IN-DEPTH VIETNAM STUDY TOUR FOR 14 DAYS

Day 1: Arrival – Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi – fullday sightseeing tour, walking tour & street foods
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong
Day 4: Halong – Hanoi
Day 5: Morning flight to Hue – Sightseeing Tour
Day 6: Hue Sightseeing tour and Meditation at Tu Hieu Zen Monastery
Day 7: Hue – Hoi An – Relax on beach
Day 8: Hoi An Outdoor Activities Biking, planting, cooking)
Day 9: Hoi An – Cu Lao Cham Tour + Relax on beach
Day 10: Hoi An – Saigon – City Tour
Day 11: Saigon – Tay Ninh + Cu Chi
Day 12: Saigon – My Tho – Can Tho
Day 13: Can Tho – Floating market – Saigon
Day 14: Saigon – departure

DAY 01 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: ARRIVAL – HANOI (-/-/-)

On arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. The capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is a stylish and gracious city that retains an unique old world charm and some Asia’s most striking colonial architecture. The many lakes and parks make for relaxing atmosphere. If time permits we enjoy a short cyclo ride through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places.

O/N in Hanoi.

Hanoi City Tour for Students

DAY 02 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HANOI – FULL DAY OF SIGHTSEEING TOURS – WALKING TOUR & STREET FOODS (B/-/-)

Today we commence our exploration of Hanoi with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, 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.

We follow it with a visit to the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and the History Museum with an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history. Later on, we will take a short visit at Hilton Prison where Vietnamese soldiers did captured & detained American pilots from 1967 till 1973 to learn more about the history of Vietnam war against American Imperialists.

In this afternoon, visiting the outlaying Ethnologic Museum is also a major part of our sightseeing. This gleaming mansion is dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic group s. Afterwards we drive to the Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. They are some major highlights set by the beautiful West Lake. We also visit the old quarters and the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred temple. Later, we’ll arrange the first-class tickets for a “Water Puppet Show” prolonging roughly within 1 hour.

Later on, we will join street foods tour within Hanoi Old Quarter “36 streets” to visit some famous and specialized- food families or stalls/ local restaurants, shops where they run their business everyday, certainly you will watch and taste some particular dishes, we can customize vegetarian or special food too.

Special thing that tour guide would like to introduce some popular authentic food in lovely mini restaurants (not luxury restaurants) where you feel comfortable to sit down and enjoy some favorite dishes and nice drinks too.

It’s interesting to hear from tour guide about the history of the old quarter in Hanoi, it is thousand years old and today retains much of the old flavor that made the area special in earlier times, each street was the exclusive domain of one trade (guilds) so there are whole streets of blacksmiths, silver shops, paper shops, headstone makers and more. Originally there were just 36 streets in the old quarter but today there are more than 50 streets.

It is very difficult to find some local food stalls and mini restaurants on your own in hidden alleys and sidewalks, certainly the best way to make it easy is joining with us, taking part in this special tour to learn about Vietnamese cuisine, culture, people and language.

After all. Food on Foot Tour will give you an unique experience to try the foods of the local Hanoi people, we ensure the food is handled hygienically and provide a comfortable venue for the tastings. The benefit also goes back to the vendors or restaurants/ families as we buy directly from them.

At 21.00, our tour guide will escort you back your hotel.

O/N in Hanoi.

DAY 03 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HANOI – HA LONG – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE (B/L/D)

08:00: Our tour guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel, then transfer to Halong bay for overnight.

10h30: Stopover in Hai Duong city where you can experience our hand-made Vietnamese handicraft products.

12h30: Arrive in Tuan Chau Marina Pier (Tuan Chau Island). Followed by activities:

+ Boarding halong cruise for departure.

+ Welcome drink will be served and cruise briefing, safety instructions, check-in cabins by Cruise Manager.

+ Great lunch is served while cruising passing by islets, through Hoa Cuong floating village.

+ Exploration of Halong Bay passing by Soi Sim Beach, Coconut Three Island. Then arrive in the area of Surprising Cave.

+ Kayaking & swimming or climbing up to the mountain and getting a complete view of Halong Bay at Titov Beach

+ Joining our COOKING CLASS on the sun-deck. Let’s see how to make the fresh/fried spring rolls and mix fish-sauce.

+ Enjoy sunset party with fruits and wine.

19:30: Under the magnificent night sky, Our luxury set-menu dinner is served with a variety of Vietnamese and Asian foods.

Evening activities include:

+ Join the SQUID FISHING on boat with our crews. You can enjoy the squid cooked with assistance from our chef.

+ Or Laze yourself with our happy-hour drinks at the bar.

Overnight on Cruise.

