This is a wonderful three day trip from Hoi An or Da Nang to Hue, a must do trip for all you history buffs.
Not only do we include some of the most popular tour destinations of Marble Mountain, Hai Van Pass, spectacular mountain country over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but we visit the iconic sites of Khe Sanh, the DMZ and the Vinh Moc Tunnels before arriving in the old imperial city of Hue.
If you love history, this is a tour for you.
Choose your preferred transport
We have air-conditioned cars, exciting vintage Jeeps or easy rider motorbikes for the adventurous. You can choose one vehicle type or more than one to please everyone in your group.
Safety First
Comfort and safety is our number one concern. We know that our roads are busy and may seem a bit chaotic for most visitors. Our drivers are trained to drive safely and use interesting scenic roads not just the fastest way to get there.
Local food and coffee stops
Our mission is to give you a fantastic and memorable experience. We choose all our food and coffee stops carefully with quality local food, great Vietnamese coffee, hygiene, bathrooms and your enjoyment in mind.
What's included in the price?
Our price includes: All meals, coffee stops, cold water and soft drinks, Hotel accommodation (good quality hotels) and entrance fees. There are no surprises with extra costs. What's not included: Alcoholic drinks, dinner on day 2 at Khe Sanh town.
Program (3 Days)
Like all our tours you can choose Easyrider motor bike, vintage Jeep or air-conditioned cars. Check out our generous discounts for more than 2 travellers. This is a private group tour with experienced English speaking guides. All activities are included in the tour price, the only exception being dinner at Khe Sanh because there are many choices of restaurants. Also, if you are interested in taking in the many attractions of Hue on day 4 but then returning to Hoi An or Da Nang, talk to us and we can help you with this option at a very reasonable price.
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1
Pickup at your Hotel
We will meet you at your hotel to begin our day.
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2
Marble Mountain
Our first stop is Marble Mountain where you are free to explore the many wonders of this famous mountain. Usually most guests take about 90 minutes, but feel free to take more or less time. You can climb the more than 150 steps (or take the elevator) that lead to the summit of Thuy Son (water mountain), you will be treated to incredible views of natural landscapes and access to the grottoes of Huyen Khong and Tang Chon, as well as the Tam Thai pagoda, built in 1825. These ancient religious monuments showcase the region’s timeless tradition of stone and marble carving. You can come down from the mountain via the handmade staircase or the elevator. The sculptured caves are truly breathtaking.
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3
Start our climb of Majestic Hai Van Pass
When you are ready, we leave Marble Mountains and head to the Hai Van Pass arriving at the base about 11.30am. The 21-km-long Hai Van Pass rises up to 1,600 feet high in places and is known as one of the best coastal roads in the world. The name, Hai Van is Vietnamese for Ocean Cloud, a reference to the great mists which rise from the sea. The pass was once the natural boundary between Vietnam and the kingdom of Champa. At the top there is a number of lookout points with wonderful views to the mountains and sea beyond. When the Hai Van tunnel, was built in 2005, it cut travel times through the mountains by more than an hour but also turned the Hai Van Pass into a beautifully quiet scenic route. Our stop for coffee looking out to sea is both memorable and relaxing, you will be very happy with this photo stop.
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4
Time for a delicious noodle lunch!
After descending the Pass we will stop for a Noodle lunch, Vietnam is famous for its love of noodles. Our lunch stop is a delicious example of noodles at their best. After lunch we travel through the hill country, passing close to the famous Bana Hills heading for our evening stop in the mountain town of Prao.
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5
Time to relax and swim at the Waterfall
Before we arrive at Prao you can enjoy a relaxing stop at a cool mountain stream waterfall for a swim, relax or take some photos of the mountainous country of Bana Hills.
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6
4.15pm
As we continue our journey to Prao we can stop at a Tea Plantation for you to see how tea is grown, harvested and dried.
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7
Arrive At Prao Hotel
About 5.30 we arrive at our hotel in Prao, where you can rest and freshen up before a walk through the town and then dinner at the hotel.
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8
We start the day with breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast at about 8.00am we set of for our day 2 adventures on the Ho Chi Minh trail. Travelling up the trail on QL14 we will stop at an invigorating waterfall about 9.15am for a cool drink, some photos and a swim if you like.
