Essential Vietnam

Arrival at Hanoi Airport will be welcomed by your guide and driver who will accompany you in the hotel (30 km ~ 50 minutes).

Then, begin the discovery of Hanoi. You will visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh (from the outside). This imposing monument, dedicated to the father of modern Vietnam, was built in marble and granite and has the form of a stylized lotus. Nearby you will find the house on Ho Chi Minh's stilts and the pagoda to a pillar, symbol of Hanoi.

Then visit the Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu, a structure dedicated to Confucius. Built in 1070, the complex soon became the first Vietnamese university.

This afternoon will also give you the opportunity to visit the famous Old Quarter of Hanoi.

You will end the visit of the city with a puppet show on the water.

Welcome dinner in a local restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00: Departure from Hanoi to Halong Bay (150 km ~ 2 hours and a half).

11:30: Arrival at the marina of Tuan Chau, check-in in the waiting room.

12:00: embark on the Pelican Glory cruise, welcome drink and briefing. Check in your room and get ready for a tasty lunch.

12.30: Enjoy Vietnamese and international lunch and the picturesque scenery of the bay, passing through the most beautiful areas: Incense Burner, Dog Stone Islet, Fighting Cock Islet, Three Coconuts Island.

15:00: Visit to Tung Sau, the largest pearl farm in Ha Long Bay, to learn the process of manual cultivation of pearls and practice some techniques. This is also an ideal place to kayak, to get closer to the timeless beauty of Ha Long.

16:30: visit to the island of Ti Top, a small limestone island with one of the best sandy beaches in the bay of Ha Long. You can immerse yourself in the emerald water and climb to the top to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the bay.

17:30: return to the boat and anchorage in the Lom Bo area.

19:30: Dinner is served: enjoy traditional and fusion dishes prepared by our talented chefs.

21:30: After dinner it is time to enjoy the bar and spa, fishing squids or watching a movie in the cabin, playing cards, chess or relaxing on the solarium. Overnight on board.

06:00: Seeing the bay in the morning is a wonderful experience, awaken all your senses with a Tai Chi session on the solarium while picking up the vitamins of the sea to refresh you before enjoying breakfast.

07:00: Coffee, tea and breakfast cakes are served in the restaurant.

07:30: Visit to the Sung Sot Cave - a magnificent and larger limestone cave as its original name: Grotte des Surprising. The beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed in millions of years are the reward after the steep climb on Bo Hon Island.

Note: it is recommended to wear adequate shoes in case of rain.

09:30 Return to the cruise ship. Check out and weld the account at the reception.

10:00: Consuming brunch when sailing back. Relax on the solarium or restaurant.

11:30: Land at the marina of Tuan Chau.

Meeting with our driver and transfer to Hanoi airport for the flight to Da Nang VN 181 (16:10-17:40). Pick up and transfer to Hoi An hotel.

Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8.30 beginning of the morning walking through the narrow streets of this charming old town.

This ancient port, declared World Heritage by UNESCO, is rich in architectural jewels that show a series of influences. Visit the Japanese covered bridge, the temple of water genius, the Fujian temple, one of the old houses and the Hoi An market.

Around the 17th century Hoi An was one of the busiest ports in South-East Asia, with Chinese merchants, Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, French and English visiting the city looking for spices, lacquer objects and ceramics. Enriched by the proceeds of this trade, many merchants built beautiful houses. You can admire these charming houses along Tran Phu Street, one of the oldest in Hoi An.

The architecture of the old city tends to show an integration of Sino-Japanese influences in a local style. Most buildings share the same general plant; built on two levels, they are constructed as a tube between two roads running parallel.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, departure for the visit of the Sanctuary of My Son, UNESCO World Heritage Site, 40 km southwest of Hoi An.

Located in a lush valley, My Son was once the capital and religious center of the Cham people. With its imposing red brick towers and sanctuaries, My Son is considered as some of the largest archaeological sites in Southeast Asia, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia.

The remaining towers and shrines were built from the 7th to the 13th century.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. At 08:00 transfer to Hue. You climb to the Ocean Clouds Pass and then follow the panoramic road you cross the fishing village of Lang Co, wonderfully photogenic.

