Day 1 & 2: (Saturday - Sunday, 18 - 19 June) – Enroute

Report to Los Angeles International Terminal by 7:00 pm and proceed to ticketing counter.  Depart Los Angeles on our flight to Taipei.  Lose one day crossing the International Dateline.

Day 3: (Monday, 20 June) – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

After a short layover in Taipei, we depart for Vietnam.  We arrive at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport proceed through immigration; retrieve our bags and clear customs.  As we depart the airport, we will pass by the old MACV HQ; the U.S. Army's 3rd Field Hospital and through the Gia Dinh district as we head into the center of the city (still called Saigon) to our hotel.  After we freshen up we begin our tour of Saigon visiting the War Remnants Museum; Cha Cham Church; Reunification Hall (Old Presidential Palace); Norte Dame and the former US Embassy which now houses the new US Consulate.  This evening we enjoy our Welcome Dinner.
Meals: B (in flight) /L/D    

Day 4: (Tuesday, 21 June) – Saigon to Gia Ray (return to Saigon)

Today we will drive north and east to visit Bien Hoa, Long Binh, Xuan Loc and Gia Ray.  We return to Saigon for the evening.

[For those not wishing to make this drive today, you will have a free day to explore the shops of famed Old Tu Do Street (now Dong Khoi Street) and other shopping areas.  Lunch will be on your own.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 5: (Wednesday, 22 June) – Saigon to My Tho (return to Saigon)

Today we will drive south on Highway 1 passing through Cholon as we leave the city.  Our first stop will be Ben Luc and the site of the old Naval base.  Continuing on we pass through Tan An on our way to visit 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 Saigon for the evening.

[For those not wishing to make this drive today, you will have a free day to explore the shops of famed Old Tu Do Street (now Dong Khoi Street) and other shopping areas.  Lunch will be on your own.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 6: (Thursday, 23 June) – Saigon to Tay Ninh

This morning we are up early and heading north-west to Highway 13.  Once on Hwy 13 we will pass close to the Iron Triangle as we arrive in Ben Cat.  Just north of Ben Cat is Lai Khe and the southern end of Thunder Road.  Heading north on Thunder Road we will stop at Minh Tahn Road and visit the battle site there before continuing on to An Loc, Quan Loi and Loc Ninh (the northern end of Thunder Road).  We will head back south on Thunder Road and then turn west, traveling past the Michellen Rubber Plantations before arriving in Tay Ninh where we will spend the evening.

[Our drive between Ben Cat and Loc Ninh will take us along the eastern edge of Operation Junction City.  About 10 miles north of Lai Khe we will be passing by the eastern edge of the Long Nguyen Secret Zone.  Once we leave Thunder Road and head west towards Tay Ninh, we will be traveling through operational areas of Operation Junction City, Operation Attleboro, and Operation Kamuela.  *  Operation Silver City took place at the Song Be River located about 27 miles due east of Loc Ninh.  The Song Be River is now fed by a large water reservoir to its east.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 7: (Friday, 24 June) – Tay Ninh to Saigon

This morning we will visit the Cao Dai Holy See (Temple) before leaving Tay Ninh.  As we head south from Tay Ninh we will view Nui Ba Den Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain) in the distance.  We then continue on to Trang Bang and into the Operation Cedar Falls area.  We will then visit the Cu Chi Tunnel Complex.  We will pass through the Iron Triangle, Hobo Woods and the Filhol Rubber Plantation on our way back to Saigon.

[If there is interest: before leaving Tay Ninh, we can head north to visit the area known as the Parrots Beak and the operational area of Operation Gadsden.  If we did this, we would travel around the west and north side of Nui Ba Den Mountain and head north on Highway 785 until we reached the Parrots Beak.  From here we would follow the road west and then south until we reached the village of Lo Go on the Cambodian boarder.  Turning south along the Cambodian boarder we past through the length of Operation Gadsden area. We pass through Trai Bi on our way back to Tay Ninh.  *  This drive would take us through the western half of Operation Junction City; takes us through the whole length of Operation Gadsden and at Trai Bi, the western end of Operation Attleboro.  *  This drive would add about 4 hours to today's drive time.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 8: (Saturday, 25 June) – Saigon to Vung Tau (return to Saigon)

This morning we travel to the city dock located on the Saigon River where we will board a Hydrofoil boat to Vung Tau.  Once in Vung Tau you will have a chance to relax and explore the beaches or take a short trip around Vung Tau city to visit the Thich Ca Phat Dai, a Buddhist Shrine; French-built Light House and the Giant Jesus.  We return to Saigon via Hydrofoil boat for the evening.

