Itinerary
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Day 1
Hanoi You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver. Conveniently located in the heart of Hanoi’s business district, a 40-minute drive from Noi Bai International Airport and only 5 minutes from the city centre, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is specially tailored to meet the needs of discerning corporate travellers. There are well-appointed rooms and suites equipped with LCD flat screen TVs and a wide selection of international cable TV channels. Mini-bar, personal safe, tea and coffee making amenities are also available. Broadband cable and WiFi Internet is accessible in all guest rooms and throughout the public areas of the hotel. Mangosteen, our all-day dining restaurant offers an interactive buffet as well as à la carte menu. The Lounge 83 is the perfect place to catch up with friends while enjoying some delicious snacks or start a great night out. For well-being, head to Kinetic Gym and Wellness Studio. Hanoi is nestled on the banks of the Red River, it is a beautiful city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also a city of lakes, which adds to its air of sleepy grace. In the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple sitting on an island in its center. To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and cafes. Also worth a visit, the former Ville Française was the old French administrative center and is characterized by enormous colonial-era châteaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses Hanoi’s most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
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 Hanoi |
 Moevenpick Hotel Hanoi |
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Day 2
Hanoi Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his former residence ( Closed on Monday, Friday and the whole of Oct & Nov), One pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue city tour to one of the museums ( Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology Museum) of your choice ( closed on Monday), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple and 01-hour cyclo. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Lunch is included. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Overnight at Moevenpick (5*).
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 Dragon & Incense sticks in Temple of Literature |
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Day 3
Halong Bay You will be picked up at 8am for your private transfer to Halong City. This takes roughly 3 hours. You may stop enroute to admire the local scenery. Arrive at the port around 11:30am and board the ship. Begin sailing and pass through magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with
these local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board enjoy a lavish dinner. Overnight on board.
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Launched in mid 2006, the wooden junk that combines classic beauty with modern comfort. Our custom-designed junk features three decks that house an elegant restaurant, lounge, two bars, a small boutique, library and ten luxurious sleeping cabins. With so much space, passengers can truly unwind. Ha Long Bay is located 160km (100 miles) north of Hanoi, this is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain bizarre cave formations and grottoes. An entire culture of floating villages has evolved with interlinked boats that can move from island to island.
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 Halong Bay |
 Halong Ginger Junk |
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Day 4
Hanoi Wake up to Tai Chi exercises on the sun deck and continue cruising the bays. Breakfast buffet will be served in the restaurant, then you will visit the limestone grotto. Disembark in Halong City around 11am and transfer back to Hanoi with your private vehicle, guide and driver.
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Overnight at Moevenpick (5*).
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Day 5
Hoi An You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver. Fly from Hanoi to Danang. Airport transfer between Danang airport and Hoi An with private vehicle, Driver, and English-speaking guide. Take a half day walking tour of Hoi An, discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Visit Hoi An colourful local market, Tan Ky old house, Fukien Assembly Hall, and the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge.Travelers can also see local residents raise silkworms and produce silk for Hoi An's burgeoning textile industry. Life Resort Hoi An is a tranquil getaway tucked into the French colonial town, Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 94 rooms are offered as junior suites, superior rooms, and grand suites. Each is set with with high standard fabrics and furnishings, using contemporary decor. Subtle delights mark this deluxe resort experience, known for genuinely hospitable staff. Dine at Senses Restaurant, which is host to the mouthwatering flavors of Vietnam, or Cafe Vienna, the European-style hotel hangout. Later, take a bicycle trip through the town and countryside or a ferry ride to the beach. Hoi An is a small town in Central Vietnam famous for its wooden houses, for its family chapels, for its Assembly Halls and for its silk shops. The town of Hoi An, known as Faifo in Europe, played a central role in the commerce between Vietnam and the rest of the world from the 16th to the 19th century. Nowadays the town attracts tourists from all the continents.
