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Vietnam Heritage Tour 12 Days

8 reviews

Tour code: ASW-VN-C12

Duration: 12 days

Destination: Hanoi / Ninh Binh/ Halong Bay / Phong Nha - Ke Bang / Hue / Hoi An / My Son / Ho Chi Minh City / Mekong Delta / Cu Chi Tunnel

US$ 1,089 US$ 975 per person

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The tour is designed to get you to the best bits of Vietnam's heritage where you can enjoy all of the country's cultural as well as natural most special features just within 12 captivating days

trip highlight

• Get back to the past as you tour around the capital of Vietnam: drive through the French quarter, riding the cyclo on Hanoi Old Quarter’s 36 streets and enjoy Vietnamese traditional music

• Rowing boats to explore the World Heritage of Tam Coc Ninh Binh

• Overnight cruise with full activities such as Sunset Time, Happy Hour and cooking class on Ha Long Bay

• Walking tour in World’s Cultural Heritage of Hoi An Ancient Town

• Boat ride in Mekong Delta, where you can observe all of the busy trading activities of local traders with several kinds of agricultural products

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Day 1: Arrival Hanoi

Meal Provided: No Meal

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, you will be privately transferred to the hotel.

This afternoon, drive through Colonial Hanoi, seeing the Opera House and other local sights. Go inside the infamous Hoa Lo Prison museum (“Hanoi Hilton”), where Senator John McCain and Douglas “Pete” Wilson were once imprisoned, and continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Vietnamese name is Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University, which was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers, and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education.

Next enjoy a cyclo tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a network of narrow alleys and shophouses also known as “The 36 Streets.” This is a wonderful place to watch the local life, and peruse items from fabrics to crafts to exotic medicines.

Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet – Water puppetry – ” puppets that dance on water”- is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.

Stay overnight in Hanoi

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Day 2: Hanoi - Tam Coc - Bich Dong Pagoda - Hoa Lu Ancient Temple

Meal provided: Breakfast

This morning, traveled to Ninh Binh province. On arrival, enjoy a 2-hour excursion by small boat along the Ngo Dong River, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The route includes floating through Tam Coc – the three natural grottos (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba), the largest of which is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. The boats are typically rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidered goods. 

Then, take a bicycle (~4-5km) around Tam Coc to discover Thai Vy temple and Bich Dong pagoda – a cave pagoda – which was built in the 15th century.

Afternoon, drive to visit Hoa Lu temple– The ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries. Enjoying the 11th & 17th-century architecture style, old sculpture – carving on wood & stone depicting the daily lives, dreams, and wishes for peace, good life, etc. Back to Hanoi.

Stay overnight in Hanoi

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Day 3: Hanoi – Halong by Shuttle bus /Night on cruise

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

07.30-08.00: You will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter and transferred to Ha Long (For guests booking Limousine Bus or shuttle bus only).

11:30-12:00 Upon arrival, you will enjoy a warm welcome by our cruise staff in the waiting lounge and complete check-in procedure.

12:00   Upon boarding, our crew welcome you with a refreshing drink and cold towel before checking into your cabin. The vessel leaves Tuan Chau Marina, taking you on an exciting journey to discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay. Along the way, you can enjoy the view of some of the most beautiful spots in Ha Long and admire the grandeur of the Bay with thousands of limestone islands while the vessel heads to Luon Cave and Titop island.

Enjoy your lunch at our luxurious restaurant on board while the vessel cruises toward Luon Cave and Titop island.

14.30: Return to your room and prepare for swimming activities at Titop Island.

Visit Titop Island and hike to the top for stunning views of Ha Long Bay, or have a fun swim in the clear blue water.

16h00: The cruise will take you to Luon cave area, you will participate in kayaking or rafting here around the thousand-year-old rock formations. 

17.30-18.00 Back on board, you will participate in Sunset party & cooking class while the vessel cruises toward the shore. You can enjoy relaxing moments while sipping a cup of traditional Vietnamese tea or coffee on the sundeck amid wonderful scenery and beautiful sunset. Ha Long Bay is calm during the day, but when the sun goes down, the Bay becomes even more tranquil and peaceful.

