Vietnam World Heritage Sites is one of our Vietnam adventure tours which visits the wonders of Vietnam listed as World Heritage by the UNESCO for 10 days, 9 nights. On the tour, you will have an opportunity to venture deep into the mysterious and dangerous home of the King of Apes-Kong: Skull Island. Fictitious the movie may be, the scenes are not; they are real and they are in Vietnam...
Tour Vietnam World Heritage Sites Overview
On the adventure, we travel through the natural wonders of Vietnam featured in the movie as home to one of the most powerful monster myths: the mysterious islands and islets of Halong Bay, the unreal karstic mountains of Ninh Binh, the spectacular caves of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
Departing from the unreal natural beauty, we embark on a journey back in time and visit the weathered Imperial Citadel of Hue – home to the last royal court of Vietnam, the quaint Old Town of Hoi An – an international port town dating back to the 16th century and the sacred Cham Ruins of My Son – the Holy Land of the Cham in Vietnam dating back from the 2nd century A.D.
On the journey, we also have opportunities to experience an overnight train trip and visit the former battlefields Vietnam at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).
The pace of travel is moderate and the accommodations range from boutique hotels to luxury beach resorts. Most meals are not included, you can have your own culinary adventures. Vietnam World Heritage Holidays is to travel through the natural landscapes of Vietnam endowed by the Creator and the cultural legacy of the Vietnamese passed on by the earlier generations...
The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi
Day-to-day itinerary
Day1 Arrive at Hanoi (no meal)
Day2 Hanoi – Halong Bay (B/L/D)
Day3 Halong Bay – Ninh Binh (Brunch)
Day4 Tam Coc – Bich Dong – Van Long Nature Reserve – Hanoi/Night Train for Dong Hoi (B)
Day5 Arrive at Dong Hoi/Dong Hoi – Phong Nha – Dong Hoi (B)
Day6 Dong Hoi – DMZ – Hue (B)
Day7 Hue Tour (B)
Day8 Hue – Hoi An/Walking Tour of Hoi An (B)
Day9 Hoi An – My Son Cham Ruins – Hoi An/Free afternoon (B)
Day10 Hoi An – Da Nang – Hanoi (morning or afternoon flight)/Depart Hanoi (B)
{Inclusions
English-speaking guide as per itinerary: no guide for free-at-leisure days;
Twin/Double-shared accommodation as indicated in the program;
Private car for all airport transfers and tours as indicated in the program;
Private cabin with A/C and soft sleepers on the local train for Ha Noi – Dong Hoi as per itinerary;
Airfare for the flight Da Nang - Hanoi within Vietnam as per itinerary;
Rowing boat trips at Ninh Binh as per itinerary;
Private boat cruise on the Son River at Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and the Perfume River in Hue as in the program;
Private Twin/Double-shared cabin on a shared-junk cruise on Ha Long Bay as per itinerary;
Meals as indicated in the program ( B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner);
All admission fees during guided times in the program;
}
{Exclusions
Insurance of any types;
Early check-ins and late check-outs: check-in time: 14:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00 A.M unless otherwise indicated by each hotel;
International airfares and airport taxes other than those mentioned as included above;
Drinks, laundry, bar or other personal expenses;
Others not clearly specified clearly in the inclusions;
}
Detailed itinerary
Day1 Arrive at Hanoi (no meal included)
Upon arrival at Ha Noi Airport, you’ll be welcomed by our driver and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free at leisure.
All meals are on our own.
Overnight in Ha Noi.
Day2 Hanoi – Halong Bay (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800: Picked up from hotel and transferred to Halong Bay.
11.30 Arrive at Bai Chay/Halong pier.
12.15 Transfer by tender to the boat – enjoy Welcome Drink, receive cruise briefing and safety instructions.
12.30 Depart by boat to Halong Bay - start cruise and check-in to cabins.
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch - enjoy deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Lunch.
