Welcome to Vietnam! Upon your arrival at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel. After check in, you will be picked up and depart on your city tour. Your tour will start at the Reunification Palace. You will then drive into the historic city center to visit the Emperor of Jade Pagoda, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. You will also pass by the ornate City Hall and the old Opera House before ending your tour at Ben Thanh Market. Here you will have some time to shop before you check in to your hotel. Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh for 2 Nights
Breakfast will be served in your hotel. Depart from Ho Chi Minh City in the morning after breakfast and travel to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. You will then travel to Tay Ninh, the birthplace of the unique Cao Dai religion, a fusion of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and native Vietnamese spiritual beliefs. Return to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the day. Breakfast will be served in your hotel. Transfer by vehicle from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho, a bustling town in the rich agricultural region of the Mekong Delta. Here you will visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, which combines Asian and European architectural styles. You will then board a local boat to explore the islands of the Mekong, stopping at a fruit orchard to enjoy fruit and tea while listening to local music. The trip also includes a brief sampan ride through the tiny waterways that thread the island. At the end of your tour you will travel by vehicle to Can Tho and check in to your hotel. Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho for 1 Night Breakfast will be served in your hotel. In the early morning, you will set out by boat to explore the Cai Rang Floating Market, the biggest and most bustling of the Mekong Delta markets. By 9AM the activity has died down and it is time to return to the pier, after exploring some of the backwaters and canals. Transfer by vehicle from Can Tho back to Ho Chi Minh City and check in to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh for 1 Night After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to board your flight to Danang. **Fight: VN112 at 10:00, est. arrive at 11:15** Upon arrival in Danang and be transferred by vehicle to Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town. Hoi An is best explored on foot and your walking tour will begin at the Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, the town s symbol. You will also visit the Sa Huynh Museum, the Tran Family Chapel and the Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall. You will also visit a local lantern-making workshop, where you will see skilled artisans creating traditional Vietnamese silk lanterns. Check in to your hotel at the end of your tour. Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An for 1 Night
After breakfast, depart from Hoi An in the morning and travel by vehicle to the city of Hue. Along the way you will cross the dramatic Hai Van Pass and pass by Lang Co Beach. Upon arrival in Hue you will begin your walking tour of the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19th century. Approach the city past the striking Flag Tower, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead. Enter the Citadel through the imposing Ngo Mon Gate and visit Thai Hoa Palace, Dien Tho Palace, the Halls of the Mandarins and the original Nine Dynastic Urns. You will also visit the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum before ending the day at Dong Ba Market. Here you will have some free time for shopping before you return to your hotel. Accommodation: Hotel in Hue for 2 Nights After breakfast you will transfer to the banks of the Perfume River to depart on a boat excursion. Your trip will take you to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, an elegant seven-tiered octagonal tower which has become Hue's most widely recognizable monument. Back to the boat for a scenic cruise to Thuy Bieu Village which is famous for Thanh Tra fruit. You will have free time to walk or bike around village. Then, you will visit the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang before returning to Hue. You will have rest of the day at leisure. After breakfast you breakfast in hotel, transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. **Flight: VN1540 at 10:45, est. arrival 11:55** Start the day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, before you walk through the local park to Ho Chi Minh s Stilt House. You will also visit the miniature One Pillar Pagoda before you make your way to the Temple of Literature. You will then visit the Museum of Ethnology. Spend rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Hotel in Hue for 1 Night
Enjoy your morning at leisure with breakfast and hotel facility. In the afternoon, you will visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, both located in the heart of Hanoi. En route you will pass by a number of colonial landmarks such as the magnificent Opera House and St. Joseph s Cathedral. You will also visit the tiny Tortoise Pagoda before you travel to watch a Water Puppet Show, a fantastic art form that originated in the northern Vietnam. At the end of the tour, you will transfer to the train station to board your overnight train to Lao Cai. Accommodation: Overnight on the train Arrive Lao Cai in the morning, and then be transferred to your hotel in Sa Pa for breakfast. After breakfast you will be met by a local guide and depart on a soft trek through beautiful orchid gardens and pine forests. Your first stop will be at the small village of Suoi Ho, which is inhabited by the Hmong ethnic minority. Continue on your trek, passing rice paddy fields and spectacular scenery toward the village of Ma Tra. En route you will make a quick stop at a local primary school. After arriving in Ma Tra you will have some time to explore before you transfer by vehicle back to Sa Pa. Along the way you will visit Ham Rong Mountain and San May (Cloud Yard). After the tour, you will be transferred back at your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: Hotel in Sa Pa for 2 Nights
Breakfast will be served in your hotel. Depart from Sa Pa in the morning and travel by jeep to the village of Lao Chai, where you will begin your trek. Today you will visit villages inhabited by the minority Hmong, Dzay and Dzao people while enjoying spectacular scenery of terraced rice paddies, waterfalls and the small bamboo forests that are unique to the northern region. Your trek will end at Giang Ta Chai, another minority village populated by Hmong and Dzay people. Transfer by jeep back to Sa Pa at the end of your trek. Breakfast will be served in your hotel. Depart from Sa Pa and transfer by vehicle back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi and check in to your hotel. You will have rest of the day at leisure Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi for 1 Night Breakfast will be served. Enjoy your time at leisure until departure. Transfer to the airport where you will board your return flight back to Canada.
TOUR PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY MINIMUM 2 PEOPLE Daily Departure 1 July - 30 Sep 2015 LAND ONLY min. 2 3-6 7-9 10-14 15-19 20-25 26 + Single Supplement 3-4 Stars Hotel 2224 2224 2106 2106 1959 1959 1824 577 4-5 Stars Hotel 2848 2848 2683 2683 2431 2424 2283 1165 HOTEL BLACKOUT DATES MAY APPLY. TOUR PRICE IS NOT VALID FOR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ALL PRICES ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. Your Tour Package Includes: Air tickets (Domestic routine): Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang/ Hue to Hanoi Land tour transportation with air conditioned coach. Hotel accommodation with twin sharing and breakfast daily. Meals as per itinerary. Admission tickets to sightseeing spots per itinerary. English speaking guide Two bottle of fresh water per passenger per day (Complimentary) One group picture per passenger (Complimentary) Special gift per passenger (Complimentary) Your Tour Package Does NOT Include: International Airfare from Canada to Vietnam Any applicable weekend and other surcharges imposed by airlines. Any taxes, airport fees and fuel surcharge. Travel insurance, Travel Visa and all personal expenses. Tipping and gratuities to local guides, drivers, and hotel staff. Any items not specified as included.