Day 1: Hanoi
ARRIVAL INTO HANOI NOI BAI AIRPORT.
Meet you outside of the arrivals hall and private transfer to Hanoi city, which takes around 45 minutes.
After your hotel check-in, you may wish to take a late afternoon or evening stroll of 2.5km around Hoan
Kiem Lake. The lake is considered the center of Hanoi, not only physically but also symbolically. Peaceful
and quiet, the lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island.
Hoan Kiem means “Lake of the Returned Sword”. The legend was that a famous and victorious king who
drove out the Ming army lost his sword when a turtle came up and took it when he was on a boat in the
lake. The legends also say that he originally received his magical sword from the turtle god of the area.
From early morning exercise, to courting couples at night, Hoam Kiem Lake is a pleasure to visit at
any time.
Day 2: Hanoi
HANOI CITY DISCOVERY
This day will take in the highlight sites and sights including: Streets of the Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh
Mausoleum complex, One-pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature and museums of interest.
Originally the streets of the Old Quarter teemed with many artisans manufacturing and selling their
wares. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations. We will explore this dynamic view of
everyday street life on foot in the morning light – it is a photographer’s paradise… all kinds of
portraiture, architecture and people at work – along with many street sellers and their wares.
The Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh is located in the centre of Ba Dinh Square, which is the place where Ho
read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of
Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum, which is protected
by a military honour guard. (inside mausoleum open Tue – Thur only). We continue to stroll through the
beautiful gardens surrounding the mausoleum which have nearly 250 different species of plants and
flowers, all from different regions of Vietnam. Also visit the simple ‘stilt house’ which Ho lived in and the
unique ‘One-Pillar Pagoda’.
T h e Temple of Literature was first constructed in 1070 and is dedicated to Confucius, sages and
scholars. Also here is The Imperial Academy – constructed in 1076, which was the first national university
of Vietnam, it has preserved its ancient architectural style of many dynasties.
Depending on time available, some museums may also be visited – notable are: Hoa Lo (Hanoi Hilton),
Museum of Ethnology and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum.
Also of interest to some visitors is the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. This UNESCO World Heritage Site
comprises two sections: the archaeological site at Hoang Dieu Street and the central axis of the
Nguyen Dynasty’s Citadel of Hanoi, which together create an integrated heritage complex.
This is a flexible full day of touring and you can discuss specific sites / sights and locations with your
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Day 1: Thursday 01-Nov-2018, Hanoi
Day 2: Friday 02-Nov-2018, Hanoi
guide, depending on your own personal interests and pace.
Take your seats for the Water Puppet Show at Thang Long Theatre.
Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique folk art that originated a thousand years ago during the Ly
dynasty. It originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today’s Vietnamese
water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.
The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool.
A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden
behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When the rice
fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.
With music, singing and special lighting, this is a very highly and enjoyable show for all ages.
Your clean, comfortable and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with expert driver will convey you and your
guide
Day 3: Halong Bay – Ninh Binh – Hanoi
ONWARD TO HALONG “BAY ON LAND
Your guide will be waiting for you late morning, when you disembark the cruise and then we’ll drive
south-west (approx 3 hours) to Ninh Binh Province, ready for your stay in the region locally known as
‘Halong Bay on Land’.
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Begin departure from Hanoi. The cruise company representative will meet you at your hotel approximately
08.00 (tbc) and you join the cruise company shared shuttle transport for your transfer to Halong Bay. The
drive through the Red River Delta will take approximately 3.5 hours with a refreshment stop along the
way. 12: 00 Arrive to Glory Legend Private Lounge at Tan Chau
12.00 – 12.30: Arrive at Tuan Chau Wharf – Break and photo opportunities at Glory Legend Private
Lounge
12.30: Transfer by tender to the boat
13.00 – 13.30: Check in and enjoy a Welcome Drink, receive cruise briefing and safety instructions.
