Day 1: (Friday, 14 February) – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhut Airport at 10:55 a.m. from Singapore. We then proceed through immigration, retrieve our bags, and clear customs. As we depart the airport, we will pass by the old MACV HQ and the U.S. Army's 3rd Field Hospital and head into the center of the city (still called Saigon). After lunch, we will visit the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, Reunification Palace and drive by the American Consulate (American Embassy during the war). This evening we enjoy our Welcome Dinner.
Meals: B (in flight) /L/D Hotel: Asian Ruby
Day 2: (Saturday, 15 February) – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Today we head south on Highway 1. We pass through Tan An on our way to the town of My Tho in the Mekong Delta. We will take a boat trip on the Mekong River to visit Thoi Son Island, local houses, and workshops. We return to HCMC for the evening.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Asian Ruby
Day 3: (Sunday, 16 February) – HCMC to Da Nang
We have an early morning flight from HCMC to Da Nang arriving at 08:40 a.m. On arrival we will visit My Khe Beach (China Beach) and Marble Mountain where we can visit a marble carving shop and climb Marble Mountain to explore the VC hospital area located deep within. We then proceed to Hoi An for lunch and a visit to a silk factory to see how silk is grown, harvested and made into products. Hoi An is an ancient port city (formerly known as Faifo) where Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese traders once walked. After the silk factory, you will have some free time to explore some of the shops in Hoi An. We return to Da Nang for evening.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Luxury Da Nang
Day 4: (Monday, 17 February) – Da Nang
This morning we travel to My Son Holy Land. My Son is the site of Trakieu, the ancient capital of the Cham Kingdom and contains ruins dating back to the 5th Century. From here we will visit the south end of Liberty Bridge before returning to Da Nang for the evening.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Luxury Da Nang
Day 5: (Tuesday, 18 February) – Da Nang to Hue
Departing early this morning, we pass through Dog Patch as we depart Da Nang City. We will visit Red Beach 2 before heading up the Hai Van with a stop at the Pass to explore old French bunkers and take in a parting view of Da Nang and the bay. Continuing down the Hai Van, we make several interesting stops along the way north before reaching Hue (the old Imperial Capital of Vietnam) we retrace the steps of the 1st and 5th Marines during the battle of the Tet Offensive of 1968. After dinner, we will take a ride on a Dragon boat and enjoy some Traditional Vietnamese music. Afterwards you can roam the fascinating shops on Le Loi Street.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Moonlight Hote
Day 6: (Wednesday, 19 February) – Hue
Departing very early, we head north along Highway 1 to Dong Ha. We enter Dong Ha and cross over the Dong Ha Bridge (destroyed by John Ripley which stopped the initial NVA advance during the 1972 Easter Offensive). Next is Gio Linh FSB (Forward) which overlooks to DMZ. We walk across the Peace Bridge into North Vietnam over the Song Ben Hai (the river that was the only true physical demarcation between the North and South). We then explore the tunnel complex in the artillery village of Vinh Moc. We will enjoy lunch at a seaside restaurant before returning south along the beach road to the Cua Viet River. From here we head west through the villages of Mai Xa Chanh and My Loc before reaching Highway 1 and returning to Hue.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Moonlight Hote
Day 7: (Thursday, 20 February) – Hue to Ha Noi
We have an early morning flight from Hue to Ha Noi arriving at 10:30 a.m. Upon arrival we will board our motorcoach and cross the Red River and its dikes to explore the Ha Noi environs. We will visit the Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton), the John McCain Monument and the Ha Noi Citadel.
Meals: B/L/D Hotel: Gondola Hotel
Day 8: (Friday, 21 February) – Departure
After breakfast we transfer to Noi Bai Airfield for the flight to Singapore.
Meals: B/L/_ (in flight)
