DISCOVER NORTHERN AND CENTER VIETNAM

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights

Overview: Hanoi – Danang – Hoi An

Number of guest: 2 persons

Traveling style:Leisure pace

Dates of traveling DEC 2012 – DEC 20th 2013

Room Preference: Non smoking, nice view

Meals: See schedule below

Validity until DEC 20th 2013 (black out date: Christmas, New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year Feb 10-14)

ITINERARY Day 1. Hanoi arrival

Arrive in Hanoi in the afternoon. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a rest after your long journey. The remainder of the day is free to rest, relax or explore on your own. Hanoi is a picturesque city of more than 6 million people. Its tree-shaded streets are filled with lovely examples of French colonial architecture. As we walk the streets we will be transported back in time. We’ll be swept away by the scenes in the marketplaces, family life in the street, commerce, and a mixture of old and new technologies. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2. Hanoi City (B)

After breakfast, we journey out on a Hanoi city tour, visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Closed on Monday and Friday morning), the traditional stilt house, One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, also known as the “first university of Vietnam”. Afternoon is for visiting the Ethnology Museum and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3. Hanoi – Ha Long (B,L,D)

After breakfast, we will drive to Ha Long Bay and arrive at noon. We’ll board a beautiful wooden junk for an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay with an excellent menu of fresh seafood. Overnight onboard.

Day 4. Halong – Hai Phong – Danang – Hoi An (B)

After breakfast on board and some time to relax, we continue cruising on the bay and head back to the pier where we disembark around 11.00 am. Transfer directly to Cat Bi Airport in nearby Hai Phong City (70km – 2 hour driving) where you will take a brief flight to Danang city. Welcome by local guide and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An town, a UNESCO World Heritage site for check in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5. Tra Que Vegetable Village – Hoi An Town (B,L)

In the morning, enjoy a bike or cyclo ride (05 km – 15mins cycling) to visit the “village of vegetables”, Tra Que (transfer by private vehicle is also an option). Tra Que village is known for its special aromatic herbs, mint and basil; leaves of these plants are smaller than usual, however they have a very particular aroma because of the special farming practices they have used for centuries. Together with local people, you will learn how they plant and care for the vegetables and herbs. We return to the host’s home to enjoy a relaxing foot massage. Learn to cook some local specialties such as “Tam Huu”, a blend of shrimp, pork and aromatic herbs, and enjoy what you have created. After lunch, we return to Hoi An’s ancient town, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site because of its unusually well-preserved ancient streets and homes. Set out to explore the quaint cobblestone streets of the town with more than two-century-old Chinese houses. Sites include the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple, and Phung Hung Chinese-style trading house. The rest of the day is free at leisure in the old streets of Hoi An for great shopping opportunities or further wandering around the town. Free dinner. Overnight at Boutique Hoi An Resort.

Day 6. Hoi An – Danang – Hanoi – Departure (B)

Enjoy free morning at hotel’s pool (weather permitting) or hotel’s spa until your transfer to Danang airport for a flight back to Hanoi. Connect for your departure flight. Room is at disposal until noon time only.