Private Tour: Ha Noi – Hue – Hoi An

220 8hr

In the morning, we head south over the DaKrong Bridge (built by the Cubans in 1973) into the infamous A Shau valley, an area of intense wartime activity. Passing Carol Hill and mountains still barren due to the extended effects of Agent Orange, we towards the former DMZ, the famous Hien Luong Bridge (former demarcation line between North and South Vietnam and finally at Vinh Moc tunnel, we continue the ride on the National road No1 to the beautiful city of Hue which lies along the banks of the Perfume River. Dinner and overnight in Hue. Vinh Moc (Vịnh Mốc) is a tunnel complex in Quang Tri, Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, it was strategically located on the border of North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The tunnels were built to shelter people from the intense bombing of Son Trung and Son Ha communes in Vinh Linh county of Quang Tri Province in the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. The American forces believed the villagers of Vinh Moc were supplying food and armaments to the North Vietnamese garrison on the island of Con Co which was, in turn, hindering the American bombers on their way to bomb Hanoi. The idea was to force the villagers of Vinh Moc to leave the area but as is typical in Vietnam there was nowhere else to go. The villagers initially dug the tunnels to move their village 10 meters underground but the American forces designed bombs that burrowed down 10 meters. Eventually, against these odds, the villagers moved the village to a depth of 30 meters. It was constructed in several stages beginning in 1966 and used until early 1972. The complex grew to include wells, kitchens, rooms for each family and spaces for healthcare. Around 60 families lived in the tunnels; as many as 17 children were born inside the tunnels. The tunnels were a success and no villagers lost their lives. The only direct hit was from a bomb that failed to explode; the resulting hole was utilized as a ventilation shaft.

20 5hr30min

Hue is the former imperial capital of feudal Vietnam and is a perfect place to relax after our ride to date. Take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to visit the tomb of the former Emperor Minh Mang or visit the remains of the Imperial Citadel, which was largely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Lunch on your own, dinner in a traditional restaurant, overnight in Hue.

160 7hr

The former harbor town of the Champa people at the estuary of the Thu Bon river was an important Vietnamese trading center in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled down. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. During the French colonial period (1883 – 1945), it was called Faifo. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the “Japanese Bridge”, it used to be the Japanese settlement (16th – 17th century). The bridge (Chua Cau) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side. The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, and by similar names in Portuguese and Dutch. A number of theories have been put forth as to the origin of this name. Some scholars have suggested that it comes from the word “Hai pho” meaning “sea town”, while others have said that it seems more likely to simply be a shortening of Hoi An pho, “the town of Hoi An”, to “Hoi pho” which became “Faifo”. In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Today, Hoi An is still a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well-established place on the backpacker trail. Many visits to the numerous art and craft shops and tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes. Dinner, Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An. Join the National Highway 1 and head up the Hai Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) stop in Da Nang for lunch before getting the World Heritage site of Hoi An, a major trading center in SE Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Arrive in Hoi An around noon time, tour ends. We really suggest you stay in Hoi An for 1 or 2 days before you get back to Hanoi or continue your journey further in the Central.