Vietnam Photo Appeal

	Name of the trip: Vietnam Photo Appeal
	Trip Code: VNLT-HPT-11 (Reference Code + Starting Date)
	Length of the trip: 15 days and 14 nights
	Trip type: Private & Daily departure
	Trip Starts from: Saigon City
	Trip Ends in: Hanoi City
	Extension: The trip can be extended if tourists want to visit Angkor Wat in Siem Reap in Cambodia before or after the trip.
	Required booking time: At least 20 days in advance for individuals and 45 days in advance for group
	Call to book this trip: +84.91.2270058 (24/7)
	Email to book: info@vietnamprivatejourneys.com

This itinerary is really fantastic for photographers who want to have nicest pictures about Vietnam, traveling from bustling Saigon downstream to Mekong Delta, from the ancient town of Hoi An to the former capital of Hue, from land of dragon descending to the sea "Halong" to the place where you can touch the sky "Sapa". All the best of Vietnam are awaiting for you to come.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Saigon Arrival (Meals : N/A)
Arrive at Saigon airport, meet the guide with the welcome signboard. Transfer to hotel for check in with an orientation tour of Saigon city to have an overview of Saigon. Overnight in Saigon

Day 2: Saigon City Tours (Meals : B)
Today’s full day city tour visits Saigon’s historic landmarks including walking tour for photo opportunities toward the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, former Presidential Palace and possibly War Remnants Museum (the main room, where a collection of photos taken by war journalist photographers are now on display). Lunch is at the traditional Vietnamese Kinh Bac restaurant Afternoon visit to the Chinese district of Cholon to enjoy the bustling wholesale quarter of Saigon. China town has been established in Saigon for over 200 years but remained unchanged with its old temples and houses characterizing the disintegrated Vietnamese- Chinese culture. There are lots of photo opportunities about the local life during the visit. Dinner at a local Restaurant. Overnight in Saigon

Day 3: Saigon - Cu Chi - Tay Ninh  (Meals : B/L/D)
Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Cu Chi district, and Tay Ninh Province. Upon arrival in Cu Chi district, make a couple of stops for photo opportunities and a visit to a rice paper making factory at Tan Phu Trung Village. Experience ourselves the underground village of Cu Chi guerrilla fighters, which is simply a network of tunnels built during the long years of wars. Continue to drive another an hour and half from Cu Chi towards Tay Ninh to visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, and attend the noon time service with architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail; photo opportunities during the ceremony. Lunch is at a local restaurant. Drive back to Saigon and arrive at 4 pm. Balance of the afternoon is to wander about Saigon for photo shooting. Dinner is on the Rex rooftop Vietnamese restaurant with traditional music performance.

Day 4: Saigon - My Tho - Can Tho (Meals : B/L)
Leave Saigon for My Tho. My Tho is located on the northern banks of the Mekong river and is the closest town in the Delta area to Ho Chi Minh City, about 2 hours drive away. In the center of the town close to the river there is a large market that sells just about anything that can be eaten or is used in day to day business. Around the My Tho area you will find a maze of small canals that can be explored on one of the many organized boat tours. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong River and visit an orchard on an island, with lunch en route. Continue with a visit to a snake farm and then continue driving to Can Tho. Check-in hotel and stay overnight in Can Tho.

Day 5: Can Tho - Saigon (Meals : B/L)
Early morning board for a 3-hour cruise to Cai Rang and Phong Dien, 2 big floating markets with stops at a Bun Tau noodle factory and a short trek before arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try passing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along the canals photo shot. At the floating markets, you will discover a typical way of displaying and advertising farm products of local people gathering on the Mekong river to trade their goods. Leave our boat at a dock opposite Cai Rang market. Drive back to Saigon with a lunch stop at My Tho. Dinner at hotel.

Day 6: Saigon - Danang - Hoi An (Meals : B)
Morning transfer to the airport for a 1-hour flight to Danang. On arrival, transfer to hotel with an immediate visit to Cham Museum, Marble Mountains and China Beach before driving another 30 km to Hoi An. Hoi an, a former international trading port during the 17-18th century, is a charming small town with an eccentric mix of western and eastern-influenced architecture. On arrival, transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch is at Pho Hoi restaurant. Afternoon, take a walking tour on its narrow cobblestone streets visiting former merchants’ houses, Phuc Kien Pagoda, the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the colorful bazaar, and the local market, where we spend a lot of time to shoot the most lively pictures of fish mongers on the river bank. At 5 pm, take one hour boat ride on the Thu Bon River visit the Kim Bong pottery and carpentry villages to learn the traditional way of making clay products and fishing boat building. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An -  Hue (Meals : B/L)
Free to explore the town on own until 10 am. Depart Hoi An for Hue, the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty of emperors from 1802 till 1945. The scenic route passes through Danang before climbing over the Mountain Clouds Hai Van Pass where a spectacular panorama of the central coastline can be viewed at the summit, dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co located on a sand dune line. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch at Thanh Tam restaurant in Lang Co village before continuing driving to Hue. Upon arrival check in your hotel. Afternoon , take an hour cycle ride around the city an overview and photo the romantic French colonial styled villas located a long the Perfume River bank. We carry on visiting the Dong Ba central market before driving back to the hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight in Hue.

