AUTHENTIC VIETNAM FAMILY TOUR OF WONDERS – 9 DAYS

* BRIEF ITINERARY:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL – HANOI CITY TOURS

DAY 2: HANOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS

DAY 3; HANOI FAMILY TOURS TO HALONG BAY – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE 

DAY 4: HALONG BAY CRUISE TOURS – HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN TO DONG HOI (QUANG BINH)

DAY 5; DONG HOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO PHONG NHA CAVE

DAY 6: DONG HOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO HUE – HUE FAMILY TOURS

DAY 7: HUE SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO DANANG – HOI AN FAMILY TOURS

DAY 8: HOI AN FAMILY TOURS TO MY SON HOLY LAND SIGHTSEEING TOURS

DAY 9: HOI AN – DANANG – DEPARTURE

DAY 1: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: ARRIVAL – HANOI CITY TOURS (-/-/-)

Arrive in Hanoi, the capital of the unified Vietnam and a must-see destination if you visit this beautiful country. When it became the capital city in 1010 it was called Thang Long—Land of the Ascending Dragon, which was later changed to Dong Do—Eastern Capital.

In 1831, it was finally called Hanoi—City within the Rivers—due to the numerous waterways flowing through the city. Hanoi today is one of the most charming cities in South East Asia with its authentic street scenes, large shady avenues, numerous lakes, manicured gardens and well-preserved architecture.

Transfer from Noi Bai airport to your hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi

DAY 2: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HANOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS (B/L/-)

The day is dedicated to a more in depth discovery of Hanoi beginning with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. This imposing monument, dedicated to the father of modern Vietnam, was constructed from marble and granite and takes the form of a stylized lotus (closed Mondays and Fridays). Located nearby is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda, a symbol of Hanoi. Continue your tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu, a structure dedicated to Confucius. Constructed in 1070, the compound soon became the first Vietnam’s university.

Enjoy your lunch at a rustic restaurant Cha Ca La Vong which was founded more than 100 years ago and was the first restaurant in the city to serve Cha Ca – grilled fish. This is undoubtedly good introduction of the local food and great place to fill up your empty stomach to get you ready for the afternoon excursion.

After lunch, stroll down the streets and try café Trứng—egg coffee at Café Giang, 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, about a 10-minute walk from the restaurant. Vietnam is famous for its Robusta coffee, and café Trứng is a charming Vietnamese version of cappuccino. Hot café Trứng, with its rich taste of coffee, creamy egg yolk, and sweet condensed milk, will leave you smiling.

Board a “cyclo”, the traditional bicycle rickshaws for a leisurely ride, which is a perfect chance for photo taking and slow-moving sightseeing. Sit back and relax while your driver weaves through some of the Old Quarter’s busiest streets where people still trade in old ways. Disembark at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater for a unique traditional art form and expression of cultural identity. The shows capture Vietnamese traditions; farming, tending buffaloes, and catching fish; entertainment, like swimming contests and lion dancing; and historical legends with traditional music. The one-hour show is a fun and insightful look into Vietnamese culture enjoyed by both adults and children.

Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 3: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HANOI FAMILY TOURS TO HALONG BAY – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE (B/L/D)

07h45 – 8h30: Pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi then transfer to Halong city    through the paddy field in the Red River Delta. 

10h00: Stopover in Hai Duong city where you can experience our hand-made Vietnamese handicraft products

12h00: Arrive Halong Bay and photography time in Halong tourist waft

12h30: Boarding Royal Heritage Cruise for departure. Welcome drink will be served

13h00: Lunch is served while cruising through the Bai Tu Long bay.

15h15: Visit splendid Surprising Cave (Sung Sot Cave) – This is one of the most      beautiful grotto in Halong bay. You will feel surprise about imposing of stalagmites, stalactites and many legend stories about that.

16h15: Time for kayaking around Luon Cave area. You will have got around 45 minutes to explore halong bay and some tunnel by yourself.

17h00: Back to Royal Heritage Cruise and drop anchor in the calm water surrounded by beautiful islets for swimming.

17h30: Enjoy the complimentary sunset party on the sundeck with green Tea and fresh fruits.

19h00: Dinner is served in the restaurant.

21h00: Take some leisure time to enjoy chatting at the bar or enjoy some night fishing.

Relax and spend a romantic night on Royal Heritage Cruise

DAY 4: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HALONG BAY CRUISE TOURS – HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN TO DONG HOI (QUANG BINH) (B/L/-)

6h30: Start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt 

7h30: Have breakfast at sunrise

8h30: Continue your cruise to Titov Island

9h15: Back to cruise and exploring the Bay and visit Hoa Cuong fishing Village. Passing Ba Hang fishing village, Ga Choi island, Dinh Huong islet and more….

10h00: Join Vietnamese Cooking class.

10h30: Enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier.

11h30: Disembark at the harbor. Time to say goodbye to the crew.

12h00: Take our shuttle bus to return to Hanoi

16h30: Arrival Hanoi.

In the late afternoon transfer to Hanoi station for the SE3 night train at 23:00 to Dong Hoi (522km).

