Itinerary

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart the U.S. and begin your crossing of the Pacific Ocean

Depart from the U.S. for Hanoi. The particulars of your arrival are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive in Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi. Claim your luggage and clear customs. Meet your VBT representative at the Coffee Shop next to the elevator adjacent to Lobby A and Lobby B. They will be holding a VBT sign and will help you transfer to your hotel.

Please note: This transfer has been pre-arranged by VBT and does not require direct payment. Please confirm with the driver that this transfer has been pre-paid—if the driver requests funds from you, this is not your scheduled transfer and you should not take it.

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart US

Depart from the U.S. for Hanoi. The particulars of your arrival are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Explore Hanoi at your leisure

After breakfast at the Hanoi hotel, meet your VBT representative in the lobby and transfer by minibus (approximately 50 minutes) outside of Hanoi to Tay Phuong Pagoda. Tour the pagoda and take a 3-mile walk. Continue on to nearby Thay Pagoda, first built in the 11th century, where Vietnam's famous water puppetry got its start on a stage in the village lake. Drive back to Hanoi in the early afternoon.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi. Claim your luggage and clear customs. Meet your VBT representative at the Coffee Shop next to the elevator adjacent to Lobby A and Lobby B. They will be holding a VBT sign and will help you transfer to your hotel.

Please note: This transfer has been pre-arranged by VBT and does not require direct payment. Please confirm with the driver that this transfer has been pre-paid—if the driver requests funds from you, this is not your scheduled transfer and you should not take it.

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Halong Bay Excursion

After breakfast at the Hanoi hotel, meet your VBT representative in the lobby and transfer to Halong Bay (approximately 3 hours). Board the junk and check in to your cabin. Eat lunch on board as we set sail.

One of the world's natural wonders, and a common backdrop for films set in Vietnam, Halong Bay features more than 1,000 awe-inspiring limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach. Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes and sandy beaches. A folk tale says that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade into the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottoes and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds, and peculiar stone formations.

Hike up to a lookout point over the bay, visit a small fishing village and kayak in a scenic lagoon over coral reefs. Tonight, admire the sunset as you dine on board the junk.

Day 1 of BIKE TOUR Meet Trip Leaders/Hanoi/Orientation tour

VBT No-Air Package guests: Please plan to arrive at your Hanoi hotel by 2:00 p.m. If you are unable to arrive before 2 p.m., please contact VBT during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., ET), at 800-245-3868, to inform us of your arrival time, or contact the hotel on the day the tour begins to let the hotel know when you will arrive. The hotel will pass the message on to your trip leaders.

VBT Air Package guests: After breakfast, your morning is free to do as you please. While choosing your activities for the day, you may wish to keep in mind that a guided tour of the city is included later in the program, featuring visits to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, the exterior of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's house and One Pillar Pagoda. You may wish to visit different sites on this day to avoid duplicate activities later in the trip.

VBT Pre-extension guests: Greet the day on deck while the sun rises over Halong Bay. After breakfast on the junk, visit a limestone grotto. Then cruise back to Halong city and Halong wharf. Transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi (approximately 3 hours), where you join the main tour.

At 2:00 pm, all guests meet in the lobby for a short walking tour around this historic city of lakes, tree-lined boulevards and French-Colonial architecture. Later, return to your hotel to meet your VBT Trip Leader, who provides a briefing of the week ahead. Dine with the group at the hotel.

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Explore Hanoi/Water puppet performance

Sleep in today or join an early-morning walk to Hoan Kiem Lake to experience the city as it shakes off its slumber. You may see locals practicing Tai Chi by the lake, families out for a stroll and street vendors setting out their wares. Then return to the hotel for breakfast before embarking on a tour of the city, including visits to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, the exterior of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's house and One Pillar Pagoda.

Have lunch at a local restaurant, then return to the hotel for a siesta or swim. In the late afternoon, pick up the pace with a cyclo (rickshaw) ride through the Old Quarter. Here, shops sell everything from pungent therapeutic herbs to fluttering prayer flags, shoes, and hardware. The next stop is the theater, where you watch a mesmerizing water puppet performance. Afterward, dine at a local restaurant.

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR Fly to Hue/Take a warm-up ride

After breakfast, explore on your own before transferring to the airport for the flight to Hue. From 1802 to 1945, this was Vietnam's Imperial City; it boasts a vast citadel and the tombs of its emperors. In Hue, check in to the hotel before a safety and bike-fitting session with your Trip Leaders. Then, take a warm-up ride that includes a visit to a local orphanage and the Mausoleum of Khai Dinh. (You may wish to bring along a small gift, such as a book, pens or paper that may be shared among children between the ages of four months old and teenager.) At dinner, feast on local specialties in the hotel's dining room.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to operate this trip, VBT keeps two fleets of bikes in the country, one in Central Vietnam and another in Southern Vietnam. You will receive the same bike-type and bike-size in both locations and your leaders will ensure that both bikes are tuned to your liking.

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR Visit Forbidden Purple City and Imperial City

This morning we shuttle from the hotel to our ride start, then cycle along the banks of the Perfume River, where you may see dragon boats, sampans and traditional houseboats with their rooftop shrines. Pedal on quiet country roads through villages to Thien Mu Pagoda. After touring the pagoda, embark upon a local boat to cruise along the river banks. On arrival at the dock, your drivers will be waiting to transfer you to the ancient Imperial Citadel. Within the citadel lies the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. There, take a walking tour of this massive enclosure.

After lunch and a short transfer, continue cycling southeast of the city, through rice fields and past duck and fish farms. Watch for small homes with haystacks in their yards. In the village of Cau Ngoi Thanh Toan, look for a small covered bridge. Built over two centuries ago, it has weathered many storms, floods and wars, but it has been the soul of the Thanh Toan villagers for generations. While in the village, stop and shop at the local market. Continue riding to the Hue sport center before transferring by vehicle back to the hotel.

Tonight, learn more about local life during dinner at the home of Phan Thuan An, a local historian who resides in the former house of the Princess of the Emperor Dong Khanh.

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Cycle coastal roads/Shuttle to Hoi An

After breakfast, you will transfer to Thuan An Beach and begin cycling. Ride along the beach road, passing through fishing villages. After crossing the Phu Thu Bridge, you arrive at the American-built Phu Bai Airport, where you reboard a minibus and continue to travel toward Hoi An. Eat lunch en route in Lang Co. Then transfer up the Hai Van pass (“Pass of the Ocean Clouds”), stopping at the top to take photos looking down both sides of the mountain ridge (at 1,600 feet elevation). The minibus passes through the city of Da Nang to an area known as Marble Mountain, stops at Non Nuoc village, known for its stoneworks. The drive then goes along Non Nuoc Beach, locally referred to as “New China Beach.” This huge expanse of fine white sand is just down the coast from the original. Here, see locals making bamboo basket boats. (It takes 10 days to make one boat!) Then, continue on to Hoi An, where you check in to your hotel on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Try one of the local restaurants for dinner this evening.

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR Cycle through Thuan Tinh/Walking tour of Hoi An

After breakfast, begin cycling with the Thu Bon River on your right. You will pass many fishing boats and small houses as you cycle this morning. As you bike through Thuan Tinh Ecological Village, see family temples and Areca-nut gardens. Continue cycling through a water-coconut palm forest and past a fishing farm. Your loop ride takes you back to Hoi An for lunch.

After lunch, take part in a walking tour of the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the local market, Tan Ky House, Japanese Bridge and a Chinese temple. Tonight, you are free to enjoy dinner on your own at one of the many open-air restaurants on Bach Dang, the waterfront road in Hoi An.

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Fly to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)/Independent exploration

Enjoy a leisurely morning and breakfast at the resort. In the late morning, transfer to Danang and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to the airport for your flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Upon arrival, transfer to the Majestic Hotel and check in. The Majestic Hotel is centrally located and provides a comfortable center for exploring Vietnam's liveliest city.

