Best of Vietnam North to South

Welcome to Vietnam and arrive in Hanoi! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm and is followed by a group dinner at KOTO restaurant. This organisation is dedicated to developing the hospitality careers of disadvantaged youth. If you arrive before your tour begins there is plenty to see and do. Consider booking the Hanoi Morning Highlights Urban Adventure with a local expert guide. This optional tour visits the Temple of Literature, stops by a traditional tea house, and takes you through the Hoa Lo Prison Memorial before concluding at Hoan Kiem Lake. Or maybe take it at your own pace and wander the Old Quarter to admire the city’s French-colonial architecture. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type – Based on leading Standard Rooms • Included Meals – Dinner Included Activities Hanoi - KOTO dinner Optional Activities Hanoi - Hanoi Highlights Urban Adventure - USD39 Special Information It is very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let the hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.  

Day 2: Halong Bay After breakfast you will travel by private minibus to World Heritage-listed Halong Bay, which is dotted with sandy coves, grottoes and 1600 limestone islands formed over millennia by wind and water erosion (approximately 4 hours). Board a private boat and cruise the bay, exploring Surprise Cave and perhaps even enjoying a swim from Ti Top Island Beach during the warmer months. Access to Surprise Cave is via staircases. Once inside the cave the pathways are a little uneven and slippery. To end the day, spend an evening aboard the boat beneath the night sky, and this can be the better way to get to know your fellow travellers like an old school sleepover in an unforgettable location! • Overnight boat – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Cabin • Included Meals – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included Activities Halong Bay - Overnight boat cruise with seafood lunch and dinner Halong Bay - Cave entry Optional Activities Hanoi - Halong Bay - Kayaking - VND250000 Special Information Your wooden junk-style boat has twin-share cabins with air-conditioning and private facilities. There is also a dining room and bar to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. We recommend packing a small overnight bag to take to Halong Bay for ease of boarding and disembarking. You can store your main luggage in Hanoi overnight. Kayaking and swimming is restricted to designated zones within the bay. There are restrictions on the number of boats that are permitted to stay in the bay overnight, sometimes resulting in a shortage. To ensure all the group can enjoy the experience of a night on the water, occasionally you will stay on a larger boat (with approximately 12 cabins) and share your boat with another group. Or your group may be split across different vessels, in which case a group leader will be present on each boat. The route taken and inclusions on board will remain the same.  

Disembark your boat in Halong Bay after breakfast and return to Hanoi by bus at approximately midday. You will arrive late this afternoon and enjoy free time until the overnight train journey. Special Information There are shared day use hotel rooms available this afternoon in Hanoi if you would like to freshen up before the overnight train. There is one room provided for up to six members of the group. Single supplements do not apply to day rooms. • Overnight Sleeper Train – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Cabin • Included Meals – Breakfast</strong

Arrive in Hue at approximately 11 am and transfer to the hotel. Once the imperial capital of Vietnam, Hue holds the treasures of the country’s royal past. Enjoy free time in the morning to rest or explore. If you choose the latter (and who can blame you) the bustling Dong Ba Market is a great place to sample some of the specialties that once graced the Nguyen emperors' tables like banh khoai (royal rice cake). Reunite with the group to visit the war-damaged ruins of the Imperial Citadel, a sprawling city-within-a-city which contains the remains of temples, state houses and the emperor’s palace. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – No meals included on this day Included Activities Hue - Imperial City Full Day Tour Urban Adventure

See Hue like a local – from the back of a motorbike! Straddle the saddle and whiz around town with a local guide, taking in historic and contemporary sights along the way. Stop at Thanh Toan to see the 18th-century covered bridge and villagers shopping at their local market. Visit the 17th-century active Buddhist monastery of Thien Mu Pagoda and see the car that belonged to Thích Quang Duc, the monk who self-immolated in 1963 in protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. For lunch, savour a vegetarian feast in a nunnery. Finish at the lakeside royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc before heading back to town. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – Breakfast and Lunch Included Activities Hue - Royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc Hue - Highlights & back streets by motorbike (lunch included) Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda Special Information The motorbike tour has been assessed for safety and is closely monitored. To participate please ensure your travel insurance covers riding pillion on a motorbike up to 125cc. If you prefer not to participate, please let your leader know and they will arrange car transportation (cost included).

This morning travel by bus through coastal rice paddies and the spectacular Hai Van Pass (approximately 3 hours). After a photo stop en route, arrive into Hoi An. Recently declared a World Heritage site, Hoi An was a major international trading port during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Today, parts of the beautifully-preserved town retain the feel of centuries past. It's also a shopping mecca, famous for its plethora of tailors. On arrival your leader will take you on a sightseeing walk through the Old Town to visit a handful of the city's major attractions. You’ll also be given a sightseeing pass so you can further explore select attractions at your leisure. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Hoi An - Old Town walking tour Optional Activities Hoi An - Hoi An Boat & Bike with Sunset BBQ Urban Adventure - USD54

Today is a free day to explore Hoi An. Maybe browse the cobbled streets and art galleries or hire a bike and cycle through rice paddies out to Cua Dai Beach. Look for paintings, ceramics and colourful cloth lanterns in the town’s markets. For a new look, you could pay a visit to one of the hundreds of tailors and get something special made. Hoi An is also known for its delicious regional food, so be sure to enjoy a meal at a riverside restaurant or perhaps get involved in a cooking class. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – Breakfast Optional Activities Hoi An - My Son Cham tour (entrance fee, guide and transport included) - USD35 Hoi An - Food Adventure Urban Adventure - USD31 Hoi An - Hoi An Walking & Cooking Class Urban Adventure - USD55

Today take a short, early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City (approximately 1.5 hours). Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City has a fascinating history and is arguably Vietnam’s capital of commerce and culture. After landing, take a sightseeing tour around the city by bus. Pass the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House, then stop in at the War Remnants Museum to discover some of the sobering stories of the 20-year-long Vietnam/American War. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – Breakfast Included Activities Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum Ho Chi Minh City - City tour Optional Activities Ho Chi Minh City - Reunification Palace - VND40000 Ho Chi Minh City - A O show - VND1050000 Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Street Food by Night Urban Adventure - USD32

This morning head out on a day trip to explore the Mekong Delta. Board a private boat to Ben Tre to visit the coconut gardens and stop at a local home to sample tropical fruits and coconut jams. Afterwards, paddle in sampans (small rowing boats) past coconut trees along the Mekong Delta. Take a tuk-tuk tour around the villages and learn about rural life and the industry created around coconut products like brooms and coconut fibre mats. Eat lunch at a restaurant in the heart of the Delta, sampling regional specialties such as the famous elephant ear fish. Cruise the major waterways to Ben Tre boat pier, then return by bus to Ho Chi Minh City. This evening, perhaps head out to sample some local specialties as a final farewell with your fellow travellers and leader. • Hotel – (1 night) • Room Type –Standard Room • Included Meals – Breakfast and Lunch Included Activities HCMC - Mekong Delta day trip including coconut gardens and village tuk-tuk tour

There are no activities included and you’re free to depart your accommodation at any time as long as you comply with check out time. If you would like to spend some more time in Ho Chi Minh City, we’re happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability). Ask your group leader or booking agent for more recommendations or help booking an Urban Adventure if you plan to stay. • Included Meals – Breakfast Optional Activities Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnel Experience Urban Adventure - USD39 If you would like to spend more time in South East Asia, please get in touch and we will tailor made the best experience for you!