Travelpack

Highlights: Hanoi - Ha Long - Da Nang - Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City

Other Departures: Manchester - £2165, Newcastle - £2335, Glasgow - £2335, Birmingham - £2185, Edinburgh - £2179

Hotels:
Hanoi - Meliá Hanoi 5*
Ha Long - Indochina Sails Boutique 14 cabins
Hoi An - Palm Garden Resort Hoi An 5*
Ho Chi Minh - Hotel Grand Saigon 5*

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you will meet your guide and driver and travel by car to your hotel.
 
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Room is at your disposal from 14:00 only

Option: Relaxing massage in a spa
You will be invited to a beautiful spa in central Hanoi and have a one hour of massage to relieve fatigue and stress. Asian massage methods are well known for their great results in relieving joint pain and improving the balance of body and mind through the stimulation of strategic points all over the body. With high quality accommodation and care, this massage will allow you to ease out all your muscular tensions and revitalize your body.

Option: Welcome dinner at a restaurant in Hanoi
In the evening, our local guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel to transfer to a restaurant in Hanoi. Enjoy dinner then return to the hotel by car.

Meals included: Dinner
 
Day 2: Hanoi
In the morning, you will pay a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and see his traditional stilt house - now the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the revered One-Pillar Pagoda. After that, you will explore the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature, also known as the first university of Vietnam. Built in 1070 by emperor Ly Thanh Tong and opened from 1076 as a university exclusively for the princes, children of the nobility and the mandarins. In 1802, Emperor Gia Long transferred the National University to Hue, which had by then become the capital city of Vietnam. You will have time to stroll through the shaded paths of Van Mieu Park to appreciate the architecture of this historical site as well as admire 82 of the 116 original steles which were used to engrave the names of the graduates. Return to hotel in Hanoi. The balance of day is free at your leisure
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Notes:
- The Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday. Easia will arrange a visit outside
- Every year, the monument will be closed between mid-September and mid-December
for regular restoration and preservation of the presidential remains, which is the same as that of Lenin Mausoleum in Russia (exact dates to be checked each year)
- To be allowed to enter the mausoleum, you must cover your legs, stand in pairs in silence without crossing your arms, or putting your hands in your pockets

Option: Evening story of street food 
Tonight, you'll have a chance to understand what makes Hanoi's Old Quarter such a captivating place. Here, you will be able to taste a wide variety of Vietnamese specialties, such as banh cuon (steamed rolled rice pancake) and banh mi (the famous Vietnamese sandwich that even appears in the Oxford Dictionary). Then, stop at a bia hoi (beer club) on Ta Hien Street and taste the fresh Vietnamese beer that is incredibly popular with locals and travelers alike. After that, you will head to a pho shop, where you will be able to choose between regular pho or pho tron (pho noodle mixed with chicken without soup). Then, make your way along Hoan Kiem Lake for one of the tastiest ice creams in Hanoi. You will then say goodbye to your guide and go on to explore Hanoi by night on your own.

Meals included: Street food
Duration: 3 hours

Notes:
- The route of street food tour may change in case of rain
- Duration of street food tour at night: 3 hours
- During street food tour, food is served enough, dinner might not be necessary
 
Day 3: Hanoi - Ha Long
In the morning, you will travel to Halong without guide and arrive around noon. There, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner abroad with excellent and freshly caught seafood from the bay. At the end of the day, you will have the chance to enjoy a night fishing session on the boat.
 
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the boat
Distance : 180 kilometers – 2h45mins on Expressway

Remark: After roughly 2 hour driving, a rest stop is scheduled for stretching your leg. The rest stop in fact is a tourist stop which provides free parking, free restroom services; shopping and restaurant services. There are limited numbers of proper rest stops on the route so we can only resort to the options. There is no obligation in buying things at the rest stops.

Day 4: Ha Long
Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After breakfast, be transfer to the day boat with cruise’s staff and continue to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations of Halong Bay. There has a plenty of time to enjoy this more isolated bay’s spectacular and unique islands as well as relax on the beach. In the middle of afternoon, cruise back to the mother board for dinner and overnight.
 
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight cruise
 
Day 5: Ha Long - Ha Noi - Da Nang - Hoi An
Early in the morning and depending on the season, you will wake up to enjoy sunrise over the aquamarine waters of the bay. Then the cruise will tour around the bay until you disembark at the end of the morning. After that, you will then return  to Hanoi on a road lined with typical rice fields of the Red River Delta. Transfer to Noi Bai aiport for afternoon flight to Da Nang. Pick up at Da Nang airport and transfer to hotel in Hoi An.
 
