Senses of Vietnam – 15 Days
Saigon / Dalat / Lak Lake / Buon Ma Thuot / Hoi An / Hue / Hanoi
From $3695 AUD pp (2 pax)
From $3695 AUD pp (2 pax)
Day 1 – Saigon
Reunification Palace, Central Post Office, Opera House, Ben Thanh Market
Day 2 – Saigon – Cai Be
Cruise aboard the Song Xanh Sampan from Cai Be to Can Tho
Day 3 – Can Tho – Saigon
Cruise aboard the Song Xanh Sampan, Sightseeing in Cholon (Chinatown)
Day 4 – Saigon – Dalat
Lam Dong Museum and Nam Phuong Queen Palace
Day 5 – Dalat – Lak Lake
Boat trip on Lak Lake
Day 6 – Lak Lake – Buon Ma Thuot
Sightseeing in Buon Ma Thuot, Ede Village, Dray Nur Waterfall
Day 7 – Buon Ma Thuot – Danang – Hoi An
Sightseeing in Hoi An
Day 8 – Hoi An
Authentic Agricultural Experience in Thanh Dong organic farm
Day 9 – Hoi An
Day at leisure
Day 10 – Hoi An – Danang – Hue
Cham Museum, Imperial Citadel, Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
Day 11 – Hue – Hanoi
Old Quarter, Water Puppet Show
Day 12 – Hanoi
Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison), Temple of Literature & Vietnamese cooking class with market visit with local chef
Day 13 – Hanoi – Halong
Cruise aboard the Paradise Luxury Cruise through Halong Bay
Day 14 – Halong – Hanoi
Cruise aboard the Paradise Luxury Cruise through Halong Bay
Day 15 – Hanoi
Day 1 – Saigon
Arrive in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) where you are greeted and transferred to your hotel to check in. A vibrant metropolis, Saigon teems with energy, activity and motion. Start at the Reunification Palace which was stormed by tanks on the 30th April 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. Then the Central Post Office a French-style building and Notre Dame Cathedral. Continue on to City Hall completed in 1908. Before visiting the Opera House today one of the main places for cultural exchange. Next stop the Jade Emperor Pagoda (Ngoc Hoang Pagoda) and lastly Ben Thanh Market the central market of Saigon and making up one of the city’s liveliest areas. Overnight in Saigon
Day 2 – Saigon – Cai Be
Drive by vehicle to Cai Be where you board the Song Xanh Sampan and cruise towards Can Tho. Observe life as it plays out on shore with people going about their daily activities against picturesque landscapes, while your attentive crew serves tea and seasonal fruit. Before arriving at Sa Dec, stop at various points along the river for a look into some of the cottage industries of the region including a brick factory where everything is made by hand, pass monkey bridges and tiny villages to visit a Cao Dai temple. Arrive in Sa Dec and stroll to the outdoor market. Visit one of the highlights of the charming town, the ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le, a real-life character in the celebrated novel and film “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras. Lunch is served on board while cruising towards Can Tho along a narrow canal teeming with life. Explore the countryside surroundings by local rowboat. Your last stopover before sunset is at an ancient house (a “Nha Co” in Vietnamese), dating back to the 19th century. The owner will welcome you and a candlelit dinner is served in this authentic countryside setting. After dinner return on board while the Song Xanh continues its cruise towards the Hau River. Overnight on board
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 – Can Tho – Saigon
Breakfast is served on board while the Song Xanh navigates towards the market among local barges laden with fruit and vegetables. Rise early to visit Cai Rang floating market. Breakfast is served on board while the Song Xanh navigates towards the market among local barges laden with fruit and vegetables. Cruise towards Victoria Can Tho and disembark at the hotel’s private jetty. Continue by vehicle to Saigon (city). Cho Lon is considered the largest Chinatown in the world by area. The main draw to Cho Lon is not to shop but to enjoy the authentic Chinese atmosphere that has existed here for hundreds of years. It’s also a place of great historical importance. Visit Cholon (Chinatown), Cholon is the large Chinese neighbourhood to the west of the city in District 5. Cholon means ‘Big Market’, a good indication of the importance the Chinese have traditionally played in Vietnam’s economy – Overnight in Saigon
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4 – Saigon – Dalat
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Dalat. In Dalat start at Lam Dong Museum the former Town Hall. Set on a big hill, at the end of a romantic winding road called “the Road of Love”. This building later was transferred to military management. Next Nam Phuong Queen Palace (named after King Bao Dai’s wife) its situated in a large pine forest and only recently opened for visitors. Continue on to the City Flower Garden with hydrangeas, fuchsias and orchids. Head to the Domaine de Marie Convent with charming architecture and part of the city’s history. Before going to the Cremaillere Railway a cog railway linking Dalat and Tham Cham from 1928 to 1964, until it was closed due to the war. The line has now been repaired and now operates as a tourist attraction. Lastly visit an Embroidery Village. Overnight in Dalat
