9D8N Vibrant Vietnam

A warm welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam awaits you!

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be met and taken up to Cu Chi Tunnels.

Depart for Cu Chi Tunnels, which is just 60 kilometers far away from the city center. Arrive at Cu Chi Tunnels, which is “land of steel”, and learn about the history of the underground systems dug during the Vietnam War by Viet Cong soldiers as a way to move undetected and launch surprise attacks.

We will visit:

• The weapons that were used by The National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in the war, including hand-made guns.
• Watch the documentary about the tunnel system and the people’s war 
• Learn about the tunnel system structure.
• Witness many kinds of Vietnam war era deadly TRAPS which were used by The National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (VC) & how it worked.
• Get into the tunnels, experience as a VC soldier.
• Visit B52 bomb hole
• Experience Vietnam war’s era real gun fire (personal fee - buy at least 10 bullets)
• Taste the boiled tapioca, which were widely eaten by the VC during the wartime, try jasmine tea. 

Then, go back to Ho Chi Minh City Center.

Overnight in HCMC. Finish Day 1!

Breakfast at the hotel. 

08:00: Depart to MEKONG DELTA to admire the idyllic but poetic beauty of the Southern Vietnam countryside, where there are vast rice fields, tropical fruits, and poetic rivers. 

• Visit Vinh Trang pagoda on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, which has a beautiful structure that features a mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese, Angkor (Cambodian) and European architectural styles. 
• Arrive at Thoi Son Islet (Lan Islet), Visit the orchard and learn about the process of producing and gathering honey bees.
• Walk into the village, where you can visit a local fruit garden and enjoy seasonal fruits while listening to Vietnamese traditional music (Don Ca Tai Tu - A folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity). 
• Enjoy a rowing boat trip on the small sampan, fully covered by the shadow of the coconut trees. 
• The boat leads you to Ben Tre province - "the land of coconuts”, then visit the coconut candy-making shop and learn about the coconut candies making process. 
• Have lunch. Free to relax. You can take a bike to visit the villages.

17:00: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Free at nighttime in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Try to enjoy some recommended activities: You can visit Nguyen Hue Walking Street, watch a Vietnamese Village show at the Opera House, ….

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City. Finish Day 2!

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Have breakfast at your hotel, and check-out the hotel.

Then, we will visit around Ho Chi Minh City:

• Saigon Central Post Office: is one of the most famous and iconic attractions with its unique structure and remnants of the city’s past.
• Saigon Opera House
• Independence Palace: is a popular historical site in Ho Chi Minh City and continues to be used for Government meetings and receptions. 
• The War Remnants Museum: offers a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War, displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War. In the courtyard we will find some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey.
• Visit Ben Thanh Market, where people sell everything you might need from clothing, household items to food so you can definitely find souvenirs here to bring back home 

Then, transfer you to the airport for a flight to Danang.

• Flight: Ho Chi Minh - Danang : SGN - DAD in the afternoon

Overnight in Da Nang. Finish Day 3!

Meals Included: Breakfast.

09:00: Departure to Ba Na Hills. Arrive at the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Mountain. Enjoy the first leg Cable car, which achieved two Guinness World records in 2009, longest non-stop cable car (5,042m) and highest non-stop cable car (1,292m).

Step on Golden Bridge which stands 1,400m above sea level in the Ba Na hills, and extends over the treetops from the edge of a leafy cliff face offering tourists uninterrupted views of the majestic landscape beneath.

• Visit the Le Jardin, remains of French Villas.
• Enjoy games at Fantasy Park.
• Return to the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Mountain and then transfer back to Da Nang City. 

Back to your hotel to relax. Free at night.

Overnight at a hotel in Danang. Finish Day 4!

*Note: Cable car ticket includes all free games in Fantasy Park: over 105 games and free Knight Game (Chute), entrance fees for Funicular, The Golden Bridge.

Meals Included: Breakfast.

09:00: Visit Marble Mountain - a cluster of five limestone and marble hills located along the coastline of Da Nang, Vietnam. This is a popular destination for cultural, spiritual, and nature tourism, famous for its mystical caves, ancient pagodas, and stunning views:

• Water Mountain 
• Huyen Khong Cave – famous for its magical lighting and serene atmosphere
• Tang Chon Cave, Van Thong Cave
• Xa Loi Tower and panoramic viewpoints accessible by stairs

Transfer to Cam Thanh Village, see the locals catching fish in some traditional way on the river. We have 45 minutes to try basket boats with local people. You will be immersed in the natural beauty of the Nipa palm forest. 

