Nov. 3, 2001 - Depart USA
Fly Los Angeles to Bangkok Coach Class, with optional Business Class Upgrade. (Meals aloft)

Nov. 4, 2001 - Arrive Bangkok
Arrive 11:59 PM. Transfer, via the pedestrian bridge, to the airport hotel. Overnight Amari Airport Hotel.

Nov. 5, 2001 - Saigon, Vietnam
After a leisurely morning (with breakfast on your own) we'll transfer, via the pedestrian bridge, to the airport for our flight to Vietnam. (Lunch aloft)
Meals Provided: D

Welcome to Vietnam! Pick up and transfer to our downtown hotel. This afternoon we tour Saigon's grand boulevards, central squares and riverfront, as well as the L'Hotel de Ville, Reunification Hall and Notre Dame Cathedral. At sunset, we'll enjoy a cool drink at the rooftop bar of the Rex Hotel, where the infamous "Five O'clock Follies" ­ wartime press briefings ­ were held by the US military. Overnight Delta Caravelle Hotel.

Nov. 6, 2001 - Saigon
This morning, set out into the countryside to visit the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. Afterwards, return to Saigon for a visit to Cholon and further exploration of the city and some free time to explore District One on your own. Dinner at Vietnam House. Overnight Delta Caravelle Hotel.
Meals Provided: D

Nov. 7, 2001 - Hoi An
Early morning transfer to the airport for our flight to Central Vietnam. Fly Saigon to Danang. In Danang we first visit the Cham Museum, a small, delightful museum housing the Hindu art of the former Champa kingdom in central Vietnam. After lunch there will be a short stop at China Beach, a R&R destination for American GIs. Mid-afternoon we arrive in Hoi An, a once flourishing port that now has the feeling of a place set back in time. After checking into our hotel we'll do a walking tour of this historic town. The Japanese covered-bridge, Tang Ky House, and the Phuoc Kien Pagoda are all fine examples of the stylistic syncretism of this vibrant community. After dinner, the evening is free for independent exploration. Overnight Hoi An Hotel.
Meals Provided: B L D

Nov. 8, 2001 - Hoi An
This morning there will be an optional tour of the My Son ruins, an important pilgrimage site for the Cham people. The five groups of temples, which date from the 3rd to 13th centuries, are set in a lush valley surrounded by impressive mountains. At midday, we return to Hoi An for free afternoon to explore the town and its various handicraft shops.

For those not going on the My Son tour there will be plenty of time to relax and explore the town by foot. Perhaps rent a bicycle from the hotel for a lovely ride to the beach (5 kms).

The evening is free to relax, dine and explore on your own. Overnight Hoi An Hotel.
Meals Provided: B

Nov. 9, 2001 - Hué
This morning, we head north, past fishing villages and ricefields set between the rugged Annamese mountains and the Gulf of Tonkin. After venturing over Hai Van Pass we'll stop at peaceful Lang Co Beach for lunch before arriving in Hué. Following check-in at our riverfront hotel, we depart on an afternoon tour of the ancient Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, once the seat of Vietnam's emperors. Overnight Hotel Morin.
Meals Provided: B L D

Nov. 10, 2001 - Hué
This morning we'll cruise up the Perfume River, which flows through the heart of the city, and visit the Royal Tombs. These mausoleums ­ with vast impeccably-tended botanical gardens, beautiful open-air pavilions and numerous shrines ­ were designed to assure the seven Nguyen Emperors noble burials and commodious after lives. As we return to Hué we'll stop at Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Vietnam's oldest and most exquisite Buddhist temples. An aged pale-blue Morris automobile sits here as a reminder of the local monk who, in 1963, drove to Saigon and immolated himself to protest the anti-Buddhist laws of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime.

After lunch there will be free time to explore the busy Dong Ba market, where a sea of conical hats, colorful fabrics, produce of every description and an array of vendors offer delights for the senses. Overnight Hotel Morin.
Meals Provided: B D

Nov. 11, 2001 - Hanoi
Morning transfer to the airport. Fly Hué to Hanoi on VN #246 (08:40-09:45) Coach Class.

Welcome to wonderful Hanoi. After a transfer to our hotel, with time to freshen up, we begin our Hanoi stay with a visit to the newly restored Fine Arts Museum. Next will be a visit to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" museum and a tour of the city's oldest and most colorful neighborhoods aboard bicycle rickshaws called cyclos, ending at historic Hoan Kiem Lake. Tonight a water puppet performance follows dinner overlooking the lake. Overnight Metropole Hotel.
Meals Provided: B L D

Nov. 12, 2001 - Hanoi
After breakfast, we continue our Hanoi tour beginning with monuments to Ho Chi Minh: his mausoleum (if open) and simple stilted home. Next is the Confucian Temple of Literature, site of the first university in Vietnam and a serene place in the midst of this bustling city. We'll also stop at a local market, view the beaux-arts style Opera House, and One pillar Pagoda. The rest of the day is free to relax, dine, shop and explore on your own. We suggest a stroll through the city's Old Quarter. Overnight Metropole Hotel.
Meals Provided: B

Nov. 13, 2001 - Bangkok or Begin Laos Extension
Final morning for some last minute sightseeing or handicraft shopping. Late morning transfer to the airport. Fly Hanoi to Bangkok (Lunch aloft) Free evening to relax, swim and dine. Overnight Amari Airport Hotel.
Meals Provided: B

Nov. 14, 2001 - Fly Home
Transfer to the airport, via the pedestrian bridge, for the flight home. Fly Bangkok to Los Angeles Coach Class, with optional Business Class Upgrade. (Meals aloft) End of services.
Meals Provided: None