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5 – Dalat – Lak Lake
Drive by vehicle to Lak Lake to enjoy sightseeing on Lak Lake with a scenic boat trip. Lak Lake is a tranquil area where inhabitants still follow a traditional rural lifestyle. Enjoy a boat trip on a dugout canoe to various Mnong villages situated on the lake. This matrilineal tribe passes name and inheritance through the female line, and generally live in longhouses. Overnight in Lak Lake
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6 – Lak Lake – Buon Ma Thuot
Drive to Buon Ma Thuot where you will explore Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of Dak Lak province. A prosperous town in a region known for coffee plantations and a diverse Montagnard population. Visit the Ethnographic Museum for a comprehensive insight into the many distinct ethnic groups of the province, including the Ede and M’non. Displays feature traditional Montagnard dress, as well as agricultural implements, fishing equipment and musical instruments. Continue to Khai Doan Pagoda, Lac Giao Temple and the local Catholic Church. Visit an Ede village and see how the extended families of the Ede minority live in traditional longhouses. The property of the extended family is owned and managed by the oldest women in the group. The people raise animals and grow manioc, sweet potatoes and pepper. Lastly Dray Nur Waterfall the water falls from a cliff for 30 meters before hitting the pool. Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7 – Buon Ma Thuot – Danang – Hoi An
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang where you are greeted and transferred to Hoi An. Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town, was one of South East Asia’s major international ports during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Explore the old town by foot to see many of the town’s highlights. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream. Then Sa Huynh Museum which houses exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history. Wander into the Tran Family Chapel, a 200 year old house built for worshipping ancestors. Then Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, a Chinese pagoda built around 1690 and enlarged in 1900. It is typical of the Chinese clans in the Hoi An area and is dedicated to Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and Protector of Sailors and Fishermen. Also enter into a Lantern Making Workshop to see how the frame is made and the silk cloth put onto the lantern.
Finish the evening with dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Hoi An
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 – Hoi An
Today enjoy an authentic Agricultural Experience in Thanh Dong organic farm.
A local guide will meet you in the lobby where you take a bicycle toward the organic farm. Changing clothes to ba ba, the typical uniform of farmers in Vietnam Farmers’ and recieve an introduction about the organic farm.
Experience daily activities of the farmers harvesting vegetables. Afterwards enjoy cassava and green tea before leaving the farm. Move to The Field restaurant & bar by boat to try traditional folk games. Enjoy Lunch before returning back to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9 – Hoi An
Today enjoy a day at leisure to explore as you choose or simply relax in the hotel. Overnight in Hoi An
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10 – Hoi An – Danang – Hue
Today drive to Hue once serving as the capital of Vietnam for more than 140 years. It houses ancient temples, imperial buildings and French-style edifices
Visit the Cham Museum with more than 300 artefacts, many dating to the 4th century. Next the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modelled after the Forbidden City of Peking. The original walls stretched for 10 km and were surrounded by a wide moat. Visit the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum before continuing to the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc and an incense making village. Tonight enjoy a private dinner at Vinh Tu Garden House. Overnight in Hue
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 – Hue – Hanoi
Transfer to to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Although it is the modern-day capital of Vietnam, Hanoi still retains the mystery and charm of past centuries. Narrow lanes and traditional shop houses invite an exciting exploration by walking, while it’s many beautiful public spaces; lakes, parks, tree-lined boulevards and monuments; give the city an air of elegance and harmony with nature unique among Asian capitals. Visit the Old Quarter which holds over a thousand years of history and remains one of Vietnam’s most lively and unusual places. Explore by walking to the maze of back streets with fascination wonderment at every turn and there are endless things to buy.
