The American Theatre 14 Days

This fourteen-day tour is designed mainly for returning war veterans, their family and friends, and military history enthusiasts who would recognize the terrain as the I CORP area. More than thirty-five years have passed since the cessation of hostilities, and much has changed during that time. We specialize in finding the names and locations of specific hills, bunkers and other sites of great personal significance for our returning vets. No task is too difficult, however impossible it seems.

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D, GP)
Arriving at the airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey before a ‘Welcome’ dinner at a restaurant in a restored French colonial building. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi (B, L, G)
A full day city tour of Hanoi including visits to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and residence, the National Army Museum or the Women’s Museum (a large display of the role of Vietnamese ‘long haired army’) and the Hoa Lo Prison, (the famous ‘Hanoi Hilton’, now a small museum). There will also be time for lunch en-route, a visit to one of Hanoi’s large markets, Hoan Kiem Lake and an evening ‘cyclo’ (bicycle taxi) ride round the famous ‘Old Quarter’. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi/Danang (B, L, G)
Your morning will be free until your car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for your noon flight to Danang. Upon arriving in Danang, you’ll visit the Son Tra Peninsula (known as Monkey Mountain during the war), the Marble Mountains and a nearby stone carving village, and Danang Beach. You’ll spend the night in Danang.
Day 4: Danang (B, L, G)
You’ll have a full day to visit the sites south and west of Danang in the Rocket Belt, including the Vu Gia – Tu Bon River Basin, Go Noi Island, Liberty Bridge, ‘Arizona Territory’, Dodge City, Hill 55, Hill 65, and the An Hoa Combat Base. We can easily arrange for you to visit other sites as requested, time permitting. You’ll spend the night in Danang.
Your guide will be a specialist in the history of the area and the places where battles took place and the locations of bases, bunkers and other points of interest. Please note that, wherever possible, we try to locate war veterans and civilians to provide a Vietnamese perspective on the conflict – when this occurs, it’s invariably a moving experience greatly enjoyed by both sides. However, if you feel uneasy about direct contact with those that were once your enemy, let us know and we’ll brief your guide accordingly.
If you would like to visit specific locations associated with wartime experiences, or to make contact with particular individuals, please let us know well in advance to allow us time to undertake the necessary research. We can’t guarantee success because the terrain, place names and other identifiable features have been largely obliterated, but we’ll do our best.
Infrastructure in the DMZ and surrounding area is minimal. Depending upon the route you take, it’s likely that you’ll need to transfer to the back of a motorbike to visit locations away from roads or tracks impassable by four-wheel vehicles.
Day 5: Danang/Quang Nam/Chu Lai (B, L, G)
In the morning, you’ll drive to visit the Chu Lai Airbase and spend a whole day visiting the sites around this area. Your overnight stay will be in Tam Ky Town in Quang Nam.
Chu Lai Airbase is being used as a military area by the Vietnamese government at present, so access is prohibited. Visitors can only look from outside – photography is strictly forbidden anywhere in the area. The same restrictions apply to any other Vietnamese military buildings or installations that you come across – the naval base and an artillery unit on the Son Tra Peninsula, for example.
Day 6: Quang Nam/Que Son (B, L, G)
You’ll spend a full day visiting the sites in Que Son Valley. Your overnight stay will be in Tam Ky town in Quang Nam.
Day 7: Que Son/Danang (B, L, G)
After breakfast, you’ll travel westwards to Que Son Basin and explore all the battle sites of Operation Swift along the Ly Ly River. You’ll return to Danang for an overnight stay.
Day 8: Danang (B)
The time will be your own!
Day 9: Danang/Hue (B, L, G)
In the morning, your car will arrive at your hotel to drive you to Hue. On the way, you'll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from top are excellent – you should be able be able to see Lang Co beach and village, the lagoon far below, and Danang spread out to the south. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the Dong Ba market. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.
Day 10: Hue (B, L, D, G)
After breakfast, you’ll visit some of the battle sites south of the Perfume River, including all the areas of 1/5 and 2/5 operations to reclaim the city. You’ll walk around the sites of the Phu Cam Canal, the ‘Old Shell Station,’ the original Hue University, and the Provincial Headquarters Building.
After lunch, you’ll be free for shopping in Hue or just relaxing in one of the many sidewalk cafés. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.
In the evening, you’ll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and comfortable atmosphere of one of Hue’s garden houses. You’ll spend the night in Hue.
Day 11: Hue/DMZ/Dong Ha (B, L, D, G)
In the morning, your car and guide will take you northwards to Quang Tri province to the DMZ. On the way, you’ll visit the Old Citadel of Quang Tri, La Vang church and Dong Ha town for lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Doc Mieu Base, Hien Luong Bridge and the Ben Hai river battle sites. You’ll also visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels (these are more authentic and easier to enter than those in Cu Chi. They have been preserved more of less in their original form). You’ll spend the night in Dong Ha town.
Day 12: Dong Ha/DMZ/Hue (B, L, G)
After breakfast, your car will take to what was once the Con Tien firebase, and to Truong Son national cemetery, Camp Carroll, the Rock pile, Dakrong Bridge, the Ho Chi Minh trail, and the ethnic minority village of Bru Van Kieu. After lunch at Khe Sanh town, you’ll visit the Khe Sanh combat base, Lang Vay Special Forces Camp and the Laos/Vietnam border before returning to Hue.
Day 13: Hue/A Shau Valley (B, L, G)
In the morning, you’ll drive to visit A Shau Valley including the major battle sites of the Landing Zones and Fire Support Bases. In the afternoon, you’ll return to Hue for an overnight stay.
Some of the sites in this area are open for visitors, but some are not. The entry permission situation may be different at the time of your visit.
Day 14: Hue/Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, GP)
In the afternoon, you’ll fly to Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City in good time to connect with your international departure flight. Trip ends.
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