Short Excursion
TOUR MODULES
Tour modules feature 2 to 5 day itineraries, which are designed to be introductions to key cities and attractions. These modules may be used individually or in combination with other programmers and tailor-made itineraries.
VN.01: HaNoi of the Old Days
Discover the charm of ancient HaNoi by visiting the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the Lake of Restored Sword, NgocSon Temple and by taking a walking tour around the HaNoi’s Old Quarter. The tour includes visits to two traditional “long” houses at MaMay and HangDao St. The tour ends with lunch in an ancient wooden house on the shores of West Lake. The house is an example of traditional HaNoi architecture, and has a fine antique collection.
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VN.02: Hanoi at a Glance
After an early breakfast, visit HoChiMinh mausoleum and his former residence – a modest, wooden house on stilts nearby the mausoleum. Proceed to the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, and the Fine Arts Museum. (HoChiMinh mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday; the other museums are closed on Monday)
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VN.03: Full Day HaNoi City Tour
Spend the whole day exploring the charm of HaNoi. In the morning, visit HoChiMinh mausoleum, his former residence, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. In the afternoon, visit NgocSon Temple, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Lake of Restored Sword, QuanThanh Temple, the bustling Old Quarter, and a traditional VietNamese long house.
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*Note: Museums are closed on Monday. HoChiMinh mausoleum is closed on Mondays & Fridays.
VN.04: Meetings with Artists
A unique opportunity to meet two of VietNam most renowned artists. Drive to the suburbs of HaNoi to meet with artist couple Mai Hien and Anh Khanh, Hoang Ha Tung, Nghiem Xuan Hung The specializes in lacquer paintings and oil on canvas. Learn about VietNamese art, and admire the sculptures and artwork in the villa. End the afternoon at the couple’s HaNoi gallery.
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VN.05: ButThap Pagoda & Craft Villages Of BatTrang & DongHo
Full day trips are available if guests would like to visit BatTrang and another artisan village. DongHo village is famous for woodblock prints, and a style of painting that incorporates natural canvases and colours. The canvas is usually a thick, paper-like substance, while the paint colours are derived from stones, woods, and vegetation. Before arriving in DongHo, we stop at ButThap pagoda.
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VN.06: Day Trip to Thay Pagoda, TayPhuong Pagoda
Take a full day to visit TayPhuong Pagoda, a masterpiece of 8th century architecture. The pagoda is set in beautiful natural surroundings at the base of SaiSon Mountain. Continue on to Thay Pagoda, en route enjoying the landscapes of the ancient Red River Delta and its peoples.
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VN.07: HoaLu Day Trip
Drive to HoaLu to visit the Dinh and Le temples. Later in the day, we visit TamCoc, a strikingly beautiful region of limestone-cliffs and rice paddies that is similar to the seascapes of HaLong Bay. We transfer to small boats to explore the caves in and around TamCoc, which means “three caves”. Return to HaNoi in the afternoon.
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VN.09: Perfume Pagoda Day Trip
Drive to Perfume Pagoda (Huong Pagoda). Take a small sampan through a peaceful rural landscape of flooded rice fields to reach the pagoda complex. Take a 90 minutes walk along a mountain path, passing several pagodas before reaching a temple built into a cave at the summit.
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VN.25: The Floating Market of the Mekong Delta (2 days / 1 night).
HoChiMinh City – CaiBe – VinhLong – CanTho – HoChiMinh City.
Day 1: HoChiMinh City – CaiBe Floating Market – VinhLong – CanTho.
Drive from Saigon to CaiBe, stopping en route at an elaborate CaoDai Temple. From CaiBe, take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries to view the daily lives of people who work and play on the waterways of the Mekong Delta. The trip includes a visit to the unique “floating” market at CaiBe, and to a family-run business producing rice paper – a key ingredient in VietNamese cuisine. Lunch is on an island mid-river, in a local house set amongst fruit orchards and bonsai trees, and then followed with a performance of traditional VietNamese music. After lunch, continue on to CanTho. (Seasonally, on the way to the Mekong Delta, we can enjoy the peaceful scenes of farmers seeding, ploughing, and harvesting the rice crop.) .
OVERNIGHT IN CANTHO
Day 2: CanTho – HoChiMinh City.
Take a morning boat ride from the NinhKieu dock in CanTho to visit the teeming floating markets at CaiRang. Cruise through small canals and stop at a fruit orchard to taste some of the succulent fruits of the Mekong Delta. Return drive to HoChiMinh City.
VN.26: Mekong Delta (2 days / 1 night).
HoChiMinh City – VinhLong – CaiBe – HoChiMinh City.
Day 1: HoChiMinh City – VinhLong.
Drive from Saigon to VinhLong, stopping en route at an elaborate CaoDai Temple. En-route to Mekong Delta, seasonally, we can enjoy the peaceful scenes of farmers seeding, ploughing, and harvesting the rice crop. At VinhLong, see how local people make tofu, floor tiles, bricks, and husk rice. Take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries to view the daily lives of people who work and play on the waterways of the Mekong Delta. Lunch is on an island mid-river, in a local house set amongst fruit orchards and bonsai trees and then followed by a performance of traditional VietNamese music. We spend the night in a typical VietNamese local house.
