Vietnam Culture & History
Tour
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Wonderful Vietnam Trip
7 Days Wonderful Vietnam
Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Danang -
Saigon
Highlights include the wonders of
Ha Long Bay, now listed as a
World Heritage site, the capital
city of Hanoi with its
fascinating One Pillar Pagoda,
Temple of Literature. Continue to
Hue, the Imperial City in the
18th and 19th centuries, Cham
Mesuem and Marble Mountain at Danang,
and finishing at the vibrant Ho
Chi Minh City.
Day 1 : Hanoi - Halong
Arrival in Hanoi - By vehicle from
Hanoi to Halong Bay - Journey east
along Highway 5 across Hai Hung
Province and around Halong Bay.
Overnight in Halong
Day 2 : Halong - Hanoi
Boat trip Halong Bay (4 hrs)
- 4 hours trip in Halong Bay past
the islands of Fighting cocks,
Turtle islet, Stone Dog….Stop to
visit :
HANG DAU GO : huge cave
consisting of three chambers, which
are reached via 90 steps. The cave
derives its Vietnamese name from the
third of the chambers, which is said
to use by Trang Hung Dao during the
13th century to store bamboo stakes,
used against the Mongol invaders.
THIEN CUNG : "Heaven Palace"
Seafood lunch will be provided on
board.
Disembark, by vehicle from Halong to
Hanoi - Journey around Halong Bay to
Hai Phong and west along Highway 5,
across Hai Hung Province. Overnight
in Hanoi
(Breakfast and Lunch
included)
Day 3 : Hanoi
Sightseeing Hanoi (8hrs) - Hanoi,
a city of lakes, shaded boulevards
and public parks, is the capital of
Vietnam. It is a very attractive
city with French style buildings and
less traffic than other cities in
Asia.
HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM : in the
tradition of Lenin and Stalin before
him and Mao after him, the final
resting place of Ho Chi Minh is a
glass sarcophagus set deep in the
bowels of a monumental edifice that
has become a site of pilgrimage.
(Closed on Monday, Friday and every
afternoon))
ONE PILLAR PAGODA : built by
the Emperor Ly Thai Tong, who ruled
from 1028 to 1054. Built of wood on
a single stone pillar, it is
designed to resemble a lotus
blossom.
TEMPLE OF LITERATURE :
Founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh
Tong who dedicated it to Confucius
in order to honour scholars and men
of literary accomplishment.
HOAN KIEM LAKE : right in the
heart of Hanoi, it has the tiny
Tortoise Pagoda topped with a red
star, on an islet in the middle of
the lake.
OPERA HOUSE : magnificent 900
seat Hanoi Opera House built in
1911. Just view from outside - no
inside sightseeing possible.
ST JOSEPH CATHEDRAL : nea-Gothic
cathedral inaugurated in 1886
noteworthy for its square towers,
elaborate altar and stained-glass
windows.
Lunch at local restaurant. Overnight
in Hanoi.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Day 4 : Hanoi - Hue
Transfer for morning flight from
Hanoi to Hue - meet at the airport
and transfer to hotel
Sightseeing old Imperial City -
IMPERIAL CITY : this is in the
Citadel and was built in the early
19th century and modeled after the
Forbidden City in Peking. There are
numerous palaces and temples within
these walls, as well as towers, a
library and a museum.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
NGO MON GATE : this is the
principal entrance to the Imperial
Enclosure and faces the Flag Tower.
The central passageway with its
yellow doors was reserved for use by
the emperor, as was the bridge
across the lotus pond.
THAI HOA PALACE : built in
1803 and moved to its present site
in 1833, Thai Hoa Palace is a
spacious hall with an ornate roof of
huge timbers supported by 80 carved
and lacquered columns.
HALLS OF THE MANDARINS :
these buildings, in which the
mandarins prepared for court
ceremonies, held in Can Chanh
Reception Hall, were restored in
1977.
NINE DYNASTIC URNS : these
were cast in 1835-36. Traditional
ornamentation was then chiseled into
the sides of the urns, each
dedicated to a different Nguyen
sovereign.
FORBIDDEN PURPLE CITY : this
was reserved for the personal use of
the emperor. The only servants
allowed into the compound were
eunuchs, who would pose no threat to
the royal concubines. **today site
in ruins** Lunch at local restaurant
followed by the Sightseeing tour to
Tombs of the Emperors Tu Duc and
Khai Dinh.
TU DUC TOMB : Emperor Tu Duc,
who ruled Hue more than 100 years
ago, built his tomb when he was
still alive and used it for
meditation, reading and theater
performances. There are pavillions
in a tranquil setting of forested
hills and lakes. The tomb was
constructed between 1864 and 1867.
Tu Duc, who was the longest reigning
Emperor, lived a luxurious life.
KHAI DINH : this was the last
monument of the Nguyen dynasty and
was constructed between 1920 and
1931. It sits magnificently on the
slopes of Chau E Mountain in Chau
Chau Village. It has a long
staircase flanked by dragons. There
are ceiling murals and ceramic
frescoes. Overnight in Hue
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Day 5 : Hue - Danang
Excursion on Huong Giang River to
the Thien Mu Pagoda with boat trip -
THIEN MU PAGODA: just outside of
Hue, on the bank of the Perfume
River, was a hotbed of
anti-government protest during the
early 1960s. Behind the main
sanctuary of the pagoda is the
Austin motorcar, which transported
the monk Thich Quang Duc to the site
of his 1963 self-immolation's. Lunch
at a local restaurant.
