Saigon

Excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels

Never discovered by American forces, the Cu Chi Tunnels were an important Vietcong base during the American War. Stretching over 200 km, this incredible underground network, dug by hand out of hard laterite, connected command posts, hospitals, shelter and weapons factories. Today, walk through the area and learn about the day to day life of the Vietcong, bear witness to the cleverly disguised entrances and elaborate booby-traps, and even venture inside the tunnels, some of which have been modified to accommodate tourists.

Sightseeing in Saigon

A vibrant metropolis, Saigon teems with energy, activity and motion. Everywhere you look, you see the convergence of traditional and modern life. Begin the trip into modern history with a tour of the Reunification Palace. Formerly the Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president, this 60s style building was famously stormed by tanks on April 30, 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It has been preserved in its original state, and the original tanks remain on display near the entrance gates. Afterwards, drive to the historic centre to visit the Emperor of Jade Pagoda, one of Saigon’s most interesting pagodas.  Proceed to pay a quick visit to the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Pass by the classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House (both may only be viewed from the outside). Finally, end up at the central Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.

Visit secret bunker in Saigon

Hidden in the quiet alley of central Saigon, the secret bunker is a historic national site where the soldiers were hiding more than 2 tons of weapons and were preparing for the battle of the 1968 Tet offensive at the Independence Palace (Now called Reunification Palace).

Saigon

Ben Tre Cruise by Private Sampan

Immerse yourself in the local culture of the Mekong Delta with a day out to rustic Ben Tre. A car journey of about two and a half hours will bring you to a peaceful area of lush orchards, green rice paddies and coconut fields. The fresh sweet coconut juice is said to be the best in the country. The industrious local residents have found many other uses for the humble coconut, including turning them into household items and cosmetics.

Sampan, Tuk Tuk and bicycle – these are the modes of transport that we’ll use to meet the people that work and live in the Mekong Delta. Mrs Huong, whose family makes a living farming shrimp, will invite us into her garden for honey tea and tropical fruits. We’ll chat with Mr Sau Tuong, a former Vietcong soldier, and watch how he and his wife make crispy rice paper. In local workshops we’ll witness craftsmen using centuries old methods to make bricks. We may even get to try an alcoholic spirit from coconuts – but be warned, it’s potent! All along the way, we will see the incredible scenery of rice paddies, canals and fruit farms.
Today’s Highlights: Mango cruise, xe loi ride, bicycle, sampan, cottage industries, local homes.

Saigon-Danang-Hoi An

Flight to Danang and Drive to Hoi An

Excursion to My Son

Journey to My Son, the former religious centre of the Champa Kingdom, a sophisticated civilization which held sway over the region from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Today, all that is left are five archaeological sites from different periods, in a beautifully green setting of hills and winding streams. After a brief visit to the Visitor’s Centre for an overview of Cham history and culture, visit each ruin in turn, walking along forested paths. If the timing allows, you will also enjoy a performance of traditional music.

Late afternoon: Visit a tailor’s shop and get fitted for custom made silk fashions. Your custom clothes will be delivered to your hotel the following day.

Hoi An

Cooking tour and farm experience at Tra Que (private visit, bike ride, cooking lesson, massage and herbal foot soak)

Walk from our hotel to visit the colorful local food markets where we will find many ingredients for the cooking class. Continue from there to the beautiful countryside to Tra Que village. We will ride bikes from a farmer’s house to visit the vegetable fields and get some hands on experience of farming life. Afterward, we will learn how to prepare special dishes with the local family and enjoy lunch by the river. After lunch, relax with an herbal foot soak before transfer back to your hotel.

Afternoon at leisure.

Hoi An – Hue

Transfer by car from Hoi An to Hue (140 kms)

Drive from Hoi An to Hue along scenic mountain roads with spectacular views over the coastline. Highlights along the way include the dramatic Hai Van Pass, the high dividing line between the climate zones of North and South Vietnam; Lang Co, a lovely stretch of beach curving outwards between a clear blue lagoon and the East Vietnam Sea; and the large coastal city of Danang. Today’s journey includes a stop at an oyster farm where you can shop for jewelry made from the cultured pearls, and enjoy a tasting of the oysters grown for food.

Hue street food tour (private)

Start the tour with a cyclo ride over the historical Trang Tien Bridge. Visit the colourful Dong Ba market to watch the vendors going about their daily business. In the many stalls, see the typical ingredients used every day by the locals in Hue. Cycle along the busy streets to witness daily life. Throughout the tour, there will be many opportunities to try out Hue’s local dishes at famous street restaurants. Sample specialties such as Banh Khoai, Banh Nam, Banh Loc, Banh Beo, Ram it, Bun Thit Nuong, Bun Bo Hue, Me Xung and Cha.

