Detailed itinerary
Welcome
to Tailormade Vietnam Holidays...As we travel through
Vietnam, we look forward to sharing our passion for this beautiful
destination with you. No being herded on and off tourist buses,
dragging through historical sites or being forced to eat at
certain restaurants - it is all about freedom to discover
Vietnam
for yourself. All means of transport are combined to get around.
The places you visit will give you a great insight into
Vietnam, like cultural
Hanoi
, dramatic
Halong
Bay, imperial
Hue
, the fabulous fishing
village
of
Hoi
An, rural Mekong Delta and frantic
Ho Chi Minh City
(Saigon)
highlights
Take
a cyclo ride in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Dive into the emerald-green
waters of Halong Bay, Stay on Cat Ba island, Trek the mountains
near Sapa, Explore Vietnam's imperial past in Hue, Cycle among the
rice paddies near Hoi An, Get a taste of local life in a Mekong
Delta, Crawl down a Cu Chi Tunnel.
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 – Cat Ba Island
– Hai Phong- Sapa- Hue - Hoi An-
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
This
morning you are collected at around 8.30am by your guide for the 4
hour drive to
Halong
Bay
. En route there will be a short stop at the Sao Do centre run for
and by handicapped children. On arrival we board our deluxe junk,
this traditional wooden sailing junk boat offers a unique way of
navigating the limestone karsts of Halong Bay with all the
comforts of a motorised, floating hotel. Once settled in, you
start your cruise round
the majestic
Halong
Bay
while enjoying a delicious lunch. After lunch you have the chance
to explore some of the limestone caves dotted around the bay.
Then, the captain will find a secluded spot where you can swim in
the clear water of the bay, soak up the sun on the top deck. In
the evening the cook prepares a sumptuous meal as the boat weighs
anchor in the heart of the bay. For those who are interested,
there is the opportunity to do some night fishing.
Overnight:
On
board deluxe junk boat
Meals
included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3 Halong Bay exploration
After breakfast, you
are transfered to a day – trip boat with private crew and
another wonderful cruise to the bay’s most untouched areas to
visit Tortoise island , Man's head island, Dong Tien Lake, Van
Gia floating villages..., if the tides are low, we have a chance
to visit Ba Ham Lakes, Three Peach Island. Lunch is served on
board by your chef, your cruise continues as you move around the
bay finding more secluded lagoons for swimming or kayaking. Late
in the afternoon we return to the mother boat for the night
Overnight:
On
board deluxe junk boat
Meals
included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day
4 Halong Bay - Cat Ba
Island
Rising
to the tranquil beauty of the bay you have time for an early
morning swim followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to
discover the natural beauty of the Bay along the way to Cat Ba
island where you have the options of visiting the national park,
cycling around town, taking a boat trip to Monkey island or simply
lazing the day away on nearby beaches. We spend the night in the
island
Overnight:
Holiday View hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast and lunch
Day 5 Cat Ba
Island
-
Hai Phong, overnight train to Sapa
We spend the mornig
free at your leisure, a popular option is taking a bike trip
around this beautiful island. After lunch we are ferried by
hydrofoil to the sea port city of Hai Phong. There is time
afterwards to take in some more sights of Hai Phong before
transfer back to Ha Noi for the night train to Sapa, we travel
in air-conditioned comfort in our soft sleeper cabins! (approx
10 hours)
Overnight:
Holiday View hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast
Day
6 Sapa
You
are met on arrival into Lao Cai in the early morning and
transferred to Sapa by minibus, driving through dramatic and
breathtaking scenery. The remainder of your day is at leisure to
explore this fascinating town. You can take some exercise with a
walk to Cat Cat village, set in a beautiful valley just outside
Sapa. As you walk to the village nestled in the valley below Sapa,
you will meet some of the local minority people on their way to
and from Sapa. These minority people walk to Sapa to trade at the
markets - always an exciting place.
Remember
that the weather gets cold particularly in January and February so
don't forget some warm clothing.
Overnight:
Holiday hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast
ETHNIC
MINORITIES OF
VIETNAM
There
is nothing better than walking amongst the rice paddy patchwork
that makes up the mountains of northwest
Vietnam
. To awake and wander off from the village among the clouds and
watch as the mist rises from the mountaintops is unforgettable.
