its antique buildings have been meticulously conserved. 

- The day is yours to do as you like. 

- In the Old Town, you can explore the Japanese Bridge or some of the Chinese temples and meeting buildings. 

- This quaint town has many stores, pubs, and restaurants, making it a fantastic place to buy gifts, have clothing fitted, or simply sit and watch the world go by from a riverbank café.

My Lai Village tour 

- You may like to go on an optional excursion to the memorial of the My Lai village massacre.

- The slaughter was a watershed moment in the American War, and the tragic event is recounted through a powerful photographic show.

Thu Bon River Delta fishing trip 

- Another alternative is to go on a fishing trip to the Thu Bon River Delta, where we will learn how to use a traditional cast net to catch fish. 

- Meet local fishers and try our hand at cast net fishing

- Travel out by boat to see the bamboo winches used to bring in the massive drop nets from the river

- Have the opportunity to ride in a Vietnamese 'basket boat,' a circular bamboo boat that requires some practice to row

Morning

- Go on a trip to My Son, the holiest and most evocative of Vietnam's Cham sites. 

- Learn about the Chams dynasty rulers who rebelled against China's sovereignty in 2AD and founded their nation. 

*Despite having excellent marine linkages with the rest of Southeast Asia, the kingdom's interior was unable to furnish enough food for a large military force. They held off attacks from the Vietnamese and Chinese for 1000 years before succumbing to the Vietnamese in the 15th century.

- Go along the road to the site, which is slow and bumpy as it winds through wooded hills

- See the magnificent sight, with multiple clusters of Cham temples

*Despite much of the site being bombed in the 1960s, the Chams' outstanding masonry abilities are on display at My Son. 

Afternoon

- The afternoon is free to explore Hoi An further. 

- You may want to join a cooking class at one of Hoi An's restaurants

- Another choice is a lantern-making session where you can learn how to manufacture the gorgeous lanterns that are found around the city

- The beach is only a short taxi ride away, or take a river cruise while the late afternoon sun lights up the riverfront.

Night

- Enjoy your last night in Hoi An

- Sweet dream for preparing your next trip tomorrow

Morning 

- Fly to Ho Chi Minh City from Danang Airport 

- Drive south to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. 

- Sightsee the small towns and swinging coconut trees dot the landscape, which is surrounded by lush, rich terrain. 

- Take a small ferry to a neighbouring village, where we trishaw and explore. 

- Board sampans, small Chinese wooden boats

- Travel along the Mekong River's tight canals. 

Afternoon

- Have some free time after lunch at a local home to continue exploring the area. 

- Travel by boat to Ben Tre

Night

- Spend the night in a local homestay with shared facilities and dorm-style lodging.

Morning 

- Spend the morning seeing the Mekong Delta's canals

- Meet some hardworking local people 

- See coconut processing and trading

- Stroll or ride along the canal to learn more about it. 

Afternoon

- Return to Ho Chi Minh City by car

- Head to your hotel and get your room

Night

- Relax yourself with Luxury Dinner Cruise on Saigon River 

- Get your great overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Morning

- Take a trip around the central landmarks of Old Saigon, which is now District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. 

- The Notre Dame Cathedral, the GPO building, and other ancient French Colonial hotels like The Rex are visible. 

- Proceed to the vivid War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace (now dubbed the Reunification Hall).

Afternoon

- Take a trip through Old Saigon's back alleys to see a new side of Ho Chi Minh City, away from the famous sights. 

- Travel to District 3 and exit the main thoroughfare into the maze of little alleyways that make up this lively neighborhood.

- Our trip leads us past run-down storefronts and local markets selling everything from colorful fruit to counterfeit DVDs

- Go past residences, churches, and schools crammed into the narrow alleyways.

- It's a fascinating interconnected community here, just a stone's throw from the city center but a world away from the contemporary architecture and swarms of tourists.

- Stop at a local stand for a typical Vietnamese coffee (brewed coffee served sweet with condensed milk) and 'Banh Mi,' a Vietnamese variation on the simple French baguette, freshly baked and packed with a combination of conventional and aromatic ingredients.

- The walk brings you to the end of the so-called "secret weapons" bunker. 

- A trap door in the floor of a little inconspicuous 'tube house' hidden in a calm neighborhood conceals a basement loaded with guns, grenades, and ammunition. 

*The bunker was the base from which the Viet Cong's "Team 5" launched their assault during the TET Offensive in 1968, and its location was only revealed after the war ended. 

- Have some time to go about the house and bunker, which are loaded with deactivated weapons, photographs, news clippings, and military souvenirs.

Night

- Get back to your hotel for taking a shower

- Enjoy your night in Ho Chi Minh City

Morning

- Leave the city for a short trip to the iconic Cu Chi Tunnels, which served as an extraordinary underground command post for 10,000 Viet Cong troops during the 1968 Tet Offensive. 

- The site provides a wonderful glimpse into Vietnamese ingenuity. 

- If you want to experience the claustrophobic conditions in which the Viet Cong lived, you can crawl through a small specially prepared stretch of the tunnels. 

Afternoon

- Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

- The rest of the afternoon is free 

Some half-day Ho Chi Minh City tours that you may take part in, such as Ho Chi Minh City Half day - Small Group or  Saigon Night Life Tour by Motorbike

Night

- You should enjoy your dinner with Saigon local street food

- Head to Ta Hien, also known as La Kwang Fong in Vietnam, to discover Saigon nightlife

- After breakfast at our accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City, the adventure is close.

- No scheduled events are today, so you can leave Ho Chi Minh City whenever you like. 

- Our hotel provides luggage storage if your flight departs later in the day. 

- You must travel from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), which is 20 minutes away, to receive a complimentary airport shuttle today.

- If you have time, stop by one of the city's markets for some last-minute bargains.