Visit Vinh Tu Garden House and have tea with the owner.

Visit Vinh Tu (Tha Om Garden House) and enjoy traditional Vietnamese hospitality in the surroundings of an exquisite replica of a 19th century Hue residence. This traditional garden house is a complex of adjoining rooms including bedrooms, living quarters and a room dedicated to ancestral worship, all set in a charming garden complete with orchid trees, tropical plants and a lotus pond. The owner will personally welcome you with tea and a fascinating talk about the architecture and history of this lovely house.

Hue

Sightseeing in the Imperial Citadel

Located in the heart of Hue is the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modeled after the Forbidden City of Peking. The original walls stretched for 10 km and were surrounded by a wide moat. Today, most of the buildings have been destroyed due to bombing during the Vietnam-American War, but the monuments that remain provide a fascinating glimpse into the court life of the Nguyen Dynasty. Approach the city past the striking Flag Tower, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead, to the imposing Ngo Mon Gate, the main entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. Enter into an area of spacious courtyards and serene lotus ponds, and stroll around the Dien Tho Residence (Dien Tho Palace) where the Queen mother lived. Visit the Thai Hoa Palace, the magnificently decorated reception hall, the Halls of the Mandarins, and the original Nine Dynastic Urns, among other sites.

Visit the Imperial Tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh

Venture into the countryside around Hue to the Imperial Tomb of Tu Duc. Tu Duc, the longest reigning Vietnamese emperor, designed and built this elegant tomb during his lifetime, using it as a retreat for meditation, reading and theatre performances. Take some time to soak in the tranquil atmosphere, wandering among the gracefully proportioned pavilions, courtyards and lotus ponds.  Afterwards visit the Imperial Tomb of Khai Dinh, dramatically located on a hillside. The last of the monumental tombs of the Nguyen dynasty, completed in 1931, this tomb incorporates distinct European elements into traditional Vietnamese architecture.

Excursion to Thien Mu Pagoda with a boat trip on the Perfume river.

Embark on a local boat and cruise down the Pefume River to the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, an elegant seven-tiered octagonal tower which has become Hue’s most widely recognizable monuments.  During the early 1960s, this became a centre of anti-government protests, and the site of the famous self-immolation by the monk Thich Quang Duc.

Hue- Hanoi

Travel to Hanoi by flight and car transfer

Sightseeing in Hanoi

Arguably, Hanoi is the most elegant city in Vietnam. Mixed in with the elegant architecture and public gardens of this 1,000-year-old city is a chaotic, colorful, motorbike-clogged mix of East and West. Thankfully, Hanoi clings tightly to its heritage, which is best seen in the Old Quarter – a maze of narrow alleyways that date back to the 13th century. This fascinating network of narrow alleys and shop houses is also known as The 36 Streets, each street being named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics, crafts, medicines and even tombstones. A handicraft lover’s paradise, the Old Quarter is a fascinating area to explore local life.

We will also visit the Museum of Ethnology which brings to life the astonishing ethnic diversity in Vietnam, with art and artifacts from the 54 different ethnic groups that inhabit the country. Inside the museum are detailed descriptions of minority groups, with examples of their traditional clothing and way of life. Outside are faithful reconstructions of traditional longhouses, cemeteries and other distinctive ethnic buildings.

We will continue to Hoan Kiem Lake which contains an islet with the tiny Tortoise Pagoda, followed by a visit to the “Hanoi Hilton” (Hoa Lo Prison).

Hoa Lo Prison was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War. During this later period it was sarcastically known to American POW’s as the Hanoi Hilton. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, though the gatehouse remains as a museum.

Home hosted dinner in Hanoi.

For tonight’s dinner, a local family will open the doors of their home to us. After the introductions have been made, sit down to enjoy a delicious home cooked meal of traditional Vietnamese dishes prepared by your host using fresh handpicked ingredients. While you eat, chat with your hosts and learn all about their cuisine, traditions and customs. Listening to their personal stories will give you an intimate insight into their life. After dinner move to the cozy living room to relax and talk some more before we bid farewell to the family.

Today’s Highlights: Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Museum of Ethnology

Hanoi

French’s legacies in Hanoi

Exclusive tour only available to Valise clients

Hop on a buggy to travel through the French colonial architecture of the precinct known as the French Quarter. The ride takes you from the Sofitel Legend Metropole past the Government Guesthouse (formerly the Residence of the French Governor of Tonkin) and the Hanoi Post Office to the St. Joseph cathedral. Construction on the cathedral was begun in 1882 after the French army conquered Hanoi.