You will be instructed to make delicious traditional Vietnamese floating rice cake by our chef and then enjoy the floating rice cake made on your own.

17.30-18.30 Happy hour – BUY 2 DRINKS GET 1 FOR FREE

19.30    Outdoor dinner. Enjoy a romantic dinner outdoors (if the weather is favorable) or restaurant.

21.30    After dinner, you will enjoy a peaceful view of the Bay at night on the deck. You can also participate in evening activities such as massage (subject to additional charge), herbal foot bath in your room (free of charge), Bamboo dancing, fashion show traditional customes “Footsteps of Heritage” and some drinks at Sky Bar while admiring breathtaking view of the Bay at night and squid fishing.

The cruise ship anchors for your peaceful night stay in quiet area 

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Day 4: Halong - Hanoi

Meal provided: Breakfast, Brunch

Start your day with Tai Chi class on the sun deck.

06.30-07.00 Enjoy a light breakfast with coffee, tea, cakes and fruits, Pho Vietnam, egg station.

07:30    Explore Sung Sot Cave. This is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Halong Bay. The cave has some unique rock formations that can’t be found anywhere else. The road to the mouth of Sung Sot Cave is under the foliage. Walking through steep stone steps, visitors can have the feeling of climbing the mountain and experience the excitement of stepping into the sky.

08.30-09.30 Back on the ship, you can rest in your room, sunbathe on the sundeck, and take photos of Halong Bay.

09:30 Check-out.

Please place your luggage outside the cabin and leave your room key at the front desk. Our staff will transfer your baggage to the waiting area.

10.00 Enjoy an early lunch buffet at the restaurant on the 2nd floor and pay the bill if any.

11.00 Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina. Cycling to explore Tuan Chau Island (applied to customers using Bus) after checking out.

Return from Halong to your hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus.


Our driver will take you to Hanoi Airport for your evening flight to Phong Nha (Quang Binh).


A driver will welcome you at Dong Hoi Airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Stay overnight in Quang Binh.

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Day 5: Phong Nha Cave - Thien Duong Cave

Meal provided: Breakfast

After breakfast, travel to Son River where we take a boat trip to the park and famed caves at Phong Nha–Ke Bang, one of the newest UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites in Vietnam.

Enjoy your time exploring Phong Nha cave: from which the name of the whole system and the park is derived, is famous for its rock formations. This cave is 7729 meters long and contains 14 grottos, with a 13,969-meter long underground river. Scientists have surveyed 44.5 kilometers of grottos in this cave so far, but tourists can only penetrate to a distance of 1500 m.

Afternoon, transfer to visit Thien Duong (Heaven) cave, Vietnam’s longest cave which is filled with magical and mysterious formations. The cave is discovered in 2005 by the British Cave Research Association. The cave is in the heart of a limestone mountain range and runs through the Phong Nha-Ke Bang conservation area. Inside the cave, visitors can see stunning stalagmites and stalactites which are thousands of years of existence.

Stay overnight in Quang Binh

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Day 6: Quang Binh - DMZ - Hue

Meal provided: Breakfast

Leave Phong Nha for Hue via the DMZ area. The ride over DMZ area is suitable for those who want to learn about the severe Vietnam War and those who want to “make love not make war”.

Touring Hien Luong bridge & Ben Hai river – the 17th Parallel. From 1945 to 1975, the Ben Hai River served as the demarcation line between the North and South of Vietnam. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) consisted of a 5 km north and south of the demarcation line. The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War. During the Second Indochina War (popularly known as the Vietnam War), it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.

The next stop is Vinh Moc Tunnels – the famous “Underground City”. The route is scenic after leaving the main highway passing through quaint villages and skirting along Cua Tung Beach. The Vinh Moc village story is a feat of humanity and resistance.  In order to escape heavy bombardment during the war, the villagers constructed approximately 2.8 km of underground tunnels which they used as a refuge to survive the bombings. Three hundred people lived intermittently in the tunnels from 1966 to 1971. Explore the tunnels and enjoy the beautiful sea view upon exit. Arrive at Hue in the late afternoon. Check-in the hotel.

