DA LAT PRE-TOUR ITINERARY

29 – 30 JUL (Day 1 & 2): ARRIVAL IN SAIGON 
Depart on flight to Vietnam. Arrival in Saigon by evening flight. Pick up by A/C Van & guide from Tan Son Nhut Airport & transfer to Le Meridien for check-in. Hotel: Le Meridien Saigon – premier deluxe city view

1 AUG (Day 3): SAIGON – DA LAT 
AM: Pick up from hotel A/C Van & transfer to the airport for flight SGN to Dalat. Arrive in Da Lat by noon, meet local English speaking guide & A/C Bus & transfer to local restaurant for lunch.
PM: Visit Sites: Tuyen Lam, Bao Dai Villa, Dalat Railway station, Dalanta Waterfall.
Hotel: TTC NGOC LAN - deluxe room (Meal: B/L/D)

2 AUG (Day 4): DA LAT 
08:30 We will stop at Van Thanh Village, one of the largest flower growing villages in Dalat. Visitors will be able to take photos in the flower fields.
09:30 Coffee Farm in Lam Ha—Our Van passes through Ta Nung with wild pine forests & jungle landscapes. Visit a coffee farm & learn about the cultivation of beans & coffee production. Visitors will enjoy a cup of coffee (processed on the spot) in a shop whose windows face the beautiful Central Highlands.
10:00 Weasel Coffee Farm—If you are traveling with children or coffee experts, this is a very interesting experience as we see weasels producing the world’s most expensive coffee.
10:20 Organic rice wine making house—Visitors will learn about the process of brewing naturally-fermented rice wine & we will all sample a complementary glass.
10:30 Silkworm & Silk Weaving—We see the process from the beginning with white silkworms to the formation of their cocoons, until ready for spinning out the silk threads & weaving by machines. Take some photos & visit the showroom.
11:00 Explore the Elephant Waterfall—One of the Central Highlands most majestic & impressive waterfalls. Under the waterfall are giant green moss covered rock that appear like resting elephants. If you love the feeling of adventure & discovery, you can go along the cliff into the cave at the foot of the falls. You will never forget the roaring sound of wind & crashing water. The cool water is like a refreshing shower.
12:00 Linh An Pagoda—A temple on the top of the Elephant Waterfall with beautiful architecture. In the center of the temple is the giant smiling Maitreya Buddha that brings happiness to visitors.
12:30 Lunch at a local restaurant.
13:30 Cricket Farm—If still hungry, we visit a cricket farm & learn the process of breeding crickets & for the adventurous try some of the complementary crispy specialties.
15.00 Crazy House—Designed by a Vietnamese woman who blended nature & animals into her modern architectural design. Voted one of 10 most bizarre houses in the world.
Hotel: TTC NGOC LAN (Meal: B/L/D)

3 AUG (Day 5):  DALAT–SIAGON
This morning we will enjoy the Central Highlands fresh air at the at the fun local market. After that, we check out of our hotel &  catch our flight back to Saigon. Arrive back at Tan Son Nhut Airport, A/C Van pick up & transfer to the Le Meridien to join with the main group. (Meals: B)

TOUR ITINERARY

2 & 3 Aug Sat/Sun - (Day 1 & 2) Depart your home airport for flight to Vietnam—Cross International Dateline, lose a day. (International Air will be quoted upon registration and can be tied into domestic flights upon request.) Arrive Saigon and check-in for evening. Hotel: Le Méridien

4 Aug Mon - (Day 3) After a western style breakfast we will have an early departure for a full day of seeing the local site including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the old Post Office, the Presidential Palace, the Army Museum and the former location of the US Embassy. We will have lunch in a local restaurant and as a final stop before returning to the hotel we will tour a lacquer factory to watch craftsmen at work. If time permits we will visit one of Saigon’s markets to shop for souvenirs. Hotel: Le Méridien (B/L/D)

5 Aug Tue - (Day 4) Morning departure for the Mekong Delta to board a  boat in the quaint provincial town of My Tho and then wind our way through the labyrinth of small canals bordered by tiny villages. After viewing the endless fields of rice paddies tended by peasants in their traditional conical-shaped hats we transfer to a sampan for a tour of scenic Thoison Island. We will have lunch on the island and view the unique pottery produced on the island. We finish the day by returning to Saigon for some exploration of Saigon’s markets before dinner.  Hotel: Le Méridien (B/L/D)

6 Aug Wed - (Day 5) This morning we head for the famous Cu Chi Tunnel system. We then continue to the Michelin Rubber Plantation, Lai Khe, Dau Tieng, and Nui Ba Den. As we end the day in Tay Ninh, we will stop to see the fabulous Cau Dai Temple.  We end the day back in Saigon where we have an opportunity to enjoy the city at night with dinner on your own. Hotel: Le Méridien (B/L)

7 Aug Thur - (Day 6) We check out of the hotel and catch a flight to Da Nang. We check into our hotel and enjoy Happy Hour by the pool with an evening to see Da Nang by night. Hotel: Almanity (B/L)

8 Aug Fri - (Day 7) Today we commence touring the Da Nang area to include Red Beach, Elephant Valley, Nam O, Hill 34, Dog Patch, and the old China Beach. We visit Marble Mountain and for the adventurous, we will climb to the top and see where the VC maintained a secret hospital throughout the war. We will also visit a marble carving shop before touring the ancient city of Hoi An and the many shops there. Hotel: Almanity (B/L/D)

9 Aug Sat - (Day 8) Early morning departure for a full day's exploration of the western edge of the "Rocket Belt."  We will visit sites along Route One.  Sites we will visit include the Tu Bon/Vu Gia River Basin and Hills 55, 65, 37, and 52.  We will also cover An Hoa Combat Base, Liberty Bridge, the Arizona Territory, Go Noi Island, Antenna Valley, and the Que Sons. We will visit as many operational areas and sites as requested including Chu Lai area, Hills 69 & 43. Dinner on your own.  Hotel: Almanity (B/L/D)

10 Aug Sun - (Day 9) After an early breakfast we depart Da Nang for Hue with stops at the Hai Van Pass, Lang Co and Phu Bai Airfield. We will commence a short city tour south of the Perfume River starting at the Phu Cam Canal and ending at Hue University. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L/Dinner at Little Italy)

11 Aug Mon - (Day 10) This day we explore the north side of the Perfume River and discuss the battles for the Citadel and TT woods. We also visit the Forbidden City via the Dong Ba Gate and visit the airfield site within the Citadel. Later we take a short visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L/Dinner at the DMZ Bar)

12 Aug Tue - (Day 11) After an early morning departure we drive north to the DMZ with stops at Leatherneck Square, Cam Lo, “The Washout”, Con Thien, the Market Place, Gio Linh and the blowing of the Dong Ha Bridge. We continue west along Rt 9 with stops at Khe Gia Bridge, the Rockpile, Lang Vei and the Khe Sanh Combat Base. Lang Vei was where the NVA first used tanks against the Special Forces Camp. We continue on to the Laotian border before returning to the hotel for dinner. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L/D)

13 Aug Wed - (Day 12) Check out for flight to Hanoi that arrives in time for lunch before a visit to the John McCain Monument and the Hoa Lo “Hanoi Hilton) Prison. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L)

14 Aug Thur - (Day 13) After breakfast we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and if time the army museum and the ethnicity museum. We return to the hotel to prepare for late evening flights. that day. Anyone with a rare early morning flight, they will depart on the 16th. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L/Dinner on own)  

15 Aug Fri - (Day 14) After breakfast, remainder depart Hanoi (cross international dateline) arrive in CONUS.