Highlight Central Vietnam 8 Days

Arriving at Phu Bai airport in Hue, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey before a ‘Welcome’ dinner. Only in Hue, you can eat like a King in Vietnam, with only dishes served for the King, moreover with traditional classical Vietnamese music of Central Vietnam, particularly the Huế region. Stay the night in Hue.

Start your day with a river cruise by boat upstream to Thien Mu - a tranquil pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River. From there, a vehicle will be waiting to take you to Emperor Minh Mang’s mausoleum. The royal mausoleum of Emperor Ming Mang, a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and children, is opulent and exotic in formal Chinese style - a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

The tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley. Its interest lies in the uneasy combination of Vietnamese and European features, the use of fragments of ceramics and glass for decoration, and the striking views from the courtyard in front of the mausoleum.

In the afternoon, you visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue, begin with a stroll around the area between the Citadel’s massive walls and the defensive moat, now filled with lotus flowers. You’ll then enter via the Noon Gate to wander around the Thai Hoa Palace, the Pavilion housing the Nine Urns of the Nguyen rulers, and the remains of the Royal Palaces. You’ll then visit the Museum of Antiquities, and back across the river to modern Hue and the bustling Dong Ba market. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

After breakfast at the hotel, you ride through rural villages to the tile-roofed Thang Toan Bridge. Walk around the local market and to see a nearby local museum, then you return to Hue’s city centre. You visit a garden house, a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court.

Alternative: You may want to extend another day and night in Hue to spend one-day visit the wartime ‘De-militarised Zone’, better known as the DMZ during Vietnam war (the second of the Indochina Wars)

In the morning, your car will arrive to drive you to Danang. On the way, you'll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang spread out before you to the south.

Upon arriving in Danang, you’ll have a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum before leaving for Hoi An. After lunch, you’ll have a guided visit to the Marble Mountain. You hike or take the lift up the Marble Mountain, a cluster of five marble and limestone hills. The area is also known for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts.

You arrive the Ancient Town of Hoi An at late for overnight stay.

Today, the guide shows you the Ancient Town and explain its considerable significance in the history of Vietnam. Hoi An town is a UNESCO World Heritage area, an ancient trading port, a meeting point for many cultures that left their mark in the different architectural features of its wooden buildings.

Lunch with Hoianian’s cuisine then you explore the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary, the spiritual of the Cham Kingdow. The guide shows you the remains of the remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose. When you return, the rest of the day will be free. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

The local guide will meet you at your hotel with the bicycles. You start a gentle ride through the rice paddies in Cam Chau and Cam Thanh. There is a short refreshment break at a local house for a seasonal drink and a talk with its friendly host. The cycling route leads you to the kayak station where the next part of the adventure will begin. Here you will have some briefing on safety rules and the area you will be padding.

You will have a guided-paddle to the mangrove forest where most well grown Nipa palms (locally known as cocopalm), a mangrove ecosystem unique to Hoi An. There is a great opportunity to see special fishing traps, fishing boats and observe the river community at play. Interact with the fishermen and women who still use traditional fishing methods and who live on the river. The paddle leads you to a peaceful village of Duy Vinh, where you have time to take a stroll around to meet its friendly villagers, learn from their traditional craft of sedge-mat weaving and interesting temple of local fishermen.

After around one and a half hour paddling, you’ll back to our station where you will have time for some refreshment before getting back to your hotel.

The day will be free for strolling in the town, lazing on the beach, or whatever takes your fancy. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver transfers you to Danang, where you take the international departure flight.

Check-in time at hotel: 14.00 // Check-out time: 12.00