Continue your ride passing other important architectural and historical landmarks such as: The Palais de Justice (now serves as the Vietnamese Supreme Court) designed by Auguste-Henri Vildieu (1900-1906), the University of Indochina (now managed and used by the Vietnam National University – Hanoi and the Hanoi University of Pharmacy), the 1919 Lycée Albert Sarraut (so-called Tran Phu Highschool today).

The final buggy stop is at Hanoi Opera House. This 2,600m2 theatre was designed by two French architects Harlay and Broyer. Construction took place from 1901 to 1911. The building is a phenomenal piece of neo-classical French architecture featuring Gothic themes on the doors and domes with pillars, shuttered windows, balconies and a glass room.

Walk from the Opera House to visit the nearby Vietnam National Museum of History. This was a museum of the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient which was built in 1926 and completed in 1932. In 1958, the Vietnam Government officially took over this cultural building for research and collection of materials and objects related to national history. The collections include many rare and valuable items, dating back to ancients cultures, Vietnamese glazed ceramics, Champa stone sculptures, bronze items from the Le-Nguyen Dynasties.

Enjoy the lunch at La Badiane, an award-winning restaurant in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem, combining traditional French cuisine with Vietnamese flavors.

After lunch, enjoy shopping in the Old Quarter to discover boutiques featuring French influenced design.

For a late afternoon snack, you’ll try Banh My, an unforgettable taste of Hanoi.

Introduced into Vietnam during the French colonization, Banh My has become a very popular street food in Vietnam. Banh My is a baguette layered with pate and a fried egg or beef steak, topped with fresh coriander and cucumber.

Hanoi- Hai Phong- Cruise Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay

Transfer by private car from Hanoi to Got ferry pier (Hai Phong)

Cruise aboard the Orchid, a luxury 14-cabin vessel, through Lan Ha Bay with an excursion to the caves of Cat Ba island.

Arrive at Got ferry terminal (Hai Phong province), transfer by tender to the cruise. Enjoy welcome drink, receive cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in. Proceeds to Da Chong islet, where you can see a lighthouse built by the French over 100 years ago. Have a buffet lunch while passing via the islets of Con Vit area. These amazing limestone karst formations rise up out of the sea in an impressive manner. Arrival at Cat Ba island, transfer to Trung Trang cave by bus. Located in the middle of Cat Ba National Park with Kim Giao forest around the cave, the Cave measures 300m lengthwise through the mountains with many stalactites that take on various shapes that will awe and inspire visitors to use their imagination. Return to the cruise, enjoy swimming at Tra Bau areas or relax onboard. In the late afternoon, take part in an onboard cooking demonstration. Dinner on board.

Spend the night on board the Orchid

Cruise- Hai Phong- Hanoi

Cruise aboard Orchid through Halong bay and Lan Ha bay

Join an early morning Tai Chi session on the sundeck followed by a light breakfast of coffee, tea and breakfast pastries. Grab a paddle and head out to explore Lan Ha bay by kayak. Glide through the tranquil and dreamy landscape surrounded by tree-topped islands. Back on board a hearty brunch is served in the dining room before we start the journey back to the pier.  While Orchid heads back to Got terminal, you may relax and enjoy the scenery, or join a Vietnamese Tea Ceremony in the dining room.

Wake up early and join a Tai Chi session on the sun deck to ease mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun lighting the water.

Afterward, grab a paddle for a morning kayak excursion in Tra Bau, a secluded spot in the bay.

By vehicle from Got ferry pier (Hai Phong) to Noi Bai international airport (Hanoi) with a visit to Bat Trang Village

Excursion to Bat Trang (Ceramic Village)

Exclusive tour only available to Valise clients

From Got ferry pier, we will travel to Bat Trang, a small village in the north of Vietnam on the other side of the Red River. The village dates back to the 14th century and is famous for producing high quality ceramic and pottery products using traditional methods. Visit a small family studio renowned for its traditional teapot design. Meet the owners over a cup of tea in the lovely secret garden. Learn the history of this special place then take a walk through the workshop to see how the artisans form, paint and glaze the products. Transfer (35 kms)

Continue to Hanoi for Departure with Airport Fast Track Service:
You will be escorted to the departure gate and assisted with all check in procedures.

Please contact Valise for more information about this trip and the trip extension possibilities.