Impressions of Vietnam 13 Days 12 Nights

Hanoi, Sa Pa, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho

Day 1 Arrive Hanoi
Arrive at Hanoi Airport, meet your local representative and transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Royal Gate Hotel or similar 

Day 2 Hanoi – Lao Cai (B) 

Today you will depart on a full-day sightseeing tour of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Start the day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, before you walk through the local park to Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House. You will also visit the miniature One Pillar Pagoda before you make your way to the Temple of Literature, a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways, and one of the best serving examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this was also the site of Vietnam's first university. You will then visit the Museum of Ethnology, which brings to life the astonishing ethnic diversity in Vietnam with art and artifacts from the 54 different ethnic groups that inhabit the country. In the afternoon you will visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, both located in the heart of Hanoi. En route you will pass by a number of colonial landmarks such as the magnificent Opera House and St. Joseph’s Cathedral. You will also visit the tiny Tortoise Pagoda before you travel to watch a Water Puppet Show, a fantastic art form that originated in the northern Vietnam. At the end of your tour you will transfer to the train station to board your overnight train to Lao Cai in the north of the country. Accommodation: King Express Overnight Train or similar

Day 3 Lao Cai – Sa Pa (B)

Arrive in Lao Cai in the morning, and transfer to your hotel in Sa Pa for breakfast. After breakfast you will be met by a local guide and depart on a soft trek through beautiful orchid gardens and pine forests. Your first stop will be at the small village of Suoi Ho, which is inhabited by the Hmong ethnic minority. Continue on your trek, passing rice paddy fields and spectacular scenery toward the village of Ma Tra. En route you will make a quick stop at a local primary school. After arriving in Ma Tra you will have some time to explore before you transfer by vehicle back to Sa Pa. Along the way you will visit Ham Rong Mountain and San May (Cloud Yard). Arrive back at your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Sunny Mountain Hotel or similar 

Day 4 Sa Pa (B) 

Depart from Sa Pa in the morning and travel by jeep to the village of Lao Chai, where you will begin your trek. Today you will visit villages inhabited by the minority Hmong, Dzay and Dzao people while enjoying spectacular scenery of terraced rice paddies, waterfalls and the small bamboo forests that are unique to the northern region. Your trek will end at Giang Ta Chai, another minority village populated by Hmong and Dzay people. Transfer by jeep back to Sa Pa at the end of your trek. Day 5 Sa Pa – Hanoi (B) Depart from Sa Pa and transfer by vehicle back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi and check in to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Royal Gate Hotel or similar 

Day 6 Hanoi – Danang – Hoi An (B)

Transfer back to Hanoi Airport to board your flight to Danang. Arrive in Danang and transfer by vehicle to Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town. Hoi An is best explored on foot and your walking tour will begin at the Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, the town’s symbol. You will also visit the Sa Huynh Museum, the Tran Family Chapel and the Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall. You will also visit a local lantern-making workshop, where you will see skilled artisans creating traditional Vietnamese silk lanterns. Check in to your hotel at the end of your tour.
Accommodation: Ancient House Resort or similar

Day 7 Hoi An – Hue (B)

Depart from Hoi An in the morning and travel by vehicle to the city of Hue. Along the way you will cross the dramatic Hai Van Pass and pass by Lang Co Beach. Upon arrival in Hue you will depart on a bicycle excursion around Thuy Bieu village, passing through gardens, farms and the local market. You will also enjoy spectacular views of the Huong River. Return to Hue at the end of your excursion and check in to your hotel. Accommodation: Mondial Hue Hotel or similar Day

8 Hue (B) 

After breakfast you will transfer to the banks of the Perfume River to depart on a boat excursion. Your trip will take you to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, an elegant seven-tiered octagonal tower which has become Hue's most widely recognizable monument. You will also visit the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang before returning to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue you will begin your walking tour of the Imperial Citadel; a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modeled after the Forbidden City of Beijing. Approach the city past the striking Flag Tower, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead. Enter the Citadel through the imposing Ngo Mon Gate and visit Thai Hoa Palace, Dien Tho Palace, the Halls of the Mandarins and the original Nine Dynastic Urns. You will also visit the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum before ending the day at Dong Ba Market. Here you will have some free time for shopping before you return to your hotel. 

