Your trip includes
-
Round trip airfare from New York (JFK)
- Airport Taxes and Fuel Surcharges
- Accommodation in Oceanview or balcony cabins and first class hotels as follows (or similar):
- ~ 2 nights: Jan 1 - 3: Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung, Tung Chung, Hong Kong
- ~ 8 nights: Jan 3 - 11: Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship, Tung Chung, Hong Kong
- ~ 1 night: Jan 11 - 12: Shangri-La Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- ~ 3 nights: Jan 12 - 15: Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship, Tung Chung, Hong Kong
- All tours mentioned in the itinerary (which includes every port except Koh Samui)
- Catholic Priest, Mass daily and spiritual devotions and activities
- Professional Catholic guide throughout (from arrival in Hong Kong)
- Local guides in each country
- All meals (Breakfast, lunch & dinner) for 15 days except for 2 lunches
- Tips to your guides & drivers
Not Included
- Gratuities on board the ship, meals and beverages not mentioned.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Wednesday, December 31: Flight to Hong Kong. Happy New Year!
What a way to ring in the New Year – on a flight to Asia!
Day 2 | Thursday, January 1: In flight. All meals on board your flight
Arriving late, you will then be greeted by your 206 guide and transferred to our hotel which is only a few minutes away. Overnight at Sheraton Four Points Tung Chung Hong Kong.
Day 3 | Friday, January 2: Free day
Breakfast at the hotel. This is a free day to rest and relax before we begin our journey. You can enjoy the pool, spa or gym at the hotel. Lunch will be on your own. Evening Mass and welcome talk by Father. Enjoy wonderful group dinner onsite. Overnight at Sheraton Four Points Tung Chung Hong Kong.
Day 4 | Saturday, January 3: Hong Kong
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will tour Hong Kong. Our first stop will be the Hong Kong Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Here we will attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the locals! It will be in Chinese. This will truly help connect you with the people in a unique way, by sharing the Eucharist. We will visit the local markets for some shopping. Our local guide will share with us what life is like in Hong Kong! After our adventurous tour we will be taken to the cruise port where we will embark on the Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship. Late lunch and dinner onboard our beautiful ship!
Day 5 | Sunday, January 4: Free day on board
Mass & talk by our priest on the Martyrs of China. Gather for group dinner. All meals on board.
Day 6 | Monday, January 5: Hanoi, Vietnam
Today we will embark on the enthralling Tam Coc & Mua Cave Tour from Hanoi. After today is over you will have a genuine understanding of the Vietnamese people’s way of life in the rural part of this country. We will visit Hoa Lu– the ancient capital of Vietnam from 986-1010. Our local guide will tell you interesting information about the first feudal government of Vietnam. Then we will visit Mua Cave, where you can admire the fabulous panoramic view of Tam Coc and Ninh Binh. For those that would like, you can challenge yourself to conquer 486 mountain steps to reach the top breathtaking lookout point of Ngoa Long mountain. After that, we will head to Tam Coc by bicycling along the country lane (from Tam Coc to Bich Dong Pagoda, estimated time of 40 minutes / 5km cycling both ways). If you do not wish to bicycle you can take the bus. We will experience the beautiful scenery of the rice paddy fields. We will enjoy a lovely lunch with plenty of traditional Vietnamese foods such as spring rolls and rice. From there we will visit the Mua Cave and we will ride on a Tam Coc sampan (bamboo boat). You will have a chance to get a glimpse into the daily local life of these rural people as we gently float along the river. From here you will see the limestone mountains. As the tour closes we will enjoy authentic tea or coffee w/some locals at the dock before transferring you back to our ship at Hanoi. Mass & Dinner on board. Overnight at the port in Hanoi.
Day 7 | Tuesday, January 6: Hanoi, Vietnam
This is a free day. Spend your morning on shore in Vietnam or stay onboard! Mass and all meals onboard.
