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World Heritage: Hoi An to Ha Long Bay |
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9 Days / 8 Nights in Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay – Dong Hoi – Phong Nha – Hue – Hoi An – My Son – Da Nang |
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Tour Overview
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Discover the endless wonders and delights of Vietnam’s natural and man-made treasures. This tour takes you to five of Vietnam’s most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage sites including the breathtaking landscape of Ha Long Bay, the hidden river grottos of Phong Nha and the picturesque old trading port of Hoi An. |
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Heritage Highlights
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• Sail through the magical landscape of Ha Long Bay
• Cruise and explore the water caverns and mountain caves of Phong Nha Caves
• Indulge in the majestic grandeur of the city of Hue and its Imperial Citadel
• Immerse yourself in the art, history and architecture of Hoi An Old Town
• Discover the lost and ancient Champa kingdom of My Son
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Detailed Itinerary
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DAY 1: Arrival in Ha Noi (dinner included) |
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| You’ll be greeted upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport and taken to your hotel for check-in. Later, you can relax or take a leisurely ride on a cyclo through Ha Noi’s bustling ancient merchant’s area, known as the Old Quarter. Opportunities abound for sampling local food and drinks, or if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can indulge in some oriental shopping or simply burrow into every nook and cranny of this dynamic quarter.
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DAY 2: Ha Noi City Tour (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HA NOI: Ha Noi is not just Vietnam’s elegant capital city, today it stands as a testament to its war-torn past and has a rich and complex culture. Nestled in the heart of the Red River delta, Ha Noi is a city of beautiful lakes, temples and pagodas.
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| AM: First up, you’ll visit the historical, religious and architectural sites of Ha Noi including the Tran Quoc Pagoda and the ancient Quan Thanh Temple. Then take a stroll through the grand courtyards and gardens of the 11th century Temple of Literature, home to a Confucian sanctuary and Vietnam’s first ever university. A trip to Ha Noi wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to Vietnam’s 20th century Communist figurehead at Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex.
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| PM: Ha Noi is also the stepping stone to myriad ethnic minority and hill-tribe populations. Browse the treasures of the Ethnological museum and then take a moment to breathe in the splendor and richness of the city on the banks of the peaceful Hoan Kiem lake. The lake and its sacred Ngoc Son Temple are steeped in legend of Vietnam’s overthrow of Chinese rule. Located to the north of the lake, you’ll have time again to walk through the Old Quarter. Later you’ll marvel at the unique Vietnamese tradition of water puppetry, where puppeteers gracefully and humorously tell pastoral fables a la Punch and Judy!
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DAY 3: Ha Noi – Hai Phong – Ha Long Bay (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HAI PHONG: Hai Phong is one of Vietnam’s major seaports and with its many beautiful French-colonial buildings and wide boulevards, retains a charming and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
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AM: After breakfast, you’ll depart for Hai Phong, and on the way stop off at the Bat Trang ceramic village to see artisans at work. This village, dating back to the 15th century, has around 800 kilns and produces everything from bricks to banisters. In Hai Phong, you’ll be able to take a short tour through the city’s flame-tree lined boulevards and sleepy avenues to a quaint lane of artisans dwellings, where the Khmer-influenced Du Hang Pagoda is located. If you’ve never seen a communal house, you’ll be impressed by Dinh Hang Kenh, which overlooks an ornamental lake and showcases a roof of some 300 wooden carvings of dragons!
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PM: You embark on your exciting journey into Ha Long Bay via two ferry crossings.
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DAY 4: Ha Long Bay – Ha Noi – O/N Train to Dong Hoi (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HA LONG BAY: One of the world’s great natural phenomena, Ha Long means “the dragon descending to the sea”. Here turquoise seas are peppered with some 3000 limestone islands that nature has beaten into the most incredible of shapes, jutting out like precious jewels. Today many islands are home to secret inlets, grottos and caves. Ha Long Bay was established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.
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AM: It doesn’t get much better than this: cruise the splendid Ha Long Bay for five hours and visit some grottos. Have seafood lunch on board while soaking up panoramic views of the amazing limestone formations; often shaped like animals or mythical creatures. If the weather permits, dive in for a swim at one of the many coves or beaches.
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PM: Return by car to Ha Noi and then transfer to the Ha Noi Railway station for your overnight train ride to Dong Hoi.
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DAY 5: Dong Hoi – Phong Nha Caves – Hue (breakfast/lunch included) |
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PHONG NHA: Phong Nha, meaning “Cave of Teeth”, is an impressive complex of 14 grottoes situated in the Ke Bang limestone mountains. The Caves contain seven wonders of their own, claiming in Vietnam: the longest water caverns; the largest cave entrance; the longest underground river; the widest and most beautiful underground sand and stone beaches; the biggest dry cave; the most beautiful underground lake; and the most spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. Phong Nha was established as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2003.
