13 DAYS, MEMOIR OF THE WAR

Itinerary

ITINERARY IN DETAILS:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL HANOI
Upon on arrival at Hanoi International Airport you will be met and transferred to the city,
which retains an air of French colonial period despite wide scale rebuilding after the war. Transfer to hotel for check-in. Balance of day at leisure.  Overnigt in Hanoi.

DAY 2: HANOI CITY TOUR (B)
Visit of the capital with the city center, comprised of traditional pagodas and temples, colonial villas, and lakes set along tree-lined streets which move at pace much more congenial than Saigon. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday, Friday & whole months of Oct + Nov), and One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to the Army Museum, the nearby flag tower and finish with a taste of classical Vietnamese Culture at the Fine Art Museum and the Temple of Literature. Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 3: HANOI - HUE (B)
At leisure until transfer to the airport for flight to Hue  VN245  1100 1210, the former Royal City of the 13 ruling Nguyen dynasties. Visit the Imperial Citadel and recall the battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive, when the NVA held the city for 3 weeks. Overnight in Hue.

DAY 4 :HUE - KHESANH - VINHMOC - HUE (B)

Drive to visit the other sites of the former firece battle fields on the DMZ including the former American bases of Rock Piles, Camp Carol and Khe Sanh. Take a short walk on the Ho Chi Minh trail (now under process to be the second trans-Vietnam traffic line). Continue to view the war-torn ruins of the Quang Tri church and the wreckage of an American tank. Then visit the Vinh Moc tunnels, dug to accommodate an underground village safe from American air raids in the north of the DMZ. Take a short photo stop at  the Hien Luong Bridge crossing Ben Hai River, the former borderline between the north and south Vietnam,  and the site of the former Doc Mieu artilery base on the way to Dong Ha.Return to Hue for overnight.

DAY 5: HUE -DANANG (B)
Leave Hue for Danang, the fourth largest city of Vietnam. City tour, recalling the chaos of march 1975, when the Saigon government abandoned Danang and countless refugees fled the city. Also visit the beach where the US marines first came ashore, beginning major American involvement in Indochina. Arrival & check-in at hotel. Overnight in Danang.

DAY 6: DANANG - CHULAI - QUYNHON (B)
Morning visit to Hoi An. During the 16th century traders stopped at this port when traveling en route to Malacca in Malaysia. Continue on the coastal plain to Chu Lai Air Base and see the work of the Skyhawks. Stop at the Son My district, scene of My Lai Incident. Travel along the rugged Animate mountains down to Route 1, sarcastically referred to as “the street with joy” by French soldiers. Evening arrive in Quy Nhon, a major port and supply depot that kept Route 1 open during the war.  Overnight in Quy Nhon.

DAY 7: QUYNHON-NHATRANG (B)
Leave Quy Nhon for Nha Trang, once the headquarters of the US Fifth Special Forces group in the second Corps. Arrival Nha Trang, rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

DAY 8:NHATRANG - DALAT (B)
Enjoy the turquoise water and fine sand beach. Take a boat to nearby Bamboo island for snorkeling, to the Mieu island for a visit to a fish breeding farm and to the Cham tower of Ponagar, a fine example of 2nd century Cham architecture. Depart Nha Trang for Dalat, a cool mountain resort. Its lakes, waterfalls, evergreen forest and gardens make Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in Vietnam. Visit the Central market and the Lake of Sights. Overnight in Da Lat.

DAY 9:DALAT - SAIGON (B)

Depart Dalat for Saigon, stop over to visit a silk farm and mulberry plantations. Evening arrive in Saigon, the former capital of South Vietnam, which retains much flavor from the war era. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 10:SAIGON (B)
Among the sights of graceful women in Ao Dai and bustling streets, visit the busy riverfront, the former Presidential Palace, photo stop at the former US Embassy, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the central market. In the afternoon, visit some of the war remnants such as the site where a Buddhist monk immolated himself in protest of the war and the church where President Diem was assassinated. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 11:SAIGON - IRON TRIANGLE -CUCHI(B)
This morning we drive on National Route 13 past the town of Phu Cuong. Visit Phu Loi base, used to relocate villagers. Trough the Cau Dinh jungle, pass a staging area of the 503rd Airbone Brigade. At Ben Cat, see the site of the bases of the 173rd Airborne and the 11th Armored Cavalry. Arrive in Ben Suc, the Northern tip of the iron Triangle, and continue to Dau Tieng Reservoir and the esoteric Cao Dai temple at Tay Ninh. Visit the restored tunnels at Cu Chi before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 12:SAIGON (B)
Enjoy a free day in Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 13: DEPARTURE (B)

At leisure time until transfer to  Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure.