Reunification Express

15 days Hanoi to Saigon

Welcome to Tailormade Vietnam Holidays...As we travel through Vietnam, we look forward to sharing our passion for this beautiful destination with you. All aboard for a ride you'll never forget! Travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on one of the most fascinating train journeys on earth. The Reunification Express is a vital lifeline between north and south Vietnam. Along its path we experience the many scenic, historical, cultural and culinary highlights of this marvellous country. For most of this century the service has been out of action due to various wars but in 1975 the re-establishment of the rail link between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City became a symbol of unity for all Vietnamese, hence the name Reunification Express. This trip is far more than just a rail journey though. We spend around 30 hours on the train, the rest of the time is carefully balanced exploring stately Hanoi and the natural wonder of Halong Bay, majestic Hue, relaxing Hoi An, the beaches and islands of Nha Trang and the dynamic and vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh. This is one of our most popular trips.

highlights

Explore the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Cruise Halong Bay, Experience life aboard the Reunification Express, Visit imperial Hue, Embark on a shopping spree in Hoi An, Swim in the South China Sea, Homestay on the Mekong River.

itinerary disclaimer

The itinerary attached is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in reality. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Please note that our brochure is usually released by the end of each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to improve the itinerary. It is very important that you print a final copy of your Trip Dossier to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans

DETAIL ITINERARY

Hanoi - Halong bay – Hue - Hoi An - Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City ( Saigon ) - Cu Chi Tunnels – Mekong Delta

Day 1 Hanoi arrival

You are met on arrival at Hanoi Airport and transferred to your hotel - please advise flight details at time of booking. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a charming city of about 4 million people, famous for its beautiful lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks. The city centre is an architectural museum piece, its blocks of ochre buildings retaining the air of a provincial French town of the 1930s, contrary to the fast living and bustling air of Saigon. As Vietnam develops to compete with other South East Asian countries, Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake reflects the modern office buildings, old Buddhist temples and tangle of ancient streets. The city hums with the never ending flow of bicycles, cyclos, latest model Mercedes Benzs and everything from the racy new Honda Dreams to 30 year old Russian motor bikes. The rest of your day is at leisure for independent exploration - a walking tour of the old quarter is a wonderful way to spend some of the day. You will find an amazing selection of shops in Hang Gai selling everything from souvenirs to exquisite silk clothing, beautifully embroidered tablecloths and CDs.

Overnight: Hanoi A1 hotel or similar

Meals included: None

Day 2 Halong Bay, Junk overnight

After breakfast we drive to Halong Bay (approx. 4 hours) and board our private boat. We enjoy a sumptuous seafood lunch on board while cruising through some of the thousands of limestone karsts within this World Heritage site. There is an opportunity to swim in the bay's emerald waters, explore caves with incredible formations of stalactites and stalagmites and enjoy the tranquility of this bay of wonders. We spend the night in on board our boat.

Overnight: On board deluxe junk boat

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 Return to Hanoi

On the morning of day 3 we we keep cruising for more exploration of Halong Bay before heading back to port, we may be able to visit Dong Trieu ceramic village as we make our way back to the capital Hanoi, one of the favourite cities, there is free time to venture into the Old Quarter, stroll the tree-lined boulevards or enjoy the tranquility of the lakes.
In the evening we attend a performance of traditional water puppetry.

Overnight: Hanoi A1 hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

WATER PUPPET SHOW

You absolutely must go to a Water Puppet Show (mua roi nuoc) when you are in Hanoi …especially if you have children or are a child at heart. They are absolutely charming and it’s a uniquely Vietnamese art form that you really won’t find anywhere else in the world. The stage is a small pool and the puppeteers hide behind a screen…so the brightly colored puppets come in and out of the water in amazing ways. The live music is wonderful and here is quite a cast of puppets from men fishing, to dancing women, a wide variety of animals …and of course fireworks and some modern stage effects. The hour show is done entirely in Vietnamese with accompanied by traditional Vietnamese sting instruments. It consists of short skits of traditional Vietnamese stories (that if you’ve been in Vietnam for awhile you will know). But you won’t need to know the stories or language to be totally enthralled. It was such a wonderful show that when you leave you will be “walking on water” !

