On arrival at Da Nang Airport  or Da Nang  Train Station , you are met by our guide and transferred to

Da Nang Downtown. This largest coastal city in central Vietnam, set in midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, has neither  the atmosphere nor the hustle and the bustle of  its counterparts. We start our tour of Da Nang, seeing the famous Cham Museum, formerly the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient. This beautiful mansion contains many exquisite limestone carvings from the vanquished Kingdom of Champa that has been in central coastal littoral prior to the march of the Vietnamese nation south. The scenic drive passes through various gorgeous beaches to  the sensational Marble Mountain topped with five rocky outcrops. They are said to represent the five natural elements of the universe; fire, water, earth, wood and metal. This mountain has a rich history as it was used by the Cham ethnic minorities for their religious purposes but lately became a heaven for the Vietnamese fighters. The long steep staircase may involve some hardship to see this mountain top. However, you can take an optional cable car ride with small  extra fees. We follow the coastline to Hoi An Town and may have free time to  relax and explore at leisure.

Heading out of the town, we set off on a drive through many flooded rice fields and idyllic villages  to My Son Holy Land, an ancient capital and a religious centre of the former Champa Kingdom. This empire flourished from the fourth through the thirteenth centuries when religious fervours built a series  of impressive tower temples reflecting the spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed along the coast of contemporary Vietnam. On arrival in My Son, we stroll around a green valley surrounded by rugged mountains, where have been help various religious ceremonies of the Champa Dynasty. This sanctuary had all in previous time; however, many structures have not survived through wars and time. We see the remains of some impressive red brick towers, each one nearly a thousand years old. This ancient ruin will be left behind as we drive back to Hoi An and spend our time seeing this enchanting town where Japanese legacy,  Vietnamese tube houses, ornate temples and Chinese shop houses are still standing to present the unique traditional townscape . The narrow walking streets dotted with many shop houses lead us to the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge . This structure  was first constructed in 1590s by the Japanese traders  to link them with the Chinese quarters. The ornamentation has remained relatively faithful to the original Japanese design over centuries. We continue onto the Museum of Trade Ceramics, a beautifully restored timber house where displays many relics of the bygone civilization and the origins of this port town. Upon leaving this museum, we head towards the  typical Phung Hung House, a gem with a mixture of Japanese and Chinese architectural elements. This ancient house was built by a Vietnamese family two centuries ago and has been lovingly preserved through seven generations. We follow it with the Chua Ong Pagoda and the  Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. This colorful building is  one of the five well-known halls in Hoi An.

Today, we take a drive to Ba Na Hills, one of the fabulous sites in central Vietnam. On arrival, we hop  on an unforgettable cable car ride to Ba Na Hills, catching  the spectacular views from the undulating mountains to the blue sea in the far distance. We walk along the Golden Bridge, a highlight of  Ba Na Hill station. This iconic masterpiece spreads out nearly 150m long at 1,414m above  the sea level and builds up a sash-like route across the heaven to the  Amour Garden. There are nine different gardens which will tell you nine different stories behind the architecture and the flowers.  We follow the walkway past the Debay wine cellar to the French Village. This gleaming quarter illustrates a unique architecture with square, lofty churches, charming hotels  and traditional cottages. The prominent structure on Ba Na Hills is  Linh Ung Pagoda where  is sitting the giant Sakyamuni Buddha Statue of  27 meter high. We visit this pagoda and admire the panoramic landscape from Nghinh Phong Peak. This hill station also has Fantasy Park, Indoor entertainment zone with thrilling games. They are ideal for family and children to enjoy their time away from the city hustle. Upon leaving this site, we travel by road to Hue and hug the coastline before climbing up the  challenging Hai Van Pass, an obvious boundary between northern  and southern Vietnam. The panoramic view from this pass top is nothing short of spectacular, with a mixture of zigzag roads, turquoise sea, winding rail way behind the verdant forest. We arrive in Hue Town by mid or late afternoon and check in our hotel. This peaceful riverside town was once the feudal capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 under the Nguyen Dynasty, which still resonate with the glories left in forms of royal citadel, hoary pagodas, and  mausoleums littered in surrounding hills.

The rising flag tower draws a line for our exploration of Hue. We start our day with the massive Hue Citadel containing the Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City. This royal residence was all but partly destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive. However, it is still fascinating to walk around to see many pavilions, bridges, libraries, and great halls. They have been restored to explain the legends of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors who have built the fortress and lived within its moated walls for nearly 150 years. We follow it with a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market. This riverside trade center is crammed with local treasures and also has many eating spots. They make an ideal place for visitors to try their hand at bargaining and sample some local delicacies. Upon leaving this trade center, we make our way to  the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang. This majestic complex of courtyards, pavilions and temples, was built in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. We drive through the rolling hills to the Khai Dinh Mausoleum, a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. The mandarin courtyard where are standing various statues of mandarins, horses and soldiers, makes for a real scene of the royal court.  The most notable place is Thien Dinh Palace housing the bronze statues and the King steles. We embark on a traditional boat, cruising along  the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda. This iconic religious structure has a nice legend and a prominent architecture stretching from the river banks in seven successive tiers to monastic buildings and octagonal tower, regarded as a symbol of Hue.

There are no activities planned on this the final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Hue City, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Hue Airport for  your departure.