Vietnam Panorama

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and
English speaking guide. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes. Your visa should be pre-arranged, or
be sure that your visa-on-arrival letter is in your carry-on luggage. Please go to custom desk as your first point
of entry into the country and present these documents for visa upon arrival.
 
Overnight at The Ann Hotel 

Morning, take a full day city tour beginning with the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars, established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Head to Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (view from outside; closed on Mon, Fri and through from Oct - Nov), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked.
Afternoon, set off again to Chau Long Market for a closer look at Hanoian culture in the flurry of a local market. After exploring the street stalls here, set off along Nguyen Truong To Street - famous for its desserts -- toward Hang Than Street, the epicenter of Hanoi’s thriving wedding cake stores. Learn a bit about Vietnam’s unique wedding culture while sampling some wedding cakes. Shake off your sugar rush on a stroll to nearby Hang Cot Street for a look at Hanoi’s mat weaving borough before stopping off along Hang Ga Street for a local coffee shop. End your walking tour with a traditional Vietnamese coffee.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight hotel at The Ann Hotel

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. The transfer is approximately 3 hours. You will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields and you may stop on the way to admire the local scenery. 
Arrive in Ha Long City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk when your journey across Ha Long Bay starts. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view.
Ha Long Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.
After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. An optional kayaking trip is available weather permitting. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner and enjoy the bay view at sunset. Spend a night on board.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Calypso Cruise in Ha Long 

In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi capital. 
Free at leisure until meet our guide then transfer to airport for flight to Hue.
Arrival Hue international airport, you are transferred to town by private car & guide. The transfer from airport to hotel is approximately 20 minutes. Check in & relax. Overnight at hotel in Hue.
Meal: Breakfast, Brunch
Overnight hotel at Eldora Hotel

Morning, take half day city tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner.
We continue to take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to enjoy the open view of the river and its surroundings. Stop along the way and land on shore to visit two prominent historical landmarks namely the Minh Mang Tomb, where the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried, and Thien Mu Pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery overlooking the river from a vantage point with its origin dating back to 1601.
Afternoon, start biking to Thanh Toan Village where the famous “Thanh Toan Tiled Roof Bridge” is located. On the way, you can’t help surprising to catch the images of the bustling morning local market, the green rice fields, majestic family temples as well as the daily life of local people crossing the zigzag path of the village.
Arrive Thanh Toan Tile roof Bridge – a truly unique ancient bridge in Vietnam, and visit Thanh Toan  Museum with a wide variety of agricultural tools exhibited to explain the details of  Vietnam life and culture.
Then transfer to “Eco Home” where you can learn how farmer grow the vegetables such as morning glory, Malabar spinach, gourd, fiber melon, so on and experience some farming activities together with them (farming will be offered if the weather is fine)
Afterwards, private car will pick up from the village then transfer to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass).
Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Arrival Hoi An, check in hotel for overnight.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Belle Maison Hadana Hoian Resort & Spa

Moring, you will have breakfast at hotel then join fishier man and palm paradise tour in 4 hours including visiting a local fishing village, learning about cultural fishing life, joining to fish with local fishermen, experience to ride basket boat – Thung Chai, explore waterways canal palm coconut, hearing about the past war of Vietnam/US Army, having lunch or dinner on board cooked by Captain Cook.
Location: Local Fishing Village and the Cua Dai River
Departure: 8:30 A.M or 2:00 P.M
Tour Duration: 4 hours
JACK TRAN TOURS /FISHING VILLAGE & WATERWAYS you will enjoy a wide range of experiences - from learning traditional fishing techniques to paddling the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats while exploring the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war.
On this tour we provide an authentic social and cultural insight into the local Vietnamese way of life. As well you will take part in some hands-on activities that are fun, safe and interesting to people all of ages.   
TOUR PROGRAM INCLUDES

• Pick up at hotel by Jack Tran’s van
• Transfer to a local fishing village
• Learn about daily life of Vietnamese fishermen, their families and their community
• Board  Jack Tran’s  boat cruise and commence cruising on the Cua Dai River
• Join local fisherman on the river and enjoy hands-on experience of round net and cast net fishing
• Learn to paddle the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats and join in a basket boat race.
• Enjoy basket boat dancing on the round boat (THUNG CHAI) by Jack Tran’s crews.
• Explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and  hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers of both sides
• Learn how to make an origami creations from reeds of palm leaves such as grasshopper , birds, ring, sunglass ,bracelets….etc   
• Back on-board our Jack Tran’s boat, enjoy lunch and   cold beer or soft drink
• Return to hotel by coach.

 
In the afternoon, private car and guide will pick up you at village then transfer to town and start to discover the charm of Hoi An recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities. Return to your hotel.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Belle Maison Hadana Hoian Resort & Spa

Morning, free at leisure until transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes.
Afternoon, take a city tour to visit Fito Museum, the first traditional medicine museum in Vietnam. The museum shows how traditional herbs and medicine have been developed in Vietnam throughout history, continue on to visit the Reunification Hall, one of the most historic landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City built on the site of the former Norodom Palace. Designed as the Presidential Palace during the Vietnam War, it was where the official handover of power took place during the Fall of Saigon in 1975
Make a brief photo stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. It has a neo-Romanesque façade and two bell towers tipped with iron spires that reach a height of 190 feet, dominating the skyline. Your next stop will be to visit the classic 19th century French colonial Post Office. The largest post office in Vietnam, it is an important communications hub for most of the city’s inhabitants. Inside, the building has huge vaulted ceilings with vast maps of Vietnam on both sides of the main hall.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Grand Hotel

Morning, meet your guide and transfer about 75 km North-west of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges. Return to the city at noon time for a rest
Afternoon, transfer to Vinh Long Check in Ut Trinh home-stay (or other home-stay on An Binh Island). One more thing to do in this trip is biking ! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local farms, houses, real life and the ancestral ways to pick up fruits in Mekong Delta..
Cooking some dishes with the owners. We enjoy diner and have cup of tea or rice wine. Also, you can ask the locals about the culture, people, and history of this Island. They do not mind to answer some personal questions.  
 
In the evening, Have some fruits and tea when enjoying the  traditional music at Ut Trinh home.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at home stay (Private room)

The boat will take you to visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. Then, we visit nursery garden for you to contact the real famous farmers – Mr Tiger or his son who is very successful in Vietnam agriculture. We will enjoy some kinds of fruits from his garden & homemade rice wine
The rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals and to enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish...
Then, an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how to make rice paper, coconut candy and pop-rice, pop-corn ...
It is so interesting to visit the handicraft village where you can see how they make some special products: making rice-net for spring-rolls, fish sauce & Soya sauce, cooking salt, sewing coconut-leaves for cottage roof...The cruise will end at Cai Be town.
Afternoon, we will arrive Ho Chi Minh check in hotel and free at leisure
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight hotel at Grand Hotel 

Meet our guide & driver at the hotel lobby then transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport for flight.