Summer in Vietnam and Laos

A journey to discover the historical and scenic heritage of this fascinating country, starting in the south of the country and ending in in the capital Hanoi . The journey begins in the dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, the country's economic capital and the starting point for a visit to the vast Mekong Delta area, with the characteristic and authentic floating market of Cai Rang. We fly on to the central part of the country where we visit the charming town of Hoi An, whose historic centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cham site of My Son, the most important in the country, and the ancient capital Hué. After an initial visit of the capital Hanoi With its alleyways and tree-lined boulevards teeming with life, you proceed to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc to admire the incredible landscapes of rocky pinnacles rising from the rice fields before plunging into the fairy-tale magic of Halong Bay, where you spend the night aboard a junk. The journey then continues in Laos, to the enchanting UNESCO heritage town of Luang Prabang, rich in monuments and temples, an ideal base for exploring the villages and caves along the Mekong River.

 

Day 1
ROME or MILAN - MONACO/HANOI - HO CHI MINH CITY (-/-/-)
Departure on Vietnam Airlines flights from Milan (via Hanoi) or Rome (via Munich with ITA) to Ho Chi Minh City.
Meals and overnight stay on board.

Day 2
arrival HO CHI MINH CITY (-/L/D)
Early morning arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. Clearance of border formalities and transfer to the city. Beginning of the tour of old Saigon. with evidence of the colonial past: Notre Dame Cathedral dating back to 1877 (currently closed for restoration), the Post Office and Dong Khoi Street. Afterwards, accommodation and lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, continuation of visits to Ho Chi Minh's 'China Town': Cholon, 'the Great Market', founded by the Chinese in the 18th century 7 kilometres from the city centre has always been a Chinese enclave on Vietnamese territory and over the years of tumultuous cohabitation, the Hoa Chinese community has been revitalised and now lives without fear. Cholon has become a focal point of the city's economic scene. Visit the Thien Hau Pagoda, and the Binh Tay market, with its hundreds of stalls and wide range of products.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Afterwards return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 3
HO CHI MINH CITY - DELTA MEKONG - CAN THO (B/L/D)
Breakfast. Departure for Ben Tre (90 km - 2 hours approx.) from where you will take an excursion on board a small boat to discover the daily life of the inhabitants of the Mekong, sailing in a sampan along the narrow canals among the rice fields and vegetable cultivations and making stops to learn about the local handicrafts and specialities that make this region unique. Lunch at a local restaurant with specialities of the region. In the afternoon, continue to Can Tho (115 km - about 2½ hours), the economic and cultural heart of the Mekong Delta.
Arrival and accommodation in the hotel. Dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 4
CAN THO (Cai Rang Market) - HO CHI MINH CITY - DANANG - HOI AN (B/L/D)
Early in the morning visit the Cai Rang floating market where hundreds of sampans laden with rice, tropical fruits and aquatic products gather to trade or sell their wares. Return to the hotel for breakfast and departure by coach to Ho Chi Minh City. After lunch at a local restaurant visit the War Remnants Museum, a unique opportunity to understand what the Vietnamese experienced during the war years and what atrocities were perpetrated during the conflict. Some of the images on display are particularly strong and not suitable for everyone, but they also represent a warning and a hope that what happened will not be repeated in the future. At the end transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport in time for scheduled flight to Danang. Arrival and continuation by coach to the town of Hoi An (approx. 30 minutes).
Accommodation and dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 5
HOI AN (My Son) (B/L/D)
Breakfast. Morning excursion to My Son (30 km - approx. 1½ hours), the most important Cham site in Vietnam, religious and intellectual centre of the Champa kingdom, dating back to the 4th century. At the end of the visit return to Hoi An. Lunch in a local restaurant. Afternoon visit to Hoi An, rich in buildings with Chinese architectural influence that testify to its important past as a trading centre. Known to the ancients as Faifo, Hoi An was a bustling trading port since the 2nd century AD, under the Champa kingdom. Having declined in the 14th century, it resumed its function as an international emporium in the mid-15th century. It was only in the 19th century, with the silting up of the Cai River, that the town lost importance in favour of Danang, which lies 30 km to the north. Visit the old town with the Japanese bridge from 1592, the temple dedicated to the goddess Fukie, and the old municipal houses.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 6
HOI AN - HUE (B/L/D)
Breakfast. In the morning departure in the direction of Hue, passing by the famous "hill of clouds "*, from the top of which, on a clear day, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama of the coastline. Rest of the day dedicated to visiting Hue, a city founded in 1687 along the banks of the Perfume River, capital of the southern part of Vietnam since 1744, and capital of the country from 1802 to 1945 under the reign of the 13 emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. The Old City, with the Citadel and the imperial residence, is on the left bank of the river, while the New City (where Europeans once lived) and the imperial tombs are on the right bank. We visit the Imperial Citadel, now restored with the help of UNESCO, the imperial tomb of Tuc Duc, one of Hue's architectural masterpieces, and the Thien Mu pagoda, 'the lady of the sky', located 3 kilometres from the Imperial Citadel. This religious building was built in 1601 and is the tallest in the country. Stop to visit this beautiful pagoda, built in 1601, the oldest and a symbol of the city of Hue. Lunch in a local restaurant during sightseeing. Late afternoon check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

