| SE
Asia Tour Packages
§
World Heritage -
.. Indochina
§ Vietnam Complete
§ Laos Discovery
§ Cambodia Essence
§ Vietnam Essence
'Mix
& Match' Tours
§ City of Hanoi
§ Pagodas & History
§ Ha Long Bay & Yen Tu
§ Ancient Capitals
§ Northern Highlands
§ Cao Bang & Lang Son
§ Central Highlands
§ Hue Monuments
§ Cham Discovery
§ Mekong & the South
§ Cu Chi & Tay Ninh
§ Ho Chi Minh City
Tell us about your particular interests, and we'll
take you to places only the local guides know. Whether it's active travel,
sun worship, study tours, Vietnam War sites, or satisfying your culinary
curiosity, Mikeland welcomes a challenge!
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Home
> SE Asia PackageTours > Vietnam Complete (3 weeks)
Day
1 : Hanoi
On your day of arrival, we'll pick you up at Noi Bai International Airport
and whisk you to your hotel in downtown Hanoi, where you can rest up
for your Vietnam adventure.
 Day
2 : Around Hanoi
Your first full day begins with a morning visit to the National Historical
Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, and the Temple
of Literature founded in 1076). In the afternoon, you have the option
of visiting the marvelous Ethnology Museum and its life-size replicas
of village houses, or taking a relaxing stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake
(the Lake of the Restored Sword). From Hoan Kiem Lake, you can take
a cyclo tour of the Old Quarter or scout its unique crafts streets on
foot.
Day
3 : Hanoi - Mai Chau
Drive to the mountainous region of Mai Chau, where you'll have lunch
at the White Thai Long House. After a filling meal, you can set out
on a hike through the surrounding hills and visit one of the villages
of the "White Thai" highland tribe.
 Day
4 : Mai Chau - Cuc Phuong - Hoa Lu
From My Chau, we'll take you to Cuc Phuong National Park, an unusual
hybrid of tropical rain forest in the lower valley, and seasonal evergreen
forest at higher elevation. Its luxurious vegetation includes orchids,
climbing rattan palms, ferns, and spice trees, providing habitat for
over 300 bird species, as well as wild boar, porcupine, macaques, and
leopards. From Cuc Phuong, we'll proceed to Hoa Lu and stay there overnight.
 Day
5 : Hoa
Lu - Ha Noi
Spend the better part of the day exploring this region of dense karst
formations, which formed a natural fortress for the first capital of
independent Vietnam in the 10th Century. In the afternoon, return to
Ha Noi.
Day
6 : Ha Tay Excursion
From Ha Noi, drive to Ha Tay and take the picturesque boat ride to the
limestone cliffs of Huong Tich mountain. This is a popular route for
many Vietnamese making their pilgrimage to the famous pagodas of the
mountain, including the Perfume Pagoda. Return to Ha Noi in the afternoon,
where you'll stay overnight.
Day
7 : Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay
In the morning, visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, tour the stilt house that
he used as President, and view his Mausoleum. In the afternoon, drive
to Ha Long Bay, with a stop at the historic Dong Trieu pottery village.
Overnight at Ha Long Bay.
 Day
8 : Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi
Take a private sampan cruise amongst the limestone peaks and islands
of Ha Long Bay, which was named a World Heritage Site in 1991. Drive
back to Ha Noi in the afternoon.
Day
9 : Ha Noi - Hue
Take the morning flight from Ha Noi to Hue. After stopping at the hotel
to freshen up, visit the nearby Citadel and Forbidden City of the Nguyen
emperors. At your option, visit the peaceful lake and pavilions of Emperor
Tu Duc, who had the longest but perhaps the unhappiest reign of any
of the Nguyen emperors, and the 20th-Century tomb of Khai Dinh.
Day
10 : Hue Excursions
Choose your period of history: ancient or modern. You can take a restful
boat ride on the Perfume River to visit the Pagoda of the Holy Lady,
the spiritual protector of the Nguyen lords, followed by a visit to
the elegant tomb complex of Minh Mang. Or, you can choose to drive north
to Dong Ha to visit Camp Carroll and “the Rockpile,” and
other landmarks near the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) that separated north
and south Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. Take a hike along part of the original
Ho Chi Minh Trail to visit a minority village and Khe Sanh Army Base.
