VT6: Best of Vietnam veteran tour 11 days 10 days

Itinerary in Brief;

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L)
Day 3: Hanoi – Hue (B, L, D)
Day 4: Hue – Aluoi valley (B, L, D)
Day 5: A luoi – Dong Ha (B, L, D)
Day 6: Dong Ha – DMZ- Hue (B, L)
Day 7: Hue – Danang – Hoian ancient town (B, L)
Day 8: Hoian – Mylai – Hoian (B, L)
Day 9: Hoian – Danang – Saigon city (B, D)
Day 10: Saigon – Cuchi  (B, L)
Day 11: Saigon departure (B)

Itinerary in Details;

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
Arrival at Noi Bai Airport, Welcome and transfer to hotel by Asia View Travel guides with signboard, check in, relax. This evening, your guide will take you out to sample some of Hanoi’s superb cuisine. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L)
This morning we start city tour  with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh (Close on Monday, friday & November), the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city, continue to the Army Museum, nearby Flag Tower Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam, the Restored Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake) and Ngoc Son Temple. Take a cyclo tour  around the 36 streets of the Hanoi old quarter to learn more about simple life of Hanoian. Enjoy water puppet show - a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Hue (B, L, D)
Pick up at your hotel for transferring to Noi Bai airport and flying to Phu Bai airport in Hue city. After check in the hotel, hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. We will start our sightseeing city tour including the forbidden purple city, Thien Mu pagoda and the mausoleums of the king Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Dinner in a local restaurant in town. Overnight in Hue.

Day 4: Hue – Aluoi valley (B, L, D)
After breakfast and we check out the hotel, this morning we will head to the north of Hue, exactly to Ashau valley. Along the way will stop over at some former battlefields such as camp eagles, fire –bases Birmingham, A luoi and specially the Hamburger Hill. On this trip you will be able to meet and exchange talks with some local Vietnamese war veterans. Tonight stay in A luoi valley.

Day 5: A luoi – Dong Ha (B, L, D)
This morning we will drive on the historic road No.9 towards Lao's border. On the way will be stopped over at Lang Vay special force camp, Khe Sanh base, Da Krong Bridge, Cam Lo, rock pile and camp carrol. Lunch in a local restaurant by roadside. At late afternoon will be reached to dong ha town. A closest town to the DMZ, it was here the US army built their marine command post and then ARVN base. Dong Ha was also obliterated in 1972. Overnight in Dong Ha.

Day 6: Dong Ha – DMZ - Hue (B, L)
Eats our breakfast and check out the hotel. It will be a full-day trip to visit more former battlefields along the DMZ. Under the terms of the 1954 Geneva accords, Vietnam was split in two along the 17th parallel. The demarcating line ran along the Ben Hai River and Was sealed by a strip of no-man’s-land 5km wide on each side known as the demilitarized zone or DMZ. We continue of visiting some the historic sites such as Hien Luong Bridge, Vinh moc tunnel, Quang tri citadel. End of this day will return back the highway No.1 and Drive for Hue. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 7: Hue – Danang – Hoian ancient town (B, L)
We will drive for about 90km to Danang. On march 8th 1965, the US 9th marine brigade landed red beach 2 in Danang, officially marked the American war. Stop over at Non Nuoc beach, Da Nang beach, and The Cham museum. Once arrival to Hoian ancient town, check in hotel then start our waking tour for sightseeing this  ASIA’ major port in the 17century, including the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tamky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market. Passing many low tiled houses scattered along the small streets and assembly halls which reflect the town's multi-cultural past. The town is also famous for it's shops in particular it's large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could  have a whole new wardrobe made for you here! Overnight at hotel in Hoian .

Day 8: Hoian – Mylai – Hoian (B, L)
Today we will have a full-day of visiting to former Chu Lai base or Cam doi base in Quang Ngai province. Next to visit the MYLAI where was happened the massacre of civilians on March 16th 1968. End of this day returning back hoi an. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 9: Hoian – Danang – Saigon city (B, D)
Morning after breakfast transfert to airport for the flight to Saigon. Pick up at Tan Son Nhat airport, tranfer to city center, check in, relax. Afternoon we discover dynamic city with the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip on to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 10: Saigon – Cuchi  (B, L)
After breakfast, we drive to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon  all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s,  let the Viet Minh  and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In places, it was several  stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years.... getting married, giving birth, going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which made this whole thing possible. But even so, the planning and construction was incredible. People dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke.  There were also hidden  trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. Today, the trees and bushes have grown back. And since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. Drive back to Hochiminh City.

Day 11: Saigon departure (B)

 Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Say goodbye Vietnam.

Thank you for travelling with Asia View Travel

Accommodation Options

Tour includes:
• All accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
•  All tours & transfers in private air-conditioned vehicle
• Private English or French  speaking guide
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary at local restaurant with local foods (B = breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
• Boat cruise as stated
• Domestic arifare & airport taxes: Hanoi – Hue, Danang – Saigon
• Entrance fees and permits for all sights visited
• Mineral water & towel
• Government taxes & Service charges

Tour excludes:
• International flights to and from Vietnam
• Vietnam visa arrangement (upon request visa on arrival at 15 USD, not including stamping fee at 25 USD)
• Meals not indicated in the itinerary
• All other services which are not mentioned above
• Personal travel insurance (Compulsory)
• Personal expenses such as  Telephone and Laundry bills
• Tips and gratuities