Day 1: Ho Chi Minh city - Arrival 

You are welcome by our guide at Tan Son Nhat airport and then be transferred to your hotel in the center of city. Half day city tour visit Reunification Palace, War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral with the passing Ben Thanh market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City  

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh –  Cai Be -Can Tho (B/L/D/Local guide on boat)

In the morning we pick you up at your hotel in Saigon and take you to Can Tho or Cai Be. You board the Mekong Eyes around noon. After a refreshing welcome drink we show you our on-board facilities and your cosy cabin. As lunch is served, the boat starts cruising.  Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.

In the afternoon you can disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through the village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.

Get back on board and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape. The boat will anchor for the night. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner 

Day 3: Cai Rang – Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh (Brunch/Local guide on boat)

Wake up well rested to the sound of the River and get ready for another exciting day of sightseeing. At 6.30h the Mekong Eyes sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.

After breakfast, we will board a sampan boat to Cai Be or Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most lively markets. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits, vegetables and skilfully handcrafted regional products. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making factories or boat through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards.

The boat trip ends at around 11.00 - 11.30h on the pier. After brunch, we will take you back to your hotel in Saigon

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Danang - Hoi An (B)

Leave hotel in HCMC after breakfast, you will take flight around noon to Da Nang. Upon arrival at Danang airport, greeted by our local guide and then transfer to Hoi An about 35km away.

In the afternoon walking visit Hoi An ancient town, the town with mixed the culture of Vietnam/Chinese/Japanese with Chinese tiled houses, Chinese temples, Japanese covered bridge

Overnight stay in Hoi An.

 

Day 5: Hoi An – My Son Sanctuary – Boat trip to Thanh Ha Pottery (B)

Pick up at your hotel in Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, 40 km southwest of Hoi An. Located in a lush valley, My Son once was a capital and religious center of Cham people. With its impressive red brick towers and sanctuaries, My Son is considered to be in the same league as some of Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. The remaining towers and sanctuaries were built from the 7^th to 13^th centuries. Transfer back to Hoian down town for a short rest.

In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Bon River to visit Thanh Ha Pottery village & Kim Bong Carpentry village.  Return to Hoi an in the afternoon. Overnight in Hoi an.

 

Day 6: Hoi An – Hue (B)

We transfer to Hue in the morning with a visit to Cham museum on the way. Continue to Hue through Hai Van pass. Arrive in Hue by noon. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded with ancient tombs of the past emperors, and with Orient style – those tombs almost located near the bank of Hue’s river – Perfume river. After a short rest, we get on boat for a cruise along Huong River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, on the way back it is good time for watching sunset and take photos. Overnight in Hue.

 

Day 7: Hue city (B)

Have breakfast at hotel. Then take a cyclo trip from your hotel to visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue - another UNESCO designated World Cultural Heritage site. Next you, short drive to visit King Minh Mang tomb. Later in the afternoon, we visit King Tu Duc’s tomb and Tu Hieu Pagoda. Overnight in Hue.

 

Day 8: Hue- Hanoi (B)

Leaving the Imperial city, you will visit our current, but also 1000 years Capital. You will have a half day Hanoi city tour to visit the most attractions of Hanoi: The Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem lake (the lake of the Restored Sword), Ngoc Son Temple & Old quarter streets. Enjoy our traditional cultural Water Puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

Day 9: Hanoi - Hoa Lu – Tam Coc - Hanoi (B)

Depart at 8:00am from your hotel in Hanoi. After 2hrs drive we arrive in Ninh Binh Province. Our first visit is the former capital Hoa Lu where remaining Dinh and Le Kings’ temples.