I'm coming to Hue at noon. Lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, start the discovery of Hue with a visit to the Citadel, seat of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. The construction began in 1804 by order of the first Emperor Gia Long, after the site had been selected according to the principles of geomancy (Feng Shui). The Citadel is inspired by the fortifications of Vauban and consists of three sections: the capital (Kinh Thanh), the imperial city (Hoang Thanh) and the Forbidden City (Cam Thanh). It was largely destroyed in 1968 during the fighting involving Hue following the Tet offensive. Today you are trying to restore and preserve this priceless heritage.

Continue with a visit to the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, one of the most beautiful works of real architecture of the Nguyen dynasty.

End the day at the pagoda Thien Mu, or pagoda of Mrs. Celeste, a Buddhist sanctuary dating back to the mid-17th century. Located on the banks of the River of Perfume, it is easily recognizable for its octagonal tower.

Check-in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Hue airport (15 km ~ 25 minutes) for your flight to Sai Gon VN1369 (08:00-09:40) or VN 6211 (10;45-12:20). Pick up and transfer to the hotel. Then, start the discovery of Sai Gon. Visit the Central Post Office, a pearl of colonial architecture designed by Gustave Eiffel (the Cathedral of Notre Dame is closed until 2027 for renovation).

We continue with the War Remnants Museum, which presents a partial, but compelling view of the American war, as it is known in Vietnam.

Later, we go back in time to deepen the history of Vietnam with a stop at Đ' Ph' coffee, which was once the operational base of the South Vietnam Liberation Army. While the coffee is prepared, discover the secret bunker of the weapons used for the attack on the Independence Palace during the 1968 offensive and photograph the old car used to transport the weapons in the Cu Chi tunnels.

Enjoy your coffee in the atmosphere of this historic house before going to the Van Phat pagoda, hidden in China Town Jewelry Street, in district 5. You will be amazed by the vivid colors of typical Chinese architecture and especially by the ten thousand statues of Buddha within the pagoda. Here you can also find out how the Vietnamese preserve the cremation urns of their family members.

Continue towards the French Quarter for a walk along Nguyen Hue street in district 1, where you will discover an old building of apartments now transformed into colorful cafes, restaurants and clothing shops. Take the elevator to the top floor of the building and go down slowly to discover the shops. For tea lovers a stop is recommended from Partea, a tea room on the fourth floor that offers 30 types of tea, while "Saigon .i" on the fifth floor deserves a visit for a Vietnamese coffee. Lunch and dinner in local restaurants. Overnight at the hotel.

At 8.00 departure from the hotel for Ben Tre (90 km ~ 2 hours), known as the kingdom of Vietnam's coconut.

At 10.00 arrival and visit of Phong Nam, boat and cruise along the river Chet Say (a branch of the Mekong) and stop in various local workplaces to give you an idea of how the local economy works, including the coconut factory, where the coconut shell is put in a high heat furnace to produce coconut, and a coconut processing laboratory, where you can taste the coconut shell fresh coconut and see how every single part of this versatile walnut is transformed into food and other products.

Then the boat will sail through the small channel, to discover the local life. The boat will stop then in a quiet village where you can take a short walk to experience the true life of the village of Delta, visit a house of weaving mats, where the straw mats are woven with a hand frame - you can also try to weave yourself before boarding your xe loi (a sort of rickshaw motorized) in the village where you can see farms, rice and vegetable crops before stopping in a local house for a delicious and satiating lunch, based on local specialties such as elephant ear fish and river shrimp, watered by fresh drinks or beers.

At the end it is time to board a sampan for a relaxing trip along the narrow canals.

Around 3.30 p.m. we're back to the pier and drive back to Sai Gon, where we'll arrive at 6 p.m.

Dinner in the local restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8 meeting with our driver and transfer to Sai Gon airport for the flight to Phu Quoc VN 1825 (10:50-12:00).

Pick up and transfer to the hotel.

Check-in and free time on the beach.

Free meals.

Overnight at the hotel.

During these three days of relaxation in Phu Qhoc is included only breakfast and overnight stay at the hotel.

Other meals (not included) and any activities will be defined on site.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time to transfer to Phu Quoc airport to Saigon (Ho Chi Min City).

Continue with intercontinental flight (not included).