Luxury Private Tour in Vietnam Coast - Vietnamese Dreams

Starting City: Saigon | Last City: Hanoi

Start time: Immediately upon arrival at Saigon | End time: Full service until departure time at Hanoi | By car, cart, boat, cruise. Cyclo subject to availability.

Saigon | Cu Chi | Mekong | Dalat | Nhatrang | Hoian | Hue | Hanoi | Halong

Accommodation:

Saigon City | 3 nights | Caravelle | Signature Deluxe

Bentre Town | 1 night | Home Stay | Shared

Dalat City | 1 night | Ana Mandara Dalat | Villa Room

Nhatrang City | 1 night | Ana Mandara Nhatrang | Deluxe Sea View Villa

Hoian Town | 2 nights | Palm Garden | Deluxe Ocean View

Hue City | 1 night | La Residence | Deluxe Riverview

Hanoi City | 3 nights | Hilton | Executive

Halong Cruise | 1 night | Indochina Sails | Deluxe

Day 1 ~ Arrival, Welcome Drink

Arrival

Upon your arrival in Saigon airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for a welcoming drink.

Day 2 ~ Saigon Pearl City and Cu Chi Tunnels Full Day Trip

Dong Khoi Street | Municipal Theatre | City Hall | Notre Dame Cathedral | Central Post Office | Re-unification Palace | American War Remnants Museum | Red Door Deco | Cu Chi Tunnels

Begin with a walk along Dong Khoi street and visit the most prominent French colonial structures in the city centre including the Municipal Theatre, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. The ochre and white walls, dark wood and painted maps detailing telecommunications in late 19th century Indochina make the Central Post Office one of the best preserved colonial-style buildings in Asia. You will then travel to the site of the impressive Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum. Continue on to Red Door Deco where you can find luxurious and second-to-none gifts for your friends and relatives or something as a decoration for your house or workplace. After lunch, drive to Cu Chi. On arrival you will be guided through the famous tunnels used by the communist guerrillas during the Vietnam War. The tunnel network stretches over 250km and extends to three levels underground providing you with a remarkable insight into the hardships, courage, determination and terror of a guerrilla war. Return to your hotel.

Day 3 ~ Day 1 of Mekong Home Stay 2 Days 1 Night Trip

Bentre area

You will be picked up from your hotel lobby by our representative and transferred south into the heart of the Mekong Delta. En route, visit a unique Cao Dai Temple and pass farmers tending their fields and drying their produce by the sides of the road. Arriving at My Tho, take a boat trip over the Tien river to the other side seeing fish farms and the floating fish market along Dragon Island. Enjoy seasonal fruits and listening to traditional music. Take a horse-cart along the village path and stop at an orchard to taste honey with tea or wine. Take a rowing-boat along the palm creek before lunch, and then take a boat to see the local people making coconut candy - a local specialty. Return to an An Khanh village homestay for fishing or cooking for dinner. You will be welcomed by a local family and learn about the ways of life of the people living in the Delta Region. Overnight at homestay.

Day 4 ~ Day 2 of Mekong Home Stay 2 Days 1 Night Trip, Saigon Night Life Discovery

Bentre area | Dinner Cruise | Traveling for photographs

After breakfast, continue your exploration of this fascinating area with some cycling to a nearby village. After lunch, return to Saigon.

Nowhere in Vietnam is more spectacular than Saigon at night. In the evening, you will be transferred to Bach Dang Wharf for a dinner cruise along the Saigon River. You will enjoy dinner with traditional Vietnamese dishes on the upper deck and be witness to a panoramic view of Saigon's city lights. After nine, Saigon's streets are not as crowded as they are in the bustle of the daytime, making this a perfect opportunity for traveling around downtown Saigon for taking photographs before returning to your hotel.

