Summary:
Discover the beauty and charm of Vietnam, the hidden jewel in the crown, for the ultimate travel experience. Vintage Vietnam is a majestic tour from Hanoi and Sapa in the mountainous north to Ho Chi Minh and Mekong Delta in the south. Experience different climate zones, savour diverse ways of life and amazing scenery and delve into Vietnam’s interesting and turbulent history. This fascinating and memorable tour is not to be missed by the travel connoisseur.
Details:
Overview:
Discover the beauty and charm of Vietnam, the hidden jewel in the crown, for the ultimate travel experience. Vintage Vietnam is a majestic tour from Hanoi and Sapa in the mountainous north to Ho Chi Minh and Mekong Delta in the south. Experience different climate zones, savour diverse ways of life and amazing scenery and delve into Vietnam’s interesting and turbulent history. This fascinating and memorable tour is not to be missed by the travel connoisseur.
Explore the cultural heritage of ethnic communities, enjoy varied scenery from mountains to rice fields and busy Mekong. Enjoy intricate architecture from ancient to Colonial and fine traditions from clothes to cooking, and meeting friendly and outgoing people. You will quickly understand why Vietnam captures the hearts of so many travellers. Each day is different and offers a new and rich experience.
The standard itinerary is a guide only to give a taste of what is on offer. Make as many changes as you wish. For example, the tour could be in reverse by starting in Ho Chi Minh City. Our travel experts will tailor the tour to your requirements and will help every step of the way in planning at no cost to you. Only when you have your dream tour mapped out are we happy. You may then GO WITH HAPPINESS knowing your expectations will be fulfilled by our AOJ team.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Welcome to our elegant capital. You will be picked up at Noi Bai airport and can relax at the hotel before having your first Vietnamese dinner in a French colonial building or a family restaurant in the Old Quarter. Enjoy a traditional Water Puppetry show too.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Hanoi Orientation
Discover Hanoi. We'll visit many famous locations including the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh's House and Mausoleum, Ethnology Museum, old Tran Quoc Pagoda. Not to be missed too is the vibrant Old Quarter. Explore its dense network of streets, specialist stores sometimes spilling onto the pavement, old houses and workshops in various architecture styles, and street food too.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3: Cycling and exploring traditional villages around Hanoi
Bike around to feel the distinct culture of Hanoi and beyond. Visit the traditional crafts of Bat Trang ceramic village, Dong Ho painting village, and Dong Ky carpentry village. Enjoy the rural scenery with a 7km bike ride and listen to a traditional Quan Ho music performance, designated as part of Vietnam ‘living heritage’.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4: Hanoi/Ha Long Bay
Visit Ha Long Bay, one of UNESCO World Heritage Areas with an exceptionally beautiful Karst seascape formed by numerous limestone pillars. Board a best quality wooden junk for sightseeing and service and enjoy activities such as swimming and fishing. You will spend the night in an air-conditioning en-suite room on the junk.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Ha Long/Hanoi/Lao Cai
Spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by brunch just before docking around noon to leave for Hanoi. In late afternoon, return to Hanoi for dinner and freshen-up before boarding the 21.10 overnight train to Lao Cai.
Meals: Brunch
Day 6: Lao Cai/Ethnic market/Sapa
Get your camera ready! Visit a market of ethnic minority people followed by a long but interesting drive from Lao Cai to Sapa. Enjoy authentic and colourful costumes, beautiful terraced fields, the astonishing beauty of the mountains and cooler fresh air. All these will be cherished memories.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Days 7, 8 and 9: Sapa
Have an unforgettable experience living in the wilderness by blending in with the ethnic minority groups. For three days you will trek through villages of the H’mong, Giay, Dzao and Tay ethnic people. Lunches will be ‘al fresco’ in pleasant streamside surroundings with dinners and overnight stays in ethnic houses. You have a choice of the most difficult trekking routes, standard hikes or the option of transport to assist you at times. Our guide will adjust the itinerary to suit.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10: Free day in Hanoi
Arrive in Hanoi early in the morning and relax at your hotel with a free day in prospect if you need to recover from your exertions. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi. For those with plenty of energy left we can suggest many things to do and see.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11: Hanoi/Hue
Fly to Hue and discover another UNESCO World Heritage Area. Being the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, Hue still keeps many featured buildings and traditional culture. You will visit the old Imperial Citadel, a magnificent building that only opened for the king, royalties and officers in the past; and the lively Dong Ba market. In the evening enjoy dinner in a tranquil and elegant garden house of unique character. The peace and harmony it exudes extends to visitors too.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12: Hue Orientation
Do not miss a moment of Hue. What you will see is breath-taking. Relax on the romantic Perfume River and visit the charming ancient Thien Mu Pagoda. Explore the Imperial City with astonishing architecture from a bygone age. See the dignified and majestic Emperor mausoleum of the Kings from the Nguyen Dynasty: Minh Mang and Khai Dinh with their very different architecture styles. After that you can spend some more time to go round different Garden Houses.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 13: Hue/Danang/Hoi An
Another busy day but worth every second. We go via the Hay Van mountain pass, viewing the spectacular landscape of the Lang Co Beach and Tam Giang Lagoon with a short visit also to Da Nang before coming to Hoi An. Classified as a World Heritage, Hoi An's beauty lies in her well preserved ancient wooden houses built hundreds of years ago, a variety of styles and combination of different cultures, traditional villages, delicious food, and warm hospitality.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 14: Hoi An/My Son/Hoi An
At first glance the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary resembles a mini Angkor Wat but this holy setting is both unique and distinctive. Explore the remains and origins of the remarkable brick tower and listen to many interesting stories in this glorious tranquil valley. Back to Hoi An in the afternoon to stroll around, shop, explore buildings of historic importance, gaze at the river traffic, relax on the beach or whatever takes your fancy. Hoi Ann is for relaxation.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 15: Hoi An/Danang/Ho Chi Minh City
Hello Saigon! Totally different from the old, traditional and peaceful location in the Central part, Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest and most dynamic city in Vietnam. You will have free time in the evening to have a look at the central area on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City Orientation
Time for you to explore this bustling, hustling and attractive city. The history-rich History Museum and Museum of War, unique and religious Jade Emperor temple, crowded Ben Thanh market and colourful mini Chinatown Binh Tay market are all enticing attractions.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City/Vinh Long/Can Tho
Escaping from the busy urban area, you will be amazed by Mekong Delta people's “river lifestyle”. We visit the fruit orchards, traditional family-run brick kiln business, the cottages and the ancient Khmer Pagoda Munir Ansay. Enjoy the ambience so very different from the city and immensely enjoyable. Here you will relax too.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 18: Can Tho
Travel on a boat cruise to the busy and exotic Cai Rang floating market that stimulates the senses as you feel part of a rural lifestyle. You will be on your own for the rest of the day and spend the night in Can Tho.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 19: Can Tho/Ho Chi Minh City
Journey back to Ho Chi Minh City and en-route visit the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang pagoda, renowned for its architecture as a mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor styles. You’ll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 20: Ho Chi Minh City/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi/Ho Chi Minh City
Discover, discover, discover. We will watch a mid-day ceremony to learn more about the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh. You will also explore a very important historical site - Cu Chi Tunnels. This contains a maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and Viet Cong to carry out hit-and-run tactic during the Vietnam War.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 21: Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Say goodbye to Vietnam after 21 exciting and memorable days of travel. It has been our pleasure at Ancient Orient Journeys to arrange, organise and escort your tour. Fly back to your hometown with happy memories, wonderful photos and lots to tell your family and friends.
Meals: Breakfast
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