ROAD DISCOVERY TOUR
1 NIGHT ABOARD A JUNK

From the south to the north, you will discover the multiple aspects of Vietnam along an exciting route including natural, historical and cultural sites from the most famous to the most unexpected. This tour, a true Vietnamese kaleidoscope, is the most complete. You will be dazzled!

Highlights:
• The night aboard a junk in Halong Bay.
• The 5 sites inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List: Hoi An city, My Son ruins, the Imperial City in Hue, Phong Nha caves and Halong Bay.
• Having dinner wearing imperial costumes.
• The massage, the Tai Chi lesson and the calligraphy demonstration.
• The ecotourism day in Hoi An.

Expert advice:
• The speed is limited for vehicles transporting passengers. Your driver will not drive faster because sanctions are severe. The road network is globally good.
• The ecotourism excursion in Hoi An is a way to get close to the every day life of Vietnamese fishermen and farmers.
• On day 8, the way from Nha Trang to Hoi An is quite long (530 km) but you will admire sumptuous landscapes.

Day 1 : Arrival in Saigon
Your guide will welcome you upon arrival and you will check into your hotel.

Day 2 : Saigon
You will discover the city and visit the art nouveau town hall, the Post Office, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the cathedral and a lacquer factory. After lunch, you will have time to spare and will have dinner at Golden 4* hotel.

Day 3 : Saigon - Can Tho
You will discover Cho Lon Chinese area, its colourful market and its temples, before going to the Mekong Delta where you will get on board for a cruise. You will have lunch on an island. You will go for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage and make a stopover in an orchard to savour exotic fruits and to visit some craft workshops. You will then go to Can-tho where you will have dinner in Nam Bo restaurant, and will spend the night at Ninh-Kieu 4* hotel.

Day 4 : Can Tho - Saigon
You will have breakfast aboard Mystic boat where a buffet will be laid out. You will visit Cai Rang floating market, the most lively in the delta. You will observe the rice cake cooking and will make a stop in a traditional nuoc-mâm (fish sauce) factory. After lunch, you will go back to Saigon and will have some time to spare before a dining cruise on the river.

Day 5 : Saigon - Dalat
You will go for a drive to the north and will make stopovers in rubber tree plantations, at the Lang Nga Lake and in tea and coffee fields. Testing is planned! After lunch, you will discover Bobla falls. In Dalat, you will visit the railway station, Bao Daï palace, the cathedral and the night market, before having dinner and spending the night at Royal Dalat Resort 4* hotel.

Day 6 : Dalat - Nha Trang
You will admire Dalat art-deco villas and will then stroll about around the Lake of Sighs. You will then go to Nha Trang where you will stay at Saigon Yasaka Nha Trang 4* hotel for 2 nights. After lunch, you will have time to spare. You will be able to go to the beach or to enjoy thalassatherapy, before having dinner at your hotel.

Day 7 : Nha Trang
You will sail in the bay. On Mieu Island, you will visit an aquarium and make a stopover in Mini Beach to have a swim. You will have lunch in a restaurant on the island. On your way back, you will visit Po Nagar Cham temples, before having dinner at your hotel.

Day 8 : Nha Trang - Hoi An
You will go for a 530 km drive to the north through magnificent landscapes and will have lunch on your way. You will arrive in Hanoi, an old city inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List. You will stay at Glory 4* hotel for 2 nights and have dinner.

Day 9 : Hoi An
Sailing on the river and meeting fishermen, you will appreciate the joys of ecotourism. You will stroll about in a farmers' village and will discover their plantations. You will have lunch at your hotel, before walking in Hoi An streets. You will discover the Fujian shrine for sailors, the Phuc Thanh pagoda (1 454), the Japanese bridge (1 593), and a silkworm farm. You will then attend a Tai Chi lesson and a calligraphy demonstration. You will enjoy a 45 minutes traditional massage, before getting on board for an hour and a half cruise along Tu-Bon River (aboard the Sunset Cruise). You will have dinner at Tam Tam restaurant.

Day 10 : Hoi An - Hue
You will make a journey to the magnificent archaeological site of My Son, the former capital of the Champa Kingdom, inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List. You will have lunch at Gia-Dinh restaurant, before going to the former imperial capital Hue. If the weather is nice, you will go via Hai Van pass, which offers a magnificent view. You will have dinner and spend two nights at Green 4* hotel..

Day 11 : Hue
You will go for a sail on the Perfume River. You will visit Thien Mu pagoda, and will then discover Emperor Minh Mang's and Emperor Khai Dinh's tombs. After lunch, you will make a stopover in a village making incense and cone-shaped hats, before visiting a new tomb, the one of Emperor Tu Duc. At 6.15 pm, you will go to the theatre to watch a puppet show over the water. You will then attend a royal dinner wearing imperial costumes.

Day 12 : Hue - Dong Hoi
You will visit the Imperial Palace, built to the same design as Pekin Forbidden City. You will go for a one-hour cyclo-ride along the Perfume River to Dong Ba market. After lunch, you will make a stopover at the 17th parallel bridge, which used to separate the north from the south of the country and will visit Vinh Moc tunnels, dug during the Vietnam War. You will have dinner and spend the night at Sun Spa Resort 4* hotel in Dong Hoï.

Day 13 : Dong Hoi - Vinh
You will visit Phong Nha huge caves, inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List, by boat, before having lunch. You will then go to Vinh where you will have dinner and spend the night at Phuong Dong 4* hotel.

Day 14 : Vinh - Hoa Lu
You will go for a drive toward Phat Diem and will visit the cathedral whose architecture is both Chinese and Vietnamese, before having lunch. In Van Long, you will experience a 15 minutes stroll in an ox cart. You will then go for an hour and a half sail in a craft in Halong Bay in land. You will have dinner and spend the night at Legend 4* hotel.

Day 15 : Hoa Lu - Halong
You will go to Halong and will make a stopover in a ceramics workshop in Dong Trieu village. At 12 am, you will get on board for a cruise on Halong Sails junk where you will savour seafood, accompanied by a glass of white wine. You will visit a floating village inhabited by fishermen, before having dinner and spending the night aboard.

Day 16 : Halong - Hanoi
After breakfast, you will admire Halong Bay landscapes, before disembarking and having lunch. You will make a stopover in Hong-Ngoc Pha Laï, a craft workshop for handicapped people. You will visit the Ethnology Museum, have dinner and check into your hotel (Muong Thanh Hanoi 4* Hotel).

Day 17 : Hanoi - departure or additional stay
You will discover Ba Dinh square, Ho-Chi-Minh's mausoleum, the one-pillar pagoda, Tran Quoc pagoda, located on the shores of the West Lake and the Temple of Literature. After lunch, you will have time to spare. Dinner will be on your own. You will then go to the airport and fly

Additional stay 5 days - 4 nights

Breakfast included