 Day
11 : Hue - Da Nang - Hoi An
In the morning, you'll take a short drive from Hue to Da Nang, stopping
on the top of Hai Van Pass (Pass of Clouds ) for a dramatic view of
the mountains and the East Sea. In Da Nang, you can visit the marvelous
Museum of Cham Sculpture, which preserves an extensive collection of
beautiful stone carvings from the 9th to the 14th Century. After lunch
in Da Nang, you'll continue to Hoi An, with stops at the Marble Mountain
and China Beach. Hoi An was an important trading port in central Vietnam
for many centuries and was named a World Heritage Site in 1999. Many
visitors take to the beautiful nearby beaches in the evening or the
next morning, but be sure to save an hour or two to browse the town's
many crafts and clothing shops and take a walking tour of the Japanese
Bridge, Old House, Chinese Temple, and Cultural Museum.
Day
12 : Hoi An
Hoi An has always welcomed travelers from far away, and it's a great
place to just rest for a day, write some postcards, buy some tailor-made
clothes, and sip absinthe in the evening. There's plenty of time to
ride over to My Son in the afternoon to see the remarkable temples of
the Cham kingdom.
 Day
13 : Hoi An - Nha Trang
Drive to Da Nang for the morning flight to Nha Trang, the most beautiful
seashore city of the central Vietnam. In the afternoon, you have the
option of visiting Long Son Pagoda, the tomb of Doctor Alexander Yersin,
and the unique Cham towers dedicated to the goddess Po Nagar.
Day
14 : Nha Trang
Take a day off for a leisurely boat ride to visit Hon Mun Island, with
the opportunity for snorkeling and swimming in the beautiful turquoise
waters of the East Sea. Or, you can just enjoy the view from the boat,
where you'll be treated to a seafood meal accompanied with your choice
of beverage.
 Day
15 : Nha Trang - Dalat
Heading south, you'll have a chance to stop at the Cham towers dedicated
to the god-king Po Klong Gerai, which make a striking silhouette on
the hill above Phan Rang. Then our route takes us inland, through the
Ngoan Muc Pass and up to the Central Highlands. Continue to Da Lat,
the most beautiful highland city of Vietnam.
Day
16 : Da Lat
Dalat was founded as a colonial hill station by the French, but has
become a favorite vacation and honeymoon resort for the Vietnamese.
Tour options include the City’s flower garden, the villa of Emperor
Bao Dai, the "Lake of Sorrow," and the "Valley of Love."
We particularly recommned a visit to the Koho minority village and to
the Datanla Falls and Truc Lam Monastery on Tuyen Lam Lake. (The Truc
Lam sect was founded by the Vietnamese king Tran Nhan Tong, as described
in our trip to Ha Long Bay & Yen Tu.)
 Day
17 : Da Lat - Saigon
Before leaving in the morning, you can drop by the bustling Hoa Binh
Market and shop the way a Vietnamese tourist would. From you'll drive
to the Pongour Waterfall and then proceed to Saigon, where you'll enjoy
dinner with a performance of traditional Vietnamese music.
Day
18 : Saigon
Tour the downtown area, known for its own Notre Dame Cathedral, post
office building, and the Reunification Palace. If you're interested
in history, the national museum has many unique statues and artifacts
from the ancient cultures in the Mekong Delta. Other options include
a boat ride on the Saigon River, a tour of a lacquerware factory, and
a visit to the Cholon District, known for its Chinese heritage and distinctive
temples.
 Day
19 : Tay Ninh/Cu Chi Excursion
Heading west to Tay Ninh Province, we'll enter the homeland of the Cao
Dai religion, which which combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism,
and Taoism. Our goal is to arrive at the Cao Dai Temple in time for
the colorful ceremonial prayer service at noon. From Tay Ninh, you have
the option to visit the temple on Black Lady Mountain (Nui Ba Den) or
the wartime tunnel complex dug by Vietnamese guerillas at Cu Chi.
Day
20 : Mekong Delta Excursion
Head south to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta, the largest rice-producing
area of Vietnam, visiting the famous Giac Lam Pagoda along the way.
Take a boat ride on the Mekong River to visit a local craft village
and a bonsai farm. The day's journey ends at the House on Stilts, where
you have the option to participate in a cooking lesson as a preliminary
to dinner. Overnight in the House on Stilts.
Day
21 : Mekong to Saigon
In the morning, we'll take a boat ride to visit Cai Be floating market
and riverside village. Lunch will be in My Tho Town, returning to Saigon
in the afternoon.
After
this tour, you might be thinking "what more could I possibly want"?
Of course, there's always something else ...
- Fly
from Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane to begin the Laos
Discovery Tour, which includes a visit to the beautiful
highland city (and ancient capital) of Luang Prabang.
- Fly
from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh or Siem Riep to sample the essence
of Cambodia,
highlighted by the world-renowned temples of Angkor.
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