Group of : Mr Godiva Tesoro, Mrs Licia Tintori, Mrs Gabriele Baracchi, Mr Domenico Maggiore, Mr Paolo Avolio and Mrs Roteglia Flaminio
Travel Date: 29/1/2013 – 13/2/2013
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 01: Hanoi Arrival (-/-/-)
Upon your arrival, your driver would be ready to welcome you right at the arrival lounge of Noi Bai international airport and then you will transfer to your hotel in Hanoi . For the rest of the day, it is time at leisure.
Day 02: Hanoi city tour (B/-/-)
Free time in the morning.
The city tour begins in the afternoon with the cyclo tour in Old Quarter.
13h30 Comincia con la passegiata in ciclopusse nel vecchio quartiere, and you will visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
The day ended up with a Water Puppet Show which had been maintained there in Vietnam for around 1000 years. Overnight at your hotel.
Day 03: Hanoi Hidden Biking – Train to Lao Cai (B/L/D)
Breakfast at your hotel.
08h30: Your guide and driver would wait for you at the lounge of the hotel.
You would be taken to highlight sites of Hanoi: the Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina), Ho Chi Minh house-on-stilt, One-Pillar Pagoda. You may also have chance to visit Vietnam’s very first university dated back in the 11th century. It is well-known in Vietnam for a combination of Confucian sanctuary and academy clearly proved by stone tablets which you may see. You will continue to visit West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Temple of Litterature.
Luch at local restaurant.
Transfer to Chezlinhlinh House.
Do you think that you could discover Hanoi like the local? A biking product of Amo Travel called “Hidden Hanoi” was created by three young Hanoians in order to show you many other surprising secrets hidden in the zigzag alley ways in Ngoc Ha Flower village and discovering many former traditional handicraft villages around West Lake which are now replaced beautiful villas and to a floating driving range in the Red River with its kumquat and peach blossoms.
Join us with HIDDEN HANOI biking tours.
GET ON A BIKE, SEE THE CITY
OUR CHARITY PROJECT – BIKING FOR BIKES
Experience the city like the locals do!!!
From the mystifying shores of the red river to the dazzling old quarter, our cycling tours will take you through picturesque backstreets, narrow alleys and wide boulevards. Discover the soul of the city and meet real people.
“Hidden Hanoi” surprising secrets hidden in the alleyways round the West Lake & Serene Ngoc Ha Flower Village & Red Riverside.
Dinner with Vietnamese family – one special product of Amo Travel.
In the evening, you will go to the station to catch the night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
Day 04: Lao Cai – Sapa – Lao Chai – Tavan – Sapa (B/L/-)
Upon early arrival in Lao Cai station, you are picked up and transferred to local restaurant for your breakfast. You will start the trekking along the vast Muong Hoa valley with terraced fields lying on, heading to Lao Chai and Ta Van villages of H’mong and Tay people. Here, there are 3 options for you: the soft trek (at only 3 km), medium trek (around 6 km) or long trek (nearly 12 km). For each, you would have chance to imbue the well-preserved unique culture and traditions of the north ethnic minorities. Return to Sapa and overnight at your hotel.
Day 5: Sapa – Can Cau – Train to Hanoi (B/L/D)
Breakfast at your hotel. Then transfer to Can Cau Market that is located at 110km from Sapa, Can Cau mountain town is well-known by travelers with the most colorful market of the hill tribes in the North of Vietnam. After that, you will go to the station in Lao Cai to catch your train to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant.
Day 6: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)
Your train will arrive in Hanoi at the early morning and you will have a room available at New Moon Hotel. Breakfast at hotel.
08h30 Transfer to Ha Long Bay.
Upon arrival, aboard Halong Phoenix Cruiser, fresh seafood lunch (vegetable menu available) would be served while the boat is gliding out.
A short tender ride from the middle of the bay to an island for the famous Sung Sot Cave, followed by visiting Ti Top island, relax on its beach or walk up to the top for the panoramic view of the anchorage area. As the sun sets over the bay, just relax on sundeck with your favorite drink. Dinner is served with typically local seafood. Overnight on board
Day 7: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi – Train to Hue (B/L/-)
Rise up for a breathtaking on sundeck then be ready with fun kayaking around the area for a stunning vista in the serene bay. Back to boat, you learn recipes and techniques that go into the most popular dish of the Vietnamese food just before lunch time. Lunch would be served when cruising back to the harbor.
