12 day Land of the Dragon Tour - Vietnam

Land of contrasts, friendly faces and delicious food

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Whats Included

9 nights accommodation in 4 & 5 star hotels
1 night on board the Emeraude, Halong Bay
1 night at Mai Chau Lodge
11 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 6 dinners
All transfers, tours, entrance fees as listed
Tips for guides and drivers
2 domestic Vietnam Airlines airfares
Tour manager from Australia
Local english speaking guides in each city

Tour Highlights

Cyclo ride around the old quarter of Hanoi
1 night cruising on Halong Bay
Exploring beautiful countryside at Mai Chau
Cooking class and food markets in Hoi An
Ho Chi Minh City morning tour and great shopping
Mekong River day trip

Tour Notes

Exclusions:

International airfares

Personal expenditure such as drinks with meals, laundry service, telephone calls etc.
Hotel porterage
Travel insurance (compulsory)
Visa fees

Please consult your doctor for advice on vaccinations to your destination.

Australia and New Zealand passport holders require a visa to enter Vietnam. Other nationalities should check their visa requirements.

*All tour prices are current at the time of publication and are susceptible to currency fluctuations. We reserve the right to alter the tour price in accordance with changes in foreign exchanges rates and changes in prices for services including fuel surcharges and airfare taxes.

Travel from north to south and load your senses. First time visitors will fall in love with this wonderful country and friendly people. Land of contrasts, lush rainforests, beautiful beaches, flat landscapes of rice fields, idyllic temples and rugged history. A shopper’s paradise. Join our Land of the Dragon Tour and see and taste the best Vietnam has to offer, you will not be disappointed.

DAY 1 ARRIVE HANOI

Arrive in Hanoi. Transfer from the airport is provided. Meet our tour manager and fellow travellers tonight at the hotel.

DAY 2 HANOI (B/L/D)

Meet with our local guide for a city orientation tour. Enjoy a one hour cyclo ride through the streets of the old quarter finishing at Ngoc Son Temple. After visiting the Temple walk around the lake to Nha Tho street for interesting shopping in art, clothing, jewellery and homeware stores. Lunch at Koto Restaurant, a non profit restaurant and vocational training programme for street and disadvantaged youths. After lunch visit the ancient Temple of Literature and enjoy a water puppet show. This a unique Vietnamese performing art. Water puppetry is performed in chest deep water, the surface of the water is used as a stage for the wooden puppets. Dinner later at a local restaurant.

DAY 3 HANOI – HALONG BAY (B/L/D)

Depart for Halong Bay, on arrival at Halong pier we board the replica steamer “Emeraude”. Enjoy a refreshing welcome cocktail upon boarding, once we depart a buffet lunch is served. Cruise Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site with calm waters and thousands of islands forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Time for swimming and relaxation (kayaking at an additional charge) and enjoy an onboard cooking demonstration. Foot and head massages are available on the top deck. Dinner and overnight on board.

DAY 4 HALONG BAY – HANOI (B/L)

For early risers, practice tai chi on the sundeck before breakfast. Return to Halong pier in the morning. Transfer back to Hanoi for lunch and then check into our hotel. Afternoon is free for you to relax.

DAY 5 HANOI – MAI CHAU (B/L/D)

Depart from Hanoi and travel 150km through picturesque scenery to Mai Chau. Lunch at our lodge. After lunch enjoy a relaxing walk to the nearby Thai villages of Pom Coong and Lac. There you will have some time for handicraft shopping from local artisans or to stroll around viewing village life. Dinner at our lodge accompanied by a traditional dance performance.

DAY 6 MAI CHAU – HANOI - HOI AN (B/L/D)

In the morning we leave for Hanoi - lunch at a local restaurant. Depart by air to Danang and transfer to the enchanting town of Hoi An. Hoi An was once a major international port from the 15th to 19th centuries, trading in such goods as silk, lacquer, porcelain and medicinal herbs. Most original structures of this well preserved (UNESCO listed) town remain intact. Later we walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

DAY 7 HOI AN (B/L)

Meet with our local guide for a morning cooking tour. Start with a drink in Hoi An town, visit the colourful market and experience its amazing sights, sounds and aromas. You will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson. Leisure cruise along the Thu Bon River to the Red Bridge restaurant and cooking school. After our cooking lesson we will enjoy lunch. Free time for the rest of the day for leisure or shopping. Hoi An is a shopper’s paradise and one of the best places in Vietnam to get tailor made clothing.

DAY 8 HOI AN (B)

Free day in Hoi An. If you don’t feel like shopping, relax and enjoy the range of massage and spa treatments our resort has to offer. Alternatively, visit Cua Dai Beach, 5km from town.