Overnight on the train

DAY 5: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: DONG HOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO PHONG NHA CAVE (B/-/-)

07:49: On arrival at Dong Hoi station, you’ll be picked up and transferred to have breakfast at a local restaurant in town. Then, set out the trip to Phong Nha, the World Natural Heritage Site which has been recognized by UNESCO since 2003. This complex of 14 grottoes situated in a region of limestone mountains in Ke Bang National Park.

Phong Nha Cave that has its total length of 7,729 m was once used by the Cham People as the Buddhist sanctuaries in the 9 and 10 centuries. Therefore, when visiting the cave, you will have a chance to explore the remainder of Cham altars and inscriptions inside the cave. Besides, the beautiful stalagmites which are reflected on the water are also admired.

After visiting Phong Nha Cave, we find our way to the hotel in Dong Hoi for check-in. Spend the rest of time at your leisure.

Overnight in Dong Hoi 

DAY 6: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: DONG HOI SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO HUE – HUE FAMILY TOURS (B/-/-)

After having breakfast at the hotel, travel overland for almost 5-hours to Hue, the former imperial capital, built by the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty during a time recognized as the golden age of Vietnam. For centuries, Hue has been a main cultural, religious, and educational center of Vietnam..

On arrival, you’ll visit the older section of Hue — a moated, walled citadel surrounded by eleven stone gates. Then, tour the citadel, the Imperial Enclosure, and its inner Forbidden Purple City, a private area reserved for the emperor. The American bombing in 1968 in response to a communist takeover of Huế flattened most of the Imperial city. Only a few buildings survived, such as the Thai Hoa Temple, Can Thanh Temple, The Mieu, and Hieu Lam Cac Reconstruction is still taking place, especially in the Purple City.

Overnight in Hue. 

DAY 7: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HUE SIGHTSEEING TOURS TO DANANG – HOI AN FAMILY TOURS (B/-/-)  

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive through the new section of the City to the harbor where you’ll enjoy a scenic boat trip on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda which is regarded as the symbol of Hue. After embarkation, you’ll climb a number of steps to reach it, but the effort is worth it. The Thien Mu Pagoda has its roots in a local legend: an old woman once appeared on the hill and said that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country’s prosperity.

Hearing of this, Lord Nguyen Hoang ordered the construction of the pagoda of the “Heavenly Lady” (Thien Mu). The octagonal Phuoc Dien Tower (1864) in the front of the complex rises 21 meters high and has seven levels. The seven successive tiers, each of which is dedicated to a human form taken by the Buddha or a step to enlightenment depending on whom you ask).

Near the entrance gate are 12 huge wooden sculptures of fearsome temple guardians with real facial hair. Near the rear of the complex houses a national relic: the car in which the monk Thich Quang Duc rode from his temple to Saigon on June 11, 1963. He stepped out of the car in an intersection, sat down in the lotus position, and burned himself to death in protest against the regime’s violations of religious freedom.

Continue your tour with a visit to Tu Duc Royal Tomb, considered to be one of the three most beautiful mausoleums around Hue. The emperor Tu Duc held the longest reign during the Nguyen Dynast and his tomb is situated on Van Nien Hill, 5 km outside of Hue. His corps however is not resting inside the tomb and to this day, no one knows the actual burial site.

After the emperor’s death, his remains were taken to a secret location and the 200 servants who had buried Tu Duc were beheaded to ensure that Tu Duc’s final resting place remained a secret. Tu Duc’s biography was engraved in stone by the emperor himself. The tablet is housed in the Stele Pavilion. The Stele weighs 22 tons and is the largest in Vietnam. Alternatively, you can swap to visit Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, located in Chau Chu Mountain near Hue in Vietnam. It was built for the Nguyễn Emperor Khải Định. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture. Though the smallest, Khai Dinh tomb is the most costly and recent compared with other Nguyen royal tombs.

In the afternoon, transfer to Danang (110km) with a stop-over on the Hai Van Pass overlooking the scenic Lang Co lagoon. In Danang, visit the Cham Museum, which houses the finest collection of Champa sculptures; some may date back to as early as 7th century. En route visit Marble Mountain, a scenic spot with caves, temples, shrines, pagodas and a great view of the surrounding area. The caves can be reached by climbing steep steps.

Proceed to Hoi An Ancient Town, known to early Western merchants as one of the major trading centres of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Hoi An has a mixed Chinese-Vietnamese atmosphere with low, tile-roof houses and narrow streets. Having been through many ups and downs in the past, the original structures, however, are still virtually intact. That was the reason to persuade the UNESCO to recognize Hoi An as a World Heritage in 1999. 

Overnight in Hoi An. 

Day 8: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HOI AN FAMILY TOURS TO MY SON HOLY LAND SIGHTSEEING TOURS (B/-/-)

Breakfast. You will be picked up from your hotel at around 8 to 8:30 am then drive to My Son Holy Land. My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam.

The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a must-see for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam. You will go back to Hoi An for lunch.

In the afternoon you’ll discover Hoi An, a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailor shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century.

You will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200 year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge.  You can also enjoy the hotel or resort facilities, spending you time at sea, shopping or getting some fast services tailor made clothes. 

Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 9: Vietnam Family Tour of Wonders to Halong Bay, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An: HOI AN – DANANG – DEPARTURE (B/-/-) 

Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to Danang airport for the onward departure flight. End of the trip