13.30 – 14.30: Start cruising. Enjoy a deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu. Lunch is served
while the cruising through the bay.
15.00 – 15.45: Visit Luon cave by bamboo boat or kayaking based on your preference. Enjoy quiet space
and pure air, you will feel relaxed truly. You may have chance to see monkeys on islands.
Day 3: Saturday 03-Nov-2018, Halong Bay – Ninh
Binh – Hanoi
Day 4: Sunday 04-Nov-2018, Hanoi – Halong Bay
15.45 – 17.00: Visit the beautiful Soi Sim or Ti Top beach for swimming if the weather permits. Or you
can reach on the top of Soi Sim beach to have a panorama view of Halong Bay.
17.00: Back to the boat and free time.
Option (extra cost): Massage service available.
18.30 – 19.00: Cooking class on sundeck – How to make spring rolls. Then enjoy Sunset Party together
and Happy Hour (buys two drinks, gets one free from 18.00 to 19.00). It is time for chit chat and
relaxing.
19.30 – 21.30: Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Dinner
21.30 – 23.00: Evening activities include: Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar. Watching movies
and many sorts of Vietnam cultural films. Relaxing and spending a romantic night on Glory Legend
Cruise’s music. Reading magazines in room and dining room. Passengers may also try their luck with squid
fishing.
Option (extra cost): Massage service available.
23.00: End of Program for Day One.
Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi
06.15 – 06.45: Enjoy Tai Chi instruction on the sundeck (duration about 30 minutes).
07.00 – 07.45: Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries is served in the dining room.
07.45: Transfer by tender to the Sung Sot Cave. Walk up about 100 steps to the cave entrance and tour
the cave for approximately 45 minutes. Walk down about 100 steps and return to the boat. Proper shoes
are highly recommended.
09.00 – 9.30: Return to the boat then check-out and settle any on-board purchases in reception area.
10.00: Have brunch (breakfast/lunch) while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier. Relax on the
sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery as we approach the pier.
11.30: Transfer by tender to Tuan Chau pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew.
After disembarkation from your cruise, your shared transportation will be ready to transfer you back to
your hotel in Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi is mid to late afternoon.
Day 6: Hanoi – Da Nang – Hoi An – Da Nang – Hoi An
Private transfer to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport (flight details tbc).
Your guide will be with you for this transfer.
Scheduled domestic flight from Hanoi to Da Nang (approximately 75 minutes).
HOI AN WALKING TOUR
Located on the banks of the poetic Thu Bon River, Hoi An ancient town is an Eastern oriental classic
captivation. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Hoi An was a prosperous trading port, with a number of
foreign occupations. These included the Japanese and Chinese, and and also western (Dutch and Spanish)
Day 5: Monday 05-Nov-2018, Halong Bay – Hanoi
Day 6: Tuesday 06-Nov-2018, Hanoi – Da Nang – Hoi
An – Da Nang – Hoi An
during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Today, this UNESCO World Heritage listed ancient town is home to well-preserved buildings,
pedestrianized streets, a quaint riverside and unique cuisines. The narrow lanes are ideal for aa
approximate 2 hours walking tour to give you a glimpse of an ancient town with its illustrious past.
You will visit the Japanese Bridge, the Assembly Hall of Chinese, an old merchant’s house – Tan Ky and
have a visit to the colorful local market.
Duration : 2-3 hours
Day 7: Hoi An
IN AND AROUND HOI AN (Full Day)
Start after breakfast for a 30 minutes gentle bicycle ride through the flat country lanes to Tra Que,
which is a charming little village located just a few kilometres northeast of Hoi An. The village is famous
for growing many kinds of vegetables and herbs including: lettuce, salad, houttuynia, flagrant
knoutwed, basil and coriander.
We will learn about the planting and growing of vegetables and herbs. Enjoy a herbal foot massage before
taking a short informal cooking class with a local family, to learn how to make (and then eat) some
local delicacies.
