Day 2 Hanoi

In the morning, pay a visit to Hoa Lo Prison, which was well-known to American soldiers
(like former prisoner, late US Senator John McCain) as the “Hanoi Hilton”. The prison
closed during the 1990s, but the gatehouse and a small part of the prison still remain as
a museum, a somber historical reminder. You will have the chance to visit two separate
parts of the prison, each of which shows how the prison was used during two specific
time periods: the French colonial Era and the Vietnam War. The exhibitions mainly show
the prison as it was used during the French colonial period, including the guillotine room,
complete with all of the old prison equipment. You might notice that the rooms for
Vietnamese political prisoners, also preserved, were separated by gender. Across the
other side of the museum, you will find exhibits related to American prisoners, including
their personal belongings, old photos of captured American pilots and short documentary
films.  

Then you will enjoy the Old Quarter on a cyclo rickshaw. Passing through these
busy alleys, your eyes will catch the daily scenes of street vendors or a motorbike taxi-
driver (or xe om in Vietnamese) sleeping precariously on his bike. Then, suddenly you
will again find yourself in a noisy and busy street. Throughout the tour, your senses will
be bombarded with a cascade of different sights, sounds, smells and characters that
harmonize to the music of life in Hanoi. 
In the evening, you will attend to a water puppet show. The farmers of the Red River
Delta originally invented water puppets over a thousand years ago. It began as a hobby
for the peasants, and was later elevated to the status of royal entertainment under the
Ly and Tran dynasties. At that time, the shows took place in the flooded rice fields and
on lakes or rivers. Now staged in venues or local theatres, this folkloric and enchanting
performance consists of a succession of scenes evoking images of daily life and legends,
accompanied by traditional music.
Meal included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi 

Day 3  Hanoi - Ha Long Bay

You will be picked up from your hotel by private vehicle without guide and travel in the
direction of Halong, arriving at the end of the morning. There, you will embark on a
cruise in the must-see Lan Ha Bay, a part of Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one
of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in
luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands
and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a
spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994.
You will be served lunch and dinner aboard with excellent and freshly caught seafood
from the bay.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the boat
Distance: 122 kilometers - 2 hours
Note:
English speaking guide available on boat
Massage service available. Book with the Cruise Manager directly

Day 6 Hoi An

In the morning, you will be picked up from the hotel and go to the market where you
can throw into the fray to know its numerous tasty ingredients and the daily life of the
locals. Buy there some ingredients for your cooking class and then go to the village of

Tra Que, which is famous for its vegetables. The herb, spice and vegetable gardens of
the village are unique and have been seen from a distance - long before you notice their
delicious fragrance. The chef will teach you how to cook some traditional dishes and
doing magic flavor combinations that you can certainly use in the home kitchen. A fine
balance of fresh herbs and meat and selected spices provides these extraordinary taste.
You learn not only to cook delicious meals, but also how to create this harmony of taste
itself! At lunch, you can taste your home-cooked dish finally - in a peaceful place
overlooking the vegetable gardens.
You will have a free afternoon to relax at the beach or self-explore the town.
Meal included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 7 Hoi An FREE DAY

Today is your free day to self-explore the town or enjoy your resort. No transfer and
guide are included. 
Meal included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Optional Tours: 
1/ Lantern making: 
In the afternoon, you will join a lantern workshop, where you will have the chance to
discover this traditional form of handicraft. Introduced to Vietnam hundreds of years ago
by the Chinese, the crafting of silk lanterns has now become a speciality in Hoi An. On
site, you will be guided by local craftsmen to make your own lanterns. The crafting of
lanterns is a work of precision and you will need patience and a touch of dexterity to
complete yours. At the end of the visit, you will be able to take home your own
masterpiece as a souvenir of this experience.
Note: Duration of the activity: 2 hours 
2/ Jeep tour countryside
Enjoy an up close and authentic experience of Vietnamese life in the countryside with an
excursion in an open air Jeep - the car has no air conditioning but the open air is always
pleasantly fresh. You will have a chance to get an insider’s glimpse of the local life in
Central Vietnam when visiting a fishing village and a bustling market abundant with a
plethora of  local products. The landscape along the way is as stunningly beautiful as it is
charming and peaceful, with lush fields of rice and corn and magnificent mountains in
the background. If you wish, you will be able to take a break under the shade of coconut
trees, sip fruit juice and enjoy the country fresh air. And why not strike up a warm
conversation with a friendly local?
Duration: 1 hour
Note: 3 persons/Jeep (without the guide)

Day 8 Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City

At good time, you will be driven to the airport for your next flight to Ho Chi Minh city.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a local guide then travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels,
located about 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. Originally dug by hand by the Viet Minh
(Resistance Force) during the French-Indochina War, this network of underground
tunnels was expanded during the Vietnam War. At its peak, it was 200 kilometers long,
3-to-4-meters deep, and was very well-equipped with meeting rooms, medical, and
sanitary posts.
Today, it is one of the most important historical sites of the Vietnam War. You will have
a lunch on the way before beginning the visit by watching a documentary on the tunnels
and the war in the 60s-70s, and then you can pass through various narrow underground
ducts in order to discover the many rooms: offices, kitchens, bunk rooms, weapons
stores, and even hospitals. At the end of the tour, you will have the chance to taste a
culinary specialty of Cu Chi, khoai my luoc (boiled cassava), a Vietnamese dish eaten
daily during the war. After your visit, you will return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Meal included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city 
Distance Ho Chi Minh city - Cu Chi: 75 kilometers - 1 hr 55 min

Day 9 Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

In the morning you will depart from Ho Chi Minh City to explore Ben Tre in the Mekong
delta, also known as the “Green Venice” of Vietnam. After visiting a brick factory in
Phong Nam where bricks are still hand-made, step onto a boat for a cruise along the
Chet Say river (one of the Mekong’s arms). You will make several stops along the way to
discover different local workshops, allowing you to understand better the specialities of
the local economy. The boat will then cross a small canal and stop at a small village,
where you will continue your discovery of the delta by visiting a workshop specializing in
carpet-weaving. You will even be able to try this activity yourself, before hopping in a xe
loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) or on a bicycle to wander around the village. You will
see traditional farms, rice fields and vegetable plants, before stopping at a small local
restaurant to taste a delicious (and generous) lunch made of regional specialties, such as
“elephant-ear fish” and freshwater shrimps.
In the afternoon you will get back on the sampan for some leisure time along the narrow
canals. You will travel back to Ho Chi Minh City by car. 
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city
Distance & duration: 4 to 5 kilometers - 30 minutes cycling
Terrain: Good road, easy to ride
Transportation: Transfer by car - 90 kilometers - 2 hours