THis evening enjoy a Water Puppet Show, a fantastic art form originating in northern Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 12 – Hanoi
Today enjoy a walking tour areound Hanoi. Start at the Vietnam Military History Museum, home to over 150,000 artifacts and collections of war memorabilia. Continue walking to a colourful market selling herbs, spices, sea products and many other local and exotic ingredients. Stroll alongside the Huu Tiep lake to Tran Quoc the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, located on a small island. Carry on past the peaceful Quan Thanh, a Taoist temple. Wander through the maze of narrow streets and crowded alleys until you emerge at a small lake containing the wreckage of a crashed B52 from the Vietnam War. Enjoy coffee at a local shop before transferring back to your hotel. This afternoon visit the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison) a prison used for political prisoners and prisoners of war. Continue on The Temple of Literature Vietnam’s very first university. Afterwards enjoy a Vietnamese cooking class which begins with a trip to the market to select your fresh produce with local chef. You will discuss with the chef and choose to cook either street foods, Vietnamese foods or international foods. After preparing your dishes under the guidance of experienced chefs the lesson will conclude with tasting the dishes you have prepared, accompanied by local beer or wine. Overnight in Hanoi
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13 – Hanoi – Halong
This morning drive towards Halong Bay where you will board the Paradise Luxury Cruise to enjoy a scenic cruise through the majestic Halong Bay.
On board you are welcomed with a drink as the cruise director briefs you on the cruise activities and safety instructions. Enjoy lunch while the cruise sails passing by magnificent scenery of the World Heritage site. This afternoon explore Sung Sot cave, hiking up and down 600 steps to the magnificent limestone formations of the biggest and most marvelous cave in Halong bay or enjoy kayaking around the islets. Back on board choose to participate in cooking demonstration with cruise’s chef before a gourmet dinner will served. After dinner try a few cocktails in the elegant piano bar. Overnight on board
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14 – Halong – Hanoi
Rise early to join in a Tai Chi session on the sundeck with tea, coffee and assorted pastries served afterwards. Choose to relax on board or visit Titov island. Back on board enjoy a scrumptous breakfast before checking out and return to Tuan Chau Island. Drive towards Hanoi, stopping enroute at Bac Ninh, the cradle of traditional Vietnamese music and theatre. Travel by buffalo-drawn cart through country lanes to visit the Dinh Bang Communal House and the Do Temple. Enjoy a performance of local folk songs before continuing onwards to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 15 – Hanoi
After breakfast time at your leisure before transferring to the airport for your departure flight
Meals included: Breakfast
INCLUDED SERVICES:
– Program is based on English speaking guide. For other languages a supplement charge will apply.
– accommodation as mentioned above or equivalent.
– where very early morning flights are scheduled, a breakfast box may replace the standard ABF.
– meals according to itinerary / Breakfast box in lieu of ABF when early morning flight.
– flight ticket(s), in economy class unless otherwise specified, according to the itinerary.
Flight from Saigon to Dalat
Flight from Saigon to Dalat
Flight from Hue to Hanoi
Flight from Buon Ma Thuot to Danang
– Porter fees at the airport where guide service is booked.
– Current fuel surcharges are included, however, these are subject to change prior to tour start date.
– ground transportation in private A/C vehicle.
– 1 complimentary bottle of drinking water and 1 cold towel per person per half day tour/ 2 bottles of water and 2 cold towels per person per full day tour.
– sightseeing incl. admission fees according to itinerary.
– International and domestic airport taxes in Vietnam are automatically included in ticket.
– International and domestic airport taxes in Myanmar are automatically included in ticket.
EXCLUDED SERVICES:
– visa fees, drinks, personal expenses. ** Visa Procedures: Vietnam
For bookings of roundtrip or module packages, we will confirm one of the hotels mentioned above according to the selected category.
Please note that compulsory gala dinners and peak season surchargesmay apply during peak periods surrounding the public holidays of Christmas and New Yearand Lunar New Year (TET Festival) – these surcharges will be confirmed at the time of booking.