Cultural Heritage Journey in Vietnam 8D7N

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN HANOI (D)
Meet on arrival at Noi Bai International Airport – Hanoi and transfer to your hotel. Late afternoon, take 01 hour city tour by pedicab (one person per one pedicab) in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. 
Enjoy a traditional Water Puppet show – an unique and traditional art from rural Red River Delta villages.

Water pupet show

Have dinner at a local restaurant. 
Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 2: HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L/D)
In the morning visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed Mon/Fri) and his former residence. We will visit One Pillar Pagoda, what located in Ho Chi Minh complex. 

Ho Chi Minh complex

Then we will visit the Temple of Literature. This temple was built in the 11th century and is known as the first university in Vietnam. 

Thousand-year-old stone turtles in the Temple of Literature 

Have lunch at a local restaurant. 
In the afternoon, we will continue our trip with a visit to the Vietnam National Museum of History, one of the finest museums in the country. Here, visitors can explore a wide range of historical artifacts that showcase Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage.
Next, we will head to Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, located by the peaceful West Lake. We then continue to Hoan Kiem Lake, the iconic heart of the capital, and visit Ngoc Son Temple, situated on a small island connected by the famous red bridge The Huc. 
To end the day, enjoy some free time shopping in the bustling Old Quarter, where you can explore traditional shops, try local snacks, and soak in the vibrant atmosphere of Hanoi’s most lively area. 

Train street in Old Quarter, Hanoi

Have dinner in Buffet Sen Tay Ho restaurant. 
Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 3: HANOI – DANANG – HOIAN (B/L/D)
In the morning free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Danang. Meet and transfer to visit the Cham museum. 

Unique architect of Cham museum

Lunch at a local restaurant. 
Then proceed to visit the ancient town of Hoi An. This is a charming, small town which can be easily explored on foot. Between the 17th and 19th centuries Hoi An was a thriving international trading port with a large Chinese and Japanese population. Then in the second half of the 19th century the harbor began to silt up and most of the town’s commercial interests moved to nearby Danang. 

Hoi An

Overnight at a hotel in Hoian.

DAY 4: HOI AN (B/L/D)
In the morning, transfer to visit My Son – Vietnam’s most important Cham’s site. My Son became a religious center in the late 4th century and lasted till the 13th century – the longest period of development of any monument in Southeast Asia. My son is considered to be Champa’s counterpart to the grand cities of Southeast Asia’s other Indian – influenced civilizations: Angkor (Cambodia), Ayuthaya (Thailand) or Borobudur (Java). 
Afternoon, free at leisure for shopping in the central town. 

My Son Sanctuary 

Overnight at Hoian.
DAY 5: HOIAN – HUE (B/L/D)
Morning, free at leisure until transfer to Hue and stop at Hai Van pass to sightseeing. In Hue, we will visit the Imperial Citadel Hue – Vietnam’s former imperial capital and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. 

Imperial Citadel Hue

Have lunch at a local restaurant. 
Afternoon, we cruise along the Perfume River. Being the former royal capital, Hue’s surrounding countryside contains several of the tombs of the former Nguyen Emperors to visit Minh Mang Tomb. 

Minh Mang Tomb

Then we will go back to the Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. 

Thien Mu Pagoda

Overnight at a hotel in Hue.

DAY 6: HUE – HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/D)
Morning, meet and transfer to visit Khai Dinh Tomb and stop over at Dong Ba market for shopping. 
Then you will have free leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. On arrival, meet and transfer to your hotel for check in, then take a short city tour to War museum, Reunification palace, Notre Dame Cathedral. 
Have dinner at a local restaurant. 
Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

DAY 7: HO CHI MINH CITY - CU CHI - TAYNINH (B/L/D)
In the morning we have an excursion to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. This network of tunnels, which stretched for over 200km, became legendary during the 1960’s. The Cu Chi tunnels played a vital part in the American war in that they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area only 30 to 40 km from Saigon.
Lunch at local restaurant and free leisure until driving to Tay Ninh, the headquarters of the Cao Dai Sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill. The religion is an eclectic mix of Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. 
Overnight at Ho Chi Minh city. 

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City – Departure (B)
Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight departure.

• Accommodation basing on twin sharing at hotels with daily breakfast
• All transfers and land transportation in private vehicles.
• Local English or French speaking guides.
• Entrances fees + sightseeing as indicated
• Private boat for sightseeing at Hue, hoi an
• Meals at local restaurants.