06:00 – Departure from Hue
Car and tour guide pick up guests at Hue city center. Travel along Highway 1A, starting the journey to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) – a region that once divided the country for over 20 years.
07:00 – Visit La Vang Holy Land
Stop at La Vang – a major pilgrimage center of Vietnamese Catholicism, where Our Lady of La Vang is believed to have appeared in the late 18th century during the fierce anti-Catholic persecution under King Canh Thinh (Tay Son dynasty).
07:30 – Travel to Quang Tri Ancient Citadel
The Ancient Citadel is a military fortress built during the reign of King Gia Long (1809), playing a strategic role throughout various historical periods.
07:40 – Visit Quang Tri Ancient Citadel
This was the site of the fierce 81-day-and-night battle in the summer of 1972 between the Liberation Army of South Vietnam and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, fighting for control over Quang Tri town.
This area is now a memorial site and cemetery, the resting place for thousands of unnamed fallen soldiers, symbolizing the immense sacrifice and loss during the war.
08:40 – Travel to Hien Luong Bridge – Ben Hai River
Follow Highway 1 North to the 17th Parallel.
09:40 – Visit Hien Luong Bridge – Ben Hai River
This area was once the boundary dividing North and South Vietnam under the 1954 Geneva Accords.
- Hien Luong Bridge witnessed various forms of psychological warfare, such as loudspeaker duels, competing flag-pole building, and painting the bridge brighter colors between the two sides.
- Visitors will hear explanations about the symbols of division, such as the white demarcation line, the flagpoles of both regions, and the war artifact display area.
10:00 – Travel to Phong Nha via the West Branch of Ho Chi Minh Highway
En route, the tour guide will explain the Truong Son Route (Ho Chi Minh Trail) – the vital artery transporting food and weapons from the North to the South during the anti-American resistance war.
12:30 – Have lunch at a local restaurant (Phong Nha)
Rest and prepare for the afternoon cave tour.
13:30 – Visit Phong Nha Cave
Phong Nha Cave is a UNESCO-recognized World Natural Heritage site, renowned for:
- The longest underground river in Southeast Asia
- A diverse stalactite and stalagmite system formed tens of millions of years ago
- Serving as a shelter and supply depot for the Liberation Forces during the war
Visitors will take a motorboat along the Son River, going about 1.5 km inside the cave, listening to detailed commentary on its geology, formation history, and wartime military significance.
16:30: Board the vehicle and return to check in at the hotel in Dong Hoi City.
19:00: Car and tour guide take guests to a local restaurant for dinner.
