VIETNAM HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

Arrive Ho Chi Minh city, also known as Saigon the largest economic center of Vietnam. Its wide boulevards lined with stately trees and the grand old buildings contribute much to the beauty and allure of the city. Meet your guide at the airport, transfer to hotel for check-in (official hotel check-in hour is at 14:00). Based on your arrival time, some sightseeings can be arranged with a small surcharge. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Today is a day for the river exploring in Mekong Delta. Early start to leave bustling Ho Chi Minh for the 2 hour drive to Cai Be. The colorful floating market with local traditional wooden boats , vast emerald rice fields and lush back waterways are the things that make Cai Be such a desired destination. Arrive Cai Be, get on thelocal boats then cruise on the floating market , where you can witness the unique way of advertising : product for sale is hung on a pole in front of boats to attract customers and make it easier for people to see from afar what is on offer.
After visiting the floating market continue to a cottage factory where ‘pop-rice’, rice paper and coconut candies are made. Then cruise to Dong Hoa Hiep Island, admiring the scenery and the daily life of the local villagers along the way. Lunch is typical Mekong style serving specialties of the area. After lunch, drive back to Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Beakfast at your hotel then start your full day Ho Chi Minh City tour. Drive to Cho Lon , discover the local markets, visit Thien Hau Pagoda - dedicated to the goddess of the Sea then come to FITO Museum, Vietnam's first traditional medicine museum where an amazing collection of 3,000 items relevant to the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine displayed. Implements for preparing indigenous herbs and objects commonly found in traditional pharmacies were showcased in the galleries. You can also find here the ancient books and documents on traditional Vietnamese medicine.
Drive back to the city center to explore Ben Thanh Market where you experience the wide array of local products with the very vibrant atmosphere. Then enjoy the foodcourt where you can taste almost the authentic local flavour of Vietnam
In the afternoon visit the former Presidential Palace and the War Remnants Museum or History Museum ( closed on Monday) and explore the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall. Back to your hotel for relax and dress for dinner
At the end of the tour transfer to the airport for the 1-hour flight to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, visit the Imperial Museum where exhibit the antique collections of bronze, pottery, chinaware, Phap Lam enamel, court robes, head-gear and the personal belongings of former Vietnamese emperors. Continue by a tour to visit Hue Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Hue's citadel is the only extant citadel in Indochina. It is certainly an impressive sight, if only for its 10km long, 7m high surrounding stone walls , which are punctuated by ten gates. Within these walls, stands the Imperial citadel with its administrative buildings and high-ranking civil servants' houses. The style of various buildings are distinctive, each being constructed according to its function. Have a nice lunch in the local restaurant with the Hue food . From here take a cyclo through dai noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax. It is full of lotus flowers in summer and there are many local style coffee shops around the lake where university students come to study.
In the afternoon, continue for Thien Mu Pagoda locates on the Perfume River bank . Built in 1601, the 21-meter tower is the centerpiece of the pagoda and represents seven reincarnations of Buddha. At the ground of Pagoda, you find the famous Austin carof a resident monk drove to Saigon in 1963 to protest against the southern regime. The photo of his self immortalization is one of the most well known images of the war.
Then visit Minh Mang Emperor 's Tomb which comprises 40 monuments all on an oval 44-acre lot surrounded by a high wall. The whole arrangement is surrounded with reflective ponds fringed with pine trees. the Minh Mang tomb nonetheless offers a balance of landscaping and architecture that is unmatched among the tombs in Hue.
Next visit is to Khai Dinh’s tom constructed in traditional Vietnamese with European influence making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.
Before return to your hotel take time to explore the local daily life with your tour guide around Dong Ba Market, a must see of Hue.
Overnight in Hue.

This morning is at your leisure before departure to Hoi An ancient town, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port, is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international maritime commercial centre. Hoi An also homes the world class beach resorts with white sand and blue crystal water.
The route passes by the scenic Lang Co fishing village then drive up the Pass of Ocean Clouds and descend down to Danang. Stop to visit the Cham Museum, which displays a large collection of Cham sculptures, maybe the best in the world. Overnight in Hoi An.

