4. Vietnam and China Itinerary

After posting my itinerary earlier, I have done some "fine tuning". The Hanoi/Halong Bay/Sapa stretch needed extra thought - I wasn't too happy with and wrote down a few versions, then compared them. This was the best way for me, I could see them all and compare.

Finally it came to me. Better to visit Sapa first and leave Halong Bay until last.

Thu 17 - Arrive Kuala Lumpur
Fri 18 - Saigon arrive 10.10am
Sat 19 - Saigon
Sun 20 - Mekong Delta
Mon 21 - Mekong Delta - o/n Saigon

Tue 22 - Saigon to Dalat
Wed 23 - Dalat

Thu 24 - Dalat to Nha Trang
Fri 25 - Nha Trang - o/n train. Depart 22.12 Train SH2. Arrive Danang 8.59. Get bus.

Sat 26 - Hoi An
Sun 27 - Hoi An

Mon 28 - Hoi An to Hue. Depart 8.00 arrive 4.30 with Easyrider.
Tue 29 - Hue
Wed 30 - Hue - o/n train. Depart 17.11 Train SE4

Thu 31 - Hanoi
Fri 01 - Hanoi - o/n train. Train SP1 depart 21.10pm

Sat 02 - Sapa - Arrive Lao Cai 5.25am then bus.
Sun 03 - Sapa & Bac Ha - o/n train. Train SP2 depart 20.05pm

Mon 04 - Hanoi arrive 4.35am. Breakfast then 7.30 pickup for Halong Bay
Tue 05 - Halong Bay to Hanoi arrive 17.00pm

Wed 06 - Hanoi to Xi'an (fly) depart 11.45 arrive 19.05
Thu 07 - Xi'an
Fri 08 - Xi'an
Sat 09 - Xi'an - o/n train

Sun 10 - Pingyao
Mon 11 - Pingyao
Tue 12 - Pingyao - o/n train

Wed 13 - Beijing
Thu 14 - Beijing
Fri 15 - Beijing
Sat 16 - Beijing - o/n train

Sun 17 - Shanghai
Mon 18 - Shanghai

Tue 19 - Hangzhou
Wed 20 - Hangzhou

Thu 21 - Suzhou

Fri 22 - Suzhou - Shanghai. Flight to Hong Kong
Sat 23 - Hong Kong ~ Dragonboat Festival
Sun 24 - Hong Kong
Mon 25 - Hong Kong ~ Day trip to Macau?
Tue 26 - Hong Kong - afternoon flight to KL

Wed 27 - KL to Melb.

NOTE: Post edited on Sunday, 19th February as I'm flying Hanoi to China, so arriving in China one day earlier. Am having one day more in Hong Kong as it is the Dragonboat Festival and I think I'd like the time just to see things at my own pace.