A north-to-south Vietnam package highlights many of Vietnam’s most historic cities, including 3 world heritage sites at Halong Bay, Hue and Hoi An.

Destination:	Hanoi, Vietnam
Activity:	Arts & Culture, Boat travel, Historic sites / Temple visits
Price:	start from $923 per person
Duration:	8 Days / 7 Nights

Tour Rates* (Price/Person) in U.S. Dollars
Period	Single	Double	Triple	Group 6-9	Single Supplement
Superior 4* – A Package
1 Jan 2010 – 31 Oct 2010	1,974	1,064	912	771	405
Deluxe 5* Package
1 Jan 2010 – 31 Oct 2010	2,319	1,238	1,086	945	576
Superior 4* – B Package
1 Jan 2010 – 31 Oct 2010	1,791	967	816	675	319

Rates include 7% VAT tax and 10% hotel service charge. Major credit cards accepted. No extra charge, no minimum

Note: Booking should be made at least 7 days in advance. The Triple rates are based on a twin sharing room with an extra bed for the third person.

Itinerary

Day 1 Hanoi Arrival (Dinner)

Meet on arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi. Then transfer to the hotel. Late afternoon, take 1 hour city tour by pedicab (one person per one pedicab) along the old streets of Hanoi. In the evening, enjoy a Water Puppet show – an unique traditional art of Vietnam. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 Hanoi – Full day city tour (Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, meet your guide and transfer to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday) and his former residence, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature built in 11th century and considered the first university in Vietnam. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Historical Museum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son temple. End the trip with shopping in the Old Quarter area. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3 Hanoi – Halong – Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

In the morning, drive to Halong bay 180km northeast of Hanoi. The scenery of evergreen rice fields along the route is the highlight of the road trip. Arrive Halong, enjoy 4 hour boat cruise on the Halong bay in which you will see hundreds of limestone outcrops jutting from the emerald green sea. Boat will stop at Thien Cung Cave and Dau Go Caves. Seafood lunch. Late afternoon, drive back to Hanoi and free at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 4 Hanoi – Danang – Hoi An (Breakfast, Dinner)

After breakfast, free at leisure until transfer to the airport for a flight to Danang. Meet your guide at Danang airport and transfer to Cham Museum for a tour. Lunch at a local restaurant. Then proceed to the ancient town of Hoi An, a charming, little town which can be easily explored on foot. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international trading port with a large Chinese and Japanese population. Then in the second half of the 19th century, the harbor began to silt up and most of the town’s commercial interests moved to nearby Danang. Overnight at a hotel in Hoian.

Day 5 Hoian – Hue (Breakfast, Lunch)

In the morning, free at leisure until transfer to Hue and stop at Hai Van Pass for sightseeing.
Arrive Hue, we start our tour with the Citadel – Vietnam’s former imperial capital and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we cruise along the Perfume River. Being the former royal capital, Hue’s surrounding countryside contains several of the tombs of the former Nguyen Emperors. You will visit Minh Mang Tomb. After that, visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. This is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. Overnight at the hotel in Hue.

Day 6 Hue – Ho Chi Minh (Breakfast, Dinner)

In the morning, visit Khaidinh and stop over at Dong Ba Market for shopping. In the afternoon, free at leisure until transfer to the airport for a flight to Ho Chii Minh city. On arrival, meet and transfer to the hotel for check in, then take a short city tour to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, Centre Post Office, City Hall and China Town. Then transfer to Binh Tay Market for shopping. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 7 Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi (Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, drive to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. This network of tunnels, stretching over 200km, became legendary during the 1960’s. The Cu Chi tunnels played a vital part in the American war. It helped Viet Cong to control a large rural area only 30 to 40 km from Saigon. Drive back Ho Chi Minh and lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue our city tour at Was Museum, Reunification palace and Ben Thanh Market. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 8 Ho Chi Minh departure (Breakfast)

Free at own leisure until departure transfer to the airport for your onwards flight.

Price Includes:

• Accommodation in hotels as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Meals as mentioned in the programs
• Tours and English speaking guide(s)
• Private boat for sightseeing as mentioned in the itinerary
• Accidental Insurance by AIG

Price Excludes:

• International air ticket
• Domestic Air Tickets HAN – DAN / HUI – SGN
  Surcharge for Airfare USD 160/ person (Fares are subject to change without notice)
• Visa fees, drinks, beverages and personal expenses
• Tours or transfers not mentioned on the program
• Other meals not mentioned in the program
• Compulsory gala dinners are applied if you have a hotel booking during Christmas and New Year. The rates will be advised when reservation is made, approximately 30-50 USD per person

Note:

If you plan to arrive in Vietnam from Bangkok (Thailand), we can arrange the air ticket for you upon request.