OVERNIGHT AT LOCAL HOUSE IN VINHLONG (Lunch, Dinner)
Day 2: VinhLong – CaiBe Floating Market – HoChiMinh City.
Take a morning boat trip on the Mekong River to visit the colorful and bustling floating market at CaiBe. Stop at local family-run businesses producing rice paper – a key ingredient in VietNamese cuisine. Return to HoChiMinh City in the afternoon.
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VN.20: Central VietNam with World Heritage (4 days / 3 nights).
Day 1: DaNang – Arrival – HoiAn.
Pick-up at DaNang International Airport or at hotel in DaNang. Visit the open-air Cham Museum housing the world’s finest collection of Cham art. Take a short drive to the riverside town of HoiAn just south of DaNang. En route, visit the Marble Mountains and stone carving village at Non Nuoc. Upon arrival in HoiAn, take a walking tour of this ancient trading port. Visit a traditional Chinese Communal House, a Hokkien Temple, ancient merchants’ houses, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and the colorful local market. Optional visit to a Chinese Herbal Medicine physician.
OVERNIGHT IN HOIAN.
Day 2: HoiAn – MySon – Hue.
In the morning, drive to the Cham ruins at MySon, a UNESCO designated World Heritage site. The well-preserved temples lie in a wooded valley near the Laos border. In the afternoon, drive north to Hue, imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. OVERNIGHT IN HUE.
Day 3: Hue – Boat Cruise.
Morning boat cruise through the centre of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. Visit the seven-storey ThienMu Pagoda along the riverbank. Car transfer to view the Imperial Citadel and DongBa market. In the afternoon, take short drives to the elaborate KhaiDinh and TuDuc tombs. En route, visit local families making VietNam famous conical hats and colorful incense. Optional visit to Royal Antique Museum inside the Imperial Citadel, where a fine collection of Nguyen Dynasty antiques are on display. OVERNIGHT IN HUE.
Day 4: Hue – Departure.
Morning free. Transfer to airport. End of services.
CA.03: Highlights of Angkor (4 days / 3 nights) .
Day 1: SiemReap – Arrival.
Upon arrival in SiemReap, transfer to hotel. In the afternoon, explore Khmer temples from the early Angkor period. Visit the PreahKo, Bakong, and Lolei temples, dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. Return to hotel in early evening. OVERNIGHT IN SIEMREAP.
Day 2: SiemReap – Angkor Complex.
Begin exploration of the ancient city of Angkor by entering Angkor Thom via the South Gate. Continue the journey by viewing the ruins at Bayon, Baphoun, the Royal Palace, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terraces, the Leper King Terrace, TaKeo, ChauSay Tevada, and Thommanon. In the afternoon, visit the epic Angkor Wat, viewing its well-known architecture and bas-reliefs.
OVERNIGHT IN SIEMREAP.
Day 3: SiemReap – Angkor Complex .
After breakfast, proceed to the graceful Khmer Temple of Shiva, built in the 11th century. On the way back, stop at the three-tiered temple-hill of PreRup. There, view the BanteyKdei with its rarely seen sculpted female deities, the Lake of SrahSrang, and the impressive TaProhm Temple, which is dramatically enveloped by jungle. End the day with a spectacular sunset viewed from the mountain temple of Phnom Bakheng.
OVERNIGHT IN SIEMREAP.
Day 4: SiemReap – Departure.
The morning is free for shopping or leisure. Transfer to airport for departure flight.
Vientiane – Luang Prabang by road (4 days / 3 nights).
Vientiane – NamNgum – VangVieng – Luang Prabang – Vientiane.
Day 1: Vientiane – NamNgum – VangVieng.
After breakfast, drive to NamNgum. En route, visit a small village where residents undertake the ageless work of salt production. Take a boat cruise across a lake to BanThaHeua village. Continue driving to VangVieng, renowned for its spectacular landscapes. The rest of the day is free to explore the area on your own.
OVERNIGHT IN VANGVIENG.
Day 2: VangVieng – Luang Prabang – Sightseeing.
After breakfast, drive to Luang Prabang. Tour the former Royal Palace (now the National Museum), Wat XiengThong, Wat Sen, and Wat Visun. Visit BanPhanom village, where traditional Lao textiles are woven with wooden handlooms. End the day enjoying the sunset from the top of Mt. PhouSi.
OVERNIGHT IN LUANG PRABANG.
Day 3: Luang Prabang – PakOu Cave.
Take a full-day boat trip on the mighty Mekong River. En route, visit the mysterious PakOu Caves built into towering limestone cliffs along the riverbank. Inside the caves are thousands of statues of Buddha in various sizes. Continue down river to BanXangHai village, where the local residents create a unique rice wine called Lao Lao. After a picnic lunch, return to Luang Prabrang for a short visit to the typical Lao village at BanXangKhong. (Lunch) .
OVERNIGHT IN LUANG PRABANG.
Day 4: Luang Prabang – Vientiane.
After breakfast, visit Luang Prabang Market and a number of shops selling antiques and silver jewelry made by mountain tribes. Transfer to airport for the return flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival in Vientiane, transfer to hotel.
OVERNIGHT IN VIENTIANE.
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