14 days Hanoi to Saigon Discover the highlights and hidden gems of Vietnam. From the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Saigon, to rural retreats in Mai Chau, Hoi An and along the Mekong. Meet ethnic minority people, farmers and fisherman, spend a night with a local family, take a cookig lesson and cruise around the islands of spectacular Halong Bay! HIGHLIGHTS AND INCLUSIONS Trip Highlights Vietnamese Water Puppet Show in Hanoi Hanoi - the 'Paris of the Orient' and capital of Vietnam; Cyclo tour around the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, Museum of Ethnology Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay - UNESCO Listed region with thousands of beautiful limestone peaks and islets Mai Chau - beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. Pom Coong and Lac Thai villages Tra Que - rural farming village outside Hoi An Hoi An - UNESCO Listed former merchant trading post, famed for its beautifully preserved architecture Saigon - Cosmopolitan and commercial hub of Vietnam; Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum Cu Chi Tunnels - vast underground network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong Mekong Delta - one of the world s greatest river regions. Cai Be Floating Market, Mekong Delta river cruise, Vinh Long rural life and Vinh Trang Pagoda Saigon Cooking School and Ben Thanh Market What's Included 11 nights standard hotels. Superior (4 star) and deluxe (5 star) properties are also available. 1 night aboard a Halong Bay Junk boat 1 night at a homestay in Vinh Long (Mekong Delta 13 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 3 dinner 2 domestic economy flights: Hanoi to Dan Nang and Da Nang to Saigon Airport arrival and departure transfer All transfers and transportation in private air conditioned vehicles Services of an English speaking guide for all scheduled sightseeing Guided tour of Hanoi, Hoi An, Cu Chi Tunnels and Saigon Tra Que village experience including bike ride Vietnamese Water Puppet Performance in Hanoi Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay Junk Junk cruise - opt to swim, kayak or explore caves Mekong Delta - private boat cruise and visit to floating markets Mai Chau - village walk and dance performance Saigon Vietnamese Cooking lesson What's Not Included International flights and visas. Vietnam visa letter included - stamping fee required upon arrival Tipping - an entirely personal gesture DETAILED ITINERARY Day 1 : Hanoi Welcome to Hanoi - the Paris of the Orient. Upon arrival at the airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Spend the remains of the day at leisure. Overnight - Hanoi Day 2 : Hanoi Cyclo Tour Spend this morning at leisure in Vietnam's charming capital city. This afternoon enjoy a half day city tour of Hanoi s essential sites. Sightseeing includes the Museum of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country, containing an extensive display of lifesize structures dedicated to Vietnam s 54 ethnic minority peoples. Also visit Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the city - the temple has a fascinating history dating - 1 -
back to the 13th century. Then enjoy a onehour cyclo tour through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi! After exploring the Old Quarter watch a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets. Please note: Museum of Ethonology is closed on a Monday. Overnight - Hanoi (B) Day 3 : Mai Chau Hanoi - Mai Chau. Mai Chau is only four hours drive from bustling Hanoi but feels worlds apart. This morning transfer into the lush mountains, which are home to remote hill tribes, such as the White Thai, H'mong, Zao, Muong, Tay, Hoa and Viet, and visited by surprisingly few tourists. Arriving at your lodge at noon, check-in and have lunch. Mai Chau offers incredible panoramic views of the lush, picturesque valley, which is dotted with stilt houses. This afternoon there is an optional cycling tour through the valley or you can simply relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Back at the lodge, enjoy a tasty dinner and a traditional dance performance. Overnight - Mai Chau (B, L, D) Day 4 : Pom Coong and Lac Villages Mai Chau - Hanoi. After breakfast, you can take a walk to two nearby Thai villages - Pom Coong and Lac, to see traditional village life and meet the locals who are warm and welcoming, and famous for their handicrafts - particularly embroidery. Lunch is served back at the lodge before returning to Hanoi late afternoon. Overnight - Hanoi (B, L) Day 5 : Halong Bay Cruising Hanoi - Halong Bay. This morning transfer from your hotel in Hanoi to Halong City, the drive takes about 4 hours, stopping off for a refreshment break en route. Upon arrival meet the crew of your traditional Junk boat at the dock and embark upon a scenic cruise to the famous limestone peaked islands of Halong Bay and on to Bai Tu Long Bay which is every bit as beautiful as Halong. Aside from the cave visit and swimming, there is also a chance to explore this stunning area by sea kayak. Returning back to the Junk for a scrumptious dinner. Overnight - Halong Bay Junk boat (B, L, D) Day 6 : Bai Tu Long Bay Halong Bay - Hoi An. Wake up to spectacular views of the bay. Cruise through Bai Tu Long and visit the floating fishing village of Vong Vieng, where you can gain a fascinating insight into everyday life on the bay. Cruise back to the dock arriving in Halong around noon and transfer back to Hanoi airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. Overnight - Hoi An (B) Day 7 : Hoi An From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants. Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, renowned for its silk and popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century and much of the town is now UNESCO heritage-listed. This morning enjoy a half day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, 200-year-old Tam Ky house and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Spend the remains of the day at leisure in this charming town. Overnight - Hoi An (B) Day 8 : Tra Que Village Experience Enjoy an exciting full day tour which provides an insight into the lives of the farming and fishing communities in this beautiful region of Vietnam. Begin your adventure by cycling out into the countryside through emerald green rice paddies. After a short ride arrive at the village of Tra Que, a charming little settlement, on the edge of Hoi An. Tra Que is famous for its sweet scented green vegetables that spice up Hoi An s famous delicacies such Cao Lau and Mi Quang. On arrival you will be introduced to the history of the village and the cultivation of the vegetables. Continue with a walk around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and planting some crops. Finish off your village experience with a fun cooking demonstration. Later, return to Hoi An and board the Eco Tour boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fisherman. You are sure to enjoy the hands on experience of river net fishing with the locals. There is also the opportunity to paddle a unique bamboo basket boat, known as a coracle, as you explore the area s coconut palmed waterways. Overnight - Hoi An (B, L) - 2 -
Days 9-10 : Saigon & Cu Chi Tunnels Hanoi - Saigon. On day 9 transfer to the airport in Danang and take a flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the remains of the day at leisure in this vibrant and historic city. Enjoy a full day of touring on day 10. In the morning travel north west of the city to visit the historic Cu Chi Tunnels which were a key battleground in the Vietnam War. The vast expanse of underground tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas, as a communication and supply route into Saigon, they also served as living quarters for the fighters. Upon arrival watch a short introductory video on the construction of the tunnels before spending an hour exploring the maze of tunnels, accompanied by a guide. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500-pound bombs from B52 bombers. Returning to Saigon City early afternoon and enjoy lunch before embarking on a city tour. Major attractions include the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum. Overnight - Saigon (B:1, L:1) Day 11 : Saigon Cooking Class Understanding the food is a great way to experience the culture of this fascinating country. Vietnamese food is healthy, simple to cook and delicious. Today enjoy a half day cooking class, which includes a hands-on lesson on how to shop for and cook authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The day begins with a visit to Ben Thanh Market with your chef. Ben Thanh is centrally located and known as one of liveliest and busiest in Saigon. Here you will learn more about the ingredients, Vietnamese herbs and spices and start collecting vegetables for your lesson. After the market visit, transfer to Mai Home (Saigon Culinary Art Centre); where you will learn the secrets of Vietnamese cuisine during a cooking class. After you have completed your lesson, you can sit down and enjoy the tasty fruits of your labour! Overnight - Saigon (B, L) Day 12 : Mekong Delta Homestay Saigon - Vinh Long. The morning begins with a drive through the beautiful Mekong Delta to the town of Cai Be, famous for its floating markets. After touring the markets, board a private boat and cruise along the maze of waterways and canals to Vinh Long. Here, enjoy a sumptuous Delta lunch including the popular 'Elephant ear fish' at the home of a Bonsai gardener, before continuing to explore the tributaries and canals of the Delta. Towards the end of the day, arrive at the home of a local family where you will spend the night. The evening is spent with the family, learning about life in the Delta. Overnight - Vinh Long Homestay (B, L, D) Day 13 : Vinh Long Vinh Long - Saigon. Rising to the sounds of life on the Delta, have an early breakfast before boarding a riverboat to cruise to Vinh Long town, stopping along the way to visit local cottage industries. Then, transfer by vehicle to the town of My Tho to visit the Vinh Trang pagoda, before returning to Saigon. Spend your final evening at leisure and perhaps sample one of the city's many gourmet restaurants. Overnight - Saigon (B) Day 14 : Saigon Your Vietnam adventure comes to an end after breakfast and hotel check out today. Included transfer to Saigon Airport for your onward flight home.(b) KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Vietnam Country Guide Entrance fees - collected in USD Entrance fees to most sites are not included, although reasonably priced. In Vietnam, we collect entrance fees on Day 2 of the tour (the amount is noted under exclusions). A breakdown of the entrance fee total is provided upon arrival. All funds collected in Vietnam for entrance fees are payable in USD. Tipping Kitty - collected in USD At the start of your tour, we take a small tipping kitty (the amount is noted under exclusions) from all tour participants to cover tips throughout your holiday. This saves you the hassle of knowing when and how much to tip bellhops, luggage handlers, bus drivers, train conductors and other support staff throughout the tour. This amount does not include a tip for your tour guides. For a job well done, we would suggest USD $3-6 per person per day. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture and ultimately the amount is up to you. Health Requirements You should seek medical advice before travelling to Vietnam from your local health practitioner and ensure that you receive all of the appropriate vaccinations. As a guide - 3 -
Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus are strongly recommended. Malaria in Vietnam Areas with malaria: Rural only, except none in the Red River Delta and the coast north of Nha Trang. Rare cases in the Mekong Delta. None in Da Nang, Haiphong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Nha Trang, and Qui Nhon. Estimated relative risk of malaria for travellers: Low Water The tap water in Vietnam is generally considered safe to drink, but as a precaution against stomach upsets you may want to drink bottled mineral water, which is readily available from shops, hotels and restaurants. Visas From 1 July 2015 onwards UK passport holders will not need a visa to visit Vietnam for up to 15 days. At customs you will need show your return airline ticket/e ticket as proof of your date of departure. If you're exiting Vietnam via a land border then your tour itinerary will be accepted as proof so please have this available to show to border police if requested. A visa is required for stays of 16 days or longer and if you are planning to return to Vietnam within 30 days of your last departure you will also need to purchase a visa. Most other nationalities including Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and USA passport holders require a tourist visa to visit Vietnam. Travellers can choose to independently apply (or we can arrange this for you, see notes below) for a 30 day tourist visa (single or multiple entry) from the nearest Vietnamese Embassy or via the more convenient method of applying online. The cost is approx USD$20. After submitting an application you will receive a confirmation number, then upon arriving to Vietnam you would receive the actual visa and additionally pay a stamping fee of USD$45. The stamping fee for a multiple entry visa, for entries within one month is USD$65. Applying in advance and then collecting your tourist visa upon arrival is available to all travellers entering the country via Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City - Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Danang International Airport. ON THE GO ARRANGING YOUR VIETNAM VISA Upon confirming a holiday to Vietnam with us, if you require a visa please download a copy of our 'Vietnam Visa Data List' available on our website within the SE Asia, under the title of 'Visa Info'. Should you complete the form and return it as a Microsoft Word document via e-mail to us 6 weeks prior to your departure we will arrange the visa for you (effectively saving you USD$20). Then approximately 2-3 weeks prior to your departure we will forward to you a 'Visa Confirmation Letter' which carries a confirmation number'. You will need to present the 'Visa Confirmation Letter' and a 'Vietnam Visa Entry & Exit Form' (we have a link to this form on our website or you can pick up one upon arrival) to immigration officials upon arrival into Vietnam along with 2 passport photos and a stamping fee of USD$45 or USD $65 for a multiple entry visa. A Visa will then be stuck into your passport and you can enter Vietnam. Please note: This service is not available for South African passport holders who must obtain a tourist visa from the nearest Vietnamese Embassy in advance and pay the stamping fee directly to the embassy prior to travel. 'The Visa Confirmation Letter' (irrespective of whether you apply for your visa independently or through On The Go Tours) will contain personal information such as your passport number, nationality and date of birth of yourself and other travellers on one inclusive list. PLEASE NOTE: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date, if it is not you may be refused entry into the country. Climate Vietnam has a varied climate due to its geography. The south is hot year round and has two seasons: The wet season lasts from May to October, with brief, daily showers. The dry season from November to April is generally sunny and humid. In the north, the summer months (May to October) are hot and there is the occasional burst of heavy rain. In the winter (December to February) temperatures drop in the north and it can be damp. The coastal region of central Vietnam is blessed with long months of sunshine, although there is rainfall in November and December. At this time there can also be some typhoon activity in the central coastal region. Guides and Groups Our longest group tour in Southeast Asia is our Bangkok to Angkor Wat - 25 day tour. All other group tours we offer (with the exception of our Vietnam with Teens and Flavours of Vietnam tours) are sectors of this larger tour. As such on your holiday you may have travellers join you part way through your tour (in Luang Prabang, Hanoi or Saigon) or end their tour when you continue on. Guiding: A Vietnamese guide will escort all arrangements throughout Vietnam. Time & Voltage The voltage in Vietnam is 220v. In Vietnam 3 types of plugs are commonly accepted: 2 flat prong plugs (type A), the 2 round pin plug (type C) and many of the new 4 and 5 star hotels use the British standard 3-pin plug (type G). To cover all bases, it is best to pack an international travel adaptor! Vietnam is 7 hours ahead of GMT and does not observe daylight saving. Money The official currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong. Euro, British Pounds, US Dollars and other major currencies can be exchanged locally at the airport, bureau de changes or banks. US Dollar notes are widely accepted and shopkeepers use both currencies interchangeably. You can often pay for items in USD and receive your change in USD notes and coins in VND. Make sure that your USD bills are crisp and clean and you will have no problem using or exchanging these throughout your stay. ATM machines can be found in all major cities though it is not common to pay with credit card in restaurants, cafes or shops for purchases. It's advisable to request bank notes - 4 -
