Wonders of Vietnam

Day 1: UK/Hanoi via Kuala Lumpur
You’ll depart on your scheduled flight to Hanoi, via Ho Chi Minh City or Kuala Lumpur.

Day 2: Hanoi
You’ll arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, for a three-night stay.

Day 3: Hanoi
You can start to get to know Hanoi with an included city tour this morning, making visits to Hoan Kiem Lake, the Quan Thanh Temple and the Temple of Literature. This will be followed by a walking tour of the Ancient Quarter plus a trishaw ride. This afternoon a visit will be made to Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state. You will also see the simple cottage where Ho lived and worked, as well as the One Pillar pagoda. In the evening, there’s an included Water Puppet show after which Travelsphere customers will have exclusive access to the backstage area.

Day 4: Hanoi
Today you can enjoy a full-day included tour to Halong Bay, a beautiful spot made famous by the stunning limestone karsts that punctuate the waters of the bay, carved over millions of years by the action of the wind and sea. Local legend has it that the formations were created when a dragon crash-landed in the bay. You will take a four-hour boat cruise, including a seafood lunch, amongst these dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea. You will also enter one of the vast caves of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites to see the effect the sea has had on the interior of one of the karsts.

Day 5: Hue
After an early-morning transfer to the airport you’ll fly to Hue*, former capital of Vietnam, where you will stay overnight. Here, you’ll visit the Thien Mu Pagoda in its gorgeous setting overlooking the Perfume River, plus the majestic royal tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. A cruise on the Perfume River is also included today.

*Please note that the airport is scheduled to be closed for renovation work from March until the end of November 2013. During that time all flights will arrive into Danang airport and you will be transferred to Hue.

Day 6: Hoi An
This morning you’ll visit Hue’s Citadel, seat of royal power in ancient times. Despite war damage, there is still plenty to see, including the Noon Gate, Royal Palace and Flag Platform. You’ll then depart for the beautiful coastal drive to Hoi An, via the city of Danang, where a visit will be made to the Cham Museum, celebrating the artistic glories of the Cham people from the 7th to 15th centuries. Continue to the Marble Mountain and China Beach, before arriving in the charming seaport of Hoi An for a three-night stay.

Day 7: Hoi An
Hoi An is a delight – a picturesque, ancient riverside town and the most enchanting place on the Vietnamese coast. On a morning walking tour of its quaint streets, you’ll see the Japanese Covered Bridge, and 200-year-old merchant’s house. Hoi An is a relaxed and beautiful place in which to stroll and explore for yourself, too. In the afternoon, there will be a guided bicycle ride into the countryside.

Day 8: Hoi An
Today you’ll enjoy an included excursion to the stunning monuments at My Son, a major religious centre in the Champa Kingdom, which dominated this region from the 7th century to as late as the 19th.

Day 9: Saigon
In the afternoon, you’ll depart for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, better known as Saigon, where you will stay for two nights. It is a city of amazing contrasts. Evidence of former French colonisation still remains, and this, combined with the culture of the predominantly Buddhist population and the booming free-market economy, makes for a memorable visit.

Day 10: Saigon
This morning sees an included city tour, visiting the former Presidential Palace and War Remnants Museum, and the famous shopping street formerly known as Rue Catinat, plus Notre Dame Cathedral. In the afternoon, you’ll drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an amazing series of underground passages first constructed in the late 1940s by the peasant army fighting the French, and later extended by the Viet Cong rebels.

Day 11: Can Tho
After departing Saigon, you’ll take a fabulous journey into the Mekong Delta. The River Mekong descends for 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, and is constantly busy with sampans, barges and houseboats. You’ll drive first to Cai Be, where you’ll board a boat to cross the wide river, and then cruise through every shade of green along narrow inlets and canals, to a lunch stop at a farmer’s house, visiting local workshops along the way. Very little has changed over the centuries in this part of Vietnam, and everything and everybody has to travel by boat. Later you’ll continue by boat to Vinh Long, then to Can Tho for an overnight stay.

Day 12: Saigon
You’ll take a morning boat trip to the extraordinary floating market at Cai Rang, before returning to Can Tho to explore this bustling township and important trading post on the busy Mekong. In the afternoon you’ll make the return drive to Saigon for a final night.

Day 13: Saigon/UK
This morning you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK, via Hanoi or Kuala Lumpur.

Day 14: UK
You’ll arrive back in the UK today.

Please note
This holiday includes walking in areas of rough ground, gradients and steps.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star Sunway Hotel in Hanoi
4-star Park View in Hue
4-star Hoi An Beach Resort Hotel in Hoi An, where you will stay in beautiful tropical surroundings near the beach
4-star Golden Central in Saigon, located close to bustling markets, bars and restaurants.
4-star Victoria Hotel in Can Tho, situated on the banks of the Mekong
All guest rooms feature en suite facilities, and hotels are air-conditioned where necessary.

Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Hanoi tour with trishaw ride (half day)
Water Puppet show (with exclusive access to backstage)
Halong Bay cruise (full day)
Hue city tour (half day)
Hoi An walking tour (half day)
Hoi An countryside cycling tour
My Son (half day)
Saigon city tour (half day)
Cu Chi Tunnels tour (half day)
Cai Rang floating market visit

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights, internal flights, overseas transfers & other transportation
11 nights’ accommodation
All meals and full sightseeing
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager and Local Guides
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
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