The Best Of Vietnam With Pu Luong

Welcome to Saigon – Vietnam!
Upon arrival, transfer from Tan Son Nhat airport to the center of Saigon then check-in at hotel. At leisure to relax and get rid of jet lag. Overnight in Saigon. 
Meal: None
Please note: Hotel check-in time is around 14.00.  

We start the city tour at the Reunification Palace, the witness of the fierce Vietnam War ended in 1975. The grand building today is a Museum and Hall of official receptions. Nearby the Palace are the colonial-styled Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. Our last stop this morning will be War Remnants Museum. 
Lunch will be served at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we drive overland to Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese guerrillas to protect the region against the American attacks during the Vietnam War. We can even crawl a part inside the tunnel, visit their infirmary, kitchen.... to discover how people had survived hereby.
Back to your hotel later on. Overnight in Saigon
Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant. 
 

This morning, we leave Saigon for My Tho, in the heart of Mekong delta with visit to the beautiful Vinh Trang pagoda on the way. Upon arrival, we will take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view the stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank. Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit& honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by locals. 
Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. Overnight in Saigon
Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant. 
 

Suggested flight from Saigon to Da Nang via VN 116 at 9.55-11.20 or similar
Moring transfer to airport for your onwards flight to Danang.
Upon arrival, picked up from Da Nang airport to your hotel in Hoi An to drop off luggage. 
Together with our guide in Hoian, we’ll walk over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls, visit ancient houses and Trading Houses, pagodas and stroll into the market located by Thu Bon river, where we may find out the same feelings of the artists, who see the rooftops of Hoi An a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration. This is also a wonderful town to shop for lanterns, soft silk, raw silk, or get your clothes tailored within a day.
Overnight in Hoian
Meal: Breakfast at hotel  
 

Breakfast at hotel. 
There will be nothing better than a day at leisure in the ancient town of Hoian to refresh yourself and chill out your recent impression of your visits in Vietnam. At leisure the whole day and overnight in Hoian.
 
OPTIONAL TOURS: 
FULL DAY GOLDEN BRIDGE WITH BUFFET LUNCH
Program:     
07h00 – 08h00:     Morning pick up and depart to Ba Na Hills. 
09h00:    Arrive at the cable car station Suoi Mo, up the cable car route that achieves 4 world records.
09h30:       Check-in the 150-meter long "Golden Bridge" supported by the huge hands. Visit the Le Jardin, Debay Wine Cellar of French. Visit the Linh Ung pagoda, admire the 27m high Buddha statue, Loc Uyen Garden, Quan Am Cac. Continue to Gare Debay use the second cable car route to go to the top of Ba Na. 
    Visit Fantasy Park, join in adventurous, fun, and modern games such as Love Swing, Skiver Pilot, Fire Racing Track, Bumper Car, Ghost House...
11h30:     Buffet lunch at Restaurant
12h30:     Leisure time to explore the area or Conquer the Peak of Chua mountain at the height of 1,487m – Visit Ba Chua Thuong Ngan Temple. Enjoy the panorama view of the Da Nang City and Da Nang Bay
14h30:     Return to cable car station and back to Da Nang
15h00:     Shopping Local Specialties. 
Return to your hotel later on.
Services included: Car pick up - drop off at hotel, Cable car fees, Entrance fees to Fantasy Park, Buffet lunch, English tour guide
Services not included: Personal drink during meals, Visit Wax Statue Museum fees, Coin games, Drink wine at Wine Cellar 

Breakfast at hotel, we will then depart from Hoian to Hue by deluxe minibus. 
Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel in Hue to drop off luggage. Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. This morning, we will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City.  Move on to the colorful Dong Ba market where you can see many of ingredients for making Hue local food, and explore the local business life. 
The best way to explore local culture is through its unique cuisine. Around noon time, we shall embark on a special street food tour to discover the other side of Hue. Our journey start from Sticky rice dumplings on a fried dumpling (Ram It) or Filtered tapioca dumplings (Banh Loc) to the well-known Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun Bo Hue). The street food tour finish at a small restaurant serve Sweet soup (Che), a scrumptious local delicacy made of tapioca and various local ingredients. Or, if sweet soup is not your style, a Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk awaits. 
Overnight in Hue.
Meal: Breakfast at hotel  
 

Suggested flight from Hue to Hanoi via VN 1542 at 10.20 to 11.40
Breakfast at hotel. At leisure till pick up to the airport for your onward flight to Hanoi. 
Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel in Hanoi to drop off luggage. This afternoon, we will have an overall view of the capital by a walking tour in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, stop at Ngoc Son Temple located on the Hoan Kiem Lake (the “Sword” Lake), and at Bach Ma Temple. Late afternoon we will enjoy a unique fascinating show of Water Puppetry, a traditional stage art of Northern Vietnam. Before heading back to hotel, enjoy a relaxing 30 minutes foot massage session at a local Spa. Overnight in Hanoi.
 