After, we’ll return to the town. Located on the banks of the poetic Thu Bon River, Hoi An ancient town is
an Eastern oriental classic captivation.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Hoi An was a prosperous trading port, with a number of foreign
occupations. These included the Japanese and Chinese, and and also western (Dutch and Spanish) during
the 16th and 17th centuries.
Today, this UNESCO World Heritage listed ancient town is home to well-preserved buildings,
pedestrianized streets, a quaint riverside and unique cuisines. The narrow lanes are ideal for an
approximate 3 hours walking tour to give you a glimpse of an ancient town with its illustrious past.
You will visit the Japanese Bridge, the Assembly Hall of Chinese, an old merchant’s house – Tan Ky and
have a visit to the colorful local market.
Air-conditioned transportation on standby
Day 8: Hoi An – Hue
Air-conditioned transportation is included for this trip.
A SPECTACULAR DRIVE TO HUE
Following National Highway 1 to Hue City is around 4 hours drive. We’ll stop at Da Nang Beach, followed
by a scenic drive over the stunning Hai Van Mountain Pass. This is the highest pass in Vietnam (500m
above sea level).
The rugged pass is the final section of the Truong Son Range stretching to the sea.
Hai Van is translated “Sea Clouds”, since the peak of the mountain is in the clouds while its foot is
close to the sea.
T h e views over Lang Co Bay are stunning. We’ll make stops along the way for photos and
refreshments as required.
Duration : 3-4 hours
HUE COUNTRYSIDE
Meet you at Hue Phu Bai airport we’ll head into the countryside and through a couple of local communes
before arriving in Thuy Thanh village. Here you’ll see an ancient bridge, which is quite architecturally
beautiful. The quiet country surroundings and lack of tacky tourist shops/stalls made this a very enjoyable
experience.
Next to the bridge is local market, stroll around and watch the locals go about their business – with stalls
selling fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes etc
Across the bridge there is a very small but nonetheless interesting “museum” that demonstrates how rice
is transformed from the fields into everyday produce.
We’ll return to Hue with an exploration of the biggest market in Hue- Dong Ba market and get back the
hotel for free evening.
Day 9: Hue
THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF HUE
We begin with a discovery of Minh Mang tomb, which is 12km from Hue, on the west bank of the
Perfume River. Begun in 1840, construction was not complete when Minh Mang died. His successor,
Emperor Thieu Tri continued this task according to his father’s plans.
It took ten thousand soldiers and artisans to finish the project. Fully completed in 1843, the tomb
comprises of about 40 monuments of various sizes which was designed on an symmetric axis running
from Dai Hon gate to the foot of La Thanh (Surrounding Wall) behind the tomb.
Returning to the city, we’ll visit the private gallery and workshop of Mr Do Huu Triet to discover the
ancient art of Phap Lam, an art-form that uses ceramic enamel to cover laminated copper.
Enter the ancient Hue Citadel and the Forbidden City.
The poetic and beautiful Hue of Vietnam was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under
Day 9: Friday 09-Nov-2018, Hue
Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation’s capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang
Trung. The citadel palace complex is located on the North bank of Huong River (Perfume River), inside
Hue city.
It is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue
(Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). The rule of
the last Vietnamese Emperor lasted until the mid-1900s. At the time, the Purple Forbidden City had many
buildings and hundreds of rooms. It suffered from termite and cyclone damage, but was still very
impressive. Many bullet holes left over from the war can also be observed on the stone walls.
Conclude this splendid day with a visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, which overlooks the Perfume River and is
the official symbol of the city of Hue. Thien Mu means “elderly celestial woman”, and refers to an old
legend about the founding of the pagoda.
From here, cruise back to Hue centre on the legendary Perfume River. The views on both sides of the
river with the citadel, town, gardens, pagodas, towers and temples, provide good photo opportunities
while enjoying this short 45 minutes cruise.
