15 Days Vietnam and Luang Prabang Heritage Town Tour

ITINERARY

Day 1: Saigon | Arrive in Saigon

International Flight: Excluded
Meals: Dinner
Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Saigon, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure to relax.

Saigon(officially Ho Chi Minh City) is a bustling metropolis of the South and the economic muscle of Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, it was the main base center of the US military with the largest airport in the region. Prior to that, it was under French colonial rule and was an Asian hub of sea trade. The city is based in the Mekong River Delta region – the rice basket of Southeast Asia and where many exotic fruits are cultivated. Full of history and culture, Saigon will certainly be an interesting visit.

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 2: Saigon | Cu Chi Tunnels | Impressions of Saigon

Meals: Breakfast
See the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City during this full day tour, which includes the Cu Chi Tunnels.

In the morning, your guide will greet you at the lobby and escort you to the Cu Chi Tunnels. An immense network of connecting underground tunnels used during the war, you’ll explore the complex and see the ingenious traps, bomb holes, and narrow tunnels between underground bunkers.

Then you’ll come back to Ho Chi Minh City to visit the Reunification Palace, which was the home to the President of South Vietnam during the War, and the place of the end of the war during the fall of Saigon.

Then you’ll go on to see the Notre Dame Cathedral constructed by French colonists during their settlement. Across the road is the Old Saigon Post Office, a neoclassical architectural building which is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the city.

The next stop is Cholon, the Chinatown of Saigon, a thickly settled district rife with tea-houses and pagodas, and the famous Binh Tay Market.

To finish the tour, you’ll visit the Emperor Jade Pagoda, also known as the Tortoise Pagoda. This figurine-filled site of worship is considered by many to be Saigon’s finest.

Once the tour is completed, you’ll be escorted to your hotel.

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 3: Saigon | Mekong Delta Discovery: Vinh Long

Meals: Breakfast
Discover the Mekong River, essential to life in the heart of Vietnam.

After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, we will take you to Vinh Long where you’ll embark on a boat cruise to the vibrant Cai Be floating market. Be prepared to see fresh spices, mints, and local fruits. If you’re adventurous, you can take of one of the many colorful fruits in season.

The next stop is the Hoa Binh Phuoc islet, full of local homes where the families produce tiles and ceramics. You’ll visit the rice-paper kiln and coconut candy kiln where you can walk around and observe daily country life. You can have the opportunity to taste fresh made coconut candy which has a soft and chewy consistency.

When the tour is finished, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh.

Floating Market at Mekong Delta

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 4: Saigon – Danang | Leisure | Flight to Danang

Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to relax or have own exploration in the city.

Board an afternoon flight to Danang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your resort next to the beach for check-in. Danang is a gateway to explore both the nearby Hoi An heritages and the beautiful beaches.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 5: Hoi An – Danang | 4th Century Cham Ruins and Hoi An Ancient Port Town

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, you’ll transfer to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, lay the 4th century My Son Holy Land Ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden from living or development. The ruins lay in a beautiful surrounding mountainous landscape. You’ll enter the temples while your tour guide gives you the history and stories of the Cham and the site.

In the afternoon, you’ll continue to visit Hoi An Ancient Town. This town features the 16th-century Hoi An port town in it’s preserved state. You’ll start the day visiting the Museum of Trade Ceramics. This museum houses art and pottery dating from the 1,500s to the 1,700s.

Then you’ll briefly visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, a temple from the 17th century which features China’s influence in the region. You’ll continue through the Ancient Town as the streets take on a magic of their own with old lanterns, French-style houses, intricately carved wooden doors and more. You’ll take a stroll through the Old Tam Ky House to see it’s imperial styles meshed with French overtures. Continue on to stroll along the river and see traditional boats and locals on bicycles passing by. You’ll then approach the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge has connected the Chinese and Japanese sides of town over the waterway for centuries. The old wooden structure has shown amazing resilience for more than 400 years.

At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as colorful lanterns light up the town. After you’ve finished the tour, you will return back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 6: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast
Today is at your leisure to relax on the beaches of Danang.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 7: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast
Today is also at your leisure to relax on the beaches of Danang.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 8: Danang – Hanoi | Leisure | Flight to Hanoi

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy some leisure time in the morning.

In the afternoon, board a flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

After check-in, enjoy a stroll on your own around Hoan Kiem Lake outside your hotel. Feel free to also pick up a souvenir at the night markets or at one of the many trinket shops in the alleys and small roads of this historic part of town.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 9: Hanoi | Best of Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast
See the highlights of Hanoi during your full day city tour, enjoy the visit to cultural, historical and iconic landmarks.

In the morning, you’ll be escorted to see some of the most significant places in Hanoi.