AM: Pick up at Hanoi Opera House at 7:00 AM and a few hotels in the Old Quarter area. Depart to Pu Luong Nature Reserve by 7:30. Estimate a 4-hour drive without heavy traffic. Stop halfway at a part of Cuc Phuong National Park for rest around 20 minutes. Before noon, arrive at Pu Luong and have lunch. After that, check in your reserved room. Free to relax and wander around. 
PM: A whole afternoon to explore village life at Pu Luong and seek for giant water wheels - the greatest creation of mountainous ethnic minorities in Vietnam. Transfer to Ban Cong and start an easy walk. Go across a wooden bridge to one of the most scenic villages at Pu Luong where the largest stream flows through. Keep walking alongside the river, you will have opportunities to see stuning landscape and rice fields. Together admire giant water wheels and tour guide will show you more about village life.
Arrive at Chieu Lau dam and and join a river rafting. Time to relax and enjoy the views around. Have fun to paddle the raft upstream with locals. Then, on the other side of the dam, take a 1.6KM walk through rice fields, villages to the main road and transfer back.
When the sun sets, get back your hotel. Free time at your own. Overnight in Pu Luong.
 

AM: Wake up in refreshing mountain air. Breakfast is served from 6:00. Recharge fully and get ready by 8:00.
Walk down the valley to Don village known as the epicenter of Pu Luong. The area offers an easy road through vast terraced fields. You will have chance to admire stunning ambience changing just after some footsteps. After some walks, you will pass by Uoi hamlet. Looking from high, the hamlet stays humble at the foot of the grand mountain. We promise, the landscape will feast your eyes and overload your phone card memory.
Continue walking down the hill to Lan Village liken as “Kingdom of Thai People in Pu Luong” with 100 Thai People families. Leisurely either ride bicycle (optional) or stroll around paddy fields and you can catch lively and close sights from cool streams, farmlands, ducks paddling in ponds to friendly locals there.
After that, transfer back for lunch (optional) by 11:30. Check out your room.
PM: Say goodbye Pu Luong and get back to Hanoi. Return to your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
 

If you wish to see how the Hanoi people rise and shine in the morning, wake up early and run to a lake close by your hotel, you can join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals, passionately attentive in their morning exercises of Tai Chi quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance and so on. After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Dinner with fresh seafood. Overnight onboard.
Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and dinner on board.  
Please note: The program may change due to the weather without notice.
 

Morning wake up with a taichi-quan or yoga exercises guided by the crew before having breakfast whilst your boat goes on between Halong islets. Return to the Wharf to be back to Hanoi by shuttle bus at midday. Arrive in the city around 3-4pm. Overnight in Hanoi.
Meal: Breakfast and brunch on board.  
 

After breakfast, free at leisure for relax or shopping (your own arrangement) before transferring to the airport for your onwards flight back home. End of service. 
Meal: Breakfast at hotel 
Please note: Hotel check-out time is around 12.00. 

OPTIONAL TOURS:  
FULL DAY BAI DINH – TRANG AN BOATING – MUA CAVE WITH BUFFET LUNCH
Itinerary:
07:00 – 07:30 – Our guide will meet you at your hotel/stay and start 110km modern bus-journey through verdant landscape of country side. Short-brake en route.
10:00 – Arrive Glimmering Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away.
This pagoda complex is stunningly boasting an array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it takes a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones. Visit The Quan Yin statue with thousands arms and eyes, Visit Gautama Buddha statue.
With sacred atmospheres and intriguing Buddhism story which presented by Go Asia Travel’s insider guide, you cannot fail to enchant.
12:00 – Enjoy the lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisines.
13:30 – Leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields. Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle.
Embark on a traditional sampan gently rowed down the exquisite river through numerous caves: Lam Cave, Vạng Cave, Đại Cave, Thánh Trượt Cave,…and Cao Sơn Temple, Suối Tiên Temple, Vũ Lâm Temple…
15:30 – Arrive Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa Long mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with specious view of the nature.
17:15 – Return to our Deluxe minu-bus and then come back to Ha Noi
19:30 – Drop you off at your hotel/stay.  
Services included: Deluxe minibus pick up - drop off at hotel, Boat trip as per program, Entrance fee, Electric car at Bai Dinh Pagoda, Lunch at local restaurant. English tour guide
Services not included: Personal drink during meals, Other expenses not mentioned above.