Meal included: Breakfast, brunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Distance Ha Long - Ha Noi: 180 kilometers – 2h45mins on Expressway
 
Day 6: Hoi An
In the morning, you will visit Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site for its well-preserved ancient streets and houses. The town features a harmony of Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and French architecture elements, which can be seen from the famous Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple and Tan Ky trading house (which used to belong to a rich Vietnamese merchant 200 years ago and has been kept original ever since). This visit will be followed by a folklore show in one of the old houses. In the afternoon, you will join a lantern workshop, where you will have the chance to discover this traditional form of handicraft. Introduced to Vietnam hundreds of years ago by the Chinese, the crafting of silk lanterns has now become a speciality in Hoi An. On site, you will be guided by local craftsmen to make your own lanterns. The crafting of lanterns is a work of precision and you will need patience and a touch of dexterity to complete yours. At the end of the visit, you will be able to take home your own masterpiece as a souvenir of this experience. Return to hotel in Hoi An. The balance of day is free at your leisure.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Note: Duration of the lantern making activity: 2 hours
 
Day 7: Hoi An
The day is free for you to wander around the Old Quarter or relax on the white sands of the beach.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Option: Romantic dinner on the rice field near the river bank
When the sun is going down, you will be picked up to begin your adventure in a bamboo basket boat for about 25 minutes on Coco River to enjoy a beautiful sunset on the river before reaching a small bamboo house built on the rice field next to the Co Co River bank.  Fresh food and a daily catch from the surrounding river is cooked and served right to you in this romantic setting. Enjoy your quiet private time with delicious dessert before coming back to your hotel.

Notes: In case of bad weather, you will be picked up directly to the restaurant and the dinner will be served under the bamboo gazebo on the lake located in The Field restaurant's garden.
 
Meals included: Dinner
 
Day 8: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City
At good time, transfer without guide to Danang Airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arrival, you wil meet your local guide and driver then transfer to the hotel to check in. The rest of day is free at your leisure.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
 
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City
You will have a chance to discover Ho Chi Minh City - the tumultuous capital of the South. As you embark on the half-day tour tour today, very soon you will notice that the architecture in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City is still representative of the colonial era and Chinese influence. Your discovery of the capital of the South would not be complete without a visit to the city’s main historical sites: the central post office, whose metal structure was designed by Gustave Eiffel; the Reunification Palace and Dong Khoi Street. If time permits, pay a visit to Ben Thanh Market, a signature of local culture in Ho Chi Minh City.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Note: Notre-Dame Cathedral is closed for renovations until early 2020- Exterior only

Option: Ho Chi Minh by night on a Vespa (Private)
In the early evening, you will be picked you up at the hotel before making a stop at "café zoom" to enjoy a cocktail and an aperitif before venturing into the city. As a passenger, you will have the chance to visit many off-the-beaten places. Your journey will start in District 4 via crowded streets and busy alleys filled with people sitting on small plastic seats. You will be able to savor some seafood dishes while sipping fresh drinks. Then, moving to District 3 through to District 1, enjoy the views, noises and smells of the city, with stops along the way take a closer look whenever you like. The tour will continue towards a well-hidden Vietnamese cafe to enjoy some live  Vietnamese music. Then, you will finish at a lively bar where you can have a drink and listen to some more contemporary music, or even enjoy a dance! You will finally be escorted back to your hotel at the end of this exciting night tour.

Meals included: street food (seafood, banh xeo)
Duration of the visit: 4 hours, from 18:00 to 22:00

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh
Today is free at your leisure.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Option: Day excursion to visit Ben Tre - Mekong Delta (Private)
In the morning you will depart from Ho Chi Minh City to explore Ben Tre in the Mekong delta, also known as the “Green Venice” of Vietnam. After visiting a brick factory in Phong Nam where bricks are still hand-made, step onto a boat for a cruise along the Chet Say river (one of the Mekong’s arms). You will make several stops along the way to discover different local workshops, allowing you to understand better the specialities of the local economy. The boat will then cross a small canal and stop at a small village, where you will continue your discovery of the delta by visiting a workshop specializing in carpet-weaving. You will even be able to try this activity yourself, before hopping in a xe loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) or on a bicycle to wander around the village. You will see traditional farms, rice fields and vegetable plants, before stopping at a small local restaurant to taste a delicious (and generous) lunch made of regional specialties, such as “elephant-ear fish” and freshwater shrimps. In the afternoon you will get back on the sampan for some leisure time along the narrow canals. You will travel back to Ho Chi Minh City by car.

Meals included: Lunch
Level: 0
Distance & duration: 4 to 5 kilometers - 30 minutes cycling
Terrain: Good road, easy to ride
Transportation: Transfer by car - 90 kilometers - 2 hours
 
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh Departure
At good time, you will travel by car without guide to Ho Chi Minh City Airport for your international flight.
 
Meals included: Breakfast
Room is at your disposal until noon time only

Excludes:
-Meals and drinks which are not mentioned in the program
-Tips & personal expenses. Personal insurance. Any services not clearly mentioned in the program.

Offer Includes

Meal Plans