Day 1
Overnight international flight to Hanoi.
Day 2
Upon arrival in Hanoi, airport reception and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle. Depending on your arrival time, spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 3
Morning tour of the Ho Chi Minh Complex with your private guide. Visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state. See the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked and visit the nearby Ho Chi Minh Museum – an extraordinary tribute to the life of the “father of the country.” Carry on to the Governor’s Residence, a fine example of Hanoi’s French architecture, followed by a stop at the One Pillar Pagoda to hear the legend of its construction.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant followed by a private afternoon tour of the Hanoi City highlights. Orient yourself to the tree lined streets on your way to the Opera house and pass by Hoan Kiem Lake en route to one of the city’s fascinating museums of your choice – the Military, History or Fine Arts Museum. Continue to the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, for a quick escape from the busy streets. Afterwards, enjoy a private guided walking tour of the Ancient Quarter, also known as the 36 Streets District, where you will find a nice mix of ancient homes, temples and small shops.
Day 4
Morning excursion outside of Hanoi City for a trip to the surrounding countryside with your private guide. Rich in Buddhism, the north of Vietnam is home to the country's most colourful and revered pagodas and temples. The Thay Pagoda (Master's pagoda) is located 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Hanoi. While a temple is a place to worship the dead, a pagoda is a place to worship the Lord Buddha. Thay Pagoda is widely known for its finely carved statues in lacquer and gold of Buddha in his past and present form and for its colourful Buddhist ceremonies performed here during auspicious dates of the Lunar calendar.
Only 6 kilometres (4 miles) away lies Tay Phuong Pagoda, situated at the top of a small hillock. Built in 1794 the pagoda is famous for its vast display of finely carved wooden statues of former monks from the 18th Century. Afterwards, return to Hanoi to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 5
Depart Hanoi in the morning for about a 3.5 hour drive directly to Halong. Upon arrival, board your junk and begin your cruise. While the junk is passing many islets, rocks, caves, floating villages and beaches on Halong Bay, your lunch will be served on board with fresh seafood. After lunch, you will cruise to the inside of the magical landscape of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Binh Phong Mountain, Sung Sot Cave and around to Titov Beach.
Enjoy sunset on top of the Titov Mountain or take a bamboo row boat to discover some nearby water tunnels, coral reefs and a scenic lagoon. Continue to cruise to a secluded lagoon to anchor for overnight. Dinner is served onboard. After dinner, relax on deck, drink service is available onboard (at your own expense).
Day 6
Before breakfast, you may have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, cruise to the Bai Tho Mountain in the beautiful Bai Tu Long Bay before returning to the Halong dock. Disembark the boat for your return drive to Hanoi with lunch at a local restaurant en route. Transfer to your hotel for check in. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Day 7
Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Upon arrival, airport reception and transfer to your hotel. After check-in, enjoy an afternoon tour of China Town with your private guide. Cholon, which literally translates to “big market”, is the focus of the Chinese community in Saigon. See Cha Tam Church where President Diem sought refuge shortly before his assassination in 1963. Visit the impressive Thien Hau Temple dedicated to the goddess of the seas, who is said to protect fishermen and sailors. Here huge coils of incense hang from the ornate ceiling, and can burn for up to three months at a time. Visit Binh Tay market and the surrounding area, which bustles with trading activity. On your return journey, stop at a tiny Cao Dai temple, where one small sect of this eclectic religion worship daily.
Day 8
Morning city tour with your private guide. In this essential highlight tour, visit the former Presidential Palace, which is now preserved as a museum, including the underground communications bunkers, headquarters for the Saigon Government during the American War. Continue to the History Museum, which houses an excellent display tracing the origins of the indigenous Vietnamese. Take the opportunity to see a delightful performance of Water Puppetry in the grounds. Visit Notre Dame, an impressive neo-Romanesque cathedral in the center of city, the “wedding cake” styled Hotel d'Ville and Dong Khoi street, formerly the center of haute couture in Saigon when it was known as Rue Catinat.
Lunch at local restaurant followed by a privately guided half day tour to Cu Chi tunnels. Journey out of the city centre to the Cu Chi region, where you will visit the vast underground network of tunnels built first as a defence against the French, and later expanded during the American War. It was from here that the North Vietnamese waged their guerrilla warfare and you will marvel at their ingenuity and resilience. See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms.
The more adventurous may explore the deeper second, and even third level tunnels. For those preferring to remain above ground, there is ample opportunity to view excavated areas from above. Your guide will advise you of the length and level of difficulty of each tunnel before entering - some are easily accessed by stairs. We recommend good walking shoes and sun protection for this tour and advise you may get a little dirty! Return to Saigon in late afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Day 9
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Phu Quoc. Upon arrival, airport reception and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 10
Enjoy a full day free for your own exploration of the island. Visitors can experience the culture of Vietnam at the local market in the morning, relax on a remote and stunning beach in the afternoon and enjoy a delicious dinner and drinks at one of the restaurants in the evening.
Day 11
Enjoy the day at leisure.
Day 12
Depending on your departure time, spend the day at leisure and then transfer to the airport for your connection to Saigon and flight home, or continue with the Yampu Tours add-on of your choice.
Note: Check out of the hotel is at 12 pm. Late check out may be available directly at the hotel subject to availability. Regardless, you may store your luggage at the hotel until the time that you are ready to leave for the airport.
Vietnam
Halong Ginger Junk Boat
Ho Chi Minh's Residence
Phu Quoc
