09 Days - Signature Vietnam

Day 01: USA or Canada - Hanoi, Vietnam
Arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. You are met and transferred to your hotel upon arrival.

Day 02: Hanoi
After breakfast, start exploring Hanoi, the quintessential Southeast Asian colonial city. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and house; the latter is a simple structure surrounded by banyan, poinciana and milkweed trees. Visit the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda, a historic Buddhist pagoda built in AD
1049. Then stop by the Quan Thanh Temple, a Taoist temple, home to the 13-foot-high Tran Vu bronze statue.

After lunch, explore the National Museum of fine arts and sample a local form of transport with a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter. In the evening,catch a roi nuoc (water puppetry) show.
This traditional art form centers on stories of local village life, with puppets
maneuvered by wires and rods over a “stage” of water.

Day 03: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
After breakfast, drive overland through the Vietnamese countryside, passing rice paddies and blue skies en route to Ha Long Bay. Board your luxury junk (boat), your accommodations for the night. Sail through this magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waters. After
lunch on the boat, disembark and trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the sail-dotted bay or swim on a secluded beach, or choose to stay on deck to sunbathe. Later, visit a fishing village and meet third-generation fishermen to learn about a traditional way of life. Return to the boat to see a sunset with a sundowner in hand, before enjoying dinner.

Day 04: Hanoi – Flight to Hue
Greet the day with a tai chi lesson on board as you catch the sunrise. After breakfast, sail to a spellbinding limestone grotto before heading back to shore. Return overland to Hanoi. In
the evening, fly to Hue, a historically significant city; it was the imperial capital for the Nguyen Dynasty, which left behind regal monuments and sprawling temples.

Day 05: Hue
This morning, continue your exploration of Hue. Visit Emperor Tu Duc’s tomb, a complex of terraces and pagodas. Then set off to discover Emperor Khai Dinh’s mausoleum — though smaller than Tu Duc’s, it is far more elaborate. Following lunch, take a scenic boat trip on the Perfume River, watching Vietnam’s mountainous backcountry landscapes pass you by as you cruise to Thien Mu Pagoda. Afterward, visit the Imperial Citadel, a 19th-century walled fortress taken by North Vietnam during the
Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War, shocking South Vietnamese and U.S. forces.

Day 06: Hue – Danang - Hoi An
After breakfast, transfer overland to Danang and continue to Hoi An. Upon arrival this afternoon, explore Hoi An, once a flourishing port under the Nguyen lords. Today, the charming town retains the spirit of a bygone era, with tile-roofed wooden buildings and ancient winding streets. Stroll through this pedestrianized town, losing yourself in the potpourri of vendors selling colorful handmade lanterns (a Hoi An specialty), tailor shops with local fashions on display and the intoxicating aroma
of Vietnam’s undeniable cuisine.

Day 07: Hoi An – Danang - Ho Chi Minh City
This morning after breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon. In contrast to sleepier Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City is an electrifying cosmopolitan city.
In the afternoon, discover Cholon, the city’s historic Chinatown, with its narrow streets lined with delis and homes of prestigious local businessmen. Then stop at the Thien Hau Pagoda, the most
important in the city.

Day 08: Ho Chi Minh City
Explore the rest of this fascinating city and surrounding sites today. Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, a key Vietcong resource during the Vietnam War. They span hundreds of miles underground and accommodated the Vietcong for up to two weeks at a time. Later, savor Vietnam’s intriguing culinary heritage at a local restaurant. After lunch, visit the Reunification Palace, formerly South Vietnam’s presidential palace, which remains largely untouched since it was built in the 1960s.

Day 09: Ho Chi Minh City – Departure
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Highlights of the trip:
- Absorb the mysterious beauty of Ha Long Bay - studded by soaring limestone islands - on an overnight stay in your private luxury junk  - Indochina Sails Junk (boat)
- Venture off the beaten track to UNESCO World heritage site Hue for an in-depth understanding of pre-colonial Vietnam
- Contemplate the natural beauty and tranquility of the region during a sunset boat trip in old-world Hoi An, another UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Experience Southeast Asia's legendary hospitality and relax in the region's award-winning hotels, including The Nam Hai with its private villas dotting China Beach
- Get a close-up view of Hanoi's Old Quarter with a cyclo ride, a mode of transportation still used by locals

Creating Unique Touring Experiences
All the touring itineraries on this website of Ethnic Voyage Vietnam™ have been carefully crafted by our in-country management teams and represent a series of experiences we can certainly recommend. However, we understand that every travel experience should be as unique and individual as each traveler. Our consultants are waiting to hear from you so that we can tailor or custom design a mulit-country tour to your individual specifications.