This afternoon and evening are yours to explore the city.

Day 8 of BIKE TOUR Cycle the Mekong Delta/Visit to the floating market

This morning, shuttle (approximately 1 hour) to Tan An town in the Mekong Delta area, then begin cycling through this land rich with orange, papaya, grapefruit, and mango trees. Encounter such local sights as a man on a moped with a pig strapped to the backseat, or a motorized tricycle with hundreds of coconuts in the trunk. Our ride today ends in My Tho city and our lunch spot. A shuttle (approximately 2 hours) returns us to Saigon in the late afternoon. During the ride back to Saigon, we will stop and visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem. Built in 1849, the structure is a mixture of Asian and European architecture including elements from the Renaissance period, Romanesque style, French decorative flowers and Japanese enameled tile.

Tonight, try another of Saigon's wonderful restaurants on your own.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to operate this trip, VBT keeps two fleets of bikes in the country, one in Central Vietnam and another in Southern Vietnam. You will receive the same bike-type and bike-size in both locations and your leaders will ensure that both bikes are tuned to your liking.

Day 9 of BIKE TOUR Explore the Cu Chi tunnels/Cycle to Hoc Mon

After breakfast, shuttle (approximately 1 hour) north of Saigon to the district known as Cu Chi and the site of the famous tunnels. Start pedaling to the tunnels, finishing at the Ben Dinh site. Talk with a local Vietcong (VC) before you visit the tunnels themselves. The Cu Chi tunnels are a 75-mile-long underground maze where the Vietcong quite literally dug themselves out of harm's way. After visiting the tunnels, continue to cycle to Ben Nay for lunch, and then ride on to Hoc Mon, where the van waits to shuttle you back to the hotel. This evening, visit the former home of a U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and meet the current owners during a special farewell dinner.

Day 10 of BIKE TOUR Discover Saigon/Fly to U.S. or Begin Post-trip Extension to Cambodia

This morning, set out on a walking tour to visit the former Presidential Palace, the site of the former U.S. Embassy, the Notre Dame Cathedral, City Hall (Hotel de Ville), the Historical Museum or the War Remnant Museum, and the Rex Hotel, famous for the regular press briefings that became known as the “five o'clock follies” during the U.S./Vietnam War. Enjoy a last Vietnamese lunch together in one of the city's great restaurants before some free time to shop or explore on this last day in the country.

VBT No Air Package guests: Your trip ends in the late afternoon at the Saigon hotel. You are responsible for your own transfer to the Saigon airport for your flight home. You can book a taxi (approximately $6-$9 USD, depending on traffic) direct from the hotel. Please confirm fare with your driver in advance to ensure the most direct route to the airport (approximately 30 minutes, 12 km).

VBT Air Package guests: Late afternoon and dinner in Saigon are on your own. Then, meet in the hotel lobby 3 hours prior to your flight departure (subject to change per required check-in time at the airport) for transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the Saigon airport for your flight home. Most flights depart just before midnight. You arrive one day later in the U.S.

If you have chosen the Post-Trip Extension to Angkor Wat, meet in the hotel lobby 3 hours prior to your flight departure (subject to change per required check-in time at the airport) for your transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the Saigon airport. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, claim your luggage and clear customs. Then meet your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. This representative will help you transfer (approximately 20 minutes) to the Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor Resort.

Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Day 1 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Exploration of Siem Reap

This morning, join a guide and start exploring the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom. Its 50 tower temple is an awe-inspiring sight. At first glance, it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals faces, one after another. Suddenly, you are staring into the eyes of an ancient and remote time. Continue discovering the surroundings within the complex including the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Leper King Terrace and Royal Place area. In the afternoon, visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat, one of the world's most impressive ruins. The temple still owns hundreds of fine carvings of Aspara and scenes from Hindu mythology.

Day 2 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Continued exploration of Siem Reap

After breakfast, drive to the rural outskirts of town (22 miles) and visit Ban Teay Srei, the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture. This small temple features impressive carvings. Return to the hotel for an afternoon swim or nap, then head out to Phnom Bakheng, the first major temple to be constructed in the Angkor region. The Bakheng's hilltop location makes it the area's most popular sunset viewing spot, so you will not be alone … but you will be rewarded with stunning panoramic views of Angkor Wat and West Baray.

Day 3 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Depart for US

After breakfast, enjoy a final morning of exploration with a visit to the picturesque and haunting Ta Prohm, a temple that has nearly disappeared into the jungle. Magnificent tree roots push between the temple's huge stone blocks, emphasizing the legend of a “lost city.”

You may store your luggage with the hotel when you check out of your room, and use the hotel facilities until it is time to depart for your flight home. Meet in the hotel lobby 3 hours prior to your flight departure (subject to change per required check-in time at the airport) and then transfer to the Siem Reap airport (approximately 1 hour) for your flight home (via Bangkok and Tokyo). You arrive one day later in the U.S.

Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Journey through Vietnam 2011

Pre and Post Trip Extensions

Pre-Trip Extension

Hanoi & Halong Bay 2011 - 2 nights for only $345

Before your vacation, experience life on a traditional Vietnamese sailing vessel, called a junk. Steeped in rich history, these romantic vessels have been the homes of both merchants and warriors since the time of the Han Dynasty. Your home for a night, this vessel has preserved its authentic heritage, adding modern conveniences and a professional crew. During the cruise you have the opportunity to take a light trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay and kayak in a scenic lagoon. You'll never forget the sunset and sunrise onboard our colorful junk, in the incredible setting of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This extension also includes a day trip from Hanoi to visit Tay Phuong and Thay Pagodas. Enjoy the opportunity to stretch your legs with a 3-mile walk.

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $145.

Post-Trip Extension

Angkor Wat, Cambodia 2011 - 3 nights for only $795

Tour a magnificent ancient civilization with help from a knowledgeable guide. View Angkor Wat at sunset from the hilltop at Phnom Bakheng. Tour picturesque Ta Prohm, where trees have grown among the temple stone in this “hidden city.” Drive to the rural outskirts of town and visit Van Teay Srei, the birthplace of Khmer classical style. In the evening, enjoy the luxury and comfort of your award-winning, 4-star resort

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $195.

Accommodations

Melia Hanoi Hotel

A 5-star hotel ideally situated in the city center, Melia Hanoi Hotel is within walking distance of all tourist attractions. It features two restaurants, a swimming pool and fitness center.

Pilgrimage Village Hue

The Pilgrimage Village, Hue, is designed as a rustic village with the natural environment, local culture and the ancient in mind.

Life Resort Hoi An

The Life Resort Hoi An is located along the Thu Bon River and right at the doorstep of Hoi An's colourful and bustling Ancient Town

Hotel Majestic

Opened in 1925 as the city’s finest hotel, the Majestic has gone through several incarnations over the years, changes that reflect the tumultuous history of Vietnam. During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army used this French-Colonial structure as a military barracks. During the Vietnam War, it was frequented by foreign correspondents and espionage agents. Today, it remains a hotel of tradition, hospitality, and elegance. Hotel Majestic is located within walking distance of the beautiful Opera House, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Markets, reflexology boutiques and other related therapy boutiques, as well as most major commercial office buildings.

Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor Resort

Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor is set among tranquil landscaped gardens on beautiful tree-lined Charles de Gaulle Avenue. It is the hotel closest to the stunning ruins of Angkor Wat. The resort is located near traditional markets, and is just a 15-minute drive from the airport. Combining French and Khmer architecture to provide refined, elegant accommodations, the hotel features 238 rooms, a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, spa, five restaurants, three bars and the Phokeethra Country Club, the world-class 18-hole golf course.

Rating Level

Easy

This tour offers easy terrain throughout the trip and is suitable for beginning cyclists and ideal for regular recreational cyclists. Roads are carefully selected, but in general are not of the same standard as in Europe or the USA.