Day 9 Hue – Ho Chi Minh City (B) 

Transfer to Hue Airport to board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and depart on your city tour. Your tour will start at the Reunification Palace, a 60s style building that was famously stormed by tanks on April 30, 1975 signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state, and the original tanks remain on display near the entrance gates. You will then drive into the historic city centre to visit the Emperor of Jade Pagoda. You will then tour the colonial heart of the city, making a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. You will also pass by the ornate City Hall and the old Opera House before ending your tour at Ben Thanh Market. Here you will have some time to shop before you check in to your hotel.Accommodation: Liberty Saigon Parkview Hotel or similar

Day 10 Ho Chi Minh City (B)

Depart from Ho Chi Minh City in the morning and travel to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were an important Vietcong base during the War. Stretching over 200 km, this incredible underground network, dug by hand out of hard laterite, connected command posts, hospitals, shelters and weapon factories. Today, you can walk through the area and learn about the day-to-day life of the Vietcong, see the cleverly disguised entrances and elaborate booby-traps, and even venture inside the tunnels, some of which have been modified to accommodate tourists. You will then travel to Tay Ninh, the birthplace of the unique Cao Dai religion, a fusion of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and native Vietnamese spiritual beliefs. Every day at noon, worshipers garbed in colorful robes flock to the Cao Dai Great Temple to participate in the daily prayer sessions, which visitors may respectfully observe from the upper balconies. Return to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the day.

Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City – Can Tho (B)
Transfer by vehicle from Ho Chi Minh City My Tho, a bustling town in the rich agricultural region of the Mekong Delta. Here you will visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, which combines Asian and European architectural styles. You will then board a local boat to explore the islands of the Mekong, stopping at a fruit orchard to enjoy fruit and tea while listening to local music. The trip also includes a brief sampan ride through the tiny waterways that thread the island. At the end of your tour you will travel by vehicle to Can Tho and check in to your hotel. Accommodation: Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel or similar Day 

12 Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City (B) 

In the early morning you will set out by boat to explore the Cai Rang Floating Market, the biggest and most bustling of the Mekong Delta markets, which attracts fruit and vegetable vendors from all over the region. Buyers on smaller boats weave between the large barges selling wholesale produce. Each vendor advertises fresh samples of their wares on long poles that tower overhead above the colorful boats. Sail through the market, watching people haggle and trade, and possibly sample some of the fruit yourself. By 9AM the activity has died down and it is time to return to the pier, after exploring some of the backwaters and canals. Transfer by vehicle from Can Tho back to Ho Chi Minh City and check in to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Liberty Saigon Parkview Hotel or similar 

Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City – Departure (B) 

Transfer to the airport where you will board your return flight back to Canada.

B – Breakfast

Estimated Air Taxes and fuel surcharge of $425 - $500 are additional.
HIGH SEASON AIRFARE SURCHARGE is additional and is subject to the date of travel. ADD-ON AIRFARES from other Canadian cities are available on request. ~~ ALL PRICES ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ~~ Your Tour Package Includes:  Domestic Airfare within Vietnam.  Return transfer between airport and hotel.  Superior hotel accommodation with daily breakfast.  Sightseeing Tours with admission and meals as per itinerary.  Professional English Speaking local guide service. Your Tour Package Does NOT Include:  International Airfare from Canada to Vietnam.  Any applicable weekend and other surcharges imposed by airlines.  Any taxes, airport fees and fuel surcharge.  Travel insurance, Travel Visa and all personal expenses.  Tipping and gratuities to local guides, drivers, and hotel staff.  Any items not specified as included.