*Note: In the event of unfavourable weather conditions or reduced time available, the transfer will take place through the tunnel.

Day 7
HUE - HANOI (B/L/D)
Breakfast. Transfer to Hue airport in time for scheduled flight to Hanoi. Arrival and transfer to the city (approx. 1 hour drive depending on traffic). Day dedicated to visiting Hanoi, the political capital of Vietnam, lying along the banks of the Red River and inhabited by some eight million people. An imperial capital since 1010 and during the Le dynasty from 1428 to 1788, it resumed its role in French Indochina during the colonial period from 1902 to 1953, to become the country's political capital after reunification in 1976. Hanoi looks like a typical French city at the turn of the 20th century, with boulevards, parks, monuments, a bustling centre full of small shops and colours. After lunch in a local restaurant, visits begin with the One-Pillar Pagoda, a very particular wooden pagoda resting on a single pillar built in 1,049 to represent the purity of the lotus flower, the esplanade of Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature, an ancient university built in 1070 in honour of Confucius.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 8
HANOI - QUANG PHÚ CAU - NINH BINH (B/L/D)
Breakfast. In the morning departure by coach to Ninh Binh with a diversion en route to visit the village of Quang Phu Cau* (located 41 km from Hanoi - about 1½ hours by road), famous for its incense production, where especially in the dry season, millions of aromatic sticks are dried in the open air, colouring the village streets red and pink. Continue to Ninh Binh (100 km - about 2 hours) with a stop en route to visit Phat Diem Cathedral, known as the stone cathedral for its marble base, and Hoa Lu, the former capital of the kingdom during the Dinh and Le dynasties. Visit the Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh temples, built in honour of the rulers of the two dynasties who reigned in Hoa Lu in the 10th century. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, sampan trip to discover the caves of Tam Coc, set in an incredible landscape of rocky pinnacles rising from the rice paddies and resembling those of Halong Bay, so much so that they have earned the nickname 'Halong Bay on land'. If time permits, visit the Bich Dong rock pagoda, one of the oldest in the area.
Afterwards, accommodation in the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay.

*Note: In the event of rainy days or during the rainy season when incense is not dried, the visit may be replaced with the village of Thu Si, where fishing pots are made, or other visits to the Ninh Binh area.

Day 9
NINH BINH - HALONG BAY (overnight cruise) (B/L/D)
Breakfast. Departure for Halong Bay (180 km - approx. 3 hours), dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. The bay, studded with karst rocks, has been eroded by wind and water over the millennia, creating a phantasmagorical environment of islands, islets and stacks, some of which are hundreds of metres high. Some islands have even formed an internal lake accessible through a passage that disappears completely at high tide, while others have caves and formations of the strangest shapes. During the mid-season, the morning mist creates even more most impressivemaking islands and rocks appear and disappear in the distance. According to legend, the hundreds of islets are the remains of the tail of a dragon that sank in the waters of the bay. Depart for an overnight cruise to Lan Ha Bay, part of the Halong Bay UNESCO World Heritage area, but less crowded than the most popular cruise ship routes. Full board and overnight on board.