Day 8: Hue (Meals : B)
Morning take a dragon boat downstream to visit Con Hen island, where we have chance to describe the life of boat people on the sampans by photo. Continue upstream toward the Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s most reserved religious monument standing on the riverbank with its seven-floored tower. Drive to visit the Imperial Citadel. Lunch is at the Thuong Tu pancake restaurant (specialties of Hue). Afternoon continue by vehicle to visit the elaborate Royal tombs of Emperor Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Before returning to the hotel, we come up to the Vong Canh hill for a photo opportunity of the spectacular upper part of the Perfume River. Evening, royal dinner is at the An Phu restaurant

Day 9: Hue - Hanoi (Meals : B)
Early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, meet and transfer to your hotel. After check in, begin a tour of this charming capital city visiting the One Pillar Pagoda, Fine Arts Museum, Temple of Literature, Lake of the Restored Sword. Lunch is at Hoa Sua cooking school restaurant. Afternoon, we continue to wander the downtown area through the old section of 36 streets and 36 wares, where each street hosts vendors of particular trade, and also where we will visit an ancient house located at 23 Hang Giay, owned by Mrs. Le Thi Loc who has lived there over the French colonial time. Free shopping or wandering around Hanoi old part of the city for photo shooting.

Day 10: Hanoi - Sapa (Meals : B)
Early morning around 5.30, walk to Hoan Kiem Lake where local seniors practice a rigorous, joint-limbering version of tai chi. After breakfast, depart for the “Pagoda of the West” (Tay Phuong) and the Master-Thay pagoda. Tay Phuong pagoda, 40 km southwest of Hanoi, consists of three parallel single level structures built on a hillock said to resemble a buffalo. These structures represent three treasures, Buddha, his laws and the bronze. Take a relaxing hike (for photo opportunities) for a few miles through the rice paddy and villages to the Master-Thay pagoda, the home of the Water Puppetry Art. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the pagoda. Return to Hanoi at 3.30 pm and transfer to the hotel. At 5 pm, leave hotel for a water puppet show. Dinner is at the Le Tonkin French colonial Vietnamese restaurant. Transfer to the train station to take an overnight train ride to Lao Cai.

Day 11: Sapa (Meals : B)
Arrive in the early morning at Lao Cai Station, near the Chinese border, and transfer to our private car for a scenic drive to the hill station of Sapa. Enjoy the spectacular views of rice-terraced mountains and Black H’mong and Red Dao hill tribe people dressed in their colorful wares walking along the roadside. After checking into the hotel and breakfast, begin a walking tour through the market, where hill tribe people from villages afar converge here on Saturday, and continue towards Cat Cat Village, home to the Black H’Mong hill tribe. Back to the town for a late lunch at a local restaurant After lunch hang around the town to interact with the Dzao, H’mong and Dzay hill tribe people. Balance of the day is free at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 12: Sapa - Bac Ha (Meals : B)
Waking up early morning at 06:30. Drive to Bac Ha. This Sunday market also attracts a wide variety of ethnic minority groups including the Variegated H’mong, Dao, Phu La, La Chi, Tay who still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their dress. The experience of this congregation is unique. After touring around the market, the car will take you to Ban Pho villages where inhabited of Flower H’mong people. Driver back to Lao Cai town to board Victoria Express back to Hanoi. Overnight on the train

Day 13: Hanoi - Halong - Junk Boat Overnight (Meals : B)
Early arrive in Hanoi. Transfer to a hotel for fresh up and breakfast. Then, drive 160 km to Halong City with a coffee break en route at the Sao Do handicraft village. Arrive by noontime at the dock, we board our private junk to begin sightseeing cruise through spectacular Halong Bay, visiting the amazingly beautiful caves and grottos. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch served on board. Visiting The Grotto of Awe and the boat transfer you to the calm and clean water areas (pearl farming area) for swimming. Having dinner party on the cruise. Overnight on the junk.

Day 14: Sunrise on the Bay - Hanoi (Meals : B)
Waking up very early morning to catch sunrise and take photos of Halong Bay in early morning. Disembarking off the boat and driving back to Hanoi with a stop en route in ceramic-making village of Bat Trang to observe the century-year old trade of ceramic production. Lunch is at Cha Ca La Vong restaurant. After that you are free to do the shopping. This evening we all meet for the farewell dinner at the Indochine Restaurant. Stay overnight in Hanoi.

Day 15: Hanoi Departure (Meals : B)
Having breakfast at the hotel. Free until transfer to the airport for departure flight. HOME SWEET HOME. End of service.