Day 8 | Wednesday, January 7: Hue (Da Nang), Vietnam
Today we will do a group tour to one of the most visited Marian Shrines in Asia – Our Lady of La Vang & the La Vang Holy Land. We will celebrate Mass here. We will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch and time to shop. From there we will visit the childhood home of Venerable Cardinal Van Thuan. This Cardinal has an amazing story and he is now on the way to sainthood. Our spiritual director Fr. Kaim received his acolyte installment from Cardinal Van Thuan when he was at the NAC seminary in Rome, so this is a man very near and dear to our hearts! We will also visit a home for orphans before heading back to the port. Dinner onboard tonight.
Day 9 | Thursday, January 8: Day at sea
Mass and talk about the saints of Vietnam. Gather for a group dinner. All meals on board.
Day 10 | Friday, January 9: Saigon (Ho Chi Mihn City), Vietnam
Today we will tour Saigon City. We will tour the Vietnam War Museum and have Mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral. We will tour the palace and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. We will save plenty of time for shopping at the Ben Thanh Market where you will be amazed by all the bargains you will find! Dinner back onboard tonight.
Day 11 | Saturday, January 10: Day at sea
Mass & Group Rosary. All meals on board.
Day 12 | Sunday, January 11: Bangkok, Thailand
The next two days will be ones you will never forget! You will pack a small overnight bag and we will set out on our journey. Our first stop will be at the Sanctuary of Truth. Google this! You really won’t believe your eyes! There are optional elephant rides here for anyone who would like. Although it is built by people of a very different faith than ours, inside you will find a portrait of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II! Next we will visit the shrine of Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung. He is Thailand’s only saint. The size and the beauty of this shrine will take your breath away! HIs feast day is tomorrow! We will stop for a Thai lunch and some shopping (of course). From there we will continue on to the heart of Bangkok to our hotel: The Shangri-La! This is a hotel on the water that will take your breath away. You will feel pampered from the moment you step foot in your gorgeous room. We will do a group sail boat dinner cruise tonight with live Thai music. This is a day you will not soon forget!
Day 13 | Monday, January 12: Bangkok, Thailand
This morning we will set out to explore the flower markets and to see the other bustling Thai markets. We will have Mass at a local Catholic Church. We will take a boat ride along the canals of the city to see how the locals live. We will have some free time at MBK shopping mall where you can get souvenirs. Lunch will be on your own here. We will then say farewell to our Thai guides as we transfer back to the port. Dinner onboard.
Day 14 | Tuesday, January 13: Ko Samu, Thailand
This is a free day for you to book an excursion through the cruise line, explore on your own or join your guide on a water adventure. More details to come down the road. Registration for this will be first come first serve as spots are limited. Tonight we will have Mass and all meals on board.
Day 15 | Wednesday, January 14: Free day at sea
Mass, group Rosary and all meals on board.
Day 16 | Thursday, January 15: Singapore
Today after we disembark we will have a full day tour of the Cathedral of Good Shepherd where the relics of St. Laurent of Marie Imbert. He was a beloved missionary in this part of the world. We will learn about his life as we celebrate Mass here. We will also visit St. Joseph’s Church. We will then do a tour of the fascinating city area including the famous fountains and unique building structures. We will visit the bustling city market for lunch on your own and have some time for shopping. We will experience a Chinese high tea and have a lesson about tea, very much a staple in the life of those in Asia. After a full day of exploring this unique country, you will be transferred to the airport for your late evening flight back to the US. Depending on your flight time you will arrive home late on the 15th or on the 16th.
Day 17 | Friday, January 16: Arrival in the US
Depending on your flight time you will arrive in the US.
*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.
Would you like to arrive earlier or stay later?
Let us know at the time of registration if you would like to arrive earlier, or stay later, than the scheduled tour dates, and pending availability, we will change your airline reservations accordingly, additional fees may apply. Pre- and/or post-stays at the hotel will cost an additional fee. These options should be available to you when registering online, or simply contact us: sales@206tours.com