OPTIONAL: Hang Mua viewpoint
Early in the morning, depart for the Hang Mua (Flying Dragon Mountain) viewpoint to admire the sunrise and the breathtaking panorama of rice fields and karst formations in the area.
Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Day 10
HALONG - HANOI (B/L*/D)
For early risers, wake up at dawn to watch the sunrise on the deck of the junk. After breakfast, navigation and visits in the bay continue. Brunch on board and disembarkation. In the afternoon, return to Hanoi, where the day ends with a cyclo tour through the narrow streets of old Hanoi in the 36 trades district and a walk to admire the Lake of the Restored Sword, surrounded by ancient trees, with the Ngoc Son temple.
After dinner in a local restaurant, return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 11
HANOI - LUANG PRABANG (B/-/D)
Breakfast. In the morning transfer to the airport in time for scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight to Luang Prabang, Laos. Free lunch. Arrival in Luang Prabang, clearance of border formalities, issue of visa, meeting with local guide and transfer to hotel. In the afternoon, visit of the town, capital from the 14th to the 16th century of Lan Xang, the 'Kingdom of a Million Elephants'. Luang Prabang is favourably located, surrounded by mountains and enclosed between the Mekong and Khan rivers. The hills, the peninsula that snakes between the two rivers, the imposing temples and the multi-ethnic population create an evocative and harmonious whole. We visit the Vat May temple, built at the end of the 18th century, residence of the Supreme Patriarch Sangkharat, with its decorations on the main façade and monumental carved wooden doors, and Wat Vixoun, the oldest temple in the city, unique in its style.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 12
LUANG PRABANG (B/L/D)
Breakfast. In the morning visit of the local market and the National Museum located in the building of the old Royal Palace which was built in 1904 and now houses a rich collection of the objects that belonged to the treasury of the royal family and, above all, the Phra Bang, the 83-centimetre-high gold statue which according to tradition has been the symbol of the Lane Xang kingdom since the 13th century. At the end, departure for the boat excursion to the Pak Ou caves located about 25 kilometres (2 hours by boat) from Luang Prabang, along the Mekong at the mouth of the Nam Ou River: these are two caves located at the bottom of a limestone cliff filled with Buddha images of all styles and sizes. On the way, you can observe the villages along the banks of the river and the steep karst cliffs rising skywards. Lunch at a local restaurant during the visit. In the afternoon, return to Luang Prabang with stops to visit some villages. After dinner in a local restaurant, the night market of the H'mong ethnic group, which takes place daily along Luang Prabang's main street from 5pm to 10pm, is definitely worth exploring on its own.
Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 13
LUANG PRABANG (B/L/D)
Breakfast. Depart for an excursion to Kuong Si waterfalls via some of the most scenic locations surrounding Luang Prabang. En route, stop to visit a Khmu village. Arrive at Khuang Si Falls and time at leisure for a swim in one of the natural pools or a walk along the trails in the surrounding forest. Return to Luang Prabang. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue sightseeing with the Vat Xieng Thong, a vast collection of sacred buildings, one of the jewels of Lao art and the Wat Senè, known for its traditional Lao architecture with French colonial influences and the bright colours, gold and red, of the roof. The temple is still active and houses Buddhist monks, as well as being a place of pilgrimage for locals.
Dinner in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 14
LUANG PRABANG - HANOI - PARIS or MILAN (B/-/-)
Early in the morning, at dawn, leave to attend this monks' festival: you can admire the monks in their characteristic saffron-coloured robes from the city's many temples, as they flow through the streets of Luang Prabang in a silent procession to receive offerings from the inhabitants. Respect them, observe them and try not to disturb them. Breakfast at the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Late afternoon transfer to airport in time for scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight to Hanoi. Continuation by scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight to Paris or Milan.
Meals and overnight stay on board.

Day 15
PARIS - ROME or MILAN ARRIVAL (-/-/-)
Morning arrival in Milan Malpensa or Paris (participants going to Rome) and continuation by scheduled ITA Airways flight to Rome.

End of services.

Planned hotels or similar

Ho Chi Minh City: Muong Thanh Saigon Hotel 4*.
Can Tho City: Can Tho Ecolodge 3*.
Hoi An: Legacy Hoi An Resort 4*
Hue: Pilgrimage Village Resort 4*
Hanoi: De Syloia Hotel 4*.
Ninh Binh: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Resort 4*.
Halong: Indochine Sails Cruise Lan Ha Bay (cabin with private bathroom)
Luang Prabang: Le Bel Air Boutique Resort 4*

The fee includes

Vietnam Airlines intercontinental flights from Milan or Rome (via Paris with ITA) in tourist class
Vietnam Airlines internal flights mentioned in the programme in tourist class
Transfers and private tours with local Italian-speaking guides
Hotels mentioned or if not available others of the same category on a standard double room basis
Meals as planned
Bag, document holder, luggage tags and various illustrative documentation
Insurance for medical assistance (up to € 10,000), medical repatriation and damage to luggage (up to € 1,000), and cancellation (up to € 2,000), with the possibility of supplementation.

The fee does not include

Visa fee to be paid locally (USD 40 for Laos. Passport valid 6 months and 1 passport photo)
Airport taxes, subject to change € 430
Entry fee € 115
Optional sunrise excursion to Hang Mua viewpoint € 20
Meals not indicated, drinks, tips, personal extras, excess baggage
Compulsory adjustment contribution for cancellation insurance up to 4000 eur € 39
Compulsory adjustment contribution for cancellation insurance up to 6000 eur € 69
Supplementary insurance (recommended) Go World Safe Plus € 69
Optional excursions and everything not listed under 'the fee includes'.