In the morning, Visit the My Son Sanctuary which is one of the most famous Champa architectural and sculptural monuments in Viet Nam.
While the religious significance of My Son was important, its location in a small valley surrounded by high mountains gave it strategic significance as an easily defensible stronghold. Successive kings in the 6th to 8th centuries favoured My Son and endowed it with fine temples. In the later 10th century, most of the finest surviving architectural monuments were built there. After My son, drive to visit Tra Kieu, formerly known as Simhapura or the Lion Citadel, the capital of Champa between the 4th and 8th centuries. Some of the finest sculptures in Danang’s Cham Museum originated from here. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Breakfast then leave Hoi An for Danang airport for 1-hour flight to Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, a unique charming city which is blended by the colonial old buildings, the serene lakes, the old quater and the morden boutiques in the old corner ...
This afternoon visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum (closed Mondays), a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam with 15,000 artefacts including clothing, jewellery, of agricultural tools, fishing instruments, weapons, household utensils and musical instruments which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam
Continue explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. It's a great place to experience with plenty of photo opportunities surrounding you.
Complete your day the Water Puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form from rural life and episodes of national history. Overnight in Hanoi.

Early morning departure from your hotel for Hoa Lu with some 110km or two hours from Hanoi. Hoa Lu is a 10th-century first capital of Vietnamese . Laying in a flat valley surrounded by the karst mountain ranges rising on the water surface ,Hoa Lu had a natural wall protecting itself and a picturesque scenery.
First visit is to the 2 temples of the first 2 emperor of Viet Nam : Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of Dinh Dynasty (968-980) - and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of Le Dynasty (980-1009).
After this visit, Have lunch and optional tours :
- Tam Coc ( Three Caves ) : Get on your private rowing boat , cruise through the picturesque river where the huge limestone karst mountain rising out of the green paddy fields
It's an option for you to climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda dating in 1428 and comprising of three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Once you are at the top of Thuong Pagodas, enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of this terrain. Cruise back to Tam Coc town then Return to Hanoi.
Note: Please be awared that there're some vendors on their boats who try to sell their products to you . Please tell to your guide in case you feel uncomfortable .
- Thung Nang valley : While presenting a similar landscape of Tam Coc with the river passing through the green rice fields where the vast limestone karsts rising out, Thung Nang still keeps a pristine feature with a rich fauna and flora system. Then you drive back to Hanoi for the rest of the day at leisure . Overnight in Hanoi.

After Breakfast , leave Hanoi for 3hr30mins drive to Halong Bay including a 20-minutes stop on the way. Arrive Halong Bay, check-in formalities then enjoy the Welcome drink and Lunch on board. Cruise through the emerald water between the limestone outcrops and long corridors, En route, you have chances to sightsee many beauty spots of the world natural heritage including Fighting Cock islet, Incense Urn islet, Finger island, Toad islet, dog islet, Dragon, Horse Neck, Buffalo Head islet and many other strange shape islands. Later in the afternoon, visit a fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, enjoy cocktails or a cooking class in the romantic sunset on the Bay. Have dinner on board. Evening, experience some evening activities such as squid fishing, board games, or spa .Overnight on the junk

Early morning, take a Tai Chi class and watch the sunrise over the bay (if you choose to get up early and weather permitted ). Visit a beautiful limestone grotto, and then back to the junk , Brunch while cruising back to the dock. Disembarking at the Cruise Café Lounge then get on your car and drive back to the Ha noi.
In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature considered as Vietnam's first university. It was establish to host Imperial Academy where mandarins and members of the elite educated. The various pavilions, halls, statues and steles of doctors are places where offering ceremonies, study sessions and the strict exams of the Dai Viet took place. Next Visit is The One Pillar Pagoda, founded in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong who had this temple constructed by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, and a temple of lotus-shape, This structure is one of Vietnam’s most iconic temples. The rest of the day is at leisure for shopping at old quater. Overnight in Hanoi.

At leisure until transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your onward flight.
On the way to airport, stop to visit Thanh Chuong Viet’s Palace a unique cultural preservation resort, a spiritual legacy of Vietnamese art and culture where contains thousands of cultural and historical artifacts of dynasties Dinh, Ly, Tran and Le. This place is a feast of in-depth understanding of Vietnamese culture, fine arts and spiritual life.