• Visit Hoi An Ancient Town, delightful town, with Japanese Covered Bridge, Pottery Museum, 200 years old Tan Ky House, Chua Ong Pagoda, and vibrant market. 
• Get on a sampan to release a lantern on the Hoai River. Besides the meaning of traditional cultural beauty, releasing Hoi An lanterns also has a profound spiritual value for both locals and tourists. 

Back to your hotel at Danang.

 *Recommendation: Visit Hoi An Memories Show at Hoi An Impression Theme Park

Overnight in Da Nang. Finish Day 5!

 *Note: Hoi An Memories Show is not available every Tuesday

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Have breakfast at your hotel and check-out.

We moved to Da Nang Airport to take a flight to Hanoi.

Flight Danang - Hanoi in the morning

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be met and taken up to the hotel, with a brief introduction en route. Your tour guide will be holding a welcome signboard with Your Company name/ Your name. 

The GTrip Team will pick you up at the airport. Then, we will visit around Hanoi Capital:

• Visit the Complex of President Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Stilt house) - Where the great leader lived and worked until the last years of his life. In addition, stop by One Pillar Pagoda to admire one of the 4 symbols of Hanoi. 
• The Temple of Literature, which was constructed in 1070, was the first university in Vietnam. 
• St. Joseph's Cathedral: A Hanoi Attraction with Unique Structure in the Old Quarter.
• Hoan Kiem lake (Sword lake) - is famous for its peaceful beauty, its cultural as well as historical values with Turtle tower.

Back to your hotel, enjoy a leisure night in Hanoi.

Recommended activities to do at night: Rent a cyclo around the Old Quarter and Sword Lake, enjoy water puppet show, …

Overnight stay in Hanoi. Finish Day 6! 

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Breakfast at the hotel. 

08:30: Our driver and tour guide will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to Ninh Binh.

• First stop at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, capital of Vietnam at the end of the ninth century.

12:00: Free to have lunch at an Indian restaurant or local restaurant. 

• Board a small sampan to visit Tam Coc which literally means “three caves” (1.5-hour boat trip) with Halong bay-type views of majestic limestone cliffs and mysterious caves, as well as countryside landscapes like peaceful streams, rice paddies, and deserted green fields.
• Arrive at Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa Long Mountain to watch the spectacular view of nature. 

17:30: Back to Hanoi - Free at leisure. 

Overnight in Hanoi. Finish Day 7! 

Meals Included: Breakfast.

08:00: You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Tuan Chau harbor by shuttle bus. After picking up, we will head directly to Halong bay; among the road we will enjoy the peaceful scenery as we travel through the countryside, farmlands and Red river delta.

11:30: Arriving at the Cruise check-in lounge. After taking the Cruise, you will be checked-in. While enjoying welcome drinks, you will be introduced to the itinerary and safety briefing by the Cruise Manager.

12:30: Upon boarding the Cruise, our crew welcomes you with a refreshing drink and cold towel before checking into your cabin. Enjoy your lunch at our luxurious restaurant on board while the vessel cruises toward Surprising Cave. 

Enjoy your lunch at our luxurious restaurant

14:45: Explore the Surprising Cave – the most beautiful cave in HaLong Bay. Visit Titop Island – swimming, climbing up to the Top of the Island – and take the best view of Ha Long Bay in the Summer time.

17:30: You will be instructed to make delicious Fresh Spring rolls by our chef and then enjoy the rolls made on your own.

19:00: Enjoy your dinner on the Sundeck (if the weather is favorable)

After dinner, you will enjoy a peaceful view of the Bay at night on the deck. Enjoying music and some drinks at Sky Bar while admiring the breathtaking view of the Bay at night or squid fishing.

Overnight on board in Halong Bay. Finish Day 8!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

06:45: Warm up your day with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck with a breathtaking view as the sunrises on Halong Bay.

07:45: Kayaking to explore Ha Long Bay. If you are lucky, you can catch great photos with mischievous monkeys jigging up and down around the cliffs

Back on board, you settle your bill, check-out and return to Tuan Chau Island

Brunch is served at the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor. 

11:05: Disembark at Tuan Chau Marina, return to Hanoi for a flight back to your country. 

*Notes: Itinerary on Ha Long Bay may change depending on each cruise.

Finish 9-DAY VIBRANT VIETNAM (Ho Chi Minh City - Danang - Hanoi)

It’s time for you to take the flight back to your country. Thank you and see you again!

Please note: Make sure you book your return flight from Hanoi where the trip ends.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Brunch.