Day 4 Hanoi sightseeing, overnight train to Hue

On the morning of day 4 we visit the Ho Chi Minh complex. We see Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, his house on stilts and the museum. There is time afterwards to take in some more sights of Hanoi or simply rest before the train journey. Our adventure aboard the Reunification Express begins with the overnight journey to Hue. We use 4-berth, soft sleeper compartments, which are simple but comfortable.

Overnight: Reunification Express train, private soft sleeper cabin

Meals included: Breakfast

Days 5-6 Hue

We arrive in Hue, another World Heritage site. The pace of life is slow and tranquility prevails in this former imperial capital of Vietnam. We have the opportunity to visit the Imperial Citadel, one of the Nguyen emperors' tombs, the famed Thien Mu Pagoda, and also enjoy a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River. With 2 full days here, there is time to explore the city's many Buddhist pagodas, outlying handicraft villages and the busy Dong Ba Market. Enjoying a coffee at one of the riverside coffee shops at sunset is also an experience not to be missed

Overnight: Asia hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfasts

THE IMPERIAL CITY

When Hue was established as the country’s capital by Nguyen Emperor Gia Long, he built a vast citadel with the Imperial City at its centre, designed in keeping with the symmetrical layout of the Forbidden City in Beijing (about a north-south axis). During it’s period of prosperity the Imperial City consisted of some 148 splendidly decorated buildings - palaces, assembly halls, pavilions, ancestral alters, and gardens spread over 6km2. During the Vietnam War the site was devastated, but a number of the buildings have now been restored to their former glory.

THIEN MU (“HEAVENLY LADY”) PAGODA

Built in 1601, by Lord Nguyen Hoang, this is Hue ’s oldest and finest pagoda, romantically situated on the banks of the Perfume River . The pagoda takes its name from a legend about a lady who appeared to Nguyen Hoang and told him of the spiritual significance of this place by the river. He erected the pagoda to mark the event and the importance of the site. Throughout its history, the pagoda has been a centre for Buddhism in Hue and, more famously, its monks waged strong opposition to colonialism and the repression of Buddhists by President Diem in the 60s.

MAUSOLEUMS OF THE NGUYEN EMPERORS

Unlike other Emperors in Vietnam ’s history, who were buried in ancestral villages, the Nguyen rulers had grand mausoleums built as their final resting places. They are situated in the forested valley of the Perfume River, 12km away from Hue city, surrounded by lovely gardens - a wonderfully tranquil place to spend a couple of hours.

Days 7- 8 Hoi An & Sandy Beach

Leaving Hue , our bus journey takes us south through rural countryside and the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co before ascending the dramatic Hai Van Pass. We drive the short distance south to famous Sandy Beach and then to the newly declared World Heritage Site of Hoi An (approx. 4 hours). Once a thriving river port, the town's architecture has been preserved and restored. This small town is a favourite with CTV passengers and leaders alike, and wandering the streets and narrow alleyways brings hours of pleasure and discovery. Today's trade is in ceramics, wood-ware, paintings and tailoring. There is something here for everyone and it is the perfect place to pick up gifts for those at home. There are options here for a half day tour to My Son, another World Heritage of Vietnam, or a boat trip to the handicraft villages of Kim Bong carpentry, Thanh Ha ceramics or simply lazing the day away on a neaby beach.

Overnight: Hai Au hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Days 9-11 Nha Trang

Boarding the Reunification Express, we marvel at the breathtaking scenery outside the window during our journey to the beachside city of Nha Trang. It is a long but interesting journey (approx. 9 hours). We arrive in Nha Trang in the early evening and will be transfered to our hotel.
Once referred to as the 'Cannes of the Orient', Nha Trang is one of Vietnam's most attractive coastal towns, with its charm derived from a harmonious combination of mountains, islands, sea and sand. The sandy palm-lined beach and island dotted bay remain an idyllic picture, and a cosmopolitan feel prevails in the town itself.
A highlight for most CTV passengers on this trip is our boat cruise, complete with seafood lunch, the cruise also offers the opportunity to swim in the warm turquoise waters of the South China Sea. For those who rise early, an experience not to be missed is early morning exercise on the beachfront. Very much a resort town, Nha Trang boasts restaurants of all cuisines, a variety of bars and nightlife, it also has an excellent local market for exploring
On the evening of day 11 we re-board the train for our final overnight journey to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight: Que Huong hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfasts

Day 12 Sai Gon

We have an early arrival in the economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City. Our hotel is located close to Ben Thanh Market and the city's main shopping district, so there is much for you to discover on your own.