Duration : 6- 8 hours
Suggested time to start at 08.00 am
Your clean, comfortable and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with expert driver will convey you and your
guide as required
Day 10: Hue – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Private car transfer to Hue Airport
Your guide will be with you for this transfer.
Scheduled domestic fight from Hue Phu Bai (HUI) to Saigon Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN) taking
approximately 90 minutes.
ONWARD TO THE CU CHI TUNNELS
Meet you on arrival at Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and we’ll head direct to Cu Chi, which is about 40 km
northwest and around one hour drive. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an elaborate underground community
made up of about 250 km of tunnels and chambers below the city. The tunnels were dug with simple
tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the
Vietnam War in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers.
Despite all the bombings in their town, the Cu Chi people were able to continue day-to-day
living beneath the soil, where they slept, ate, planned attacks, healed their sick, and taught their young.
Some even wed and gave birth underground, but over 10,000 lost their lives here.
Return to Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon.
Your clean, comfortable and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with expert driver is included
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
SAIGON NOW AND THEN
We’ll begin with a short orientation tour (walking / driving) of Old Saigon Streets and Iconic Buildings.
Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are
still two of the finest buildings in Saigon.
Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original
construction from Paris. Then head across the square to the Central Post office, designed by the French
architect, Gustav Eiffel before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower.
Drive a short way to Cholon (China town). Nowhere epitomizes Cholon’s vibrant commercialism like Binh
Tay Market. Cho Lon translates as “big market” and this is the areas biggest, covering a huge 17,000
square meters. Exteriors display one of the finest examples of early 20th-century Chinese-French
architecture: multitier roofs adorned with dragons, mixed with mustard-hued halls and a central clock
tower.
Walk along to Thien Hau Pagoda. Cantonese founders dedicated this temple-pagoda in 1760 to Thien
Hau, Goddess Protector of Seafarers, thanking her for safe passage across the South China Sea. One of
Cholon’s most important pagodas, Thien Hau is also known as Women’s Pagoda because the
Goddesses of Fertility and Mothers are worshipped here. It’s noteworthy, too, for its fine friezes,
murals and glazed ceramic rooftop figurines.
Wartime Saigon
We begin this story with a visit to The Reunification Palace (former Presidential Palace), the
headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American war and reveals the history of Saigon during
its turbulent recent past. This is the location where the two North Vietnamese army tanks crushed the
gates of the palace on 30th April 1975 and signaled the end of the conflict, by taking the surrender from
Duong Van Minh, who had been president of South Vietnam for only three days.
We’ll continue to visit the site of the wartime offices of the US Information Service (USIS). This is now
The War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes). This museum is
a disturbing experience. It graphically recounts the Vietnam War from the perspective of the victors. The
Requiem gallery, depicting the images taken by many international War Photographers during the
conflict, is especially graphic and moving.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Operated by Les Rives Speedboats
Small-group trip
Departing by speedboat from HCMC’s central pier, you will explore areas of the Mekong Delta that few
other tourists get to experience.
Quaint hamlets and busy towns are dependent on the innumerable canals, tributaries and markets in the
region that overflow with fish and a variety of produce yielded by the delta’s rich alluvial soil,
including rice, sesame, peanuts, cashews, pineapples, dragon fruit and durian.
Key cultural stops include a Cao Dai Temple, a riverside market, local workshops and a pagoda and other
historical sites along the way. Enjoy countless opportunities to capture amazing photos of the scenery
and local people as we cruise past buffaloes ploughing fruit orchards and rice fields.
Spend time at a family homestead, where you’ll be invited to enjoy refreshing, freshly cut coconuts and
fiery Mekong whisky.
Your chef will prepare many Vietnamese dishes for lunch, such as fried elephant ear fish – a Mekong
Delta specialty – Vietnamese spring rolls and lemongrass chicken, served at a local pagoda or school for
underprivileged children.
Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Private transfer to Ho Chi Minh – Tan Son Nhat Airport (flight details tbc).
Your guide will be with you for this transfer.
