Two post-conference Tours are proposed this year for participants.
Tour 1 : Quy nhon - Hoi An - Danang - Hue - Halong Bay - Hanoi
This tour will begin in Qui Nhon and end in Hanoi. We will travel north, first by road from Qui Nhon to Hoi An, a well preserved coastal city of considerable historical interest; UNESCO has designated it as a World Heritage Site. After spending the night at Hoi An, we will continue north by bus to Hue; if there is sufficient time, we will make a brief visit to Danang and other interesting sites. Hue was the imperial capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, which dominated Southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century, and it is also a World Heritage site. From Hue, we will continue to the beautiful and unique Halong Bay; we will first fly to Hanoi, and from there go directly to Halong by road. We will visit the bay on a cruiseboat, on which we will spend the night; in this way, we will experience the unforgettable sight of sunset and sunrise over the limestone islands scattered over the whole bay. The next stop will be Ninh Binh, known as the “celestial Halong”. We will then continue to the city of Hanoi, the current capital of Vietnam, and spend some time exploring its interesting monuments and also participating in its life. The tour will end in Hanoi. Day 1: January 11 Quy Nhon - Hoi An 12:00 am : Meeting at the lobby of the hotel.
We leave for Hoi An – the UNESCO world heritage site - about 350 km away. Arrival at the Hotel at around 7pm. Check in, Dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant. Day 2. January 12 Hoi An - Hue Park View hotel****
After breakfast, you will leave on the coach, and with your tour guide you will explore Hoi An’s many unique attractions related to the town's legacy as a commercial cross-road in South East Asia: these attractions include a Japanese bridge, Chinese temples, the Old House, the Hoi An museum, the Hoi An market etc.
Return to the hotel at about 1:00. Check out. Lunch at a local restaurant in Danang. After lunch we will visit the Cham museum, which houses many relics of the ancient Cham civilization. The distance from Danang to Hue is about 110 km, which we will cover in about 3 hours. We will pass through one of the longest tunnels in Vietnam, which connects the provinces of Danang and Thua Thien Hue. We will stop at Lang Co beach, one of the best beaches in Vietnam: we will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee (or indeed anything else!) in full view of the Pacific Ocean. At about 6:00 PM we will check in at the Park View Hotel in Hue. At 7:00 pm a coach will take us for dinner in Hue. Day 3: January 13 Hue City After breakfast, we will take a private boat to visit the Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady) temple . We will then continue our tour on the “Perfumed river” to visit the Minh Mang tomb. At about 12:00 the coach will take us for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we will visit the Tu Duc tomb and the Thuy Xuan Street Children’s Centre. Return to the hotel at about 6:00 pm.
7:00 PM pick up for dinner at a local restaurant. Day 4: January 14 : Visit of the old Hue and Hue-Hanoi After breakfast at the hotel, visit to the Inner Citadel of Hue followed by the Dong Ba market.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: free time or optional visit to the University. Early dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant at 5:00 PM.
Around 6:00 PM we leave the hotel to the airport for the flight to Hanoi. Pick up at Hanoi – Noi Bai airport and transfer to the Hoa Binh hotel. Day 5: January 15 : Halong Bay with Bai Tho cruise (joined trip) 8:00 AM: pick up to transfer in a limousine to the Halong Bay. A Bai Tho boat officer willmeet and take you to the boat. And now Halong Bay – the UNESCO World Heritage Site – one of the 7 modern Wonders of the World.
Lunch (based on local sea food) will be served as the boat sails into the bay. We will visit the Luon cave, which is reached on small boats. The cave is remarkable: it is surrounded by mountains, it is full of stalactites, and the water is surprisingly calm.
Dinner will be served on the boat. Day 6: January 16 : Halong - Hanoi Early morning wake up call to photograph the sun rising over the water. We will have breakfast and then explore the amazing cave; it takes about one hour to visit, and your imagination will not be disappointed as you pass from stalactite to stalacmite, whose shapes call up visions of animals, both real and fabulous. Lunch on board.
After lunch, transfer to Hanoi. Check in at Hotel Hoa Binh***
Dinner at a local restaurant in Hanoi Day 7: January 17 : Ninh Binh and the inland Halong Bay (joined trip) Breakfast at the hotel, bus to Ninh Binh, transfer to the Tam Coc caves in small bamboo boats piloted by the local people. A large variety of stalactites in three caves, often referred to as the inland Halong Bay.
After lunch you will pay a visit to the Dinh and the Le temples.
At about 5:00 PM, return to Hanoi. Check in at the Hoa Binh hotel***.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Dinner at a local restaurant. Day 8: January 18 : Visit of the old Hanoi After breakfast , visits to the Van Mieu temple, the Ho Tay lake (the West lake), the old part of Hanoi, the Dong Xuan market and the Ngoc Son temple.
Lunch at a local restaurant at 12:00
In the afternoon, we will visit the old Hanoi or the Minorities Museum, and … leisure time.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Day 9: January 19 : Last visit of Hanoi and end of the tour Breakfast at the hotel . Leisure, shopping, souvenir hunting … .
End of the tour.
Tour 4 : Hoi An – Hue
This tour will begin in Quy Nhon and end in Hue. We will travel north, first by road from Quy Nhon to Hoi An, a well-preserved coastal city of considerable historical interest; UNESCO has designated it as a World Heritage Site. After spending the night at Hoi An, we will continue north by bus to Hue; if there is sufficient time, we will make a brief visit to Danang and other interesting sites. Hue was the imperial capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, which dominated Southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century, and it is also a World Heritage site. The tour will end in Hue. Day 1 : January 11 : Hoi An 12:00 am : Meeting at the lobby of the Seagull hotel.
Leave the hotel for Hoi An – the UNESCO world heritage site – about 350 km away. Arrival at the hotel at around 7PM. Hotel check in.
Dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant Day 2 : January 12 : Hoi An - Hue After breakfast, you will leave on the coach. With your tour guide, you will explore Hoi An’s many unique attractions related to the town’s legacy as a commercial crossroad in Southeast Asia: these attractions include a Japanese bridge, Chinese temples, the Old House, the Hoi An museum, the Hoi An market etc.
Return to the hotel at about 1:00 PM. Check out.
Lunch at a local restaurant in Danang. After lunch we will visit the Cham Museum, which houses many relics of the ancient Cham civilization. Then we go to Hue, 110km away from Danang, which is about a 3-hour trip. We will pass through one of the longest tunnels in Vietnam, which connects the provinces of Danang and Thua Thien Hue. We will stop at Lang Co beach, one of the best beaches in Vietnam. There, we will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee (or indeed anything else!) in full view of the Pacific Ocean.
At about 6:00 PM we will check in at the Park View Hotel Park View hotel**** in Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage. At 7:00 pm a coach will take us for dinner in Hue. Day 3 : January 13 : Visit to Hue After breakfast, we will take a private boat to visit the Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady) temple. We will then continue our tour on the “Perfumed River” to visit the Minh Mang tomb. At about 12:00 AM, the coach will take us for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we will visit the Tu Duc tomb and the Thuy Xuan Street Children’s Center. Return to the hotel at about 6:00 pm.
7:00 PM: pick up for dinner at a local restaurant. Day 4 : January 14 : Continue the visit to Hue After breakfast at the hotel, visit to the Inner Citadel of Hue followed by a visit to the Dong Ba market. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Check out of the hotel
End of the tour in Hue.