You’ll begin by seeing the Tran Quoc Pagoda. This 1,400-year-old temple features ten tiers surrounded by gardens and which also hosts a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original bodhi tree under which Buddha sat. Next, you’ll pass by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a large memorial where the charismatic Vietnamese leader read the Declaration of Independence in 1945. Not far from here is the One Pillar Pagoda. This millenia-old structure was built on a large stone column in the middle of a pond to resemble a temple seen in the Emperor’s dream.

The 10th-century Temple of Literature

Then you’ll learn about the highlight of this tour – The Temple of Literature. The ancient university was erected almost a millennium ago and has hosted many of the most prominent scholars through Vietnamese history. The site features many gardens, pools, buildings, courtyards, and ancient trees where the best and brightest of Vietnam studied under the guidance of Confucius teachings.

In the afternoon, you’ll go on to see the Museum of Ethnology to learn about the different ethnicities in Vietnam. Next, you’ll take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see the Tortoise Tower sitting on the water. You’ll also be able to visit the Ngoc Son Temple, which rests on the lake with a narrow bridge for access.

Then you’ll enjoy a half hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The cyclo is a historic mode of transportation in the cities of Vietnam where a cyclist escorts you while you sit in a seat affixed to the front with a canopy over top. In the Hanoi Old Quarter, you’ll enjoy streets full of life with genuine shops and cafes frequented by locals.

The tour finishes with a Water Puppet Show performed by the world-renowned Thang Long Opera House. This performance features a talent unique to Vietnam. You’ll watch as water puppets perform the folklore legends of Vietnam while live ethnic music sets the mood.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 10: Hanoi – Halong Bay | Voyage Halong Bay with Cruise by Orchid

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning, your guide and driver will transfer you to Halong Bay. Upon arrival, enjoy refreshments at Private Lounge until boarding. Then board Orchid Cruise.

Receive a safety briefing and check in your cabins. The boat sets adrift for Da Chong islet, home to an old French lighthouse. Enjoy a sumptuous feast in the panoramic dining hall while en route to the isles of Con Vit and Gia Luan. The bay opens up to you with stunning green karsts towering above the water. This area receives very few cruise ships as it has just been newly opened up. Continue to Ba Trai Dao beach of Lan Ha Bay. A paradise with perfect beaches and natural beauty. Stop at one of the beaches for swimming or kayaking during the afternoon.

Sunrise at Halong Bay – 15 Days Vietnam Luang Prabang Heritage Town Tour

As dusk approaches, welcome the sunset with a local specialty – “Ba Kich”(a liquor made from Noni fruit). Back on board, you’ll join a cooking demonstration to learn a few Vietnamese culinary secrets. Enjoy your creation! Then time for supper in the dining hall. Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and seafood in a romantic setting. After dinner, you may enjoy watching the stars from the sundeck, watching a movie in the restaurant, or give night squid fishing a try with the staff(subject to seasonal availability).

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 11: Hanoi – Luang Prabang | Halong Bay Sunrise | Flight to Luang Prabang

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
Rise early for one of the top best sunrises in the world. Then head to the sundeck for an invigorating Tai Chi session amongst a picture-perfect backdrop of karsts, sea, and nature. Enjoy a breakfast in the dining hall before taking a journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes. Return back to the pier for check out and then transfer to Hanoi.

Board an evening flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Feel free to explore the beautiful city of Luang Prabang on your own to discover night markets selling local tapestries and souvenirs.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 12: Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Waterfalls and Laotian Monasteries

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
First, we visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. This then takes us to the beautiful Khouang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang.

Kuang Si Waterfall – 15 Days Vietnam Luang Prabang Heritage Town Tour

In the afternoon, your half-day city tour begins with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We also have time to visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai. A visit to Luang Prabang would be incomplete without ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 13: Luang Prabang | Befriending the Gentle Giants of Asia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, transfer to Elephant Village – an elephant sanctuary with a focus on rehabilitation and care of rescued elephants. Here you’ll meet the camp manager and receive a short briefing about the elephants. Throughout the day, you’ll take place in the following activities:

• • Riding an elephant – you’ll have the opportunity to ride directly on the neck of an elephant
  • Mahout Training – learn about the commands of how to communicate to the elephant
  • Enjoy lunch at the outdoor garden restaurant
  • Bathe your elephant – Go down to the nearby Nam Khan River to bath your elephant; perhaps the elephant will bathe you as well!

Then return to your hotel for leisure time.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 14: Luang Prabang | Boat Trip to Pak Ou Caves

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make Laos rice wine and rice whiskey. You’ll be able to try some and see the process they use to make it. Then we’ll reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.

Lunch will be served nearby the caves. During lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to try a local dish called “Orlam” which is a soup with vegetables and features a spicy wood that is partially edible. On return, we disembark the boat to visit a traditional weaving village of Ban Phanom, which is famous for its hand weaving.

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 15: Luang Prabang | Farewell

Meals: Breakfast
Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your homeward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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