Transfer to the station for your train to Hue in the evening.
Day 8: Hue city tour (-/L/-)
You will arrive in Hue at 10h45 and your guide will pick-up you to Hotel.
The Hue Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River. It covers an area 500 ha and has a system of three circles of ramparts: Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). The Hue royal complex has been officially recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will visit Tu Duc Tomb and Tu Hieu Pagoda.
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 9: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (B/L/-)
Breakfast at your hotel.
Your guide and driver pick you up and transfer you to the wharf for your boat ride on the Perfume River. During the boat trip, you will stop to visit the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, a symbol of Hue – the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship. Then you go to visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue with the Purple Forbidden City – once the Emperor’s private residence. You will be having lunch at a local restaurant..
Lunch at local restaurant.
Transfer to Da Nang, you may stop by Lang Co beach to have short break before crossing Hai Van Pass. At the height of 450 meters above sea level Hai Van pass is the high dividing line between the climate zones of north and south Vietnam.
Visit Cham Museum at Danang: this houses probably the best collection of Cham art to be found anywhere in the world. There are more than 300 artifacts in the museum, many dating to the 4th century. There are beautiful sculptures reflecting the 1000 year Cham period.
Day 10: Hoi An – My Son – Hoian city tour (B/L/-)
Our driver and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel in Hoi An, then we will start our tour to My Son Holly Land. My Son is located in the heart of valley – surrounded by mountain ranges that are natural boundaries with the Duy Phu village, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. It is about 45 Km a way from Hoi An in the West. Thanks to the letters in the letters in the oldest steles of the 4th century by which was excavated at My Son that King Bhadresvara had built a temple for offering to the Gold Siva Bhadresvara. It was in wood and completely destroyed by ifre in the 6th century. In earlier 7th century, King Sambhuvarman rebuilt the temple of bricks and aggregates. Since then, more than 70 similar temples had been built up to the 13th century.
Let our guide show you the natural beauty of the surroundings, you willl be inspired by My Son which called “The Angkor Wat of Vietnam”some local delicacies. Back to Hoian in the afternoon.
Hoi An is picturesque riverside town south of Danang. Known as Faifo to early western traders, it was one of Southeast Asia’s major international ports during the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries. Now this beautifully preserved historic city is best seen on foot. The walking tour includes: Japanese covered bridge, Ceramic museum, Phung Hung ancient house, Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall and Lantern Making Working Shop
Day 11: Hoi An free time (B/-/-)
Breakfast at your hotel .
Day 12: Hoian – Danang – Saigon city tour (B/L/-)
Breakfast at your hotel.
Free time before transfer to airport for your flight from Da Nang to Saigon. ou will catch in-country flight to Ho Chi Minh city, commonly known as Saigon. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta.
Upon your arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, your driver and private guide will be ready to welcome you to our “non-sleeping city”. Lunch at local restaurant
Right after that, you will be picked up and start moving to Cu Chi Tunnels (in the northwest of Ho Chi Minh city). In the Vietnam war in the 19th century, these were used as the hiding places for defending against the French. And until now, some have still been reserved, where you could spend time visiting.
Day 13: Saigon – Ben Tre – Cho Lach (B/L/D)
09h00 Depart (without guide) from Ho Chi Minh City, we head to Mekong Delta, the land of nine dragons. Getting out of the city, you will see the mighty delta with its quaint rural landscape and immense waterway.
Tour in group:
Go to private house, staying with the local family to enjoy Tet atmosphere. Going to pagodas to pray for happiness and wealth. By the way, visiting the neighborhood nearby and the orchards.
You can go fishing, collect vegetable to prepare for cooking, and many other activities.
In the evening, joining the Cooking class to local to make “rice pancake” and having dinner with a family
Day 14: Cho Lach (B/L/D)
Breakfast, cycling to “Cho Lach” (depend on your health, you can take within 3, 6 or 8 km). Come back and prepare for lunch.
Afternoon, take a boat to Long Thoi church. Come back home to learn how to make spring rolls.
Day 15: Cho Lach / Saigon (B/-/-)
Breakfast, cycling around the village… come back to check out.
10h00 Travel back (without guide) to Ho Chi Minh City
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 16: Saigon libero partenza (B/-/-)
Free time to visit Saigon city before transferring to airport for your flight to Italy.