Young Pioneer Tours
The Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit Tour
The second summit between President Trump, and Chairman Kim Jong Un could fairly well be described as somewhat epic, and hopefully an event that leads to better relations between the countries.
When these historical events occur, you can either sit and watch from the sidelines, or be part of it. We’ve decided to be part of it, and you can too!
We’ve planned a trip around the Trump – Kim summit that means no matter where it is held (Hanoi, or Da Nang) we will be there hanging out with the journalists and diplomats, whilst being part of history in the making. (**update, Trump has tweeted it will be in Hanoi!)
We have accommodation booked in both Hanoi and Da Nang in case of last-minute changes and to be super prepared.
We’re going to be hanging out for the days of the summit, chatting with journalists and using our contacts to get the most we can on the inside story of what’s happening and using our experience to contribute to the discourse of what is it is going to mean for the future of DPRK-US relations and of course tourism in the DPRK.
We’ve also decided to throw in a load of cool stuff to do in Vietnam as well, can’t say much better than that!
**Itinerary is subject to change depending on the final details of the summit location. Discounts for all return Pioneers of course apply!
Group A: €445, 5 nights, 6 days
Group B: €745, 8 nights, 9 days
Monday 25th February – Hanoi
- Group arrive at own leisure and transfer to our hotel in Central Hanoi, an area famous for its cheap food and drinks.
- We head to Lenin Park, complete with statue, before some people-watching then go for dinner and drinks in the Old Quarter,
- Overnight in Hanoi
Tuesday 26th February – Hanoi
- If you’ve been on a YPT trip before, you’ve probably done a mausoleum, or two, so we make the most of Hanoi with a visit to the mausoleum of the founder of Vietnam, Uncle Ho Chi Minh
- Head straight to the Ho Chi Minh Museum for an in-depth look at his life
- Quick lunch of, what else, pho!
- Visit the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution, detailing history going right back to the struggle against the French
Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th February – Hanoi
- We spend two days chasing the summit by day and hanging out with the hordes of global journalists that are expected to descend on Vietnam
- Depending on how the summit goes, we either spend the last night here celebrating, or drowning our sorrows.
- Overnight both days in Hanoi
Friday 1st March – Hanoi, end of Group A
- Late rise before we head out on a city tour of Hanoi, inclusive of Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton, where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese revolutionaries during the colonial period, and in which the US POWs captured by the North Vietnamese were kept, including a certain John McCain
- End of Group A – All good things must come to an end, but really good ones can be extended, so you can either leave us here, or continue onto the second part of the journey heading to Hue and the old DMZ
- Beginning of Group B
- We board the 19:30 overnight train to Hue, the old imperial capital of Vietnam
- Dinner, drinks and overnight on the train
Saturday 2nd March – Hue
- Arrival at 8:30 and check into the Jade Hotel
- After a bite to eat we head to Hue’s main attraction – the Imperial Citadel. It’s huge, and we’ll wander around the rooms and gardens for a few hours taking in different parts of ancient Vietnamese history
- After lunch, we head out for a slice of more modern history, hiring motorbikes and heading to Phu Bai Airport, built and garrisoned by the Americans in this key part of former South Vietnam
- Grab our motorbikes again for some countryside exploration. It just wouldn’t be Vietnam without motorbikes and rice paddies, and the countryside around Hue is some of the most beautiful in the country, and its people the most welcoming
- Head back in Hue and go for dinner and drinks in this bustling Vietnamese town, starting of course and unavoidably at The DMZ Bar
- Overnight in Hue
Sunday 3rd March – DMZ
- Early rise and drive out to the old Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam, at the 17th The journey takes 2 hours, with us stopping at a war memorial on the way, as well as various other places.
- Lunch on the way to the DMZ
- Visit the Hien Luong Bridge that was the official border crossing for much of the war, with classic halfway point selfies a must.
- Vinh Moc Tunnels and museum, the main part of the DMZ Tour
- See Khe Sanh Combat Base, Camp Carroll, and The Rockpile, former US military bases and outposts
- Before driving back to Hue, we stop for dinner at a quiet seaside village for fish BBQ, and an amazing sunset.
- Overnight in Hue
Monday 4th March – Ho Chi Minh City
- We get up early for the 08:00 flight to Ho Chi Minh City, or as the cool kids still call it Saigon
- Head out as soon as we arrive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we see and experience the tunnel warfare carried out by the Viet Cong against the US military in South Vietnam
- Drive back into the city for some street food, we’re particularly fond of the famous banh mi thit pork sandwich!
- In the afternoon we go for a city tour including South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, now the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, complete with scenes from the French occupation of Indochina, US military equipment from tanks to planes and vivid descriptions of the effects of Agent Orange and other leftovers from the war on Vietnam still today
- Head to the old American Embassy and see if we can climb up to “that place” where the last evacuations happened!
- Check out the war surplus market. YPT does love a good Soviet market but we’ll make do with looking for Vietnam War trinkets!
- Saigon is famous for the nightlife of district 1, so that’s exactly where we head for our final night in Viet f**king Nam!
- Overnight in Saigon
Tuesday 5th March – Departure
- End of tour with YPT able to arrange ongoing transportation, or services for those that require it.
Tour Extensions
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