Hanoi, Hue, Dong Ha, Khe Sanh, A Luoi, Danang, Chu Lai, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang, Dalat, Saigon, Iron Triangle, Cu Chi

Day One: Arrival at Noi Bai airport - Transfer to hotel - Evening free time. Despite the rebuilding and more recent surge in construction, Hanoi retains a style and grace dating back to the French colonial period. During your first evening, you may want to hire a cyclo for an exploratory ride around the city.

Day Two: Begin your guided tour of Hanoi in the center of town where you'll find traditional pagodas and temples, colonial villas, small lakes, and tree lined boulevards. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum , One Pillar Pagoda, the Army Museum, and nearby flag tower. Later, experience a little classical Vietnamese culture at the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature.

Day Three: Transfer to Noi Bai airport for the flight to Hue. Visit the citadel and recall the Battle of Hue during the Tet offensive. As you pass through the archway leading into the old Imperial city, you can still see the scratch marks left by the US tanks during the three week battle when the NVA occupied the city.

Day Four: Drive up National Route 1, passing Camp Evans and Fire Support Base Nancy, to the battle site at Quang Tri. Proceed past the former location of the Ai Tu Combat Base and airfield of the 3rd ARVN Division HQ into the area called Leatherneck Square (bordered by Con Thien - Gio Linh - Dong Ha - Cam Lo) during Operation Buffalo. Continue up Highway 1 across the Hien Luong Bridge which spans the Ben Hai River crossing the 17th parallel into no man's land. Visit the tunnels in Vinh Moc and the Con Thien Fire Support Base before returning to Dong Ha for the night.

Day Five: Drive parallel to the DMZ along Route 9 to Khe Sanh passing a series of former Fire Support Bases, the "Rockpile", Da Krong Bridge, and the Huong Hoa District HQ. The ride out to Khe Sanh will certainly demonstrate why the helicopter was the vehicle of choice. Be prepared for some back to basics accommodations.

Day Six: Tour the former Khe Sanh Base, a coffee plantation, a former French outpost, and a Montagnard Village. Continue along route 9 to the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp - Visit a nearby Lao Bao border town where illicit border trade remains very active and (with advance notice) arrange a border crossing into Laos following the route of Operation Lam Son 719 in which ARVN troops pushed into Laos to attack NVA strongholds. Visit the site of the Special Forces camp at A Luoi and Landing Zones Cunningham, Erskine, and Razor and (with advance notice) continue south through the A Shau Valley to Hamburger Hill. Return to Dong Ha for the night.

Day Seven: Take an optional excursion to the ancient tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc and a boat trip on the Perfume River or else spend the day in Hue at your leisure.

Day Eight: Drive down Highway 1 over the Hai Van Pass to Danang. Tour the city which was in chaos in March 1975 as thousands of refugees headed south on the heels of the retreating South Vietnamese Army. Later, visit China Beach and see the spot where the U.S. marines first came ashore in 1964.

Day Nine: Drive to Hoi An, a port city visited by 17th century traders while en route to Malaysia. Continue along the coastal plain to Chu Lai Airbase. Along the way, you should still be able to see children swimming or a water buffalo chilling out in a water filled bomb crater or two. Stop by Son My (scene of the My Lai massacre) and then cross over the rugged Animate mountains down into Qui Nhon.

Day Ten: Drive to Nha Trang, the former home of the US 5th Special Forces Group in II Corps.

Day Eleven: Hit the beach in Nha Trang and take a boat ride to Bamboo Island for some snorkeling and then on to and Mieu Island where you'll see a fish breeding farm. Visit the Cham tower of Ponager, a fine example of 2nd century Cham architecture. Later, drive to Đalat where you'll visit the Valley of Love, the central market, and the Lake of Sighs.

Day Twelve: Drive through the Central Highlands past silk farms and mulberry plantations to Bao Loc and then continue on to Saigon.

Day Thirteen: Cruise the bustling streets of Saigon down to the busy river front and then stop off at the Former Presidential Palace, former US Embassy, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Market. In the afternoon visit the site of the war protesting Buddhist monk immolation and the church where President Diem was assassinated.

Day Fourteen: Travel along route 13 past Phu Cuong for a visit to the former Phu Loi base where villagers were once processed for relocation. Pass through the Cau Dinh jungle past the former 503rd Airborne Brigade's Staging area, 173rd Airborne and 11th Armored Cavalry bases and on to the northern tip of the Iron Triangle at Ben Suc. Continue on to the Dau Tieng Reservoir and the Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh and then visit the restored Cu Chi tunnels before the return drive to Saigon.

Day Fifteen: Enjoy a free day of R&R in Saigon

Day Sixteen: Transfer to Tan Son Nhut airport for departure.

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