Overnight: Tan Hai Long 1 hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Days 13-14 Mekong Delta homestay - Cu Chi tunnels

On day 13 we travel south to Cai Be (approx. 3 hours), we board our waiting boats to cross the upper Mekong River and explore its intricate waterways. This is our introduction to a world where life depends on the river. We visit a fruit orchard where we can sample tropical fruits, before continuing on to visit some local cottage industries. Around sunset we make our way up one of the many canals to our homestay. Our treat this evening is a wonderful meal of Delta specialities before settling down under our mosquito nets for the night.

Overnight: Homestay in Vinh Long

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

MEKONG DELTA & HOMESTAY

Making its way from the plateaus of Tibet through China, Laos and Cambodia, the Mekong fans out as it reaches Vietnam, originally forming nine tributaries that gave the delta region its Vietnamese name ‘Cuu Long” (meaning nine dragons). Once aboard a little wooden boat you’ll find yourself in amongst the water highways that are used to transport everything from school children, to mountains of rice husks and baskets of glisteningly ripe fruit. The delta supports a mass of cottage industries and at every turn there are people making rice paper, or piling pots into smoking kilns and bashing out tools for harvesting the plentiful supply of rice. After chilling out in a hammock over lunch you’ll get to jump in a rowing boat and don a conical hat for a peaceful trip downstream (experienced rower provided!). Home for the night is courtesy of a local family in a house on the edge of the river where their amazing hospitality has to be experienced to be believed. After exploring the area, feasting on an excellent dinner and washing it all down with rice wine it is heaven to watch the fireflies flicker about and have the sounds of the river soothe you to sleep. We sleep in army-cot style bed complete with basic bedding and a mosquito net, but you will need to bring a towel. Shower facilities are also available to help freshen up for the following morning of discovering life around this beautiful region.

Activity starts early in the Delta, so we're up with the birds. After breakfast we visit the busy Cai Be floating market before re-boarding our bus and heading to the tunnels of Cu Chi (approx. 4 hours). This former Viet Cong stronghold provides an insight into the resourcefulness and tenacity of the Vietnamese people.

We return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon (approx. 2 hours).

Overnight: Tan Hai Long 1 hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 15 Departure

Today is at your leisure in Ho Chi Minh City . You are free for more exploration until transfer to the airport for the flight home. Extra nights can be added in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tour includes:
• Accommodation with daily breakfasts
• Extra meals as per the itinerary
• All transfers and transportation as dedicated in the itinerary
• Tours and excursions as described in the program
• Local English speaking tour guide
• Entrance fees and permits where applicable during guided time
Tour excludes:
• International flights and visas
• Pre & post trip arrangements
• Transfers beyond the itinerary
• Entrance fees and permits during free time
• Travel insurance (compulsory)
• Food & drinks not mentioned within the itinerary
• Tips and gratuities
• Expenses of a personal nature such as bar bills, laundry and telephone charges
• Other services not clearly described in the program

General Notes:
• Tailormade Vietnam Holidays reserves the right to alter or revise the prices and the itinerary when circumstances beyond the company's control deem it necessary.
• Accommodation in hotels is subject to availability. If the listed hotels are fully booked, alternate accommodation will be offered at the same level.
• If there are any requests regarding special meals, dietary requirements, early check in, late check out, adjoining room and so on, please inform the company when booking. Such requests are subject to confirmation and availability.

Before you travel it is essential that you read carefully this dossier which you can download from our website.

We regularly update our dossiers. Please check our website to ensure that you have the most up to date copy

The itinerary and supplementary information has been compiled with care and provided in good faith. However it may be subject to change, and DOES NOT form part of a contract between the client and Tailormade Vietnam Holidays