Proceed to Tam Coc tourist center for lunch (lunch not included). Getting on small rowing boats to travel along the canals amid local villages, green fields and natural beauty with limestone peaks, we are enjoying the “Ha Long On Land”. After 02 hours through 03 caves, we row back to the boat quay.
Take a short bike to Bich Dong cave, which was conferred by a King the title “Vietnam’s second most beautiful grotto” and which is some 2 km from Tam Coc. Climb up the Ngu Hanh Son Mountain (Buddha’s palm), charmed by the marvelous scenery offered by the mountains, rivers and pagodas. Return to Ha Noi and arrive at around 17:30pm. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

Day 10: Hanoi – Ha Long (B/L/D)

You are suggested  to wake up early for enjoying the morning sound of Hanoi and walking around Hoan Kiem lake and doing Tai Chi exercise with locals. Back to hotel for freshen up and breakfast.

After breakfast, take 3.5 hours drive to Halong bay, a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Upon arrival, transfer to a junk for a cruise around Ha Long Bay with a delicious local seafood lunch served on board. The cruise passes by many rocks and islets in many funny shapes. The cruise may stop for a while for visiting a beautiful case, if not today, you will do tomorrow according to each boat/junk’s itinerary. Again your dinner served on board. In the evening, enjoy the night fishing (optional) and later overnight on board.

 

Day 11: HALONG – HANOI (Brunch)

In the morning, your breakfast or brunch will be served while doing further cruise to explore the beauties of the Bay before disembarking time.

On the return to Hanoi, we stop on the way in Bac Ninh, for visiting a special place and the cradle of Vietnamese folklore music in the Red River Delta. We will ride a horse-drawn cart through country lanes to visit the Dinh Bang Communal House and the Do Temple that was the place of worship for 8 (eight) of the kings of the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225). Following that, you will be invited to enjoy Quan Ho folk songs (duets of love songs) performed by local artists and singers. Drive back to Hanoi for overnight.

Day 12: Hanoi - Departure (B)
Leisure time before leaving for departure home. End of service.

Type of tour:	Private tour. (This is the sample tour, you may go with all details above or we can modify to fix your way of travel) Easy tour
Departure:	Any day
Feature of tour:	Vietnam - the country of river and ocean. Vietnam is crisscrossed by thousands of streams and rivers. There is a river discharging every 20 kilometers along Vietnam's coastline. The waterways are a very convenient means of transport with major rivers like the Red River in the north and the Mekong River in the south.
Air Fare cost per person:	210 US$ for domestic flight (Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang and Hue - Hanoi)
Land tour cost per person (in USD):	Size of Group 2 pax 3 - 4 pax 5 - 6 pax 7 - 9 pax 10 - 14 pax Single Supp. 01 Jan - 30 Apr & 01 Oct - 31 Dec 2012  Standard 1040 928 811 777 760 359 Superior 1222 1108 990 955 939 567 Deluxe 1527 1412 1292 1256 1240 858 Premium 1845 1728 1606 1570 1553 1243 01 May 2012 - 30 Sep 2012 Standard 998 886 769 735 718 335 Superior 1145 1031 913 878 862 540 Deluxe 1453 1338 1218 1182 1166 792 Premium 1689 1572 1450 1414 1397 1116 Book this tour Email to modify
Accommodation:	Standard Superior Deluxe Premium Hanoi Hotels May De Ville Old Quarter (3*) Sunway (4*) Intercontinental (5*) Sofitel Metropole (5*) Halong Boat Bai Tho junk Victory cruise Bhaya cruise Jasmine/Ginger Cruise Hue Hotels Mondial (3*) Gebera  (4*) Imperial (5*) La Residence (4*) Hoi An Hotels Vinh Hung 2 (3*) Hoi An Historic Hotel  (4*) Life Hoi An  (5*) Victoria Hoi An (4*) Ho Chi Minh City Hotels Sapphire Hotel   (3*) Kim Do (4*) Majestic Saigon  (5*) Intercontinental (5*)
Inclusive:	Hotel accommodation as specific or similar, base on twin sharing Private car/mini van with A/C Boat cruise in Mekong Delta and in Ha Long All entrance fees  English/ French speaking guide. Other languages can be arranged upon request  Meals as per program (L = lucnh, D = dinner)
Exclusive:	Domestic & International flight and all airport taxes Drinks, and other meals not clearly mentioned Insurance Personal expenses & Tips Vietnam Visa (this can be done with our Visa service)