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9
Arrive at the town of A Luoi
From Prao, the Ho Chi Minh trail follows a series of rivers along steep valleys. Eventually, we leave the valleys and head up, up, and further up the mountain. The road is a series of looping switchbacks which curve around the contours until we reach the top and then cruise along the highest ridge. It’s an extraordinary ride or drive and the views over the jungle canopy are stunning. The best thing about the 100km’s from Prao to A Luoi (made famous as Hamburger Hill during the war) is the sparsity other vehicles which makes for a very relaxing trip stopping for photos whenever you like. We will enjoy lunch here.
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10
Leave A Luoi for the HCMT Monument
After lunch we continue on the HCMT, highway 14 to Khe Sanh. We will stop a few times to stretch your legs, take some photos, enjoy spectacular scenery and cool drinks. One of our stops will be at the HCMT monument (arrive about 2.15pm) located at the bridge over the Song Thach Han river where we pick up highway 16. After a coffee stop we head on to Khe Sanh.
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11
Visit the Khe Sanh airport relics museum
Before checking into our hotel for the night, a visit to the Khe Sanh airport relics museum, a scene of much bitter fighting during the 1968 battle of Khe Sanh is an essential pilgrimage. You can wander over the area with it's many aircraft relics and bunkers, imagining how different it must have been in 1968. Visit the small on-site photographic museum.
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12
Arrive at the hotel for the evening stay
After a refreshing shower you might like to explore the town. There are many options for you to choose where you might like to have dinner. To maintain flexibility, dinner cost on this night is not included. Your guide will be happy to escort you around Khe Sanh or you might prefer to explore the town by yourself.
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13
Breakfast before we journey to the DMZ
After breakfast at the hotel we will start our journey towards the DMZ. As always there is much to see on the road, we will travel at a comfortable pace so you can take in the magnificent mountain scenery, arriving at approx. 11.30am
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14
We arrive at the historic DMZ
The 5km strip of land on either side of the Ben Hai River is still known by its American War moniker, the DMZ. From 1954 to 1975 it acted as a buffer between the North and the South at the 17th parallel. The DMZ was know as one of the most militarised areas in the world. Travelling north of Dong Ha along Highway 1 we will cross the Ben Hai River the site of many war year relics and history before we head to “The Tunnels”, But first we must stop for lunch.
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15
Finish lunch and head for the Vinh Moc Tunnels
The Vinh Moc Tunnels are a testament to human perseverance. A must see feature of the DMZ. Secretly built between 1966 to 1967, the tunnels were used as bomb shelters for civilians. Three different levels were constructed – 12 metres, 15 metres and 23 metres deep – and during bombing raids, village life carried on underground. You can explore the tunnels by yourself or with a guide, we have allowed about 90 minutes but you can take more time if you like.
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16
When you are ready we will head to Imperial City Hue
Sadly we now head to our destination of Hue to finalise our trip. We will finish at the hotel you have booked.
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17
Arrive at your hotel
We will say goodbye about 5.00pm when we safely deliver you to your booked hotel. Remember, if you would like to spend a day in Hue visiting many historic sites and then return to Hoi An or Da Nang, please ask us to give you a price to extend your trip.
Some comments from Happy Travellers
I booked this tour with a couple of mates as we had always wanted to visit Khe Sanh and the Vinh Moc tunnels. We were just blown away by the beauty of the hill country and the HCMT. This was so much more than we expected. Son our guide was simply brilliant, we can't thank this guy enough. Nothing was a problem for him, he made the trip so easy and memorable. Thanks Son, all the best mate.
Went on a 4 day trip through the mountains up north from Hoi An. We told them in advance that we didn't rally care for all the tourist attractions and that we much rather just cruise through the gorgeous landscape and stop in the small villages. And thats exactly what we got, the guides (Thao and Son) were so caring and funny, we just loved spending time with them. Everything on this trip was amazing, highly recommend.
My wife and I wanted to go to Hue from Hoi An. When we were researching our options a friend put us in touch with these guys. Instead of simply driving from Hoi An to Hue in 1 day we took this 3 day option. friends had done the trip by motorbike but we weren't up for that. we preferred the 7 seater air-conditioned SUV. We really had a wonderful time, much better than our expectations and believe me they were high. Son is a wealth of local knowledge, we just loved all the stops, local villages and local food. The mountain countryside is spectacular, the trip was just memorable. If you have the time, this is a wonderful way to explore central Vietnam, a true highlight of a great holiday. We will return Son.
