Cultural vacation to Vietnam
| country: | Vietnam |
| location: | North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Hill Tribes |
| departures: | 2008: 22 Nov |
| price: | From US $4400 (14 days) including domestic flights only, as per the itinerary, based on twin share. Single supplement US $1000 - US $1400 |
| offers: | $500 discount when two people sign up together! |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This vacation to Vietnam will take you from North Vietnam to the Central Coast and south to Saigon and Can Tho experiencing the diverse geography and culture of this great country.
French colonialism left its mark on the arts and architecture in several cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City, Dalat and Danang. Vietnam also boasts varied styles of religious monuments, from ancient Khmer-style carved sandstone temples to centuries old tiered-roof Chinese pagodas and palaces, as well as nature’s contribution of thousands of jutting limestone outcrops with hidden grottoes, lush forests and tranquil beaches and islands. In addition, some cities such as Hoi An, My Son, Hue and Halong are internationally recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Exploring the culture of Vietnam is an adventure of spirit and a journey into your soul. The incredible pride and genuine warmth of its people, the richness of its culture, the depth of its tradition and the diversity of its landscape - these are the reasons to vacation to Vietnam. Experience intense emotions from pure joy to profound sadness as Vietnam grabs hold of your heart and won't let go.
French colonialism left its mark on the arts and architecture in several cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City, Dalat and Danang. Vietnam also boasts varied styles of religious monuments, from ancient Khmer-style carved sandstone temples to centuries old tiered-roof Chinese pagodas and palaces, as well as nature’s contribution of thousands of jutting limestone outcrops with hidden grottoes, lush forests and tranquil beaches and islands. In addition, some cities such as Hoi An, My Son, Hue and Halong are internationally recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Exploring the culture of Vietnam is an adventure of spirit and a journey into your soul. The incredible pride and genuine warmth of its people, the richness of its culture, the depth of its tradition and the diversity of its landscape - these are the reasons to vacation to Vietnam. Experience intense emotions from pure joy to profound sadness as Vietnam grabs hold of your heart and won't let go.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Hanoi. Transfer to your hotel. |
| Day 2: | Hanoi City Tour. Enjoy a morning city tour of Hanoi to include the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing monument made of marble and granite. Our tour continues with a visit to the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda, known as the Temple of Love. In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Ethnology then we enjoy an interesting 1-2 hour cyclo ride (Vietnam version of a pedicab) through the Old Quarter, followed by the uniquely amazing Water Puppet show. (B,L,D) |
| Day 3: | Halong Bay. We board our private junk & begin a 4-hour cruise through spectacular Halong Bay, enjoying a fresh seafood lunch and visiting caves. We board our luxury night train north to the hilltribe region of Vietnam. (B,L) |
| Day 4: | SaPa. Today is free to explore the surrounding villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dzao tribes. Trails connect the many villages, providing walks through the magnificent countryside blanketed with the recently harvested rice crop. Enjoy a massage, or the quiet of your balcony. This evening we enjoy music and dancing. (B,L,D) |
| Day 5: | Lao Chai & Tavan. We visit a Black Hmong ethnic minority village then walk through the countryside to Tavan village where the Giay ethnic minority hill tribe lives. Here we will rest and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our guide in a local guest house. We will continue our walk through the bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. Enjoy the serenity of the waterfall or take a plunge into the cool waters. (B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | Village tour. We drive to Supan and walk through lush green valleys and rice paddy terraces to Ban Ho village, home to the Tay minority. From here we drive to Thanh Phu. We take a stroll to Xafo village of My Son before heading back to Lao Cai to board the Victoria Express to Hanoi. (B,L,D) |
| Day 7: | South China Sea coast & Hoi An. We fly to Danang then visit the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain. Continuing along the coastline, we arrive in Hoi An. A trading port in the 17-18th century, Hoi An is a charming town with an eclectic mix of western and eastern architecture. We will check into our hotel, a wonderful place to rest, rejuvenate and enjoy the riverside. (B,L,D) |