Visa-on-arrival Application:

A visa is required before entering Vietnam. However, passport holders of some countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa. These countries include Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Brunei. The maximum length of stay allowed for each nation varies depending on an agreement between them. Please contact Vietnamese embassies and consulates in your country for more details.

If there is no Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country, you can apply for a visa on arrival at international airports in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh (you must have a visa beforehand if you plan to travel overland to Vietnam). To apply for visa on arrival, you need to have an approval letter from a tour company in Vietnam. If an approval letter is to be obtained via Circle Of Asia Limited, the following document must be supplied to us at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival in Vietnam:

• Full name as per passport
• Passport number/ date of issuance and expiry
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation and nationality

An approval letter can only be requested via Circle Of Asia in connection with the booking of travel arrangements to Vietnam. A handling fee of 25 USD per person (subject to change) will be charged to your reservation.

Alternatively, you can apply for an entry visa by yourself at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok with the supply of 2 passport-sized photos, your passport and application fees. The application process takes about 5 working days.

Booking during New Year period
Any booking on 31st of December is subject to compulsory gala dinner at the hotel. Please check with our travel consultant for the rates.

Hotels used in the Package:

The Deluxe package includes accommodation at Melia, Sheraton Hotel, Nikko Hotel, Sofitel Plaza or Hanoi Horison Hotel in Hanoi, Le Residence, Imperial Hotel or Celadon Palace Hotel in Hue, Golden Sand, Victoria Hoi an, Life Heritage Resort or Palm Garden in Hoi’an and Renaissance Riverside, Sofitel Plaza, Majestic Hotel or Legend Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Superior 4* – A package includes accommodation at Fortuna Hotel, Sunway Hotel, Hanoi Hotel in Hanoi, Saigon Morin (Sup) or Huong Giang (River) in Hue, Hoi An Trails, Hoi An Beach or River Beach in Hoi’an and Duxton Hotel, Norfolk, Rex Hotel or Grand Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

The Superior 4* – B package includes accommodation at Bao Son Hotel, Lake Side Hotel, Serenade Hotel or Zephyr Hotel in Hanoi, Huong Giang or Green Hue in Hue, Hoi An Pacific or Vinh Hung Resort in Hoi’an and Kimdo Hotel, First Hotel or Amara Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

About the Package

There are some sightseeing activities you can do in Hanoi before heading out to the countryside. Most center around Hoan Kiem River; the river shares its name with the district. The area, north of Nguyen Du Street, comprises charming old streets, a cluster of French colonial-style buildings including hotels and embassies alongside bustling markets, museums and temples. The lake is a pleasant place for a leisurely stroll to take in the local way of life. For shoppers, there are plenty of shopping options around the lake, mostly on Trand Tien Street and Hang Gai Street – look out for Dong Xuan Market for local and foreign goods. Like anywhere in Asia, bargaining is a way of life. Make sure you agree on the price you feel comfortable with. Patience and smiling face are always the best policy when negotiating the price – bargain hard but keep it friendly.

Hue is also known as Thua Thien Hue. The city was founded on the northern bank of Perfume River in the 17th century by Nguyen Dynasty. Nowadays, the town, about 660 kilometers from Hanoi, looks more like a massive open-air museum with hundreds of temples, pagodas, palaces and tombs. Some parts of the city were badly damaged during the war but there are still many notable structures worth a visit

Hoi’an was Vietnam’s important international seaport town from the 16th century to the late 19th century with merchants from both Asia and Europe trading all sorts of goods from spices to gold. Located on the bank of Thu Bon River 30 kilometers south of Danang, this is a quiet riverside town dotted with temples, shrines and Chinese style tile-roofed wooden houses girding a long narrow road.

While Hanoi is considered the center of arts and culture, Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is the commercial hub of Vietnam and, certainly its most bustling city. The place springs to life early in the morning with the hustle and bustle of the local markets and incessant honks from all manner of vehicles. But if you really want to get to know Saigon, visit Ben Thanh Market, the oldest and largest market in Saigon. It is famous for its fresh flowers but you can find almost anything here. It’s more convenient and safe to take a cab or cyclo taxi to the market.