14.30 Arrive at Titop Island. Enjoy swimming, relaxing on the beach and climbing the steps to the top of the mountain on the island for fantastic views and photo opportunities. Water and towels will be supplied. We will spend about 45 minutes on the island.
15:15 Return to the boat and sail for about 45 minutes to our second stop - the Bat Cave area.
16.00 Arrive at the Bat Cave area. There are two programs to choose from at this time. One option is a 40 minute kayaking program to the nearby Bat Cave and lagoon and surrounding waters. Kayaking is $10. per person unless already booked as part of your package. Water is supplied.
The second option is to visit the Cua Van floating fishing village, the largest floating fishing village in Halong Bay. There are about 130 floating houses and about 600 people live and work in the village. We will travel to the village on the tender and tour the village for approximately 20 minutes.
17.45 Depart and sail for about 30 minutes to Luon Bo area, where we will anchor for overnight.
19.00 – 20.30 Dinner - deluxe Vietnamese & Western Buffet or Set Menu Dinner.
20.30 Evening activities include: film entertainment in the dining room at approximately 9:00, board games and playing cards are available, and massage services are available. We also offer Squid fishing on the Boat.
21.00 – 23.00 Happy Hour! Buy one drink - get one free (wine excluded)
23.00 End of Program for Day One.
Boats in front of the Surprise Cave, Halong Bay
Halong Bay is littered with over 3,000 islands jutting out of the emerald sea water in the Tonkin Gulf of northern Vietnam, 150km from Hanoi. The Bay offers mysterious beauty with mists, caves, towering karst mountains, quirky white patches of sand, and rich wild life...Halong Bay was listed as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1994.
Day3 Halong Bay – Ninh Binh (Brunch)
06.30 Enjoy Tai Chi on the sundeck.
07.00 Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries served in the dining room.
07.45 Arrive by boat at the Surprise Cave - Optional tour program: prepare for visiting the Surprise Cave OR relax onboard the boat.
08.00 Transfer by tender to the Surprise Cave. Tour the cave for approximately 45 minutes.
09.00 Upon return to the boat please check-out of cabins. Please leave heavy luggage outside of the cabins (staff will transfer to the pier).
09.00 – 09.30 Upon return to the boat you will have 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing. Please remove your belongings from the cabins, you may leave heavy luggage outside of the cabins (staff will transfer directly to the pier). Depart for Bai Chay/Halong pier.
09.30 Enjoy Breakfast Set Menu or Buffet in the dining room. We will settle bills after breakfast. Relax on the sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery as we approach the pier.
11.00 Arrive at Bai Chay/Halong pier and rejoin our car for the road trip through idyllic countryside to the backwater of Ninh Binh.
Overnight in Ninh Binh.
A rowing boat at Tam Coc, Ninh Binh
Day4 Tam Coc – Bich Dong – Van Long Nature Reserve – Hanoi/Night Train for Dong Hoi (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Enjoy a rowing boat trip for over 2 hours through the unreal karst formations of Tam Coc, then proceed to visit the Bich Dong Pagoda built into limestone mountain cliff. After the visit, our car transfers us to Van Long Nature Reserve, another studio site for shooting the movie “Kong: Skull Island”. Explore the nature reserve by rowing boat for over an hour.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon, road trip back to Hanoi. Have a tour of the capital city: The Presidential Palace (from outside), the West Lake, the Temple of Literature and the Old Quarter.
In the evening, transferred to the train station for the overnight train bound for Dong Hoi. Our guide assists you onto your compartment.
Overnight on board the train. (Private soft sleepers compartment)
Van Long Nature Reserve in autumn
Day5 Arrive at Dong Hoi/Dong Hoi – Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – Dong Hoi (no meal included)
We will get off the train at Dong Hoi of Quang Binh Province in the morning, and travel on the former legendary Ho Chi Minh Trails to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park which is home to some of Vietnam's and the World's most spectacular caves and underground rivers. Some caves are big enough that they have their own jungles and rivers inside! Visit Phong Nha Cave, the Paradise Cave and others in the park. In late afternoon, transferred back to Dong Hoi. We will have a night at a luxury resort on Nhat Le Beach.
