Journey Through Vietnam

Your invited to travel with alumni and friends from February 13 through 27, 2025, on a fifteen-day journey through Vietnam, a country that captivates travelers with its enduring traditions, breathtaking natural beauty, and warm hospitality.

Begin the journey in the capital, Hanoi, touring historical sites and sampling local cuisine. Enjoy a tranquil boat tour while taking in the fairytale landscape during a full-day excursion at beautiful Ha Long Bay. In Da Nang, tour the acclaimed Cham Museum and stay in a beachfront hotel. Visit charming Hoi An and its Old Town, a car-free pedestrian zone and UNESCO site. Then travel to the ancient imperial capital of Hue and cruise on the Perfume River. After two days of exploring the storied Mekong Delta, your river life experience will leave an indelible impression. Conclude your journey with a three-night stay in spirited Saigon. Discover Angkor Wat’s amazing temples and the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh on an optional 5-day/3-night post-tour extension.

Limited to just 24 guests and shared with a cosponsoring alumni association, space is sure to fill quickly. Request a reservation today, or please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at 866-525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details .

 

Dates & Rates

Dates:  February 13 – 27, 2025

Rates:

• Tour package only $3,895 per person (excluding international airfare)*
• Air-inclusive from $5,097 total price from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle ($4,495 air & land inclusive plus $602 airline taxes and fees)
• A limited number of single rooms are available on a request basis for an additional supplement of $1,495 per person.

*All rates are per person based upon double occupancy. Airfare from other cities is available. Airline taxes, fuel surcharges, and departure fees are subject to change until final payment is made. Please see the brochure or contact us for more information.

 

 

Itinerary:

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Hanoi, Vietnam

Day 2: Arrive Hanoi

We arrive in the Vietnamese capital late this evening and transfer to our hotel.

Day 3: Hanoi

This morning we take a walking tour of Ba Dinh Square. Highlights include the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace, and thousand-year-old One Pillar Pagoda. Following lunch on our own, our tour of Hanoi features Hoan Kiem Lake; the marvelous Temple of Literature (c. 1070); and the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant in the bustling Ancient Quarter. B,D

Day 4: Hanoi/Ha Long Bay

This morning we depart on a full-day excursion to Ha Long Bay, a breathtaking waterway sprinkled with 3,000 islands and islets, limestone cliffs, secret grottoes, and hidden caves. Our tour includes a boat ride and seafood lunch. B,L

Day 5: Hanoi/Da Nang

We fly this afternoon to Da Nang, Vietnam’s third largest city, situated on the south central coast. Upon arrival, we tour the acclaimed Cham Museum, which celebrates the Cham people’s Hindu legacy with a fine collection of sculpture and artifacts dating from the 7th to 15th centuries. After we reach our beachfront hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure in this splendid setting. B,D

Day 6: Da Nang/Hoi An

This morning we visit nearby Hoi An, where a succession of Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese traders helped to build an architecturally diverse and colorful village where many ancient traditions still hold sway. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An’s Old Town is a charming carfree pedestrian zone lined with tailors, shops, and art galleries. This afternoon is at leisure to either remain in Hoi An on your own or return to our beachside resort for a relaxing interlude. Tonight, we enjoy a cooking lesson and dinner in Hoi An. B,D

Day 7: Da Nang

A morning walking tour of a nearby farming settlement reveals the daily life of alocal community up close. Here rice paddies occupy every spare patch of ground, water buffaloes plow the fields, and villagers ride to market with produce piled high on their bicycles. B,L

Day 8: Da Nang/Hue

We depart this morning by coach for the ancient imperial city of Hue, whose palaces, temples, and tombs evoke its past grandeur as home to emperors and mandarins. We explore the Imperial City, which houses the Forbidden Purple City complex where emperors lived with their families and now a UNESCO site, enjoying a traditional cyclo ride along the way. We also visit the busy Central Market. Tonight we enjoy dinner accompanied by traditional music. B,D

Day 9: Hue

This morning we cruise along Hue’s Perfume River to peaceful Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist monastery that ranks among the city’s oldest and most important monuments. After admiring
the seven-story octagonal tower, we visit the palatial Tomb of Minh Mang (c. 1840), with its pavilions and courtyards modeled after the Ming Tombs of China. This afternoon we see the tombs of Tu Duc, a gem of royal architecture; and Khai Dinh, an elaborate mix of ancient and modern, European and Asian. B,L

Day 10: Hue/Da Nang/Can Tho

We return to Da Nang by coach this morning then board our flight to the busy river port of Can Tho, provincial capital of the Mekong Delta. With its tributaries covering some 15,600 square miles of southwestern Vietnam, the Mekong supplies half of the country’s rice and fish – and ranks as a biological treasure-trove, known for its multitude of bird and flower species. B,D

Day 11: Can Tho/Mekong Delta

We rise early for today’s journey by boat to the lively floating market at Cai Rang on the Mekong’s lower reaches. After lunch together at a local restaurant, the remainder of the day is at leisure. B,L

Day 12: Mekong Delta/Saigon

An hour-long coach ride this morning brings us to the upper reaches of the storied Mekong. Here we board motorized sampans for an up-close look at river life. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue by coach to Saigon (the nameHo Chi Minh City is used interchangeably). We reach our hotel late afternoon; dinner is on our own in this vibrant city. B,L

Day 13: Saigon

A morning tour includes the former Presidential Palace, which served as the South Vietnamese government’s wartime headquarters. Now called Reunification Palace, it was here that the first Communist tanks rolled into Saigon on April 30, 1975; it remains preserved as a museum almost exactly as it was on that day. We also tour the History Museum. Later we attend a traditional water puppet performance. B,D

Day 14: Saigon

This morning we visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the infamous underground network from which North Vietnamese forces operated in wartime. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner. B,D

Day 15: Depart for U.S.

Today we transfer to the airport for our return flights to the U.S. B

B = Breakfast included    L = Lunch included    D = Dinner included

Please Note: This trip involves full days of sightseeing and considerable walking, as well as some lengthy coach rides. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.

Included Features:   

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary
• 13 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels
• 25 meals: 13 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of a professional Tour Director
• Private motor-coach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers

What’s not included:
Taxes; passport, visas and associated fees; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; excess baggage charges on aircraft; transfers and baggage handling to/from hotel on day of arrival and/or departure if you have booked as a “land only” participant or if you are arriving earlier or later than and/or departing earlier or later than the scheduled group transfer(s); any overnight on land due to flight schedule(s); meals, alcoholic or other beverages and all other services not specifically mentioned in the “Included Features” section of the program brochure.