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 Hoi An |

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 Life Resort, Hoi An |
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Day 6
Hoi An You will be picked up by mini-bus today along with other travellers for a full day tour. Pick out your ingredients at the local market and take a boat 25-minutes up the river to the cooking school. Watch the fishermen cast their nets up the water as well as life along the river. We arrive at a small town and walk to the cooking school. The lesson is in an open-air pavilion next to the river. Chef Thanh will teach you how to cook a traditional Vietnamese meal. Work off that lunch (is in the price included) with an afternoon cycling tour to Cua Dai beach (5km) and relax. You will return back to your hotel by about 4:00PM. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Overnight at Life Resort (4*).
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 Practice your Vietnamese Cooking |
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Day 7
Ho Chi Minh City Airport transfer between Danang airport and Hoi An with private vehicle, Driver, and English-speaking guide. Fly from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy a private transfer with English Speaking Driver between Ho Chi Minh City airport and your hotel. You will be picked up by private car and English speaking Driver for a half day city tour, which enables you to gain a sense of the rich tapestry that makes up this city of 8 million inhabitants. Ho Chi Minh City is a city full of contrasts, locals in their conical hats, women in their traditional "aodai" (Vietnamese dress) and a city full of the latest motorbikes. Your tour starts with a visit of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office. You will then visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. Located in the heart of Saigon's business district, the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon offers first-class hospitality, comfortable rooms and modern amenities. After a long day, relax at the poolside terrace or enjoy a leisurely dinner at Kabin, known as one of the finest Chinese restaurants in the city. Take a dip in the rooftop pool and visit the Health Club for an invigorating workout with the latest gym equipment. Otherwise, simply enjoy the incredible views of the Saigon River and stroll to museums, galleries and other area attractions. You’ll find that the hotel’s central location, panoramic views and impeccable service makes this the ideal place to stay while visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is more modern than other Vietnamese cities, and has retained its French colonial influences. The streets are jam-packed with mopeds and scooters, often carrying whole families. Highlights in the city include the colorful Emperor of Jade Pagoda, an excellent example of a Chinese temple. The Hôtel de Ville is a wonderful example of French colonial architecture. The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. The War Remnants Museum bears witness to the suffering inflicted on the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s. Other sites relevant to that era are Reunification Hall and the former US Embassy. An interesting excursion from Saigon is a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels in which the South Vietnamese Communists concealed themselves and from which they launched attacks on US soldiers.
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 Ho Chi Minh City |
 Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
 Renaissance Riverside |
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Day 8
Ho Chi Minh City Tay Ninh is home to the unique Cao Dai sect. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The interior is truly engaging as statues of Jesus, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side by side. Depart your hotel early morning by private vehicle and English speaking Driver and take the opportunity to watch the worshippers in their white long tunics during noon mass. After lunch, visit Cu Chi tunnels, an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war. Lunch is included. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Overnight at Renaissance Riverside (5*).
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 Cao-Dai-worshippers |
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Day 9
Ho Chi Minh City Enjoy a private transfer with English Speaking Driver between Ho Chi Minh City airport and your hotel. Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities. Depart from Ho Chi Minh City International airport - end of itinerary.
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Trip Includes
Guaranteed departure – Accommodation, Activities, Transfers, Meals, Fees where indicated as per the itinerary - Local and international traveler assistance during your tour - Specialised and personalised services
Trip Excludes
Tips - Laundry - Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages unless explicitly noted - Optional activities/extras – Visas (unless noted) - Vacation insurance
Trip Terms & Conditions
- Your deposit is due immediately on booking (30% of program price, minimum $250). The balance is due 90 days prior to departure. We accept payment via credit card, certified check, wire transfer or money order.
- Tour quotes do not include airfare to/from the trip start point unless noted on the itinerary
- Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
- Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. We will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
- Cancellations 90 days or more prior to departure will receive full refund less any non-refundable paid fees (e.g. non-refundable airfare, cruise, or hotel deposits). 60-89 days will be subject to loss of deposit. 30-59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price. 29 days or less will be subject to 100% of program price.
- Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.kensingtontours.com/terms-and-conditions
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