DAY 9 HOI AN - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/D)

Late morning tranfer to the airport at Danang for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer to our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Later meet our guide and walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

DAY 10 HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L)

Meet with our local guide for a city orientation tour. See Notre Dame Cathedral, the old Post Office building and the former Presidential Palace. Visit Ben Thanh Market, a bustling market, selling food, flowers, clothing, accessories, wooden and lacquer home items etc. After lunch in a fabulous local restaurant we return to the hotel. Afternoon is free. Our hotel is in a great shopping location on famous Dong Khoi Street.

DAY 11 HCMC – MEKONG DELTA (B/L/D)

Today we drive to the heart of the Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields and beautiful landscapes. Visit the beautifully decorated Vinh Trang Pagoda. We then take a boat trip on the Mekong to Phoenix Island where local handicrafts and sweets from the coconut are produced. Take a short ride on a horse drawn carriage and then enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and traditional live music. Proceed by boat through a canal to our lunch stop. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy a farewell buffet dinner cruising the Saigon River on the boat Bonsai.

DAY 12 HO CHI MINH CITY – DEPARTURE (B)

Last day in Vietnam. Maybe your suitcase can still fit one more souvenir......

Hotel rooms are available until 12 noon. Tour services finish here. Transfer to the airport provided.

Is visiting Angkor Wat one of the places you want to cross off your list? Why not extend your trip with our 2 night Siem Reap stopover while your are so close.

SEE OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Tour Price Information

Land Of The Dragon Tour

Land cost per person - twin Share from	$TBA

Single supplement from	$TBA

Bookings close

Prices are in Australian Dollars.

We can arrange your international flights.

ABOUT THIS TOUR

On this tour, from north to south, we visit some of the best scenery Vietnam has to offer and along the way get to interact with the locals, visit their markets, see how they live. Experience the busy old quarter in Hanoi and majestic Halong Bay, where we wind down and relax on board a deluxe replica steamboat. Cruising the calm waters of this world heritage area, we spend the night on board in cabins. We stay overnight in picturesque Mai Chau where you will see ethnic minority groups and gorgeous scenery. In the ancient town of Hoi An, learn all about Vietnamese cooking and ingredients with a morning cooking class and enjoy plenty of free time in this town to explore the streets, relax by the pool or visit the beach located nearby. Travelling to the Mekong Delta, with its vast river systems, we take a boat to Phoenix Island to see local handicrafts and sweets from the coconut being produced. After a half day walking tour in Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy time on your own shopping or perhaps visit one of the interesting museums in the city.

This is a land package and does not include international flights. We can provide the best available airfare to suit your requirements. Please note this tour requires a minimum number to proceed (see below). The earlier you book, the earlier we can confirm the tour is going ahead, and international flights can then be arranged.

See our "Travel Notes" section for Vietnam travel experiences.

SMALL GROUP SIZE

We like to keep our groups small. Our maximum group size is 15 and we require a minimum of 9 for the tour to proceed.

INCLUSIONS IN THE TOUR

We provide many meals throughout the tour (except drinks) indicated in the itinerary by (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch and (D) = Dinner. We eat at interesting restaurants along the way, serving great food. Tours and entrance fees as listed in the itinerary. Airport transfers are included for both arrival and departure.

ACCOMMODATION

5 star Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi

Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi is a deluxe 5 star French colonial landmark located in the centre of Hanoi, the best hotel in the city.

Emeraude, Halong Bay

The Emeraude is a replica of a paddle steamboat that cruised these waters around 1910, in what was then French Indochina. Sit on the deck and enjoy the sunset with a drink in hand while dinner is being prepared!

Mau Chau Lodge is a new comfortable lodge and the best available accommodation in the area.

4 star Life Resort Hotel, Hoi An

This is an award winning resort with many “life wellness” spa treatments on offer. It has a wonderful location in town on the river.

4 star Majestic Hotel

The Majestic Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City is a wonderful colonial hotel with great charm located on the riverfront close to good shopping.

TRAVELLING

Our own private transport. There will always be interesting scenes to see along the way, whether in the countryside passing rice fields tended by farmers in conical hats, or driving through a small village with produce markets taking place. Two domestic Vietnam Airlines flights are included in the tour price. Please note walking surfaces can be uneven and comfortable shoes are recommended. A basic level of fitness is required.

TIPPING

Tipping for guides and drivers is included. You may wish to tip hotel porters if luggage is taken to your room and this will be your responsibility.

GUIDES

A tour manager from Australia will be there to assist the group to make it enjoyable for you. Local guides will be used at each destination to share with us their knowledge on the places we visit.