DAY 04 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HALONG BAY – HANOI (B/L/-)

06:15: Tai Chi class on the Sun-deck.

07:15: Have breakfast with Coffee, tea and Bakeries on board.

08:00: Visit the SURPRISING CAVE (Hang Sung Sot) discovered by the French in 1901. Opened for tourists since 1936, now it is a must-to-see and a symbol for geology value of Halong.

09:30: Check out time. Then relax on the sun-deck or inside the restaurant to enjoy the bay’s scenery.

10h15: Enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch while cruising back to the pier.

12:00: Disembarkation at Tuan Chau Pier. Our car will be at your disposal to pick you up then drive back to Hanoi. On the way back to Hanoi, you will stop at some traditional villages to see local’s lifes, take pictures besides ricefields and learn how the rice is grown.

16:00: Arrive in Hanoi. End of the trip!

O/N in Hanoi.

DAY 05 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HANOI – FLIGHT TO HUE (B/-/-)

After breakfast, you are picked up at hotel, transfer to Noibai airport for the flight to Hue. (VN1541   9:00 am→10:10 am)

You’ll be welcomed at Phu Bai airport & escorted to your hotel in Hue

In the afternoon, we have a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda. The beautiful riverside Thien Mu Pagoda is one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious work ship in Hue.

Afterwards, We start our sightseeing tour with the massive citadel named the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City. This royal residence was all but destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive, however it is still fascinating to walk among the ruins. Close to this masterpiece is Hue Imperial Museum which displays an interesting collections of bronzes, Chinaware, court robes and various emperors’ personal belongings

By the end of the day, we will have one more chance to take a glancing tour of Hue with a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market that sells a wide variety of local goods and handicrafts. Along the way we pass many fantastic eating spots, all ideal for visitors to sample some local delicacies.

O/N in Hue.

DAY 6 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN:  HUE SIGHTSEEING TOUR & MEDITATION AT TU HIEN ZEN MONASTERY (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning we visit Tu Duc Mausoleum, Minh Mang Mausoleum. Tu Duc and Minh Mang are among two famous Kings in Nguyen Reign who based on the natural harmony and Oriental architecture for their Mausoleums.

O/N in Hue.In the afternoon, we visit Tu Hieu Pagoda known as the root pagoda of the world famous Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Tu Hieu Zen Monastery is tucked away amongst an oasis of lotus ponds and bamboos. Not only is Tu Hieu a place of practice for Buddhism and meditation, it also houses more than a dozen graves of Nguyen Dynasty eunuchs. We practice Zen for about 30 minutes before returning to the hotel.

DAY 7 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HUE – DANANG – CHAMPA MUSEUM – MARBLE MOUTAINS (B/-/-)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Hoi An. On the way, you will discover Cau Hai salt-marsh, a fishing villages, Lang Co Beach dubbed as the most beautiful beach of Asia, and Hai Van Pass.

After lunch, you will have chance to visit Cham Museum in Da Nang where displays the whole culture and collections of Cham people in Vietnam to feel about legend stories of glorious stage of ancient Champa Kingdom and to enjoy its simple and elegant patterns. Then you will visit Marble Mountains named after 5 elements of the universe: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, you’ll be helped to check in at your hotel. You will enjoy a half day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, 200-year-old Tam Ky house and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants.

Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, renowned for its silk and popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century and much of the town is now heritage-listed.

O/N in Hoi An.

DAY 08 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN:  HOI AN – BIKING, FARMING AND COOKING (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

Our tour guide will welcome you at hotel in Hoian and you will start to ride bicycle to visit Tra Que vegetable village. You are welcomed with the friendly smiles and special drink; “E” water or local tea on arrival. You will learn farming; firstly you dress in farming clothes, take a short walk around to visit the garden where local farmers work and use the traditional methods without having electrical machines support.

Next, you are under the instruction of household; he will show you how to prepare and make the land, you fertilize green manure before growing vegetables. Watering the vegetables, which you have just grown, is the last activity in the procedure of planting them. After that, you come back the house to relax by soaking your feet in Vietnamese herbs. This is one of the ways to refresh ourselves after the hard time in garden of Vietnamese.

Next, you will enjoy cooking class with family; under the instruction how to prepare ingredients, you will cook Hoian special foods like Tam Huu Spring Roll, Banh Xeo pancake… Have lunch at the family with local foods cooked by yourself with the family. After lunch, you leave here; ride a bike to back Hoi An town. You will pass through roads with green bamboo hedges, vegetable gardens and large rice fields for more discover the hidden charms of countryside in Hoi An. End of tour.

