Day 1 & 2: (Sunday - Monday, 2 - 3 September) – Enroute
Report to Los Angeles International Terminal by 8:00 p.m. and proceed to ticketing counter. Depart Los Angeles on our flight to Taipei. Lose one day crossing the International Dateline..
Day 3: (Tuesday, 4 September) – 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 Nhut Airport and 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 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: (Wednesday, 5 September) – Ho Chi Minh City to Tay Ninh
This morning we visit 1/8th CAV sites in Phuoc Vinh, Quan Loi, and Song Be. We then 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.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 5: (Thursday, 6 September) – Tay Ninh to Ho Chi Minh City
This morning we visit Nui Ba Den Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain) and the Cao Dai Holy See (Temple) before leaving Tay Ninh. We 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.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 6: (Friday, 7 September) – Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
Today we travel south and explore My Tho where we board a boat for an excursion on the Mekong River, stopping to visit local houses, shopping areas, and the Vinh Trang Pagoda. We continue southwest to Vinh Long and Can Tho where we will spend the night.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 7: (Saturday, 8 September) – Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City
Return to Ho Chi Minh City for a free afternoon and evening with dinner on your own.
Meals: B/L/_
Day 8: (Sunday, 9 September) – Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku
Very early this morning we fly to Pleiku where we will have breakfast. We then travel north on Highway 14 to Kontum. Kontum was one of the major objectives of the 3-prong 1972 Easter Offensive attacks by the NVA (DMZ in I-Corps; Kontum in II-Corps; and An Loc in III-Corps). Continuing north we arrive at Dak To for a visit to the airfield and viewing of the areas where the vicious pre-Tet battles took place. We return to Pleiku for the evening.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 9: (Monday, 10 September) – Pleiku to Qui Nhon
This morning we head east on Highway 19 towards An Khe. Between Pleiku and An Khe we pass through Mang Yang Pass where the French Mobile Group 100 was ambushed and annihilated on June 24, 1954. Crossing the An Khe Bridge, we enter the city of An Khe and have lunch. We take time to explore before continuing east. We cross over An Khe Summit and head down through An Khe Pass on our way to the coastal town of Qui Nhon where we will spend the night.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 10: (Tuesday, 11 September) – Qui Nhon to Da Nang
We depart early along Highway 1 as we head north to Da Nang. We will visit Bong Son, LZ English and areas of the 1/8th CAV as requested. We will stop in Quang Ngai to visit the nearby village of My Lai. Continuing north we pass Chu Lai, Tam Ky and Hoi An arriving in Da Nang in the evening. If time permits we will visit Marble Mountain and see the marble carving shops at its base. Dinner on your own this evening.
Meals: B/L/_
Day 11: (Wednesday, 12 September) – Da Nang to Hue
Departing early this morning, we visit China Beach as we depart Da Nang City. We make visits to Red Beach 2 and Nam O Bridge, 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 Phu Bai and Camp Evans. Soon thereafter, we enter Hue (the old Imperial Capital of Vietnam) and begin our study of the 1968 Tet Offensive battle for the southern city and visit the Citadel.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 12: (Thursday, 13 September) – Hue to DMZ to Hue
We depart early for Dong Ha on Highway 1 and visit points of interest along the way. We can travel north to the Ben Hai River and the Vinh Moc tunnels and return west along Highway 9 to Khe Sanh, Lang Vei and Lao Bao before we retrace our travel to Hue for the evening.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 13: (Friday, 14 September) – Hue to Ha Noi
We depart Hue this morning for Ha Noi. Arriving at Ha Noi's Noi Bai Airfield, we cross the Red River and its dikes to explore the Ha Noi environs. We visit the Ho Chi Minh House and the One Pillar Pagoda. After lunch we visit the Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) and the John McCain Monument. This evening we enjoy a visit to the Marine House, home of the U.S. Marine Corps Security Guard responsible for the protection of the U.S. Ambassador and the American Embassy.
Meals: B/L/D
Day 14: (Saturday, 15 September) – Ha Noi
Today is a free day to explore Ha Noi on your own, some last minute shopping or maybe take an Optional Tour to Halong Bay that features more than one thousand limestone karsts and islands. Lunch on your own.
Meals: B/_/D
Day 15: (Sunday, 16 September) – Departure
For those opting for one of our fabulous post tours, your day begins as we bid our new friends a happy journey home. After breakfast, those heading home transfer to Noi Bai Airfield for the flight to Taipei. Departing from Taipei, we gain a day enroute to the continental United States by re-crossing the International Dateline, arriving in Los Angeles at approximately 2:30 p.m. this same day.
Meals: B/L/D (in flight)