Vietnam
is home to 54 ethnic minorities and a number of these have made
the mountainous region of the north their base. During our time
here we’ll meet many of these fascinating people and have the
privilege of staying as guests in their villages. As we wander
through the mountains we're constantly met by the delighted
squeals and smiles of children and we'll see many members of the
ethnic groups who still wear their traditional dress. We'll meet
people dressed in exquisite hand-embroidered clothes,and others
weaving fabrics, embroidering ancient patterns, dying cloth with
indigo and using beeswax to create a batik design. The ethnic
groups are well adapted to the harsh life on hillsides, and you
will see many terraces built into the slopes where rice and
vegetables are grown
Day
7 Sapa trek, overnight train back to Hanoi
After
breakfast, you set off for a two hour walk to Lao Chai village
with your guide which takes you along buffalo paths and trails and
through several hilltribe villages. This is an absolutely
spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the
friendliest people you can hope to meet, your vehicle will be
waiting to take you back to Sapa town. Arriving back in Sapa
around lunchtime, you have a free afternoon to further explore the
town before your transfer to the train station for the an
overnight trip to
Hanoi
Overnight:
Night train, private deluxe soft sleeper cabin
Meals
included: Breakfast
TREKKING
The
mountains and valleys of Sapa offer spectacular scenery, clear air
and fascinating hilltribe villages. The trek consists of a
combination of walking and moderate hiking. For the most part, we
walk along established tracks used by local people and the trek is
led throughout by a qualified guide. Although everyone can walk at
his or her own pace, there are some steep ascents and descents,
which can be tough on your legs. We recommend that you bring
hiking boots with ankle support as footing can be treacherous. You
will only require a small amount of luggage during the trek, and
you can leave the vast majority of your belongings in storage at
our hotel in
Hanoi
, leaving you with only a small daypack to carry. Our
accommodation will be in village houses. Basic bedding is
provided, but we recommend you bring your own sleeping sheet. As
we are trekking through one of
Vietnam
’s most remote regions, please be prepared for very basic
washing facilities.
Days
8-9
Hue
sightseeing
On
the morning of day 8 you will be transferred to the airport for a
short flight to
Hue
(included). Founded as a royal city in 1687,
Hue
is the gateway to the treasures of
Vietnam
's royal past. Today
Hue
remains one of
Vietnam
's major tourist attractions. This quiet city is widely known for
the magnificent architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal
tombs, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen dynasty in a
poetic background of greenery on the banks of the Perfume river.
We have the opportunity to visit the Imperial Citadel, one of the
Nguyen emperors' tombs, the famed Thien Mu Pagoda, the busy Dong
Ba Market and also enjoy a dragon boat cruise on the
Perfume
River
. 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
10-11 Hoi An
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, past stunning rural
and coastal scenery, to the town of
Danang
, visiting the
Cham
Museum
with its unique, Hindu style sculptures. We drive the short
distance south to famous
China
Beach
and then to the enchanting town of
Hoi
An - newly declared World Heritage Site (approx. 5 hours). Once a
thriving river port, the town's architecture has been preserved
and restored. This small town is a favourite with CTV passengers. 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: Breakfasts
Day
12 Sai Gon
You
are transferred to the airport for your flight to
Ho Chi Minh City
(included). You are met on arrival at
Ho Chi Minh City
Airport
and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, there is much for
you to discover on your own, how about scooting off on cyclos to
Cholon, the Chinatown area of
Ho Chi Minh City
for a spot of temple hopping? Or perhaps you'd like to visit the
Vietnamese version of a department store for some shopping - the
choice is yours!
Overnight:
Tan Hai Long 1 hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast
Days
13-14
Mekong
Delta - Cu Chi tunnels
Today we
travel south to Mekong Delta, this is our introduction to a
world where life depends on the river. After 1,5 hours driving,
we arrive in My Tho, you will enjoy different type of boat trip
(motorized boat trip and rowing boat trip) to islands where you
can visit local houses, see how they make delicious coconut
caramels and enjoy some tropical fruit here, we jump on the car
again for a drive to Can Tho City, across My Thuan Suspension
Bridge and cross the Hau River by ferry. Upon arrival, you check
in the hotel and relax after a long journey.
Overnight:
Sai Gon Can Tho hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast and lunch
Get up very early for breakfast so that we will be on time to
catch amazing scene of Cai Rang Floating Market. The guide will
pick you up in the early morning, check out and transfer you to
the boat quay. Now you start a cruise to explore the floating
markets
Leaving the market, you will take another boat trip along the
river bank and canals to see how people there live, visit
another orchard for relaxation. After that, you will boat to big
river and have lunch at a floating restaurant docking at Can Tho
River before re-boarding our car 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 late afternoon
Overnight:
Tan Hai Long 1 hotel or
similar
Meals
included: Breakfast
FLOATING MARKET
Floating markets are held every morning from 5:00 to about
11:00. On the floating markets you do not only find people
buying and selling goods, you also find floating restaurants,
floating bars, floating gas stations, and many other floating
shops. Boats loaded with produce from nearby orchards of the
Mekong Delta converge to the floating market. They carry mostly
fruits but also coconuts, vegetables and fishes. Buyers are
local traders with bigger boats snapping everything by the
bushels and resell at local markets or to wholesale dealers from
big cities, often for a handsome profit. Canals are here the
easiest and fastest way of transportation. All big boats have a
pole and each wholesaler hangs the goods he buys/sells on this
pole. This way, people on small boats know where they have to go
from a certain distance. Port Ninh Kieu, in Can Tho, is the
center of local activity. A ferry crosses the river from this
port to the local island of Xom Chai. This island is a nice
visit, specially during the sun set.
Day
15 Departure
Today
is at your leisure in
Ho Chi Minh City. You are free for more
exploration before transfer to Sai Gon airport for the flight
home. Extra nights can
be added in
Ho Chi Minh City.
Meals
included: Breakfast
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.