By vehicle from Hue to Danang -
Journey south along Highway 1 past
the Hai Van Pass, and Lang Co.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
HAI VAN PASS : the pass
crosses over a spur of the Truong
Son Mountain Range that juts into
the South China Sea. It is an
incredible mountainous stretch of
highway with spectacular views.
LANG CO : has a pretty,
island-like stretch of palm-shaded
sand with a crystal-clear lagoon on
one side and many km of beachfront
facing the South China Sea.
Sightseeing Danang - Vietnam's
fourth largest city marks the
northern limits of Vietnam's
tropical zone, boasting a pleasant
year-round climate.
CHAM MUSEUM : founded in 1915
by the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme
Orient, the open-air collection of
Cham sculpture is the finest in the
world. Many of the sandstone
carvings are breathtaking.
CHINA BEACH : made famous in
the American TV series of the same
name, it stretches for many
kilometres north and south of the
Marble Mountains. During the
American War, soldiers were
airlifted here for 'rest and
relaxation'.
MARBLE MOUNTAINS : consist of
5 stone hillocks, once islands, made
of marble. Each is said to represent
one of the five elements of the
universe. The largest and most
famous, Thuy Son, has a number of
natural caves in which Buddhist
sanctuaries have been built over the
centuries. When the Champas ruled
this area, these same caves were
used as Hindu shrines.
Overnight in Danang
Day 6 : Danang - Saigon
Transfer for morning flight from
Danang to Saigon.
Sightseeing Saigon and Cholon
(Chinatown) - Saigon is the largest
of Vietnamese cities, and one will
see the hustle and bustle of
Vietnamese life everywhere. There
are street markets, pavement cafes
and sleek new cafes and pubs. The
city churns and bubbles. Yet within
this teeming metropolis are 300
years of timeless traditions and the
beauty of an ancient culture. To the
wet of the city is district 5, the
huge Chinese neighbourhood called
Cholon, which means 'Big Market'.
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL : built
between 1877 and 1883, is set in the
heart of Saigon's government
quarter. It has a neo-Romanesque
form and two high square towers,
tipped with iron spires. In front of
the cathedral is a statue of the
Virgin Mary.
CENTRAL POST OFFICE : this is
a French-style building with its
glass canopy and iron frame right
next to the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The structure was built between 1886
and 1891 and is by far the largest
post office in Vietnam.
CITY HALL : completed 1908,
also known as "Hotel de Ville" at
the northern end of Nguyen Hue
Boulevard. With it's ornate
gingerbread facade it looks like the
town hall of a French town. **view
from outside only**
WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM :
collections of weapons and
photographs from 2 Indochina wars
are exhibited along with the
original French 'Guillotine' brought
here in the early 20th century.
BEN THANH MARKET : this is
the central market of Saigon and the
market and the surrounding streets
make up one of the city's liveliest
areas. Everything commonly eaten,
worn or used by the average resident
of Saigon is available here.
BINH TAY MARKET : is Cholon's
main marketplace with much of the
business here being wholesale.
THIEN HAU PAGODA : built by
the Cantonese congregation in the
early 19th century. The pagoda is
one of the most active in Cholon and
is dedicated to Thien Hau. It is
said that she can travel over the
oceans on a mat and ride the clouds
to wherever she pleases.
Overnight in Saigon
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Day 7 : Saigon
Excursion to TAY NINH : this
town serves as the headquarters of
one of Vietnam's religions, Caodism.
The Caodai Great Temple at the
sect's Holy See is one of the most
striking structures in all of Asia
and was built between 1933 and 1955.
The area's dominant geographic
feature is Nui Ba Den (Black Lady
Mountain), which towers 850m above
the surrounding plains.
Important notice: shortly before and
during the annual TET festival
(Vietnamese New Year) the daily
ceremony of the priests in Tay Ninh
may be cancelled without prior
notice. Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon : continue proceeding to -
CU CHI TUNNELS : Cu Chi was
an important base during the
American War, because of its
strategic location. The Vietcong
built a 200km long network of
tunnels connecting command posts,
hospitals, shelter and weapon
factoriesDug in hard laterite by
hand tools without the use of
cement, this amazing network was
never discovered.
Drive back to Saigon and transfer
directly to the airport for evening
departure flight.(Breakfast
and Lunch included)
Trip Prices Include :
-
6 nights accommodation basing on
twin sharing at specified hotels
with daily breakfast.
-
All transfers and land
transportation in private
vehicles.
-
Local English or French speaking
guides. / Entrances fees
+sightseeing as indicated.
-
Half board meals at local
restaurant as mentioned on the
program.
-
Private boat for sightseeing in
Halong Bay and Perfume river.
-
Domestic air tickets with airport
tax: Hanoi - Hue // Danang -
Saigon.
-
Approval for Vietnam entry Visa.
Trip Prices Do Not Include :
-
International Airport taxes (In
Saigon: USD14/ person).
-
International air ticket.
-
Drinks and personal expenses and
other meals not mentioned on the
program.
Trip Price: In USD and per
person, from 2 people on ward
US$: 637
Single Supplement: US$ 112
Accommodation
We will be accommodating at local,
clean, friendly staff hotel with
good location. Easy access to city
central, dining area, and favorite
hangouts. While our emphasis is not
on luxury accommodation, we can
upgrade or downgrade the lodging
pending your request
Hotels 3star
