Day 1: Hanoi to Hue
Travel by night train from Hanoi, AC soft sleeper class to Hue. Arrives by 7: 50 am the next morning. Your transfer to the train station will be arranged.
Day 2: Hue (B/L)
Getting started at 9: 30 am from your hotel, we walk and transfer to the boat dock for cruising on the Perfume River viewing the city and the tranquil villages on the riverbank. Walk up to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, overlooking the Perfume River and the beautiful scenery beyond. Take some time here to learn about the influences of Buddhism in Vietnam. Then we take a short ride to visit the former Imperial Citadel. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. The afternoon is spent with a visit to the most splendid of the royal tombs of Minh Mang (1820) and Tu Duc (1848). The day ends at 5: 30 pm at your hotel.
Day 3: Hue - Traditional Villages (B/L)
Breakfast at hotel then head out via car to visit the homes of Tinh Gia Vien and An Hien with their renowned Garden Courtyards as well as Ngoc Son Princess' residence. Lunch break then we will take you to Phu Cam handicraft village where they make the Vietnamese traditional conical hat, and Phuong Duc bronze-casting village. Drive back to Hue at 4: 30 pm.
Day 4: Hue - Bach Ma National Park (B/L/D)
At 7: 00 am morning departure for Bach Ma National Park, arriving at Bach Ma Center at 8: 00 am. We will have a short rest before driving up to the Bach Ma Summit (45 minutes). En route be prepared with your camera for some spectacular views of the area. At 9: 30 am the summit will also act as our trekking base. Our hard trek will travel down natural trails with ample opportunity for superb bird viewing. We are back for our lunch and a short rest at 11: 30 am.
At 12: 30 pm we will lead you on a light trek to the Five Lakes (35 minutes). This area is inhabited by a multitude of butterflies. Continue our trek to Do Quyen Waterfall. At 3: 30 pm our trek journeys us uphill to our campsite and overnight location. Dinner by the fire than an enjoyable sleep in the jungle.
Day 5: Danang - Hoi An (B)
Wake up in the Vietnamese jungle and feel free to walk around to observe the beauty of nature. We will have breakfast here at 9: 00 am then take down camp before walking back to the van. From here it will take us about 4 hours to get to Hoian. There is fabulous sightseeing en route and we may make stops at: Lang Co beach, Hai Van pass, Cham Museum, and the Marble mountains. Then onto Hoian, overnight here.
Day 6: Hoian, walking tour in the ancient town (B/L)
The center of Vietnam is home to many of World Heritage Sites and Hoian is one of them. Here in this ancient town of Hoian, 30 km south of Danang, lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Occupied by early western traders in the 16th century, Hoian has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tile-roofed houses and narrow streets. The original structure of some of these streets still remain almost fully intact. All the houses were made of rare wood, decorated with colorful lacquered details and panels engraved with Chinese characters. Always a favorite place!
Day 7: Hoi An (B/L)
This day starts with a 2 hour drive by car to visit the Cham towers in My Son, yet another Vietnam Heritage Site. Leaving this site, we will then go on a boat trip along the Thu Bon river. Hop of the boat every once and a while to visit the handicraft villages located along the riverside. Continue boating on the river back to Hoian old town.
Day 8: Depart Danang (B)
Today is our final day together. Fly home from the Danang International Airport or transfer back to Hanoi or Saigon to continue your trip.
