HANOI - ARRIVAL (-/-/D)

DAY 1 Meet on arrival at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to hotel. Dinner at local restaurant.

Evening: enjoy Water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art. Overnight in Hanoi.

HANOI - THAY & TAY PHUONG PAGODAS - HOA BINH - HANOI (B/L/D)

DAY 2 Depart from Hanoi to Thay Pagoda (30 km southwest), home of the art of water puppetry. Continue to Tay Phuong Pagoda to discover the wonderful collection of Buddhist statues dating back to the 17th century. Proceed to  Hoa Binh for lunch en route. Visit villages of Muong & Dzao ethnic minorities. Return to the hotel in Hanoi. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.

HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L/D)

DAY 3 City tour: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday and the whole months of October and November) and his former residence, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Quan Thanh Temple and the Wesl Lake. Lunch at local restaurant. Continue to visit Army Museum (closed on MON & FRI), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, discover the Old Quarters during a 1-hour cyclo ride. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

HANOI - HALONG BAY - HANOI (B/L/D)

DAY 4 Drive to Halong Bay (165 km east of Hanoi), listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing 4-hour boat trip through Halong Bay, fresh Seafood lunch is prepared and served on board. Drive back to Hanoi. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 5 Morning at leisure until transfer to Hanoi domestic airport for flight to Hue, the former Royal City of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Lunch at local restaurant. Drive to visit the Imperial Citadel and Tu Duc Tomb.  Dinner and overnight in Hue.

HUE - DANANG - HOI AN (B/L/D)

DAY 6 Boat trip on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue, then depart to Danang. The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van pass offers spectacular views of mountains, the sea, idyllic beaches and villages. Visit Cham Museum on the way. Lunch at local restaurant. We continue further south to the charming historic city of Hoi An. Known to early Western merchants, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs. During a leisurely discovery tour on foot you will visit some of the historic merchant and community houses, places of worship and famous bridges. Dinner and overnight in Hoi An.

HOI AN - DANANG - PLEIKU (B/L/D)

DAY 7 At leisure until transfer to airport for flight to Pleiku. Meet and transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon visit Bana and Dektu ethnic minorities villages. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Pleiku in basic guesthouse.

PLEIKU - BUON ME THUOT - LAK LAKE (B/L/D)

DAY 8 Depart Pleiku for Buon Me Thuot famous for its coffee plantations. On the way, visit a Banar village, then drive to Lak Lake. Lunch at local restaurant. Take a scenic boat ride on dugout canoes (02 persons per canoe), which brings you to a village of ethnic Mnong people. Elephant ride back to the land. Dinner and overnight.

Optional (surcharge): In the evening attend the performance of ethnic dances, songs and gong music. Join the villagers in drinking local can wine.

LAK LAKE - BUON ME THUOT - NHA TRANG (B/L/D)

DAY 9 Drive back to Buon Me Thuot for a short visit of the Ethnographic Museum, which is housed in a Palace of former king Bao Dai. Take the scenic road towards the coastal plains to Nha Trang with a short stopover at Po Nagar Cham Towers, built between the 7th and 12th centuries. Lunch en route. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Nha Trang.

NHA TRANG - PHAN THIET (B/L/D)

DAY 10 We travel southwards, passing lush rice fields, salt ponds and dragon fruit plantations and break the journey at Phan Rang to visit the 13th century Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers, perched high on a rocky hill surrounded by prickly pear cacti. After a photo stop at the fishing harbor of Phan Thiet, we visit a local home, where the famous Nuoc Mam (fish sauce) is produced.  Another stop will be at the vast sand dunes at Cap Mui Ne, which have inspired numerous photographers for many years. Tonight you will spend at a beach resort direct on the beach. Dinner and overnight in Phan Thiet.

PHAN THIET - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/D)

DAY 11 Enjoy the morning on the beach. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, we take a 4-hour drive back to Ho Chi Minh City and check in at hotel. Dinner and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

HO CHI MINH CITY - DEPARTURE (B/L/D)

DAY 12 Drive to visit Chinatown, Thien Hau Pagoda, Notre Dame Cathedral and transfer to Ho Chi Minh City / Tan Son Nhat Airport for your onward flight to your next destination.

Our tour prices are inclusive of transfers and tours with English or French speaking guide, accommodation in shared twin rooms with air-condition and private bath room, meals as specified in the program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner), entrance fees, boat fees, cyclo fee, domestic ticket Hanoi-Hue and Danang - Pleiku.

Not included are surcharges for German speaking guide, optional tours, compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons, compulsory meals for groups, and peak season surcharges which will be advised at time of booking.

NOTE: Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.