Day 1: HANOI
ARRIVAL (-/-/-)
Upon arrival Noi Bai airport in Hanoi,
the tour guide of Binhtours will be there holding a welcome board with your
name on it to welcome and pick up you.
We drive 45 minutes to your hotel in the city center for checking in.
Depends on your arrival time, you will be free at leisure to relax after the
long flight or take an orientation tour to get to know the city.
We will visit Hoan Kiem lake and Ngoc Son temple, Ma May Ancient House
at 87 Ma May street. This is one of rare ancient house still preserved in Hanoi. The house was
built at the end of the 19th century according to the structure of traditional
house. Walk around the Old Quarter. This is a wonderful chance for you to get
closer to the daily life of Hanoi
people and take plenty of chances to capture your best shots. Later on, you
will enjoy a show of Water Puppetry, a stage art created by the Vietnamese
peasants. The show last more than an hour and is a wonderful opportunity to
learn about some of Vietnam’s
mythology, traditions and current customs. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: HANOI
– HALONG overnight on boat (B/L/D)
After breakfast, at around 08.00am, we leave Hanoi
for Halong Bay, a World Heritage with thousands of
limestone and dolomite island and islets. It will take you roughly 3.5 hours
to arrive Halong with stops en route for your refreshment. Upon arrival in
Halong, check-in the Deluxe Junk where will spend your 2-day-1-night trip.
Enjoy a lunch of fresch seafood while the boat goes about unusual seascape with
thousands picturesque rocks and islets, beaches and hollow islands.
Within your time on boat, you will enjoy the visit to karst grottoes,
swimming, and other activities as well as the magnificiant sunset on Halong Bay.
Dinner and overnight on the boat.
Day 3: HALONG – HANOI – Evening flight to
SAIGON (B/L/-) VN1149: 18.00-20.00 or VN1157:
18.30-20.30
The Vietnamese call the “South China Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous
seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. Our boat will continue to cruise
in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its
shape or reminiscen like Sail island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or
Turtle islet etc. Enjoy the brunch on board before back to Halong Wharf.
The driver and car is waiting to bring you to the airport for the evening
flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city),
the biggest cities of Vietnam VN1149: 18.00-20.00 or VN1157: 18.30-20.30
Welcome by your new tour guide upon arrival and being transferred to
hotel for checking-in. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 4: SAIGON CITY TOUR – CU CHI TUNNEL
(B/-/-)
Marvel at the pace of change in this youthful energetic city as we
embark on a walking tour along historic Dong Khoi Street – the former Rue
Catinat. Gain an insight into recent history with visits to the Reunification Palace
and War Remnants
Museum, and wow your senses on a walk
through the Binh Tay wholesale market in Chinatown.
Afternoon, we leave Saigon for more than an hour driving to visit the
amazing Cu Chi tunnels, one of the few remaining monuments to the Vietnam War.
Beneath the ground lie 200 km of tunnels, dug by hand and inhabited by the
forces of the Vietnamese guerillas during the conflict. At its peak, prior to
the Tet Offensive in 1968, the tunnel complex was base to almost 10,000 troops.
To this day, it remains one of the most impressive examples of how fierce the
war was. Back to the city center late afternoon for your leisure evening.
Overnight in Saigon.
Day 5: SAIGON – CAI BE FLOATING MARKET – SAIGON
(B/L/-)
We leave Saigon after breakfast for 2.5
hours driving to the Mekong Delta. Upon embarkation on Cai Be Princess sampan,
you are welcomed with fresh cotton towels.
The tour will start with the visit of Cai Be colorful floating market,
cruising among local sampans coming from all provinces of the delta full of
fruits and vegetables. Your sampan will
proceed to Dong Hoa Hiep island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During a
40 minutes cruise, you will be able to discover beautiful landscapes along the
river and observe the typical Mekong delta
rural life. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River
still remain unknown to many people.
Visit at an ancient mandarin house dating from the 19th century where
the family will welcome you with a cup a tea. Back on board, we will lead to you to observe the activity of the
biggest rice stock market. Further, others stops will allow you to see a
traditional bricks and tiles factory and how locals are using palm leaves for
houses. Cruising 20 minutes further to Phu An hamlet passing by Cai Be
beautiful church, we will have a visit at some interesting home factories to
see how rice paste is made, but also rice cookies, coco candies, as well as
longan fruits drying process.
Lunch will await you at Le Longanier, a superb Indochinese villa located
in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit orchards. After a
short walk along a beautiful canal, the excursion will end at approx. 3.30pm at
Ba Bon Bridge where your own private transportation vehicle will await you.
Return to Saigon in the afternoon. Free
evening for your own activities. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 6: SAIGON – SIEM REAP (B/-/D)
VN827: 11.40-12.40
Free at leisure until being transferred to the airport for an one hour
flight to Siem Reap. Welcome by the new tour guide of Binhtours upon arrival
Siem Reap airport and being transferred to your hotel in the town for
checking-in.
Photo by Veron Ang
After checking in and short break for your own lunch at local restaurant, start to explore south
gate of Angkor Thom: the Bayon temple, the Baphuon, the Elephant Terrace and
the Terrace of the Leper King. Continue to visit Preah Khan, Neak Prean &
Pre Rup temple and view sunset from the
top of Phnom Bakheng Hill. Enjoy a traditional Apsara dance performance in your
welcome dinner. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 7: SIEM REAP – MORE EXPLORATION OF ANGKOR
COMPLEX (B/-/-)
Monks at Ta Prohm
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Monk at Angkor Wat
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After breakfast visit the Ta Prohm temple which is a wonderful combination
of human genius and natural beauty. Giant trees have grown here for centuries.
Turn to visit Ta keo, the "Jewel of
Crystal" dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva that was built at the end of the
10th century. Continue to visit the Thommanon, the Chau Say temples and the
natural lake of Sras Srang.
Afternoon, visit Angkor Wat. The founder of the temple was Suryavarman
II who reigned Cambodia
from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century to dedicate to
the Hindu God Vishnu. The plan of the pyramidal conception of the temple
combined with spaces, alleys, ditches is an ancient masterpiece of
architectural design and construction. Back to the town for your leisure
evening. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 8: SIEM REAP – DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
After breakfast, we visit Banteay Srei: nearly everyone's favorite site.
The special charm of this temple lies in its compact size, remarkable state of
preservation, and the excellence of it decorative carving.
Back to the town and you will then be free until being transferred to
the airport to catch the departure flight leaving Siem Reap back home. End of services.
INCLUDE:
+ English or French speaking guides (Other languages available upon request)
+ Accommodation on Twin-shared basis at 3-star hotels or equivalent.
+ Packages joining overnight boat in Halong Bay with full board.
+ Other boat trips as mentioned in the program are on private basis.
+ Domestic air ticket: Hanoi – Saigon and airport tax.
+ International air ticket: Saigon (Vietnam) - Siem Reap (Cambodia) and airport tax.
+ Meals as indicated in the itinerary
+ Entrance fees & Sightseeing fees
+ Mineral water and wet tissue during tour (One bottle of 500ml/person/day)
EXCLUDE:
+ International flights to Vietnam and from Siem Reap and airport tax.
+ Travel insurance
+ Visa
+ Tips
+ Personal expenses