HIGHLIGHTS THE NORTH & CENTRAL VIETNAM

Meet on arrival at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to hotel for check in and having some rest after a long flight. Welcome Dinner at local restaurant. Accommodation in Ha Noi.

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his former residence, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Ethnology Museum or Viet Nam History Museum provides great opportunities of education and entertainment for kids as well as adult about Vietnam’s grass rooted and diversified history. Continue to explore Ha Noi by a typical, safe and fun means of transport, Rickshaw or called locally “Xich Lo”, dated back to French time “Cyclo”, cruising around Hanoi French Quarter, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple. * Experience a Private water puppet show at artist home in Hanoi. After the show, audiences can play with the puppets and get to understand how they work under the water as well as learn to make one.

Breakfast In the morning, drive to the farming resort Ba Vi homestead (1.5 hour from Ha Noi). Upon arrival meet a local who will take you to walk through the wet rice and vegetables fields, explaining about the growing of rice and vegetables. Continue to see a milk-cow farm. * Optional: catching fish and growing rice activities Lunch at the homestead. In the afternoon, drive to visit a tea plantation. You will be escorted by local farmers to help you pick up the tea. The tea will then be brought into the house where you will participate in drying steps until you have a fully-made product which you will bring home. Return to Ha Noi. Refreshing. Accomodation in Ha Noi.

Breakfast. Leave Ha Noi and drive 160 km East Hanoi to Halong. Arrive in Halong and board traditional junk for an unforgettable cruise in the legendary Ha Long Bay. Dinner and accommodation on board.

Breakfast In the early morning, continue the cruise. Disembark and transfer to Hanoi. Stop on the way to visit a pottery village. If time permit (depending on flight), visit Dong Ho village, famous for its long history Đông Hồ folk woodcut painting which have been submitted to UNESCO for the recognition of intangible cultural heritage. Upon arrival in Hue, meet and transfer to hotel Dinner at own account. Accommodation in Hue.

Breakfast. Enjoy a boat trip to Thien Mu Pagoda, and drive to visit the Imperial Citadel. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Tu Duc tomb and the incense stick and conical hat making. Visit Dong Ba central market, with the guide, you and your kids will discover a lot of things different from your home and the social interaction with local vendors is one of the highlight. Rest of the day at leisure. * Experience of Making a traditional kite and fly with local artisan Take a short excursion to a kite maker whose family has been practicing this skill for generations. Under his guidance, create a beautiful kite using the pre-prepared bamboo framework. If weather permits, you will have the opportunity to fly your kite at Ngo Mon Square, in front of the South Gate of the Citadel. Accommodation in Hue.

Breakfast. A morning free at leisure for your family self-explore of this charming and slow city. Check out at noon and drive to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass, literately means “cloud and sea” pass. Stop on the summit, and admire the beautiful scenery and stunning landscape of Central Vietnam. Upon arrival in Danang visit of the Cham museum, were one of the finest collections of sculptures of this ancient civilization are displayed. Proceed to Hoi An, walking tour of Hoi An, discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Visit Hoi An colorful local market, Tan Ky old house, Fukien Assembly Hall, and the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge. Travelers can also see local residents raise silkworms and produce silk for Hoi An’s burgeoning textile industry. Accommodation in Hoi An.

Breakfast. * Enjoy experience of Cooking class (half day, lunch included) Visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. Continue to the cooking school with the chef. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the chef, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the beach or shopping. Dinner at own account. Accommodation in Hoi An.

Breakfast. Pick up at hotel and transfer to airport for morning flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, visit the highlights of Nha Trang: Ponagar Temple – Long Son Pagoda – Cathedral Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure Accommodation in Nha Trang.

This day is intentionally set free for family to choose the activity that fits their interest at best. There are many places for family to discover and having fun around Nha Trang. But you can refer your tour guide for necessary advice and organize some optional activities to enhance the quality of the holiday. Enjoy somes unique experiences of Nha Trang: Boat island tours, Relaxing at a mud-bath cente, cycling. * Experience Boat tour: Nha Trang islands tour full day After breakfast, pickup at hotel at 8.00am to visit Nha Trang islands. First, your car and guide will take you to visit Oceonographic Institue, one of the first in Indochina built in 1923 by the French where you can see the whole collection of sea-creatures and where numerous sea species of Nha Trang/Khanh Hoa province make up a small ocean world. Next, you will be transferred to the Cau Da port for embarking on a boat heading to islands. Mun Island is the best choice for snorkeling where you can see lots of live colourful corals and fishes. You will also be able to see the caves where sea swallows make their nests. There will be time for relaxing, swimming and practicing water sports or other activities on Mot Island nearby. Around noon head to Hon Tam Island for a freshly made lunch at the island restaurant, relaxing and swimming in the resort pool or at one of the premier beaches of Nha Trang islands. On the way back visit an authentic Vietnamese fishing village and observe daily life and activities of local people before going back to the shore.

Enjoy optional activities or the beach. In the evening, board an overnight train ride to Ho Chi Minh City (4-berth sharing cabin). Overnight on train.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer to hotel for breakfast and refreshing. (Room available from 14:00, day-use is optional with supplement). * Experience a Half day city tour and Sand Painting Upon arrival, start immediately a city tour that includes the War Remnants Museum, the former Presidential Palace. Photo stop at the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Saigon Cathedral. Drive to Binh Quoi Village, and get initiated to the techniques of Sand Painting. “Sand painting”, does it sound strange? But it has been a reputable art performance, unexpectedly successful in Vietnam. You kids will learn how to use tiny spoons to pick small amount of colorful sand, then little by little fill in a glass and make an beautiful painting. You will be amazed to learn, via the explanation of local artisan of how creative techniques have been invented and elaborated with time. Try once and you will believe that sand painting is not impossible. A visit takes about 1 hours or more. Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City.

Breakfast. Depart for Ben Tre, a peaceful retreat in Mekong Delta offers many charming surprises besides the lush vegetation, snaking canals, and enchanting smiles. Enjoy seeing how bricks and grass mats are made with age old traditional techniques as well as how products are extracted from coco etc. Admire stunning panoramic countryside pictures made of green coconut palms, yellow river streams and colorful local products. Be warmed by the tropical breeze or feel the currents of the cool river water whilst exploring the earthy trails. Taste and smell local exotic fruits, “garden-made” cuisine or stop to observe and satisfy your palate with a just-made wet rice paper, or coco candies married with green tea. Complete your experience while hearing the sounds of boat, tricycle-motor engine, and certainly the chatting and laughing of local people, modest yet hospitable. * Experience an Evening: Vespa Tour Sai gon After Dark (4 hours): (Optional and suitable for family with grown children) Part night excursion, part street food adventure. VVA pick up guests at hotel and first stop is to Café zoom to “watch the world goes by” (quoted by The Lonely Planet) and enjoy cocktail and appetizer (inclusive) before adventuring into favorite local eating spot. Guests experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Stops include dinner and drinks at Saigon’s best authentic street food, and a Vietnamese-style coffee shop. The tour heads to District 4 through back alleys for street food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won’t be found. Leaving district 4 to district 3 the tour pass through downtown district 1 to take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo, specialty of Saigon, and southern food with the locals. Guests ride pillion behind our drivers. Time: 6:00- 10:00pm (4 hours). Dinner at own account. Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast and leisure for further exploring the city. Time at leisure until airport transfer for departure flight. Program can be modified according to the international flight times. END OF SERVICES.