[For those not wishing to make this boat ride today, you will have a free day to explore the shops of famed Old Tu Do Street (now Dong Khoi Street) and other shopping areas.  Lunch will be on your own.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 9: (Sunday, 26 June) – Saigon to Hoi An

This morning we transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for our flight to Da Nang.  On arrival we head across the Han River to the South China Sea and turn south to visit the MMAF (Marble Mountain Air Facility) and the new China Beach with its hotels and casino.  We continue on to Marble Mountain where we will visit a marble carving shop and then climb Marble Mountain to explore the VC hospital area located deep within.  Afterwards we will travel south to Hoi An where we visit a Silk Factory before checking into our hotel for the evening.  Tonight we are on our own to sample the local restaurants in the Hoi An area.
Meals: B/L/_    

Day 10: (Monday, 27 June) – Hoi An to Chu Lai (return to Hoi An)

Today we travel south on Highway 1 to visit Tam Ky, Hill 69 and Chu Lai.  We return to Hoi An for the evening.

[For those not wishing to make this drive today, you will have a free day to explore the hundreds of silk shops in Hoi An or just relax by the pool or on the beach.  Lunch will be on your own.]
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 11: (Tuesday, 28 June) – Hoi An to Hue

This morning we head north on Highway 1 through Da Nang where we will visit Red Beach II (were the Marines first landed in 1965).  From here we make our way up the breathtaking Hai Van Pass (Pass of the "Sea Clouds"), stopping at the top to take in parting views of Da Nang Bay.  Continuing on we pass the Hue/Phu Bai Airfield and Camp Eagle as we enter Hue City.  Once in Hue we will visit the old MACV building, old Hue University and other sites related to the southern battle of the 1968 Tet Offensive Battle for Hue.  We then cross over the Perfume River and visit the Citadel, with its ramparts and towers, and visit sites specific to the northern battle.  We finish at the Imperial Palace and the Forbidden City, home to the ancient emperors.  After dinner, you can roam the fascinating shops on Le Loi Street until late at night.
Meals: B/L/D    

Day 12: (Wednesday, 29 June) – Hue to Dong Ha

This morning we take a relaxing cruise up the beautiful Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Tu Duc Tombs.  We return to Hue for lunch before heading north on Highway 1 toward Dong Ha, stopping at sites along the way, such as Quang Tri City and the Ai Tu Airfield.  We will spend the night in Dong Ha.
Meals: B/L/D   

Day 13: (Thursday, 30 June) – Dong Ha to Lao Bao

This morning we cross the Dong Ha Bridge and tell the story of John Ripley and the 1972 Easter Offensive.  Next we travel along the north bank of the Song Bo Dieu, passing the villages of Dai Do and Mai Xa Chanh we enter the village of My Loc.  From here we will cross the Song Cua Viet and visit the LCU Ramp at the mouth of the Song Cua Viet.  Back on the north side of the river, we continue north on the new coastal road.  We cross over the Song Ben Hai (the river that was the only true physical demarcation between North and South Vietnam) to the NVA artillery village of Vinh Moc to explore its intricate maze of tunnels.  Returning south on Highway 1, we cross the Peace Bridge over the Song Ben Hai.  We will then pass Gio Linh, Con Thien and Cam Lo as we make our way to Highway 9.  Heading west on Highway 9 we will pass by Camp Carroll, the Marine artillery plateau; the Rockpile and other significant sites along the way as we make our way to the Khe Sanh Combat Base.  Our next stop is the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp, overrun in the first ever NVA tank assault.  Co Roc Mountain soars to the heavens just across the border.  Finally, we arrive at the Laotian border village of Lao Bao where we spend the night.
Meals: B/L/D