The Vietnam War

Overview

The Vietnam War has been very intriguing to politicians, teachers, students, scholars, veterans and people around the world. The Vietnam War has been the topic of debates for many years since and will still be the topic in many years to come.

The Vietnam War tour is designed to bring an insight into the war not by mere debates in sealed dark rooms, not by information given in books, not by speeches given by scholars, but by traveling through the war sites, learning from the locals who lived or fought here in the war, whose life was entangled by the war, whose family separated...

The Vietnam War tour doesn't try to bring out to the travellers the rights or the wrongs, the Vietnam War tour shows the travelers how life of the people could be affected and how the nice environment could be destroyed. The Vietnam War Tour brings our travellers back to the past to foresee the future better.

Combining with the war sites, the Vietnam War Tour brings our fellow travellers to different World Heritage Sites of Vietnam. The tour is guided by our unbiased and knowledgeable tour guides, filled up with local insights and information. Most accommodations chosen for the tour are of tourist standard due to local conditions. In Hanoi and Saigon, 3-4-5 star hotels are available upon request.

Day 1    Arrive at Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airfield  (no meal)
Day 2    Saigon - Iron Triangle - Tay Ninh - Saigon (B)
Day 3    Saigon - Cai Be - Vinh Long (B/L)
Day 4    Vinh Long - Xeo Quyt - Saigon (B/L)
Day 5    Saigon City Tour (B)
Day 6    Saigon - Vung Tau (B)
Day 7    Vung Tau - Nha Trang (B)
Day 8    Nha Trang - Buon Ma Thuat (B/L)
Day 9    Buon Ma Thuat - Pleiku - Kontum (B/L)
Day 10    Kontum – Dakto – Pleiku (B/L)
Day 11    Pleiku - Quy Nhon (B/L)
Day 12    Quy Nhon - Quang Ngai (B/L)
Day 13    Quang Ngai - My Lai - Hoi An (B)
Day 14    Hoi An - Da Nang - Hoi An (B)
Day 15    Hoi An - Hue (B)
Day 16    Hue (B)
Day 17    Hue - Dong Ha - Dong Hoi (B)
Day 18    Arrive in Ha Noi (B)
Day 19    Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay Junk Cruise (B/L/D)
Day 20    Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi  (B/L)
Day 21    Depart Ha Noi  (B)

The tour price includes

• English-speaking guide;
• Transportation + airlines tickets within Vietnam as indicated on the tour program;
• Air-con soft-sleeper train ticket for Dong Hoi - Ha Noi as on the tour program;
• Junk cruise on Ha Long Bay;
• Tourist boats for cruise on the Mekong River and Xeo Quyt, the Perfume River in Hue as indicated on the tour program;
• Accommodation on twin-shared basis as indicated on the tour program;
• Meals as indicated on the tour program: B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner;
• All admission fees during the guided times as indicated on the tour program;

The tour price doesn't include:

• Insurance of any types;
• International airfares and airport taxes;
• Drinks or personal expenses;
• Others not clearly specified in the inclusions;

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airfield
Arriving at the airport, welcomed by our tour guide and transferred to the city. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 2: Saigon - Iron Triangle - Tay Ninh - Saigon (B)
Breakfast at the hotel
Travel to the Iron Triangle, the sites of the 173rd Airborne and 11th Armored Cavalry bases; the staging area for 503rd Airborne Brigade at Ben Cat; Lai Khe, home of the 1st Infantry Div; Cu Chi Tunnels, located, in part, directly beneath HQ of the 25th Infantry Division. It was from the Cu Chi tunnels attacks on Saigon were launched and conducted at Tet, 1968. At Cu Chi, there's an opportunity to crawl into the claustrophobic tunnels.

Also, we will tour the "Holy See" of the Cao Dai religion, their fantastic art deco temple and compound with its formal gardens. Observe the worship service, view murals of the history and theology of this unusual religion. The religion is found only in Vietnam, the third most popular religion here. The Cao Dai were originally a paramilitary force in combating the French, and once defeated by ARVN forces under Diem presidency, they brought their forces into alliance with the South Vietnamese government. Travel back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 3: Saigon - Cai Be - Vinh Long (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel further into the Mekong Delta to Cai Be. Embark our private boat for exploring the life on the Mekong River. We'll cruise to tour Cai Be floating market, visit an old farmer's house with ancient agriculture tools, visit family businesses such as making bricks, pop-corn...The boat tour also brings back memories the hazards of this sub-tropical jungle 30 years ago...
Overnight at a hotel in Vinh Long.

Day4: Vinh Long - Xeo Quyt - Saigon (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Xeo Quyt, a former VC base. Tour of Xeo Quyt and have a boat cruise through the cajeput forest. Travel back to Saigon. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 5: Saigon City Tour (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Enjoy a city tour of Saigon including the Presidential Palace, Remnants of War Museum (formerly American War Crimes Museum), old U.S. embassy, Binh Tay Market, Cho Lon (China Town), central post office and Notre Dame Cathedral on what was once called John F. Kennedy Square, Thien Hau Temple, lacquerware factory. Free at leisure for the remainder of the day.

Overnight in Saigon

Day 6: Saigon - Vung Tau (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Vung Tau, the biggest in-country R&R Center. Have tours on the way to Di An, Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Bear Cat. Check into the hotel.
In the afternoon, tour of the Villa Blanche, mountaintop Jesus, Light House, Niet Ban Tinh Xa Pagoda.
Overnight at Vung Tau.