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AM: You’ll arrive and meet your guide in Dong Hoi, a sleepy and charming city of beaches, and your gateway to Phong Nha. At the caves, you’ll hike up to a maze of dry caves, then take a magical boat cruise on the tranquil river to explore the network of river grottos. You can walk into most of the caves, which are vast and well-lit, allowing you to admire the magic and beauty of the ancient stalagmite and stalactite formations.
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PM: Return to Dong Hoi to transfer to Hue.
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DAY 6: Hue City Tour (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HUE: Majestic Hue, located in Central Vietnam, was once the country’s imperial capital, and today is still at the very heart of Vietnamese culture. From 1802 to 1945, Hue was home to the famous Nguyen Dynasty Emperors who made Hue a cultural and political center:- that legacy remains today with imperial palaces, stately buildings and grand mausoleums. The Hue Imperial Citadel was established as Vietnam’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Hue is also renowned for its traditional music, Nha Nhac.
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NHA NHAC: This music served as royal entertainment during the Ly Dynasty (1010 – 1225) but reached its harmonious peak during the Nguyen reign. Nha Nhac is played by an orchestra – small (8 instruments) or large (at least 42) depending on the occasion – and features diverse instruments from percussion to strings. In 2003, it was established as one of the 28 Great Spiritual and Orally Transmitted Heritages of the World by UNESCO.
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AM: Get ready for an adventurous boat trip along the Huong or Perfume River – the city’s picturesque waterway – to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, perched high on the river banks, and then onto the royal mausoleum of Minh Mang, one of the Nguyen emperors. Past glories can be contemplated in the tranquil gardens of the tombs.
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PM: You’ll next visit the mausoleum of Tu Duc, the longest reigning monarch and legendary for his 104 wives but no offspring! After visiting the Imperial Citadel, you can enjoy a performance of the royal music, Nha Nhac. In the late afternoon, you’ll have some free time to perhaps stroll through the Dong Ba markets or the streets of Hue. Take a night cruise on the romantic Perfume River to enjoy Hue’s famed culinary delights and listen to some traditional folk music.
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DAY 7: Hue – Hoi An (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HOI AN: Hoi An was a thriving Eastern port city during the Middle Ages and reached
its zenith as an international seaport for British, European and Asian sea merchants,
traders and entrepreneurs from the 16th to 19th centuries. Traders dealt in products
ranging from high-grade silk and paper to Chinese medicines and elephant tusks.
Add to that the French colonial legacy and today Hoi An Old Town is an inimitable
blend of quaint building facades, small Chinese pagodas and temples, hidden alleyways
and an old-world charm all of its own. It’s hard not to be won over by Hoi An, and
it’s even harder to escape once you learn that it’s Vietnam’s one-stop-shop for
all your tailoring needs. UNESCO listed Hoi An Old Town as a World Cultural Heritage
Site in 1999.
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AM: You’ll depart for Hoi An after breakfast, driving past two of Vietnam’s most
stunning panoramas – the white sand and pristine waters of Lang Co Beach and Hai
Van Pass, where the mountains meet the sea and green hills and valleys roll effortlessly
into the aqua-marine water.
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PM: After arriving and checking in, you can wander through peaceful Hoi An Old Town
to see low-tiled houses from the Chinese merchant era, the Japanese covered bridge
and the town’s myriad brightly painted pagodas and temples. In the evening, you’ll
have time to shop and discover the town’s beautiful lantern-lit bars, restaurants
and art shops along the riverfront.
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DAY 8: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An (breakfast/lunch included) |
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MY SON: My Son is the Holy Land of the ancient Champa kingdom dating back to the 4th century, and dedicated to Hindu gods, mainly Shiva. Although smaller than other Indian inspired civilizations like Angkor Wat, My Son served as the political capital of the Champa Kingdom and was occupied until the 13th century – the longest period of development of any monument in Southeast Asia. About 20 of 70 structures stand strong today. Towers made from bricks adorned with sandstone and joined together with no glue, have withstood the tyranny of time, weather and wars. In 1999, UNESCO recognized My Son as a World Cultural Heritage site.
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AM: You’ll travel by car into the forests surrounding the mythical My Son. Take a tour of the temple remains and visit a small Cham museum. You’ll see the devastation caused to My Son by American bombers during the war.
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PM: This afternoon will allow you to either clothes shop till you drop, browse art and craft shops, have a long-island iced tea overlooking the river, or simply laze on Hoi An beach.
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DAY 9: Hoi An – Danang – Departure (breakfast included)
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AM: Drive to Danang and stop by Marble mountain where hundreds of artisans carve marble and stone statues ranging from giant Buddhas to majestic lions. You’ll stop off at the nearby war-famed China Beach, then at the Cham Museum in Danang before transferring to the airport for departure. Your treasured memories of Vietnam too will fly away with you.
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