Day 5 ~ Saigon-Dalat Flight, Dalat Valley Full Day Explorer

Flight | Rooster Church | Summer Palace of Bao Dai | Hang Nga Crazy House | Zen Buddhist Monk and artist | Truc Lam Zen Monastery | Lat Village

Check out from Saigon and take a flight to Dalat. The city tour begins at the Rooster Church which was built from 1931 to 1942, one of the most representative and oldest architectural works in Dalat. Continue to the Summer Palace of the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai. This palace was built in 1933 in Art Deco style and contains many artefacts from the French occupation period. Next stop is the Hang Nga Crazy House, a guesthouse built in an unusual architectural style unique in Vietnam and comparable to the works of the Spanish artist Antonio Gaudi. Continue with a visit to a Zen Buddhist monk and artist with his amazing garden of paintings. Then enjoy spectacular views as you ride a cable car to the beautiful Truc Lam Zen Monastery and wander through the tranquil gardens. In the afternoon drive 12kms to the north of Dalat to Lat Village. Lat refers to the ethnic minorities who inhabit the area and this is where Dalat derives its name. The village is also home to members of the Koho, Ma and Chill ethnic minority groups, each speaking a different dialect. Here you will have the opportunity to observe the traditional way of life of the hill-tribe people and, if you like, purchase some of their traditional handicrafts. Return to your hotel where the full day explorer ends. (VN464 0620//0730)

Day 6 ~ Dalat-Nhatrang Drive, Nhatrang City by Cyclo

Driving Dalat to Nhatrang | Bicycle city tour

Commence the journey at the picturesque coastal town of Nha Trang. Your journey to Nha Trang takes you over the spectacular Ngoan Muc Pass and past the Poklongarai Cham Towers near Phan Rang. The Cham people occupied southern and central Vietnam prior to being overrun by the Viet people from the north in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The towers at Poklongarai are one of several remnants of the former Cham Kingdom in the area. In the afternoon take the cyclo city tour.

Day 7 ~ Nhatrang-Danang Flight, Marble Mountain and China Beach Excursion, Hoian Explorer

Flight | Marble Mountain | China Beach | Traditional ancient house | Hoian Museum | Chinese Assembly Hall | Japanese Covered Bridge

Take the flight from Nhatrang to Danang. Upon arrival at Hoi An, visit the Ngu Hanh Son (five elements) mountains, a series of large marble outcrops which have acquired mythical significance over the centuries. The caves of the Marble Mountains contain a number of sacred Buddhist shrines as well as a former Communist guerrilla hospital from the Vietnam War. From the Marble Mountains, take a short drive around to China Beach for a well-earned swim at the former U.S. R&R beach escape. Take a cyclo tour for a journey through the streets, where numerous art and crafts shops and tailors of the enchanting ancient town of Hoi An can be seen. The town's heritage is distinctly multicultural, and the architecture is a fusion of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European influences. You will visit a traditional ancient house, the Hoi An Museum, and a Chinese Assembly Hall. Also visit the town's emblem, the Japanese Covered Bridge, which was originally built in the mid-16th century, and which along with the numerous Chinese assembly halls helps to give Hoi An a cosmopolitan feel. Taste a centuries-old recipe - Cao Lau noodles - which are only served in Hoi An, before returning to your hotel. (VN334 0745//0850)

Day 8 ~ Hoian Eco Fisherman Half Day Excursion, My Son Holy Land Half Day Excursion

Hoian Eco Fisherman | My Son | Cham Ruins

Travel to the jetty to board your private boat for a cruise through the coconut palm canal, a tranquil area seldom visited by tourists. You will enjoy a wide range of experiences, from learning traditional fishing techniques to paddling the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats while exploring the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war. On this tour we provide an authentic social and cultural insight into the local Vietnamese way of life. As well, you will take part in some hands-on activities that are fun, safe and interesting to people all of ages. In the afternoon, continue on for your 1.5 hr drive to My Son, the former holy land of the Champa people. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king. The Cham people occupied this area of Vietnam from the 2nd to the 17th century and at My Son you will find some amazing religious monuments built during the Champa dynasty. Sadly, war and years of neglect has seen many of these structures fall into ruin, although what remains is still truly spectacular. About 80,000 Cham people still live in various parts of Vietnam and are religiously and culturally distinct. Return to your hotel.