Day 7: Vung Tau - Nha Trang (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Nha Trang via Xuan Loc, Phan Thiet, Phan Rang, and Cam Ranh Bay. Check into hotel and spend a relaxing day at our own pace.
Recommended activities: snorkeling, jet-skis, Tri Nguyen Oceanographic Institute "aquarium," Tam Island, and a fishing village, trip in small basket boats piloted by young girls.

Day 8: Nha Trang - Buon Ma Thuat (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to the Central Highlands with a scenic drive from Nha Trang to Buon Me Thuot, an area famous for elephant training and coffee plantations. Check into hotel.

In the afternoon, tour of Ban Don (Don Village with elephant training tradtions) and Yok Don National Park. Enjoy an elephant ride through the forest. Travel back to Buon Ma Thuat. Overnight at a hotel in Buon Ma Thuat.

Day 9: Buon Ma Thuat - Pleiku - Kontum (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Drive northward through the highlands to Pleiku and Kontum. Kontum was the site of a major battle at Easter, 1972. There are many opportunities to visit several Montagnard villages. Explore areas from Pleime to Dak To including site of the Battle of Ia Drang (from distance only) and NVA retreat route past LZs Albany and X-Ray, and Rocket Ridge named for the many B52 bomb craters. Overnight in Kontum.

Day 10: Kontum – Dakto – Pleiku (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Today, we travel to Dakto to visit Phoenix Airstrip - the former Airbase of the 4th Division. Lunch in Kontum. Visit the Wooden Catholic Church, Vinh Son Orphanage. Stop over at Plei Phun village en route from Kontum to Pleiku to learn the Jarai’s traditional custom and culture.

Day 11: Pleiku - Quy Nhon (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Qui Nhon, supply depot of the first Log Command, via An Khe, a major military area where you could find the First Air Cavalry among other units. Stop at Quang Trung Museum at Tay Son. Qui Nhon also was an R&R location with the Red Beach Recreation Area. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy an oriented tour of Quy Nhon and a swim on the beach. Overnight in Quy Nhon.

Day 12: Quy Nhon - Quang Ngai (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Quang Ngai. Visit the petroleum farm and ammunition dump near Qui Nhon. Along the way are Phu Cat Airbase, Bong Son and Duc Pho; all those sites mark the fierce battles back in time. Overnight in Quang Ngai.

Day 13: Quang Ngai - My Lai - Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Significant sites are on ou tour list today. We'll travel back again in time to 1968 to My Lai (Son My) Massacre in 1968 where 504 civillians were massacred, then continue our tour onto Chu Lai, Tam Ky, Hoi An. Check into hotel and enjoy a walking tour of Hoi An Ancient Town. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 14: Hoi An - Da Nang - Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Tour of the Old Airfield (from outside), Marble Mountains, Non Nuoc Beach, Cham Museum. Travel back to Hoi An and enjoy free time at leisure.

Day 15: Hoi An - Hue (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Hue passing through the the Hai Van Pass. Stop at Red Beach where the first U.S. combat marines landed in 1965. Upon arrival, check into hotel. Sights for today tour are the Citadel and Flag Tower, location of the strongest stand by the VC during the Tet Offensive, 1968.

Day 16: Hue (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Cruise on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, here you will see the Austin driven by a Buddhist monk to his immolation in Saigon to protest the anti-Buddhist repression of Ngo Dinh Diem Regime. Continue your cruise to the mausoleum complex of Emperor Minh Mang and then visit tombs of Emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh.

Day 17: Hue - Dong Ha - Dong Hoi (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel up Highway 1 passing Camp Evans (20th Tank Regiment) and Fire Support Base Nancy (258th M.C. Brigade); continue to the battle site of Quang Tri, then to Ai Tu Combat Base and Airfield of the 3rd ARVN Div. HQ. Then we'll travel our way to Dong Ha and enter Leatherneck Square bounded by Con Tien, Doc Mieu, Gio Linh and Cam Lo and recall Operation Buffalo. Our tour travels through the heart of the DMZ along Route 9 to Khe Sanh. We'll pass a series of fire support bases and the Rockpile and the Dakkrong Bridge. Tour the former Khe Sanh Base, a French fort, battle sites and military camps.

The tour travels further on Highway 1 across the Hien Luong Bridge over the Ben Hai River that once demarcated North and South Vietnam during the war. We'll also tour the famous Truong Son Cemetery and Vinh Moc Tunnels. Return to Dong Hoi for the night train for Ha Noi. Overnight on board the train.

Day 18: Arrive in Ha Noi (B)
Arriving at Ha Noi in the morning, travel to our hotel for check-in and enjoy free time at leisure for the rest of the morning. Breakfast at the hotel.

In the afternoon, have a city tour of Ha Noi including: The Presidential Palace, The West Lake area, the Temple of Literature and the Old Quarter. Waterpuppet show is in late afternoon. Overnight in Ha Noi.

Day 19: Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay Junk Cruise (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel to Ha Long Bay and embark our junk with private twin-shared cabin for a cruise through the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. Tour of Sung Sot Cave and Titov Beach. Anchor for the night in the wild of Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay is part of The Gulf Tonkin. The Gulf Tonkin Incident led to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964 which started the saturation bombings of North Vietnam which was only brought to an end in 1972.

Day 20: Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi
Breakfast on board the junk.
Enjoy a trip to visit Luon secret lagoon by small boat.
Further cruise onto Bai Tu Long Bay.
Lunch on board and disembarkation at 11:45 A.M
Transfer back to Ha Noi.
Overnight in Ha Noi.

Day 21: Depart Ha Noi
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your departure and your Vietnam adventure tour comes to an end. We trust you had an interesting experience back in time with Private Vietnam Tours.

Trip Photos