Vietnam & The Philippines Tour

Itinerary

• Day 1: Hanoi, Arrival

  Welcome to Vietnam! On arrival in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, be met and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, you may spend the rest of the day at leisure.

  • Hanoi

• Day 2: Hanoi

  In the morning, gain some basic knowledge about Hanoi's beauty and history through visits to the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Temple of Literature, a rare well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture with pagodas, ponds, and gardens. Visit the Ho Chi Minh House on Stilt, the Hoa Lo Prison with exhibits focusing on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France. After lunch, visit the Museum of Ethnology and get around the Old Quarter by rickshaw. Proceed to the peaceful and quiet Hoan Kiem Lake and the adjacent Ngoc Son Temple. Watch a traditional water puppet show before transferring back to your hotel.

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  • Hanoi

• Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay

  Today, you'll go on a Halong Bay cruise and get a once-in-a-lifetime experience at this World Heritage seascape. After breakfast, drive around 4 hours to the pier and board the cruise. Enjoy the limestone hills and relax on the boat. Have a buffet lunch on board. In the afternoon, this cruise offers an en-route kayak activity to a floating fishing village, a Vietnamese cuisine cooking demonstration and squid fishing activity. You may choose to join in or simply relax on the boat and enjoy the sauna free of charge. Stay overnight on the boat.

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  • Halong Bay

• Day 4: Halong Bay - Da Nang - Hoi An

  Today, you might want to get up early and practice Tai Chi on the open deck. After a light breakfast, you may relax on the boat or climb 200 steps to explore the Thien Canh Son Cave and admire the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites in Halong Bay. Brunch will be served on the deck before disembarking at the pier. After disembarkation, meet your guide and transfer to the airport in Hanoi and then fly to Da Nang. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to the hotel in Hoi An. After checking in, spend the rest of the day at leisure.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 5: Hoi An

  Spend half a day on a Fisherman Eco tour at a fishing village where you will witness local fisherman's daily life and experience fishing by hand. After the tour, return to the town of Hoi An and visit the historical Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple, and the Vietnamese former merchant's house. Listening to the stories behind these relics, you will feel like you have stepped back in time. The evening is at your leisure.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 6: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City

  After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Da Nang and fly to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, be escorted to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City

  After breakfast, set off for the Cu Chi Tunnels, which consist of tunnels and chambers dug in the 1940s and which have provided refuge for soldiers during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Later, drive back to the downtown. Pay a visit to the Ben Thanh Market, the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace (Independence Palace), the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Proceed to the Saigon Central Post Office and the Dong Khoi Street, a fascinating place to taste local snacks or get some souvenirs.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City

  Take a full-day exploration of Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. After a 2-hour drive south, you'll arrive in Ben Tre town and start with a visit to the local market. Then, board a boat at Ham Luong dock for a 40-minute trip. The boat will first take you to Ben Cau canal, to enjoy a peaceful rowboat ride under the canopy of coconut trees. Walk through the village, visit a local farmer's house to enjoy tropical juice, and then take a Tuk Tuk to another family to see women making hand brooms from coconut leaves.

  You'll also have the chance to see traditional coconut candy making and sample different candies and jams. Finally, stop at a local family where the host will show you how to prepare traditional dishes. After cooking and savoring your lunch, return to your hotel downtown.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City - Manila

  Enjoy your free time till being transferred to the airport and flying to Manila. Upon your arrival, your guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day can be spent at leisure.

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  • Manila

• Day 10: Manila

  After breakfast, start your Manila sightseeing with the Casa Manila, which houses lots of antique furniture and artwork of the 19th century. Proceed to the UNESCO-listed San Agustin Church. Take a "calesa", a horse-drawn carriage, to the Manila Cathedral.

  Continue to Fort Santiago and the Rizel Shrine to know more about Jose Rizel, the Philippines' national hero. After that, visit the bizarre Chinese Cemetery with mansion-like tombs equipped with kitchens, air-con and even flushing toilets. Later, head to the Quiapo district and Binondo, which is the world's oldest Chinatown. Return to your hotel and freshen up. Be taken to Makati and the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) which are full of entertainment, shopping, and dining options.

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  • Manila

• Day 11: Manila - Puerto Princesa

  This morning, you will be escorted to the airport for your flight to Puerto Princesa. Upon arrival, your guide will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to settle in and relax in your surroundings.

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  • Puerto Princesa

• Day 12: Puerto Princesa

  Today, you'll embark on a city tour of Puerto Princesa. Visit the Palawan Museum at Mendoza Park to gain insight into the island group's history, art, culture, and mythology. Explore Plaza Cuartel, the beautiful Immaculate Conception Cathedral, and the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. See the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, where inmates work on vast farms instead of being confined.

  For an excellent fresh seafood experience, you are recommended to dine at KA LUI'S RESTAURANT. In the evening, you might enjoy a firefly-watching tour at Kito-kito before returning to the hotel.

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  • Puerto Princesa

• Day 13: Puerto Princesa

  After breakfast, drive around 1.5 hours to Sabang, where you'll start to explore the amazing Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. What's exciting is that this underground river emerges directly into the sea and you'll explore the cave on a canoe with the boatman's headlamp lighting the way. Enjoy the beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites that are within your reach. After the tour, transfer back to your resort hotel and have lunch. After lunch, you'll have a whole afternoon free.

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  • Puerto Princesa

• Day 14: Puerto Princesa - El Nido

  After breakfast, drive to El Nido town (5 hours). Upon arrival, take a 45-minute boat ride to your resort hotel there. Check in and have lunch. After lunch, you may simply relax and walk around. The resort also offers some island hopping activities; you may join in to explore enchanting lagoons, remote islands, and mysterious caves.

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  • El Nido

• Day 15: El Nido, Free Day

  You'll have a whole day free in El Nido today. Aside from island hopping, there are more activities you can do in El Nido. Diving, hiking, zip-lining El Nido, camping on the beach, going on an adventure on a scooter, etc. might be your cup of tea. Just enjoy this island escape!

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  • El Nido

• Day 16: El Nido, Free Day

  Enjoy a further free day in El Nido.

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  • El Nido

• Day 17: El Nido - Manila

  Enjoy your free time in El Nido till being transferred to the airport and flying to Manila. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

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  • Manila

• Day 18: Manila, Departure

  Enjoy free time till being transferred to the airport and flying to your next destination.

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