| 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 Essence (2 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 : Excursion to Hoa Lu
The first capital of Vietnam was located to the south of Hanoi. 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
4 : 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
5 : 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
6 : Ha Noi - Hue
Take the morning flight from Ha Noi to Hue. After stopping at the hotel
to freshen up, explore 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
7 : 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
8 : 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 day, 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
9 : 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
10 : Hoi An to Da Lat
In the morning, take a flight from Da Nang to Dalat, once a colonial
hill station, but now a favorite vacation and honeymoon resort. 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 recommend 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
11 : 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
12 : 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
13 : 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
14 : Mekong Delta Excursion
On the last full day of the trip, you can continue exploring Saigon
or opt for a quick visit to Vinh Long or My Tho in the Mekong Delta.
Take a boat ride on one of the many branches of the Mekong River to
visit a floating market, a local craft village, and a bonsai farm. Return
to Saigon in the evening.
- 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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