7D HANOI – SAIGON

07:40 - 8:30 meet your tour guide at your hotel. Then, we will start the trip with Tran Quoc pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake. Continue to visit Ho Chi Minh complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father; his house-on-stilt and One pillar pagoda – modelled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi. Then, we will head to Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 dedicating to Confucius, sages and scholars. It was also the first university of Viet Nam once. Relax and have lunch at a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter. In the afternoon, explore the culture of 54 ethnic groups of people in Vietnam with a visit to Ethnology Museum. Afterwards, arrive legendary Hoan Kiem lake. Visit Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao - General Commander for his struggle against Mongolians. 16:00 Arrive back in your hotel. Have dinner at local resturant.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by cruise shuttle bus to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam – Halong Bay. The drive takes you through beautiful paddy rice and mountains of the Red River Delta. Visiting the bay, you will experience the magic of the wonderful wonder of the world. From the harbor, board our boat for a cruise among the numerous limestone karst rising from the emerald water. Make a stop en route to visit a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmite. Meals will be served on the cruise. Overnight on the cruise. Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Note: meals on boat are local food. Vegetarian food is available upon request.

After breakfast, enjoy your time to sunbathe and relax in the fascinating background of the bay. After brunch on board, you will be transfer back to the airport to catch the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Welcome on arrival and transfer to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to check in. Overnight at the hotel.

Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. We will visit the following places of interest:

• The Reunification Palace: Here on April 30th, 1975 the Vietnam War officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.
• War Remnants Museum: Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, this is a poignant display of the futility of war.
• Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office: Built between 1877 and 1883 this is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture.
• Jade Emperor Pagoda: Built in 1909 in honor of the supreme Taoist god, this is one of the most spectacularly atmospheric temples in HCMC, stuffed with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes.

After a few hours discovering the city, you will enjoy your lunch at a famous Phở restaurant (Vietnamese noodle soup) before we drive about 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside before arriving at Ben Dinh tunnels, Cu Chi. We may stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

• Upon arrival, you’ll watch a brief of propaganda video, which explains how the tunnels were used to successfully defeat American military forces in combat.
• The tour continues and the guide explains some traps that were placed in the jungles of Viet Nam to either maim American soldiers or create panic amongst the ranks.
• From here, you can enter one of the tunnel entrances and crawl through the tunnels is a real experience to imagine how people could live there for an extended period!
• There is a shooting range where you can try to fire an automatic or semi-automatic weapons for a fee (this fee is not included)
• Take some rest at the end for a taste of Củ Chi boiled tapioca and thinking what humans are capable of when having to defend their home.

We drive back to Ho Chi Minh city and drop you to your hotel. Have dinner at local resturants. Overnight at hotel.

Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, and drive 1,5 hours to My Tho. We will stop along the way for refreshments and toilet. Upon arrival, we board a motor-boat and cruise along a vast network of canals and channels to enjoy wonderful views of the Mekong River, including four famous islands “Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix”. Stop at one of the floating fish houses, in nets and wire baskets under their house, the villagers cultivate freshwater fish and shrimp - a major export product of the region. Cross the River to the other side, you will stop at a traditional workshop to witness a step-by-step process on how to make coconut candy, honey farming… while trying some yourself and listening to traditional music. Enjoy what local people offer by hand rowing a sampan along the shady, breezy canal. We will transfer to local transportation called Xe Loi to travel throughout the villages. Lunch will be served at a riverside restaurant with a Vietnamese 5-course set menu. Please request in advance if you have a food allergy, you are a vegetarian, or you observe Halal. Take a rest after lunch before boarding the motor-boat back to My Tho. We drive to Vinh Trang pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem built in the middle of the 19th century. There are many Buddha statues including some that are over a hundred years old. Have dinner at local resturant.

You are free to relax until being transferred to the airport (without guide) for your departure flight. Room is at your disposal until noon time. Meals on your own.