Day 9 ~ Hoian-Hue Drive, Citadel, Phu Cam conical hat village, Hue Sunset Cruise Dinner

Driving Hoian to Hue | Citadel | Phu Cam | Sunset cruise dinner

Check out from Hoi An and drive to Hue over the spectacular Hai Van Pass. Travel to the nineteenth century Citadel, the impressive home of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors. The citadel was begun in 1802 by Nguyen Phuc Anh (later emperor Gia Long) and served as Vietnam's capital until 1945. Also visit Phu Cam conical hat village, where most villagers make a living from the craft, one of the best-known places for making conical hats in the ancient capital city. Enjoy a sunset cruise dinner in Hue.

Day 10 ~ Khai Dinh Tomb, Hue-Hanoi Flight, Old Quarter

Khai Dinh | Flight | Old Quarter

Visit the tomb of the second to last emperor, Khai Dinh. The tomb, located on the slopes of Chau Chu mountain, took 11 years to build from 1920 and has a startling mix of European Baroque and ornamental Sino-Vietnamese style. Check out from Hue and take a flight to Hanoi. Ride through the fascinating Old Quarter of 36 ancient streets where you can observe the daily bustle of life around the markets where peddlers continue to trade as they have done for centuries. (VN244 1430//1540)

Day 11 ~ Hanoi-Halong Drive, Cruise 2 days 1 night

Titop island | Bat Cave | Luon Bo

Travel to Halong pier for boarding the cruise. Considered Vietnam’s greatest natural wonder, Halong Bay boasts over 3,000 islands that rise out of the sea to provide a spectacular natural environment. En route, enjoy the captivating rural scenery and see fields of busy workers farming their rice fields using traditional methods of cultivation. After a welcome drink on the cruise, check-in to your cabin. Lunch will be served on the cruise. Visit Titop Island for swimming, relaxing on the beach and climbing the steps to the top of the mountain on the island for fantastic views and photo opportunities. Next stop is the Bat Cave where you have two options: Kayaking or visiting Cua Van floating fishing village, the largest floating fishing village in Halong Bay. Continue to the Luon Bo area where the cruise ship will anchor overnight. Dinner is served on the cruise and amazing activities are available.

Day 12 ~ Halong-Hanoi Drive, Evening Water Puppets Show

Surprise Cave | Water Puppets Show

Greet the day with a morning of Tai Chi on the sun deck and take an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. Visit a beautiful Surprise Cave and then head back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay and a buffet brunch while cruising back to the dock. Return to your hotel in Hanoi. In the evening, travel to Thang Long Opera Theatre where the Water Puppets Show (Mua Roi Nuoc) is performed. This art form, unique to Vietnam, was developed in the Red River Delta in the 10th century during the Ly Dynasty. The farmers in this region put on performances for other villagers in flooded rice paddies. The Water Puppets Show is performed in a pool of water. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the figures using long bamboo rods and a string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The stories are about rural life including farming, fishing, romance and children playing and are acted out vividly by the wooden puppets. The performance runs for approximately 50 minutes. Return to your hotel.

Day 13 ~ Hanoi Ascending Dragon Capital Full Day Explorer, Hanoi Night Life Discovery

Ho Chi Minh Quarter including Ba Dinh Square and house on stilts and Museum | Temple of Literature | Hanoi Hilton | Floating Dinner | Traveling for photographs

Travel to the Ho Chi Minh Quarter, dedicated to the father of modern Vietnam, "Uncle Ho", to see his mausoleum and the “house on stilts” and museum. Continue your tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university in 1070 and now dedicated to Confucian worship. Then visit the “Hanoi Hilton”, the nickname given to the place where U.S. pilots shot down over North Vietnamese airspace were imprisoned during the Vietnam War, now converted into a museum. Return to your hotel.

You will be picked up from your hotel lobby by our representative and transferred to a floating restaurant in the West Lake for dinner. After nine, the Hanoi streets are not as crowded as they are in the bustle of the daytime, making this a perfect opportunity for traveling around downtown Hanoi at night for photographs before returning to your hotel where the tour ends.

Day 14 ~ Departure

Departure - Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Pricing depends on season, group size, adult/child prices.

25-Sep-2010
09-Oct-2010
23-Oct-2010
Fortnightly thereafter