INDOCHINA TRAVERSE TOUR

Itinerary

ITINERARY IN DETAILS:

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL HANOI(D)
Arrival at the airport, meet and transfer to our  hotel in Hanoi.
Tonight we will  sample the Vietnamese culinary delights
Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.
 

DAY 2 - HANOI ORIENTATION(B)
After having breakfast, you will have a nice day to visit Hanoi. In the morning, we will visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature, the first University of Vietnam built in 1076. Then we will visit army Museum where we have an insight into the war: French War and American War, the former culminated in the final decisive battle Dien Bien Phu. We will review the battle displayed in the museum. In the afternoon, we will visit to intriguing Museum of Ethnology where display sample of 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam
Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.
 

DAY 3 - HANOI - HA LONG (OVERNIGHT ON JUNK CRUISE) ( B,L,D)
This morning we will depart Hanoi at 0830 for a four-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Arrival in Halong City we transfer to  a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Halong Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site.
12h30: Board Junk, check-in registration
13h00: Have lunch with welcome drink
14h00: A fantastic cruise in Ha Long bay
15h00. Optional  visit to Thien Cung cave , Dau Go cave, round over Tuan     Chau island,  or  Sungsot cave
Optional swim at lovely beaches.  Afternoon tea with pastries on the sundeck or in the restaurant and drink  before dinner
18h00: Junk cruise ankor by the lagoon
19h00: Enjoy 4 course diner and overnight on Junk.
 

DAY 4 - HA LONG - HANOI( BRUNCH)
Rising to the sound of ocean coming to life for another lovely day. We breakfast over sunset:
07h30 : Junk boat once again sets sail through breathtaking secluded Halong bay
08h00:  Enjoy breakfast while cruising
9h00 :   Visit Bai tu long Bay , Teapot island , Chopstiks island , Bai tho mountain.
11h00 : Return to Halong city and have lunch on board.
12h00 : Back to Halong wharf and disembark
Transfer back to Hanoi. Arrival Hanoi by 5pm. Drop off at your hotel.
 

DAY 5 - HANOI - FLIGHT TO LUANG PRABANG( B)
Today, you will take the  flight to Luangprabang: (QV869  9:00 – 9:55 on Mon,Wed,Thu,Sat &QV3133 13:40-14:40 on the other days).
Upon arrival  you are met and transferred the hotel in Luangprabang,  This afternoon, you will have a city tour in Luang Phrabang. We will visit some temples around the town.
Overnight at hotel in Luangprabang
 

DAY 6 - LUANG PRABANG( B)
Today, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, we take a short drive to Ban Phanom, well known for its hand weaving.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
 

DAY 7 - LUANG PRABANG - TO VIENTIANE ( B)
Morning will be at leisure.
Afternoon, we will take the flight : QV102  13.10/13.50  to Vietiane . Upon arrival, we see the major temples including the oldest Wat Sisaket, a temple of thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous, sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, sunset by Mekong Riverside and late evening.
Overnight in Vientiane.
 

DAY 8 - EARLY FLIGHT TO SIEM REAP( B)
This early morning, we will take the early flight  to Siem Reap (QV152 6:30 - 9:25).
Upon arrival Siem Reap, you have a leisure time. Then, our guide will take you to the Central market in Siem Reap.
Overnight at the hotel in Siem Reap
 

DAY 9 - SIEM REAP( B,D)
This morning we will visit Angkor Wat temple and Angkor Thom temple. This includes South Gate, the famous Bayon, Elephant terrace, the terrace of Leper King, Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and Ta Keo. In the afternoon we visit Preah Khan, Neak Pan, TaPhrom and East Mebon. Tonight we will enjoy diner with traditional Khmer folk performance of Apsara.
Overnight at the hotel in Siem Reap.

DAY 10 - SIEM REAP - FLIGHT TO SAIGON ( B)
Today we will take the earliest fly to Saigon at VN 826 1330/1430to Saigon. Arrival transfer to the  tour to the hotel in Saigon. Then, we will have a city tour around Saigon: we will visit Saigon post office, Cathedral Northe Dame, Presiden Hall as well as the Ben Thanh market, the biggest market in Saigon. Overnight at the hotel in Saigon.
 

DAY 11 - SAIGON (ORIENTATION AND FREE TIME) - CU CHI TUNNEL. ( B,L)
This morning, we  drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels at the Cuchi village, a couple of hour drive away. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon  all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s,  let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area.  It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens,storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers.  In places, it was several  stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years.... getting married, giving birth going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which made this whole thing possible.  But even so, the planning and construction was incredible.  People dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters.  They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke.  There were also hidden trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. Today, the trees and bushes have grown back. And since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. Overnight at the hotel in Saigon.
 

DAY 12 - SAIGON DEPARTURE( B)
Leisure until transfer to airport for the departure flight.