Stay overnight in Hue.

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Day 7: Hue - City Tour - Hoi An

Meal provided: Breakfast

Morning, transfer to visit the Royal Palace which has three perimeters of the rampart, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel), and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

Then, visit King Tu Duc’s tomb in a narrow valley in Duong Xuan Thuong village (currently Thuong Ba village, Thuy Xuan Commune, Hue City). It is one of the Nguyen dynasty’s most beautiful works of royal architecture.

I am heading to Thuy Xuan Incense Village – a pretty village with green trees nestled at the foot of Vong Canh Hill and by the Perfume River.

A trip to Thien Mu Pagoda, an ancient pagoda in Hue City, can’t be missed. Its pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest one in Vietnam. The temple is often the subject of folk rhymes about Hue, such as its iconic status and association with the city. It is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. Transfer to Hoi An (~3 hours).

Stay overnight in Hoi An.

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Day 8: Hoi An - My Son Sanctuary - Ancient Town - Hoi An Memories Show

Meal provided: Breakfast

Take a coach trip to My Son, a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu Temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa (Chiem Thanh in Vietnamese). The My Son temple complex is regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s foremost Hindu temple complexes and is the only heritage site of this nature in Vietnam. It is often compared with other historical temple complexes in Southeast Asia, such as Borobudur of Java in Indonesia, Angkor Wat of Cambodia, Bagan of Myanmar, and Ayutthaya of Thailand. As of 1999, My Son has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

 

Coming to Ancient Town, spend the left of the afternoon for a walking tour around this enchanting port town of Hoi an, follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French, and European architecture and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the Tan Ky old house, the local market …

 

Around the town, you can see numerous art galleries and tailor shops. You are also free to get some made-to-order clothes if you like.

Participating in Lantern Making Workshop – a great activity for all ages to sit down for a few hours. It’s time to make your own lantern to take home as a memory from Hoi An.

Evening,
enjoy the Hoi An Memories show:

Start: 19:30 – End: 20:45

Place: Hoi An Impress Theme Park

With the message: “A day in Hoi An – A hundred years of reminiscence”, Hoi An Memories is a really huge boat that will bring the audience to the ancient city port on the legendary Silk Road over the course of 400 years.

Be amazed by the world’s largest outdoor show that features 500-plus performers!

 

Stay overnight in Hoi An

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Day 9: Hoi An - Eco Tour & Cooking Class - Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your morning with a tour of the water coconut village and have an adventure on the bamboo basket boat.

We will stop at the colorful local market. Here you will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. So make sure your camera is handy.

We continue to transfer to the vegetable village where the local farmer will show you their traditional gardening methods. At the village, we walk through the vegetable gardens where local farmers work in their fields, using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago.

Then, we go to our home in order to prepare for our cooking class. We have a welcome drink for rest.

After that, we will go to the kitchen & work together with the professional chef. With the instructions of the chef, we will learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food.

Especially, you have a chance to experience how to decorate the dish in the Vietnamese way. This activity is great fun.

After the lesson, enjoy what you have cooked.

The tour ends at 1:00 p.m

Our menu:

  • Green papaya salad
  • Tam Huu (shrimp, pork, and herbs)
  •  Hoi An rice pancake

* Other special food on request.

Afternoon, you’ll be transferred to the airport on time for your flight to HCMC (no guide).

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnel - City Tour

Meal provided: Breakfast

Morning, continue our trip to visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. The Cu Chi Tunnel system had been created a long time back, in 1948 to assist Viet Minh in the combat with French. And it was continuing built over 25 years later. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers. In places, it housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years…. getting married and giving birth. During the American War, the entire area of Cu Chi has designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded. Transfer to Saigon.


Afternoon, enjoy sightseeing at Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, a landmark in Hochiminh City.

 

Continue to visit the Central Post Office which was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century. It has a neoclassical architectural style. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in harmony with the surrounding area. Today, the building is a tourist attraction. 


