Highlights of Vietnam 14 days

Day 1: Arrival HCMC (D)
You will be met at the HCMC airport by your guide, who will take you to your hotel to check in. You'll have free time to relax or explore, then it's off to dinner and a renowned restaurant before your overnight stay in HCMC.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City Tour (B/L)
You will begin your urban experience in bustling HCMC (formerly Saigon), the country's commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. You will visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and the Hotel de Ville. If you so desire, you can also visit the moving War Remnants Museum.

Next up, you will explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. You will surely be ready for another relaxing overnight stay in HCMC.

Day 3: Mekong Delta for a day to Ben Tre (B/L)
Ben Tre is the best option for a day trip to the Mekong Delta from Saigon, since it is only around 2 hours away, and 15 minutes from My Tho. However, this wonderful destination retains an authenticity which has been somewhat lessened in nearby My Tho.

This picturesque and friendly Mekong Delta town has historically seen very few travelers, but the recent opening of a bridge connecting Ben Tre and My Tho has made it far easier for day trippers to visit from Saigon.

Our one day cruise excursion starts at 8:00 am from the lobby of your hotel in Saigon with a drive to Ben Tre. While there, you can take a walk along the waterfront, lined with French era shops and houses, and you'll see plenty of coconuts being unloaded from boats for dispatch around the country. Then, jump on a boat for a couple of hours of cruising on the Mekong River. You will enjoy your delicious lunch at a local restaurant or on board. The excursion will end at around 4:00pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh – Nha Trang (B)
Transfer and flight to Nha Trang for three-night stay. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 5: Nha trang (B)
Free at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 6: Nha trang: (B)
Free at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 7: Nha Trang – Danang - Hoian (B)
Enjoy breakfast at hotel, free then transfer to airport for take flight to Danang airport. Upon arrival, pick up then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hoian

Day 8: Hoian Ancient Town (B)
Today, you will have free time to further explore Hoi An Ancient Town.

You may want to visit Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge, followed by relaxing at a local pub, shopping or visiting the local tailors who make quality clothes in a flash. Or, you can take a boat trip to Cu Lao Cham, visit its fishing villages and do some snorkeling before enjoying a Vietnamese seafood lunch at a Cham jungle restaurant. You will have an overnight stay in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An - Danang - Hue (B/D)
You will leave Hoi An for another World Heritage site, Hue, via the Hai Van pass. You will stop to visit the Marble Mountains and a handicraft village before arriving in Hue, where you will tour sites including the Citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market.

In the evening you will enjoy the fine cuisine of Hue at a local restaurant and then have an overnight stay.

Day 10: Hue (B/L)
After breakfast at the hotel, you will board a private boat and go cruising on the romantic Perfume River. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded with many tombs of emperors past, and a visit to some of these tombs will be on the itinerary for today. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day, and from here you will cruise further to ornate Minh Mang's Tomb. You will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to visit Tu Duc's Tomb and Khai Dinh's Tomb. You will have an overnight stay in Hue.

Day 11: Hue - Hanoi (B/L)
You will transfer to the airport for a flight to Hanoi, the colonial capital city, famous for tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and classic pagodas and temples.

In the afternoon you will explore Hanoi, from the fascinating Old Quarter to hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquer-ware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. You can also shop for impressive modern art in the city's many galleries after visiting Hanoi's main cultural attractions, including the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature. You will stay overnight in Hanoi.

Day 12: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)
Enjoy breakfast at hotel. You will then leave Hanoi by private vehicle at 8:30 a.m., arriving at the jetty around 12:30 p.m. You will set off on a deluxe cruise and enjoy a welcome drink after check in.

A fresh seafood lunch will be served at 1 p.m. At that time, you will begin a 3.5 hour cruise through mystic Halong Bay, to see the amazing karsts and their many different formations. You will also see Mat Quy (Monster's face) Islet, But Moc Islet, Cap De Islet, Trong (Drum) Cave, Trinh Nu Cave, and a floating fishing village, with its unique way of life. Then, you will head to Luon Cave and enjoy swimming, sun bathing at Ti Top beach or climbing the peak of the mountain for a breath-taking panoramic view of Halong Bay. You will enjoy another seafood feast for dinner, and for the night owls, there is an option of night fishing before an overnight stay aboard.

Day 13: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)
Rising to the sound of the bay waters, you will have time for an early morning dip, followed by breakfast. Sitting on the upper deck, you can relax while taking in the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay.

After breakfast, you can explore Sung Sot Cave, swim and relax. You will cruise back to the jetty while brunch is served as you are cruising through the bay and observing more fascinating rock formations. You will then rejoin your car and drive back to Hanoi for an overnight stay.

Day 14: Departure Hanoi (B)
There is no activity planned for today, so you are free to enjoy yourself souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.