in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities. Traveller's Cheques are not recommended as they're often difficult to exchange and incur high fees. Essential Packing Sleep sheet if taking an overnight sleeper train. These also can be easily purchased in Hanoi at a cost of USD$5. Ask you guide for info on where to buy these. A day pack to carry all your essentials when out sightseeing each day. An overnight bag, if you are staying aboard the Junk boat in Halong Bay. As we will be returning to Hanoi it is not essential that you take your big bag/ suitcase with you. Lightweight cotton garments. Comfortable walking shoes in addition to flip flops/ thongs DEET based mosquito repellant & antihistamine cream Bring a 2 flat prong (type A) and a 2 round pin (type C) electrical adaptors. A universal adaptor will cover all bases Lightweight, fold up raincoat/ poncho. Two spare passport photos & a photocopy of your passport Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, swim costume and torch Arrival Transfers If your tour or short stay includes an airport arrival transfer (as indicated in the 'What you Get' section of this Go Guide) our arrival procedure is as follows: Arrive to Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport, Saigon - Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Proceed to the immigration counter and present your invitation letter. Complete an immigration form and submit your photographs and stamping fee of USD$25 (this can take some time). After collecting your luggage proceed to the arrival hall. As you enter the arrivals hall, look for our On The Go Tours representative. He/she will be holding a prominent On The Go Tours logo signboard. After meeting you will be escorted to our awaiting transportation and transferred to our tour start hotel If, for any reason you have trouble locating our representative (after waiting 20 minutes in the arrival hall) or your flight is delayed please call the emergency contact number as stated on your tour voucher. If arriving on day 1 of a holiday, that includes an airport arrival transfer (as indicated in the 'What you Get' section of this Go Guide) we will be at the airport, ready to transfer you to your hotel. Further if you are booking pretour accommodation with us an airport arrival transfer will also be provided. If arriving prior to 9am on day 1 (essentially on a flight that arrives very, very early in the morning) you will need to purchase a night of pre-tour accommodation to save you waiting until standard hotel check in time, which is generally 2pm. Airline Luggage Allowance If your tour includes international or domestic flights within the region please be mindful that the free baggage allowance for Economy class travel is strictly 20kg and 1 piece of hand luggage up to 6kg. Any additional weight is charged at a per kilo rate. You may wish to keep this in mind whilst shopping. Trains in Vietnam It's not the Orient Express, but Vietnam's Reunification Express. On a number of our group tours we include an overnight train journey on the Reunification Express Railway Line between Hanoi and Hue. The particular SE series train that we use on this journey is the highest class of train available in Vietnam. It's titled as being the nation's fastest train; though by international standards it's quite the opposite. Never the less, our journey between Hanoi and Hue takes approximately 14 hours and travellers are accommodated in 4 berth 'Soft Sleeper' cabins. Aboard each wagon are 9 compartments that comprise of 4 bunks per compartment. 4 persons of mixed sex share one compartment. You may be sharing with people from your tour group, other tourists or Vietnamese people. Who you will share your cabin with is ultimately dependent upon how the Vietnamese Railways Corporation configures the bookings. Cabins onboard are comfortable though not comparable to European standards. A western style toilet (with a varying degree of cleanliness) is located at either end of the wagon. Airconditioning (not always operational in the summer) and lighting are controlled from inside the cabin, which is also lockable. Luggage can be stored in a compartment under the bottom bunk. Linen and a pillow are provided though we strongly recommend that you bring your own sleep sheet (easily purchased in Hanoi at a cost of USD$5). The cleanliness of the train varies according to wagons assigned to the journey for that particular day. Some wagons are spotlessly clean whilst others can be unclean and should have been decommissioned long ago. Irrespective of the particular train you take, they all have large clear glass windows that allow for uninterrupted views of stunning landscapes and never ending rice paddy fields. - 5 -