'The roads to the World Heritage Sites of Vietnam'!

Hue

 Hue served as Vietnam's capital under the Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and is arguably the most beautiful city in Vietnam. The city’s regal past can still be seen today inside the walls of the Citadel and the war-ravaged Imperial City.
Both were heavily damaged during the Tet Offensive of 1968, when the Communists took the city from the South and held it for 3 weeks. The walls of the Citadel bear witness to the terrible fighting that went on within and are riddled with shrapnel and bullet holes. Now thanks to UNESCO funding, much of the City is being faithfully restored to its former glory. The Imperial City, created in the 19th century and modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing, has many palaces and temples inside.

Further echoes of the Imperial age can be found in Hue’s surrounding countryside. Here several of the tombs of former Emperors can be found. One of the most impressive tombs, that of Emperor Minh Mang, is set within a beautiful landscaped garden. It is said that it took 13 years to find an appropriate burial site for the Emperor, and upon arrival it's not hard to see why they eventually chose this location. Set on the banks of the Perfume River and surrounded by beautiful rolling hills it is a tranquil and idyllic place.

A boat trip on the Perfume River is definitely worthwhile. Along the way stop at the Thien Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda – Hue’s symbol. Situated 4 km upstream on the banks of the Perfume River, it is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, Thich Quang Duc, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists 

When you are in Hue for sightseeing, do try some Hue cuisine, widely acknowleged to be some of the best in Vietnam.

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panviettravel@gmail.com Visit Vietnam’s center 8 days

~ 'The roads tothe World Heritage Sites of Vietnam'!

Code: PV - MT 45 - 02
Routes:     Hanoi - Hue - Bach Ma - Danang - Hoian - My Son – Danang
Duration:  8 days

Feature: This 8 day Vietnam cultural and natural exploration tour will take you to visit the many World Heritage Sites of Central Vietnam. These areas are thick with tradition and ancient splendor. You may start from the Vietnam capital of Hanoi or fly into the international airport of  Danang. Travel from either there to Hue, Hoi An, My Son.

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Itinerery in Detail

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, city tour
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
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 (B)

Day 4: Hue - Bach Ma National Park
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.
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.
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.

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 - Hoian

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 bus. From here it will take us about 4 hours to get to Hoian. There is fabulous sightseeing  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
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: My Son and Hoian handicraft villages
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: Departure from Danang
Today is our final day together. Fly home from the Danang International Airport or trasfer back to Hanoi or Saigon to continue your trip.  

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panviettravel@gmail.com

Included: Train ticket, Car, Tour Guide, River boat, Entrance fee, Hotel; Standard is 2-3 stars, Superior is from 3-4 stars, Deluxe is at 4-5 stars hotels.

Excluded: Travel insurance, drinks, items of a personal nature, tips and gratitude, others not mentioned in the inclusion box.
What to Bring: Passport with a valid visa, sun hat, sunglasses, sun cream, insect repellent, good shoes for some hiking, camera with lots of films.