| Day 8: | Hoi An. Enjoy a boat ride to carpentry and ceramic Villages. Alternatively, see the sites along the river on a kayak tour. In the afternoon, enjoy a bike ride through the countryside, take in the sites on foot, or opt for a relaxing massage or a swim in the pool. (B,D) |
| Day 9: | Saigon. Relax and enjoy the sounds of the morning and the gardens of our hotel before we journey to Saigon. Tour of Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office and the War Museum. (B,D) |
| Day 10: | Saigon. We head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, known as the base operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. We return to Saigon for lunch at the Ni Vien Van Thanh Monestary then stop at the Reunification Palace. The late afternoon and evening is free. (B,L) |
| Day 11: | Can Tho. We will make our way to Can Tho by van, where you have two options. The first is a boat trip through the canals of the Mekong River to visit markets and learn about making rice candy and noodles, the 'gold' of the area. The second option is to take a bike tour through the countryside to Long Ho, enjoying a picnic lunch and continuing to Ba Cang and through the rice fields. The afternoon is free. Relax by the pool, nap, or enjoy a massage riverside. (B,L,D) |
| Day 12: | Can Tho. Today we start our day early with a boat trip to visit the floating markets. Boats maneuver their way carrying loads of fresh produce. Listen to the friendly banter of the locals trading for their daily needs. The afternoon is at leisure to explore, relax or take a bike ride into the countryside to visit the Khmer pagoda, Binh Thuy community house and a Binh Thuy ancient house. (B,L,D) |
| Day 13: | Upper Mekong River & Saigon. After breakfast we will begin our drive back to Saigon. We visit Vinh Trang pagoda, the oldest pagoda in town, then you can relax and watch the countryside from the comfort of our van or if you would like to bike, we will pedal from My Tho to Ben Luc. Our farewell dinner will be at the infamous Saigon-Saigon Rooftop Bar where the journalists of the Vietnam War would put their experiences into the stories we read. (B,L,D) |
| Day 14: | Departure. End of vacation to Vietnam. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the U.S. (B) |
Read an article about this trip
Exploring Vietnam. Read Liz Hafer's account of the beginning of a two-week trip exploring the wonderful scenery and tribal villages of Vietnam. More... how this holiday makes a difference
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Our commitment to the Vietnamese culture is to support employment of local tour operators who engage in responsible travel. We provide our travelers with an intimate experience of the Vietnamese culture by employing guides who have been trained and certified in responsible tourism practices.
We support a ‘Leave No Trace’ policy in all of our travels to minimize impact of the areas visited. On our vacation to Vietnam we encourage our travelers to use water sparingly for showing and washing and to use environmentally friendly detergents and shampoos for hand and hair washing. We educate our guests to minimize packaging by encouraging the elimination of plastic and boxes prior to leaving for their vacation to Vietnam. Our guides provide the opportunity to interact and support local communities by visiting with local families, purchasing locally produced goods, and dining in local restaurants. Specifically we support: Sapa schools – We select one or two village schools to support during our vacation to Vietnam. We encourage our travelers to donate school supplies and children’s clothing which are distributed at the schools. How wonderful it is to witness the excitement as the children receive their gifts.  Local artisans & farmers – The markets of Sapa are filled with local hilltribe villagers who gather weekly to sell and exchange goods. Support of these markets provides money to the local hilltribes and on-going support of traditional practices. In addition, Hoi An in central Vietnam is a hub of activity for support of local artists and custom silk clothing. Lastly, we support the villages of Can Tho during the daily floating markets purchasing fresh pineapple, cantaloupe and other fruits and vegetables grown in the region. Ni Vien Van Thanh Monastery – This Monastery is home to 45 Buddhist nuns. We share a private lunch with the nuns and tour their home. Donations are provided to the Monastery for on-going support of the nuns. Rich cultural dialogue takes place as we engage in heartfelt interaction with the residents while sharing stories and insights. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |