Travel-Learn Program

When: October 21, 2012 - November 05, 2012 (iCal)

Description

Our encounter with Vietnam’s beauty, traditions, and hospitality begins as we take in the highlights of the capital Hanoi and a full-day excursion to scenic Ha Long Bay. Da Nang’s acclaimed Cham Museum is next on our list of destinations, followed by a visit to the colorful village of Hoi An, and an opportunity to relax on China Beach. Our journey is not over yet, as we will then visit the imperial capital Hue, once home to emperors; and cruise down the Perfume River to peaceful Thien Mu Pagoda. During our travels we will also be able to explore the tributaries and floating markets of the Mekong River Delta. Our voyage concludes in Saigon with tours of Reunification Palace and the History Museum. To extend our adventure, a post-tour extension to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia is available.

Activity level: Moderately Active

To avoid disappointment of a sold out program, register now!

Cost

From $3,695 per person, double occupancy.

Contact

For more information,contact Usha Nand Sellers Ed. D., Director Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617-627-5323.

Itinerary

Days 1 - Depart U.S. for Hanoi, Vietnam

We will depart the U.S. for Vietnam, spending the day in transit.

Day 2 - Arrive Hanoi

We will arrive mid-morning in the capital of Hanoi and transfer to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure and dinner tonight is on our own.

Day 3 - Hanoi

This morning, after breakfast and a brief overview of our journey ahead, we will set off on a walking tour of Ba Dinh Square, a complex of cultural and historic sites, including the marble and granite mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. We will also visit the French colonial Presidential Palace, and the 1,000-year-old One Pillar Pagoda.

Following lunch on our own we will visit Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, and Hao Prison (also known as “Hanoi Hilton”). Next, we will walk through the streets of the Ancient Quarter, a popular gastronomic area. Before dining here, we will take a traditional cyclo ride followed by a water puppet performance.

Day 4 - Hanoi/Ha Long Bay

After an early breakfast, we will depart for a full-day excursion to Ha Long Bay (“Bay of the Descending Dragon”), a waterway sprinkled with some 3,000 islands and islets and surrounded by a landscape of limestone cliffs, grottoes, and caves. A UNESCO World Heritage site, our excursion includes a boat ride and a lunch of local seafood specialties. We return to our Hanoi hotel early this evening; dinner tonight is on your own.

Day 5 - Hanoi/Da Nang

After breakfast, we will fly to Da Nang to tour the Cham Museum, which celebrates the Cham peoples’ Hindu legacy with a fine collection of sculptures and artifacts dating from the 7th to 15th centuries. After arriving mid-morning at our beachfront hotel the remainder of the day is at leisure. Lunch is on our own. For the evening dinner we will meet at our hotel.

Day 6 - Da Nang/Hoi An

Following an early breakfast, we will travel to the nearby town of Hoi An, where a succession of Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese traders all contributed to the building of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Since cars are not permitted, it is perfect for our walking tour past the low, tile-roofed houses lining narrow streets, the Japanese covered bridge, and the Chinese communal house. The rest of the day is at leisure with dinner is on our own.

Day 7 - Da Nang

After breakfast, we will visit a neighboring village, nestled amidst seemingly endless rice paddies. Here we gain a special insight into the everyday life of a local farming community as we walk through the village past modest homes, gardens of vegetables and fruit, the village temple, husking mill and even living rooms of homes open to the street. After returning to our hotel around lunchtime, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Dinner tonight is on our own.

Day 8 - Da Nang/Hue

After breakfast, we will depart by coach for the ancient imperial capital of Hue. This afternoon, after checking in at our hotel, we will tour the Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site housing the Forbidden Purple City. We will also visit the Dong Ba central market. This evening we will meet for a special Hue buffet outdoors at our hotel, weather permitting, accompanied by a performance of traditional music.

Day 9 - Hue

Our breakfast will be followed by a cruise by sampan along Hue’s Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda. Later we will visit the palatial Tomb of Minh Mang with its pavilions, reception hall, summerhouse, lakes, gardens, and courtyards modeled after the Ming Tombs of China. Lunch will be at a local restaurant followed by a visit to two other tombs: Tu Duc, and Khai Dinh. Dinner tonight is on our own.

Day 10 - Hue/Mekong Delta (Can Tho)

An early morning breakfast will be followed by a one-hour flight to Saigon. Upon our arrival we will transfer to a motorcoach for a three-hour drive to the Mekong River town of Cai Be. From there, we will travel by coach to the busy river port of Can Tho. We will have time to relax and use the hotel’s amenities before we meet for dinner.

Day 11 - Can Tho/Mekong Delta

After an early breakfast, today’s tour highlight includes, an excursion by boat to the floating vegetable market at Cai Rang. It is along this river that locals conduct the business of everyday life, as evidenced by the farmers displaying and selling their goods from bamboo poles suspended over their boats as a form of advertising. Afterwards, we will have lunch at a local restaurant and then return to our hotel. The remainder of our day is at leisure with dinner on our own.

Day 12 - Mekong Delta/Saigon

After breakfast and an hour-long coach ride we will arrive at the upper reaches of the Mekong. Here we will board motorized sampans for an up-close look at river life. We will then stop at a local restaurant for lunch, and continue on by coach to Saigon. We will reach our hotel late this afternoon; dinner tonight is on our own.

Day 13 - Saigon

Once the proud capital of South Vietnam, Saigon was renamed in 1976 as Ho Chi Minh City and virtually closed to the outside world. Saigon has once again reclaimed its former name along with a more cosmopolitan outlook. This morning’s tour includes such highlights as the former Presidential Palace, the Historical Museum, the Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Lunch today is on our own leaving this afternoon free for leisure. We will meet for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 14 - Saigon/Cu Chi Tunnels

After breakfast, on our morning’s tour we will visit the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. Built over a period of 25 years, beginning in the 1940s to sabotage the French occupiers, the tunnels are engineering marvels, stretching from Saigon to the Cambodian border. Parts of the tunnels descend several stories deep and include living areas, weapons factories, field hospitals, and kitchens. Those who wish will have a chance to descend into one of the tunnels and those who choose to remain outside will have ample opportunities to tour the excavations above. We will return to our hotel in time for lunch on our own with the remainder of the day free to explore as you wish. Tonight we will meet for a farewell dinner.

Day 15: Saigon/Depart for U.S.

Breakfast is at our hotel; later in the afternoon we will depart for the airport and our connecting flight to the U.S.

Price and Itinerary remain tentative and subject to change

617-627-5323|usha.sellers@tufts.edu