Surprising Vietnam: tour description Day 1: Amsterdam - Hanoi Departure from Amsterdam to Hanoi Day 2: Arrival in Hanoi Arrival in Hanoi and transfer to our hotel. You will have some time to freshen up and to explore the neighbourhood. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi. Day 3: Hanoi Whole day sightseeing tour around Hanoi. We will visit Ho Chi Minh complex, temple of Literature, History Museum. After lunch we will do a one hour walking tour around the old town of Hanoi and see a water puppet show then. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi. Day 4: Halong Bay Early transfer to Halong. In Halong town we board our cruise, "Off the beaten track" to the hidden inlets and islands. We have our lunch aboard while enjoying the view of the Bay. We make a cave visit and those who like can go swimming in the Bay or sunbathing on one of the deserted beaches. Dinner on boat with fresh sea specialties. Overnight on the boat, either in the cabins or on the top deck under thousands of stars. Day 5: Halong - Hanoi In the morning we have a chance to do some more swimming and sunbathing before we head back to the pier and have lunch in Halong town. In the afternoon we drive back to Hanoi. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi. Day 6: The craft villages Today we will visit different traditional villages who each have their own speciality of handicrafts, such as: Bat Trang pottery, Conical hats, silk, paper painting etc. Dinner and onvernight in Hanoi. Day 7: Hanoi - Hue Early morning flight at 6.35 a.m. to Hue, where we arrive at 8 a.m. After freshening up in our hotel, we head out for a tour of the city. We visit the imperial city and Dong Ba market. After luch we make a boat trip along the scenic Perfume River and we visit two tombs of old Vietnamese kings Dinner and overnight in Hue. Day 8: Hue - Hoian Sightseeing trip from Hue via Danang to Hoi An. We make a stop at Lang Co beach, one of the best beaches in Hue near Danang, where we can enjoy the sun and the sea and relax before our lunch break. Over scenic zigzag roads we go via Hai Van pass on to Danang, where we visit the Cham museum and a Stone Carving Village. Dinner and overnight in Hoian. Day 9: Hoian In the morning we tour Hoian on foot. We'll see this charming towns old houses, temples, pagodas, craft houses and will enjoy traditional music. In the afternoon we take a cooking class in Vietnamese cuisine. Overnight in Hoian. Day 10: Hoian, free time A day of leisure to spend at your own pace. You can relax on the lovely beach of Hoian, rent a bicycle and go to Cua Dai beach or do whatever you feel like. Overnight in Hoian. Day 11: Hoian - Saigon Early morning transfer and flight to Saigon. After checking in to our hotel we will visit several sites around Saigon, such as the War Remnants Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office and China town. Dinner and overnight in Saigon. Day 12: Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai temple We start the day with an excursion to Tay Ninh where we visit the Great Cao Dai Temple (a mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Christian) and see the noon mass. In the afternoon we will visit Cu Chi to see The Viet Cong tunnels. You will have an opportunity to get the unique experience of guerrillas living and fighting under the ground during the American War. Local rice papers workshop and nice paddy fields are pleasant sights on the way back. Overnight in hotel in Saigon. Day 13: Mekong River From Saigon we head south to Cai Be. We take a walk through the village streets and watch locals making manioc chips before boarding a boat for a journey through the town s floating market. Cruise through the secluded canals to an island where we stop to enjoy seasonal fruits before our boat takes us to Vinh Long where we get back on the bus for our trip to Can Tho where we will stay overnight. Day 14: Floating Markets of Can Tho An early start for a boat trip to Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets. We stop for a walk on a quiet country road to take in the magnificent scenery and get close to the locals as they go about their daily routine. We try a xe loi, the local colonial-era cab pulled by motorbike, on a country road. In the afternoon we head back to Saigon, with a visit to a MyTho bonsai garden. Overnight in Saigon. Day 15: Saigon - Amsterdam Transfer to the airport and flight home. Day 16: Amsterdam Arrival at Schiphol airport. More information: Dates, prices and practical information