All meals are on our own.
Overnight at Dong Hoi – Bao Ninh Beach.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park of Quang Binh Province is a system of dense tropical forests on karst mountains along the Truong Son Mountain Range in the Central Region of Vietnam. Phong Nha – Ke Bang is home to rich flora and fauna systems that more researches need to be done to have the full report. The park is home to a number of stunning limestone caves and underground rivers that only a minor part has been discovered. With whatever revealed at Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, though a small part of what it may be, the UNESCO inscribed the area of Phong Nha – Ke Bang to be a World Heritage Site in 2003.
Day6 Dong Hoi – DMZ – Hue (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
08:30 A.M Start our journey back in time through the most heavily bombed and destructed areas of Vietnam during the recent war. We will visit the tunnel of Vinh Moc, Ben Hai River and Hien Luong Bridge which pided Vietnam into the North and the South during the War, Khe Sanh Combat Base and Quang Tri Citadel. We will arrive in Hue in late afternoon.
Have free time.
Lunch and dinner on our own.
Overnight in Hue.
Hue was the seat of the last Royal Court of Vietnam in the 19th century. The city is of perfect harmony of Fengshui Elements with meandering rivers and scenic mountains which are home to a range of architectural and cultural monuments of great value to Vietnam as well as to the World. Hue is inscribed to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1993 by the UNESCO.
Day7 Hue Tour (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning, we will explore Hue Imperial Citadel where Vietnam was ruled from 1805 – 1945. The Citadel was heavily damaged during the war and marks of war could still be found here and there in the area. At the heyday, the citadel included the king's working area, the residential area of the Royal Family, the concubines quarters and the worshiping areas of the Royal Family...
In the afternoon, we will visit the color full tomb of King Khai Dinh and the philosophical tomb of King Minh Mang.
Lunch and dinner on our own.
Overnight in Hue.
Ngo Mon Gate, Hue Imperial Citadel
Day8 Hue – Hoi An/Walking Tour of Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at your hotel.
We leave Hue in the morning and travel through the scenic countryside to Hoi An. We will have stop for sightseeing at the pristine Lang Co Beach and the sublime Hai Van Pass. Arriving in Hoi An at mid day, we will have time for refreshment.
In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An Old Town which filled with goods and merchants from around the world once.
Free time for lunch and dinner.
Overnight in Hoi An Ancient Town.
Shops in the Old Town of Hoi An
Hoi An was a famous trading port back to the 16 – 19th centuries. Hoi An was called at by merchants from China, Japan, Persia, Europe….at the times. The town’s architecture is a perfect combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese styles. Hoi An nowadays still retains the atmosphere of the old town dated back to the heyday which never fails to charm the visitors. Residents of the town are of Vietnamese and Chinese origins. Hoi An was listed as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1999.
Day9 Hoi An – My Son Cham Ruins – Hoi An/Free afternoon (B)
Breakfast at your hotel.
0800 A.M Today, our trip brings us back to the 4-7th centuries A.D to the heyday of the Cham Pa Kingdom. Cham Pa was a kingdom in the central and south central region of Vietnam thriving from around the 2nd century A.D to the 15th century. My Son at the time was the Holy Land of the Cham Pa Kingdom.
We get back to town in the afternoon and have free time for the remainder of the day.
Free time for lunch and dinner.
Overnight in Hoi An Ancient Town.
Day10 Hoi An – Da Nang – Hanoi (morning or afternoon flight)/Depart Hanoi (B)
Breakfast at your hotel.
Free time until we transfer you to Da Nang Airport for your flight back to Hanoi where you proceed for your departure flight. We trust you had a wonderful holiday through the World Heritage Sites of Vietnam with Paradissa Travel.
