Travel Advisors' FAM Tour of Vietnam

Upon arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai Int’l Airport and after clearing the immigrations and customs, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Remainder of the day is free at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi. (D)

Grand Vista Hotel

Depart your hotel in Hanoi for the drive to Ha Long. Arrive in Ha Long around noon to board our deluxe ship for a wonderful cruise on the emerald-green waters of Ha Long Bay among the 3,000 spectacular limestone islands with a fabulous seafood lunch served on board. Then enjoy leisure time

for swimming and sunbathing. In the evening, you will have dinner on-board while watching the sunset. Overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Le Journey Cruise Ship

Depart your hotel after breakfast and set out on the 2.5 hours drive to Ninh Binh, transfer directly to the boat pier upon arrival and get into a rowing boat to explore the picturesque waterways in the Trang An ecological site. Forested limestone hills contrast the emerald water, caves, lowland and rivers create a mysterious fairytale-like scene. We then visit a network of caves with beautiful stalactites of all shapes and colors. After the boat trip, we will have lunch at a local restaurant and then visit the Bai Dinh Pagoda – the pagoda with many records in Vietnam. This pagoda has the biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam (10 meters in height, 100 tons in weight) and also contains 500 La Han statues. Return to Hanoi in the afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)

Saigon is the country’s commercial centre and, with around ten million inhabitants and five million motorbikes, a city that never sleeps. Despite the well-documented hustle and bustle, Saigon retains its connections with the past. Pick up at your hotel and take a walking tour to admire Saigon’s historic landmarks. Transfer to Dong Khoi street., or Rue Catinat as it was known in the time of the French occupation, to discover some of the beautiful French colonial buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th century. View the splendidly restored exteriors of the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville which are still two of the finest buildings in Saigon. Wander up to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires based on the original construction from Paris. (Visit outside only as it is under renovation now). Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, designed by the French architect, Gustav Eiffel, before he had risen to fame for the Eiffel Tower. Then, visit the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the war with the United States, is a short drive away and reveals the history of Saigon during its turbulent recent past. In the afternoon, head out of the city centre on a short drive to District 5 to visit Thien Hau temple, built by the Cantonese congregation in the early 19th century to honor the Goddess of the Sea. The temple’s ornate interior courtyard is always full of life as worshippers from the local Chinese community come to offer their prayers. Take time to make a wish, write it on a small card and attach it to one of the incense coils in the local custom. Next you will visit Chinatown, which is the convergence of the Chinese living together in District 5. Saigon, has still preserved their precious culture, religion as well as architectural dating thousands of years. It has also been one of the magnificent attractions. End your tour today with a stroll around the bustling Ben Thanh Market - a fantastic place for shopping (B,L)

In the morning after breakfast, pick up at your hotel and drive to the Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnel complex was initially started in 1948 to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from the French air and ground sweeps. The tunnels also served as communication routes, storage facilities for food and weapon caches as well as hospitals and living quarters for guerrilla fighters throughout the war with the USA. A visit to the underground villages will provide a better understanding of the tunnels’ history, the hardship of life underground and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. Lunch at local restaurant and transfer back to Saigon. Remainder of the day is free at leisure. (B,L) 

Breakfast at your hotel. This morning, visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12 century): the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, Bapoun Temple, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Then, visit Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Lunch is included at local restaurant This afternoon, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Enjoy wonderful sunset views from the top of Bakheng Hill. Return to your hotel for your overnight stay. (B,L)

Breakfast at your hotel. This morning, head out of the town to visit the birthplace of the Khmer Empire Phnom Kulen, about 2 hour drive out of Siem Reap. The mountain is considered sacred and is the site where King Jayavarman proclaimed independence from Java in 802 and where the cult of the linga began. Linga’s are phallic-like, fertility statues that were worshiped by the king. Jayavarman had thousands of lingas carved into a sandstone river bed and the river diverted so he could bathe in the holy waters. At the top of Phnom Kulen is a pagoda where Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims come to worship. The mountain is also favored by locals who come to admire the waterfalls and swim in the cool pools. Lunch is included at local restaurant. In the afternoon, return to Siem Reap where you can enjoy sightseeing at 60 meters road. An evening at 60 meters road is like going for dinner, Cambodian style, and it’s buzzing every single night. It’s a long road lined with mats for hire, street food sellers, and a small funfair; it’s an evening picnic and barbecue haven – the perfect place to relax and spend quality time with friends. Dinner not included.