Hoian Biking Tour

O/N in Hoian.Inclusions: Bicycle & Helmet, English Speaking Guide, Entrance Fee, Cooking Class, Lunch & Mineral Water

DAY 09 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN:  HOI AN – CU LAO CHAM ISLAND (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel

Our guide and driver pick you up and transfer you to the Cua Dai Harbour in Hoi An. Get on speedboat to start departure from the pier to Cu Lao Cham Island. You will enjoy the excited feeling during sit on speedboat with beach waves as well as survey the blue wide sea during sit on speedboat.

You will arrive at the islands at 9:30 am. When arrive to Cu Lao Cham Island, you will do walking tour for exploring more this attractive island. Firstly, you will visit the nature reserve showroom of Cu Lao Cham Island where the history, map, objects are display. Next, you continue to visit Au Thuyen where the local boats are hidden in big storms. You will walk more to visit Hai Tang pagoda- the beautiful project which have built more than 250 years ago and ancient well with more than 500 years old of ChamPa people.

After that, you will take speedboat to Bai Xep or Hon Dai for swimming and snorkeling to see the forest of nice coral under the sea. It’s so interesting to explore the coral when the sunshine lights up right to bottom of the sea make coral so beautiful and twinkle inside sunlight and water. Then you will back Bai Ong Beach for swimming and relax. Have lunch at Bai Ong beach to taste specialties and sea food of Cu Lao Cham island.

Pm: After lunch, you will get on speedboat to return the mainland. Our guide and driver will transfer you back your hotel in around 16:00 pm.

O/N in Hoi An.

DAY 10 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HOIAN – DANANG – FLIGHT TO HO CHI MINH CITY (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free at leisure until transfer to Danang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city  VN109 (9:35 am→11:05 am)

On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. The bustling Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This metropolis, contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafes.

We spend a half day exploring the captivating Ho Chi Minh City. The most places of interest are located near the town center. We pass by the now-demolished wartime American Embassy on our way to the Reunification Palace. This famous edifice was a former residence of the President of Southern Vietnam until end of April 1975. Close to the palace are some striking French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office.

We follow these with a visit to the Jade Emperor Pagoda. The sightseeing ends up with a walk around the retail Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale!

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 11 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN:  SAIGON – TAY NINH – CU CHI TUNNELS – SAIGON (B/L/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick you up at hotel at 08:00am in Sai Gon for departing to Cu Chi Tunnels (70km from Sai Gon) was created around 1948 to assist Viet Minh in their combat with the French. Building continued over the next 25years until it was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers.

In places, it could house up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years…. getting married, raising children. During the American War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded. From 1988, two sections of tunnels have been opened up for visitors. Have lunch at the local restaurant. Then continue to the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Then we drive to Drop off at hotel in Sai Gon.

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 12 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HO CHI MINH – MY THO – CAN THO (B/L/-)

Breakfast at hotel. At 8.00 am, our guide and driver pick you up at hotel and drive to My Tho Province and have a smooth one-and-half-hour car/van ride through beautiful rice field scenery along Trung Luong Express Highway.  Take a boat along the river to visit the stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages. Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden.

Enjoy a boat ride through natural canal in Ben Tre, cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, enjoy seasonal fruit& honey tea and “Southern Vietnamese folk music”, performed by the islanders.

O/N in Cantho.Pm: Then, you make a bike trip around the fruit plantation and village to visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy and observe the pastoral life. Next, on the route transfer to Can Tho City you have change to visit Vinh Trang pagoda which is the greatest pagoda of My Tho city, Tien Giang Province.

About 1km from the city centre, this pagoda has an ancient southern architectural gem. The beautiful architecture of it is a harmonious combination of Asian and European types of architecture. Free to have your dinner at restaurant. Check in your hotel. At night, you are free to explore Can Tho city by yourself with Ninh Kieu famous boat pier.

DAY 13 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN:  CAN THO – CAI RANG – HO CHI MINH CITY (B/-/-)

In this early morning, about 5:00 am you will make a boat trip on Mekong River to visit Cai Rang Floating Market in the morning to enjoy the purchasing activities on boat of local people in Mekong Delta. Then go on cruising via small channels to visit rice noodle making villages. You have a chance to cross through the “Monkey Bridge” – a special cover building through channels in the Delta..

Floating market is the specialty of Mekong delta so coming there you can enjoy the daily life of local people and variety of Vietnamese customs. Back your hotel around 09:00 am. Pm: After lunch you will be transferred back Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at hotel at 6.00 pm. Check in hotel. Free to enjoy your own dinner. At night, you are free to walk around and explore Ho Chi Minh City with the busy streets, centre…

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 14 – VIETNAM TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENTS FROM HANOI TO SAIGON VIA HOIAN: HO CHI MINH CITY  – DEPARTURE (B/-/-)

After breakfast at hotel you are free till time picking up to airport for your onward flight.

End of services !