Vietnam Highlights (North to South) for Family13 Days

After your breakfast, pay a visit to Vietnam’s first university, the Temple of Literature. Founded in 1076 Quoc Tu Giam was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past.

In the afternoon, continue your visit to the Ethnology Museum to have a glimpse into the richness and diversity of Vietnam 54 ethnic groups.

Tonight, enjoy Vietnamese cuisine at local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel. 

In the morning leave Hanoi for Ha Long Bay with your driver and guide. Upon arrival, say good bye to your guide and then board a charming boat and begin your exploration of magical Halong Bay, one of Southeast Asia’s premier tourist destinations. An excellent, fresh seafood lunch and dinner will be served on the boat. Overnight onboard the very comfortable and charming boat.

You are advised to set your alarm clock to enjoy a spectacular dawn over the bay. After a morning bathe and breakfast on board you will continue your cruise to explore the bay. Saying goodbye to the breathtaking beauty of limestone pillars pulling out of Halong Bay then return to Hanoi.

Arriving Noi Bai airport and take the flight to Danang. Be welcomed at Danang airport and transferred to the city for check in at the hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.       

08.00 Your guide will take you to the small villages in the beautiful surrounding countryside. The most vibrant time of the day as hoards of children set off for school and villagers to the market, bikes and trailers laden with their daily wares.

09.00 We head across the new Cua Dai bridge with its spectacular views of Hoi An and surrounds, and out to sea to the Cham Islands head for Duy Hai fishing hamlet, arriving as the small fishing boats return with their daily catch. We then spend a couple of hours cycling and exploring, stopping to take a tour of the raucous Noi Rang market.

11.00 We take a break to sample ‘My Quang’, a regional noodle dish that originates in Quang Nam, the province that is home to Hoi An. As we eat the villagers return to their family homes for lunch and silence descends upon the village.

11.30 Back on our bikes for a leisurely 45 minute ride to the floating restaurant, where you will have a delicious lunch of freshly caught seafood.

13.15 Back on the bikes. Arrive in Kim Bong craft village as the carpenters return to work from their siesta. A stunning ride through lush countryside and tracks lined by river coconut palms, with the gentle breeze sweeping in off the river.

14.00 After a fun opportunity to interact with the Kim Bong villagers, we set off on the winding tracks through rice fields and villages famous locally for producing sleeping mats. There is a stop to meet one of the few remaining coracle (basket) boat builders, a dying local trade. We then take in a visit to the ship building yard giving you an insight in to the importance of these trades in an area dependent upon fishing as a livelihood.

14.30 Moving on to the wood carving workshops where your guide will introduce you to the carpenters and give you the chance to see these talented craftsmen produce everything from daily wares through to the intricate detailing involved in their more decorative work.

15.00 Cross the river back to the old town. Return to your hotel.

Evening, your family can experience magic moments by lighting floating candles on river in evening time for wishing luck.

Free time at leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Leaving kids at kids club or having their dinner with movie night at hotels, parent can enjoy dinner at the hotel as honeymooners.

0800H-0830H

Pick up from your hotel and transfer to Nha Trang Port to board the Emperor Cruises.

0830H-0845H

Arrival at the port where you will be greeted by the Experiences Manager with a welcome drink. Introduction to Nha Trang Bay, the locals, the food, the culture, the emperor, safety precautions, and the Emperor Cruises Junk. Start cruising through the spectacular landscape of Nha Trang Bay.

0845H-0915H

The first destination is Mieu Island for exploring the beautiful landscape by basket boat to head over to fish farms.

Welcome back to the mother boat, to enjoy a fresh coconut fruit.

Continue to cruise past the Tam, Mot, and Mun Islands in Nha Trang Bay. Your destination is Bai Cau in Dam Bay Lagoon, near the famous diving Mun Island site where you can opt for some scuba diving (additional charge).

0915H-1130H

You arrive at our Emperor Cruises’ Secret Beach in Bai Cauwhere you can either go snorkeling or swimming, fishing, trekking, kayaking in either a normal or glass-bottomed kayak, , joining floating bar or try a basket boat. Alternatively, just relax at our Mango Bar under the big tree, enjoying the stunning views of the Emperor Cruises’ sails against the clear blue waters of the bay.

1130H-1230H

After so much activity, you will surely be hungry. You will be served a sumptuous set lunch on board with choices of drink as the boat anchors near Hon Tre Island with its tranquil lagoon and fish farms.

1230H-14:00H

After lunch, guest go sunbathing, swimming and kayaking/grass bottomed kayaking, trekking, trying basket boat on the private beach of Emperor Cruise before returning to Nha Trang.

14:30H-15:00H

Cruise back to Nha Trang Harbor passing Vung Ngan floating village and Vinpearl Island, before catching a glimpse of the Bao Dai Villas as we return to the mainland.

15:00H

At the port your Emperor Cruises Van will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.

Notes:

From November to April or on windy days with big waves, the mother boat will anchor at Mot Island for those who want to go scuba diving. We use our speedboat to transfer you to Our Emperor’s Secret Beach in Dam Bay for beach time and water activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and kayaking in the area before cruising back to Nha Trang Harbor.

The cruising itinerary is subject to change due to the weather.The tours' time table could be revised earlier or later 30 minutes which are depended on the day's weather and water conditions. All customer will get the last confirmation of pick up time one day before the cruising date.

Free time at the resort. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Free at your leisure until private transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, private transfer to your hotel for check-in.  The balance of the day is free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

The tour starts from Ho Chi Minh City. After about a 1 and a half hour drive (70 km), you will arrive at the Cu Chi area and then pass through an artificial tunnel to access the site of the actual tunnels.

To begin the tour, you are invited to watch a documentary film about the tunnels and the guerilla war of the locals in the 1960’s and 1970’s which will give you a practical overview and insight into how great the tunnels were and how they were constructed.

Then, you'll pass by many tunnels’ entrance lids, which are just large enough for one person to crawl in at a time, and see a set of bamboo spikes as well as all the very simple artificial weapons made from bombs and bullets. Moving deeper into the underground areas within 100m; you'll have the chance to visit and view the tunnel systems where you can find rooms, work places, kitchens, meeting rooms, weapon reserves and even hospitals. Life really was lived underground during the war and all the villagers were involved in it! In addition, if you're brave, you can experience firing a weapon on the shooting range, as well as see the locals making rice cakes and distilling wine.

To end the tour, you will be invited to try a specialty of the Cu Chi region called “Khoai my luoc” (boiled manioc or cassava). It was one of the dishes consumed daily by the locals during the war.

Lunch on your own. Overnight at the resort. 

There is no activity planned for today so you are free to enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.