Right nearby, you can see Notre Dame Cathedral, a magnificent building located in the heart of the city and established by French colonists. This cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 feet). 

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta Day Tour

Meal provided: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Our private tour guide and driver will pick you up at 7:30 am to head to Vinh Long province (about 110km from HCMC). We will start with a visit to Vinh Long market in the town. This is the best choice for you to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegetables…

 

Welcoming you with fresh coconut, the boat of Mekong Travel will take you to visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. Then, visit the local workshops where you can see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice, and pop-corn. Enjoy some kinds of candies with a cup of hot tea.

The rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals and to enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood or palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta.

 

Then, we can walk in 15 minutes to visit the orchard & traditional house of the Ut Trinh family and have local lunch nearby her house we will enjoy some kinds of fruits and tea while listening to traditional music. Walk around the fruitful orchard to see a variety of tropical fruits…

 

One more thing to do on this trip is biking! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local farms, houses, monkey bridge, real life…

The cruise will end at Vinh Long city. Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City (about 1h30 driving).

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure

Meal provided: Breakfast

Today free at leisure until transfer to the Ho Chi Minh airport in time for your flight to the next destination. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

End of tour.

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Tour prices shown are 'per person',  based on a traveling party of 4 adults, and sharing a room.  If you intend to travel alone, the cost might be much higher. However, you also earn money by using the Share button above to invite your friends and family, traveler forum members to book this tour with you.

The 'Single supplement' applies to single travelers who require their own room and needs to be added to the tour price.

Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suit your requirements, but may incur price changes

What's Included:

• 10 nights based in double/twin sharing rooms at centrally located & well-selected Comfort hotels (3 star-hotel). 
• 1 night on board cruise in Halong Bay 
• Daily buffet or set breakfast at hotel and all hotels taxes and service charges. 
• Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary. 
• Travel by air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced, safe driver. 
• Sightseeing with local, English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary. 
• Meals included as indicated as in program: B: breakfast, L: lunch & D: dinner. 
• Boat cruise as specified in the programmed. 
• Entrance fees according the above program 
• Local bottled water while sightseeing and transfers 
• VAT and all taxes and service charge. 
Complimentary Vietnam visa pre-approval letter


What's Excluded:

• International & Domestic flight tickets and Visas stamp
• Any items of purely personal nature such as laundry and telephone calls 
• Personal, travel, and health insurance
• Early check-in and late check out 
• Single room supplement 
• Drinks during meals
• Meals that are not specified
• Gratuities/tipping to tour guide, driver and hotel staff and restaurant staff 
• Surcharge for peak season & compulsory dinner on Xmas and New Year’s Even


Remarks: 

1. All of our itineraries can be tailor-made to suit your requirements, allowing us to create the perfect holiday just for you. Please click on the “Tailor this trip" button and complete the requested information for us. Upon receipt, our travel consultant will customize the best value vacation for your kind consideration. Please note: Changes CAN be made to the itinerary after our initial quote, but may result in a price change also!

2. We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina in particular (Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos) hotel prices make up the major expense of your holiday. Therefore, we would like to clarify how we define these charges:

  • Boutique & character hotels : from $50-$80 USD  per room/ per night
  • Comfort = 3 star hotels from US$ 40 - US$ 60 per room/ per night
  • Superior = 4 star hotels from US$ 80 - US$ 110 per room/ per night
  • Deluxe = 5 star hotels from US$120 - US$ 190++ per room/ per night
  • High-end = Best of the best hotels from US$ 250++ per room/ per night.

3. Child policy: 

• Ages 0-2: free of charge for tour. Airfares depend on Airlines's policy at booking time
• Ages 2-5: 50% of adult price. Airfares depend on Airlines's policy at booking time
• Ages 6-10: 85% of adult price & airfare fully charges
• 11 years and older: 100% (charged as an adult)

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Service Details During The Trip

We’ll immerse you in the diverse cultures of Vietnam by showcasing the unique local flavors. And with the perfect balance of included sightseeing and free time, you can customize your dream vacation with the things you have always wanted to do.


