Day 01: Hanoi Arrival (Meals: Welcome dinner).
You are welcomed by ACT’s guide at Noi Bai International Airport and then be transferred to your hotel. After checking in the hotel, free time at leisure to recover from your journey.
Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, is a stylish and gracious city that retains an unique old world charm and some Asia ‘s most striking colonial architecture. ( If time permits we enjoy a short cyclo ride around the Old Quarter streets, giving you a chance to explore the different local ways of life). Tonight we will have welcome dinner at local restaurant to go through the trip plan together. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 02: Hanoi City Tour (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. Today we enjoy a full day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with a trip to the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and the impressive Ethnologic Museum, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. The beautiful West Lake and the History Museum with an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history, are not to be missed. We  visit these sights before continuing to the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem.
Evening: Enjoy water puppet show, the unique Vietnamese traditional art. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 03: Hanoi - Halong Bay (Meals: B, L).
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Halong Bay (170 km from Hanoi) - one of the world’s natural wonders and is the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam. Halong Bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes with 1969 islets. Upon Arrival at Halong. We take a private junk to visit Ha Long Bay. Take an excursion to Thien Cung Grotto (Heaven Grotto), Daugo Cave (Wooden Cave), Bai Tho Mountain (Poems), Tortoise Rock, Toad Islet, Sea dog islet…each lives up to its name by its shape. Take photograph at Fighting Cock Island. Lunch on the board with fresh seafoods.
PM: Drive back to Hanoi. A stopover to Dong Trieu Ceramic village. Arrival at Hanoi. Dinner at your own. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 04: Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Tam Coc - Lao Cai (Meals: B, L).
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Ninh Binh called as "Halong Bay on land" - the same limestone rocks as in Halong Bay but seen from a winding stream through paddy fields instead of the sea. Enjoy spectacular scenery during the boat trip to Tam Coc caves with visit of the Bich Dong Pagoda. Lunch at local restaurant.
PM: Drive back to Hanoi. You spend the rest afternoon freely. After dinner you are free until 9:00 PM, you are transferred to train station to take overnight train to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train (solf sleeper 4-berth shared cabin).

Day 05:  Lao Cai - Sapa (Meals: B).
AM 6:30 you arrive at Lao Cai station. Our tour guide and driver will pick you up then transfer you to Sapa (35km). Enjoy the picturesque scenery along the way leading towards Sapa, a mountainous area of stunning natural beauty and diverse ethnic minorities. Transfer to hotel for check in. Breakfast at hotel. Free time to discover Sapa town.
PM: Transfer to Ta Van village, spend about 8 km twisty road from Sapa’s town to this village. Along the road you will see many H’Mong, Dzay, Dzao ethnic people dressed in their traditional colourful costume. Two-hour trekking tour through a terrace paddy field and discover lifestyle of the Dzay minority. Overnight in Sapa.
 
Day 06:  Sapa Trekking (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. Walking tour to visit mountainous market. Take a short trek to Cat Cat village. Here, you have opportunities to discover the real daily life of ethnic people by chatting with them.
We return to our hotel in the afternoon. After dinner, you enjoy the atmosphere of Love Market (Love Rendezvous) that lasts over Saturday night. This is the place where ethnic boys and girls declare one’s love to an other by singing, dancing, whistling. This is a place not only for young people who are in love, but also for married people, who come here to look for their old darlings. Overnight in Sapa.

Day 07:  Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel then we walk to visit Ham Rong landscape. Have lunch in restaurant. After lunch, we return to hotel for checking out. Free afternoon until the time our car tranfer you to Lao Cai station to catch the overnight train to Hanoi. Overnight sleep on train (solf sleeper 4-berth shared cabin).

Day 08: Hanoi - Hue Imperial (Meals: B).
6:00 AM arrive in Hanoi. Have breakfast and transfer to Noi Bai airport to take flight to Hue.
Arrive Hue and then be transferred to your hotel in the center of city. After checking in at the hotel, free time at leisure.
PM: Visit the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, the ruins of the Purple Forbiden City. We will discover Royal Citadel - consists of more 100 beautiful constructional works divided many sectors. We will visit Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh)…Overnight in Hue.

Day 9: Hue City Tour (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. The beautiful pagoda of Thien Mu which now becomes the symbol of Hue and the elaborate royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc are not to be missed. We include these in a guided cruise on the Perfume River which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside as well as an enjoyable visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. On return to the city, we then take a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market and pass many fantastic eating spots where visitors have a chance to sample some local delicacies.
Tonight you will have a chance to enjoy “Royal dinner“ (at your own). Enjoy a delicious food while listening to melodious music and having a feeling of being the King and Queen. All wear traditional royal clothes. All the served food is royal including dishes reminding dragon, phoenix, or peacock...Overnight in Hue.

