Proceeding from south to north, “Vietnam Highlights” offers an intriguing view of both urban and rural Vietnam. You start your tour in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, its teeming roads and sidewalks, its colonial buildings shoulder to shoulder with modern high-rises, and its ever-fascinating stores and stalls tempting your pocketbook. You finish with Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital for 1000 years, a more reserved and smaller city with pagodas and national monuments, elegant avenues of old French villas and tamarisk-bordered lakes. In between, discover the treasures of Vietnam: the storied Mekong delta; Da Nang; Hoi An, a charming historical seaport with great shopping; aristocratic Hue, 19th century capital of the Nguyen emperors; and Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site for its whimsically shaped limestone karst islands, rising like giant fingers out of the calm emerald waters. Throughout you’ll marvel at the sublimely beautiful landscape of gently rolling hills, white sand beaches, and fields of waving rice against a background of tropical forest. You will find this a perfect trip.
Your Vietnam tour begins as you are met at the Tan San Nhat Airport, and transferred to your hotel. Ho Chi Minh City, long called "The Pearl of the Sea" by locals, still shares its French-European charms, even as it embraces twenty first century commercialism. This frenetic metropolis is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, with bustling shopping areas and sidewalk cafes. It is a marvelous starting point for those who want to explore Vietnam’s, rich 4,000 year history. If time permits, you may wish to stroll around downtown to explore the different local ways of life. (D)
You drive this morning to Tay Ninh and visit the headquarters of one of Vietnam’s most interesting indigenous religions the Cao Dai sect. This religion was founded in 1923. Attend the fantastic mid-day service where followers of this sect fill the hall wearing colorful robes, a symbol of the unusual combination of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, native Vietnamese spiritualism, Christianity and Islam. On the return, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible 
underground network of 125 miles of tunnels and chambers constructed over several decades by Vietnamese fighters in the period to 1975. (B/L/D)
This morning prepare for an outing to the extensive flood plains of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl. The Mekong River known as Cuu Long, the River of Nine Dragons, refers to the nine branches that flow into the South China Sea. On arrival in My Tho, you embark on a boat and travel through the intricate small canals of the delta region passing lush green vegetation. Arriving at Unicorn Island you stroll through orchards, taste many seasonal fruits, and enjoy some wonderful traditional music. On the return to Ho Chi Minh, you stop off to see the beautiful Vinh Trang Pagoda; the Notre Dame Cathedral, the grandest expression of French Catholic architecture in the country; the Old Saigon Post Office, designed by Gustav Eiffel’s firm; and the Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is packed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes. (B/L/D)
You take a short flight this morning to Da Nang, one of the largest cities in the center of Vietnam. Here you will visit the impressive Cham Museum, housing the country’s best display of sculpture. The Cham, a Hindu people with ancient links to India ruled the region for centuries. You then continue on to Hoi An, nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before the river filled with silt, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia, and a center for East-West exchange and trade for centuries. (B/L/D)
Hoi An was originally a Cham seaport but has been influenced through centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures (Persia, Arabia, Japan, China, Portugal, France, to name a few), and its ancient architecture is a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. In recognition of its uniqueness and historical importance, UNESCO has placed Hoi An on its World Heritage List. Today stroll across the Japanese Bridge, which historically linked the Japanese and Chinese communities, visit the different Chinese Assembly Halls and pagodas, and walk through the market. Hoi An is also a wonderful town to shop for silk. The afternoon is at your leisure to relax or explore more of Hoi An. (B/L/ D)
An early morning check out and a scenic drive to Hue via the Hai Van (Ocean Clouds) Pass. Stop on the way to visit China Beach, and a 500 year old stone carving village which sits at the base of one of the Marble Mountains and which continues its stone carving today. Next visit the Marble Mountains, a grouping of limestone and marble outcroppings, also known as Ngu Hanh (“five elements” – water, wood, earth, metal and fire). This is one of four mountains located south of Da Nang that stretches from the coast inland westward) for about three miles. The mountains are riddled with cave entrances and tunnels. After arrival in Hue, enjoy lunch and check into your hotel. The rest of the afternoon is available for you to soak up the ambience of this special place and leisurely stroll through the town enjoying some of the sites in Hue. Finally you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B/L/D)
This morning you board a boat for a cruise on the Perfume River giving you a taste of the scenic countryside, as well as an enjoyable visit to the beautiful Pagoda of Thien Mu with its impressive “Heavenly Lady” seven-story tower. You then continue on to visit the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. After lunch visit the elaborate Royal Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc and the famous Tu Hieu Pagoda. Upon returning to the city, you take a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market passing many fantastic eating spots where visitors eagerly sample some of the local delicacies. (B/L)
You are at leisure this morning in Hue, before boarding a short flight to the north. On arrival in Hanoi, you drive directly to Ha Long town, split by the Cua Luc River and the gateway to one of Vietnam’s most scenic and impressive sights Ha Long Bay. (B/L/D)
Enjoy an exciting four-hour cruise and exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a seascape of craggy karst towers that rise hundreds of feet above the unique jade-green waters of the bay. According to legend, a great dragon plunged into the sea, whipping its tail furiously about, thus carving the karst landscape. The name Ha Long means “dragon descending”. One hundred-seventy-four (174) square miles of the Bay is a World Heritage Site. Sit back and enjoy this beautiful spectacle of nature. After a seafood lunch on board return to Hanoi, stopping en route at Dong Trieu Pottery Village. This evening you will be entertained by a performance of the thousand-year-old Vietnamese art Water Puppet Show. (B/L/D)
The founding father of modern Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh, whose life is explained during the course of your city tour. Tour starts at the Ho Chi Minh Complex on Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945 - this famous site contains his mausoleum; then visit the Presidential Palace, an Italianate Renaissance chateau that “Uncle Ho” refused to live in and the house on stilts he chose instead; and then the ancient One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), the origins of which date back to 1049. Next you visit the beautiful Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), founded in 1070 as what was in effect a Confucian University. This spectacular 14-acre site houses temples, courtyards, pavilions, and dormitories. Next onto the impressive Ethnologic Museum, where you can learn of the many ethnic minorities and their way of life, including some reconstructed minority homes. Time permitting, you may wish to do some shopping in downtown Hanoi. (B/L/D)
There is free time to relax or further explore Hanoi. The tour ends after your transfer to Noi Bai Airport for departure. (B)
| Daily Departure | **** | |
| Twin Share | Single Room Supplement | |
| Jan-April 11 | $2360 | $1040 |
| May-Sep 11 | $2325 | $998 |
| Oct-Dec 11 | $2398 | $1085 |
The prices of above tour are land only and based on a minimum of 2 persons travelling together.
For more details on what is included in this tour please click here