  • Private Local Tour Guide You will have legally licensed local tour guide in each destination, from welcome and farewell you at the airport. Your guide will guide, help, assist and taking care of you in order to make your tour worry-free. The good guide for you means we arrange the right guide. Asianwaytravel.com will arrange tour guide base on the feature of the itinerary and consists of the group, to maximize your experiences in traveling.

  • Private Drivers & Vehicle Safety is first priority for transportation. A well maintained good condition car with legal business licensed and an experienced driver to make sure you are in safe hands. To maximize your comfort and joyful experience with driving service, cold drinking water, cold towel and soft drink are provided in the car.

private

  • Local Flavor Meals Don’t worry about meals; we select both restaurants and menus for you. Asianwaytravel.com will select clean and good environment restaurants for our customer. Menu is also carefully selected by us to ensure you try different food every meal.
    We will recommend and arrange local cuisine since it is part of the cultural experience while traveling. We also recommend dinners are free on your own so you can choose your favorite food by yourself under necessary assistance of your local guide.

  • Well-Selected Hotels Comfort and good value is our priority for choosing hotels for our customers. Comfort of mattress and bedding, joyful decoration style, user friendly facilities, good service and good breakfast!

meals

Travel Visa

Most countries in South East Asia require you to obtain a visa. Please check carefully with your travel specialist regarding specific visa requirements for each country you plan to visit as the legislation does change frequently. Thailand offers a free visa on arrival to most nationalities. Other countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar offer a “visa-on-arrival” service which requires you to pay a fee at the airport, or you may prefer to obtain this in advance through the relevant embassy or a visa agent. For visa-on-arrival in Vietnam, you must submit some paperwork before you arrive.

This is an option to get your visa for Vietnam instead of getting visa at the Vietnam consulate in your country.


  • Step 1: Provide us your application details
     • Your full name (as exactly seen on your passport)
     • Your gender
     • Your date of birth
     • Your nationality
     • Your passport number
     • Your passport expiration dates ( with at least 3 vacats pagess and valid for at least 6 months)
     • Date of arrival ( dd/mm/yy)
     • Date of exit (dd/mm/yy)
     • Arrival airport
  • Step 2: Process your visa information into a visa application
    We will contact you for reviewing your visa information and then submit your application on your behalf to Vietnam Immigration department and follow other procedures pursuant to the regulations of Immigration department to get Visa approval letter granted by Immigration department.

visa

We will send the visa approval letter via email to you after 7 working days.
After we obtain the visa approval letter from the Immigration department for you, we will forward you a scanned copy of it by email (Your visa information then have been recorded to the Visa system of the Vietnam Immigration department).


  • Step 3: Get your visa stamp on your arrival
    Just print the approval letter out, prepare 2 passport sized photos and an amount of USD for stamping fee ($25 for single entry visa; $50 for 1 month multiple entry visa ). Put all above mentioned things along with your passport in a package, then show them to Immigration officer at Vietnam arrival airports.

    Upon arrival at Vietnam’s airport, expect a simple form to fill in (or you can download here to fill beforehand), present the visa approval letter, passport, photos to the Immigration officer inside the counter and look for a place to hear your name be called to get the passport back and pay for the stamping fee. The actual process takes around 15 minutes without hassle or trouble.

  • For those who is applicable for E-visa, our travel experts will consult case by case.

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    review__write.png

    • by NickK3285 from United State

      Highlight of Vietnam

      Our Vietnam Heritage tour was fantastic. We were so lucky with the August weather, only had one day rain that we had to use the rain coat for. Don’t worry if you didn’t pack the rain coat, the tour guide gave us hat and rain coat as welcome gifts (We were so impressed with the thoughtfulness gesture) The highlights and attractions such as visiting famous temples, the caves, the authentic villages, the waterfalls, the pagoda in the cave were amazing, we totally enjoyed all of the tours, a wonderful lifetime experience, highly recommended trip while you still in good physical

      Read more...

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