Day 10: Hue - Danang - Hoian Ancient Town (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. Heading out of the town, we drive south to Hoian Ancient Town which was originally a Cham seaport but has been influenced down the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. The tranquillity and charm of Hoi an with its low tiled houses and assembly halls scattered along the small streets make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Vietnam.
Hoian city tour: Around the ancient town to explore the lively market and visit the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum and the many temple and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 11: Hoian - Danang - Nha Trang (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. We free till transfer to Danang airport for domestic flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival Cam Ranh airport, meet and  transferred to our recommended resort/hotel.
Bordered by a long beach of white sand and coconut trees, Nha Trang is considered as the most charming coastal town of Vietnam. The rest of day is free to relax by the pool or on the sandy beach. You can enjoy visits to off-shore islets, Cham towers and hot springs. It is also an ideal place for water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, wind surfing, etc. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 12: Nha Trang Beach (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. A morning boat trip on Nha Trang bay visits some of the nearby islands and there are opportunities to swim and snorkel in the clear warm waters. After a fresh seafood lunch at one of the islands in the bay return to shore for a short afternoon city tour including the Po Nagar Cham Towers, Long Son Pagoda with its enormous white Buddha statue and the lively Dam Market. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 13: Nha Trang - Phan Thiet (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. Leave Nha Trang for Phan Thiet (210 km/4 hours). Breaking the journey at Phan Rang to visit the 13th century Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers perched high on a rocky hill surrounded by prickly pear cacti.  Arrive Phan Thiet, check in hotel or resort.
Phan Thiet is a pleasant enough town, the real attraction is the nearby Mui Ne Peninsula and its 10km of sandy beaches and coconut groves. Many attractive small-scale beach resorts have opened up in recent years amongst the palm trees of Mui Ne…The rest of day is free to relax by the pool or on the sandy beach. Overnight in Phan Thiet.

Day 14: Phan Thiet Beach (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. A full day at leisure in the resort or on the beach. For the more active, golf is available nearby. Overnight in Phan Thiet.

Day 15: Phan Thiet - Ho Chi Minh City (Meals: B)
Breakfast at hotel. Leave Phan Thiet for Ho Chi Minh City by road. The scenic 200km drive on Highway. Arrive in Saigon and check into hotel.
PM: Sightseeing around the city including War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh market. Photo stops at famous tourist sites such as City Hall, Grand Theatre, Notre Dame Cathedral and Center Post Office. Dinner at your own and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels (Meals: B,L).
Breakfast at hotel. Drive a long way on the country side of Vietnam to Tay Ninh, 100 km from Ho Chi Minh city. On arrival to the head quarter of Cao Dai religious, you will have a chance to witness the daily ceremony at Cao Dai Holy See, and meet followers come to attend the ceremony wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity and Buddhism.
Having lunch at a local restaurant then continue the trip to Cu Chi Tunnel , visit the incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. You will have an opportunity to get the unique experience of guerillas living and fighting underground during the war (a crawl through 50 -100 meters out 200 km of the tunnel system is unforgettable). Local rice paper workshops, nice paddy fields are pleasant sights on the way. Dinner at your own. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 17: Ho Chi Minh - Mekong Delta - Can Tho (Meals: B,L).
Breakfast at hotel. Our tour starts with a drive through the Mekong Delta to Cai Be floating market; from here we board our river boats for a cruise along the endless waterways of the mighty Mekong. One of our stops will be to a small restaurant serving the local delicacies on the river. After having lunch, we bid farewell to our hosts we will cruise to visit Ong Giao Garden and the handicraft village to see how bricks and pottery items are made. The visit also allows you to discover how fish sauce and soya bean sauce is made. Upon arrival in Vinh Long Town we meet again with our car and then drive to the city of Can Tho, which is considered to be the heart of the Mekong Delta. Overnight in Can Tho City.

Day 18: Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City (Meals: B,L, D-Farewell dinner).
Breakfast at hotel. The watery world of the Mekong Delta is home to many bustling floating markets. This day we take a boat trip exploring the vibrant floating market of Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, whose the trading way is unique; each boat usually sells one particular item, whether it be pumpkins, pineapples, sugar canes. You will have a chance to shop in the market and taste tropical fruit. After the boat trip, we go back to Ho Chi Minh. If time permission we can stop to visit Dong Tam snake farm or Vinh Trang Pagoda on the way back. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh. Free at leisure. Farewell dinner at local restaurant, then review our trip experiences. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 19: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (Meals: B).
Breakfast at hotel. Free time for shopping or relax until time to airport for departure home or extention to Cambodia or Laos.

Valid: 01 Jan, 09 - 30 Sep, 2010 * Price in $US for twin sharing.  

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