Phong Nha – DMZ – Hue (1D)

DMZ Phong Nha Hue private tour is another option that fits perfectly with travellers' need who want a different routes from North to South, not from South to North. Unlike many other DMZ tours starts from Hue city, Dong Ha city or Dong Hoi city, with private tour DMZ Phong Nha Hue, we will pick you up at your hotel in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Son Trach, Bo Trach district of Quang Binh province (Chay Lap farmstay, Phong Nha farmstay, Easy Tiger hostel, Phong Nha Lake House Resort, Son Doong Riverside hotel, Highway 20 homestay, ...) heading South towards Quang Tri province where most of the DMZ sites located. En route we will have stops at Vinh Moc tunnel first. Vinh Moc tunnel is a refuge for the villagers of Vinh Thach commune,  Vinh Linh district of Quang Tri province evading American bombing raid during the US bombing operation Rolling Thunder in almost 2000 days from 1967 to 1972.

Next stop will be the DMZ Freedom bridge aka Hien Luong bridge crossing Ben Hai river at 17th parallel. Here you can visit Museum of 17th Parallel and Unification Will and UN Peacekeeping Building. Let's walk across the demarcation line from North to South or Checkpoint Charlie Vietnam to understand the country's pain of separation and division. Take a look at the monument of National Desire for Unification where Ho Chi Minh quote was carved "Vietnam is one - The Vietnamese are also one - River may dry - Mountain maybe eroded- but the truth of Vietnam's unification has never changed". We'll have lunch break in Dong Ha city with local specialty recommended by your guide. Skip lunch if you wish. Please just bring some snacks along for your lunch.

After lunch, you will visit Highway 9 National Cemetery named after Highway 9 where more than 10.000 North Vietnam Army (NVA) (Liberation Army according to Vietnamese's perspective) served and died. Many of their remains are still being retrieved from Laos. We will keep going to Mine Action Visitor Center to understand about the post-war effort done by project RENEW (Restore Environment and Neutralize Effects of War) to make Quang Tri province clean and safe after the war. There is a fact that 80% land area of Quang Tri province is contaminated by Unexploded Ordinance (UXO). Many Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) were collected in and around the DMZ and are put on display here for travelers to understand about the devastation of the war and the its lingering effects. This stop might be closed on weekends so please book as soon as possible so we can contact the Center beforehand for your admission. Continue onto Quang Tri citadel which is well known for the 81 day-and-night battle of Quang Tri from June 28th to September 16th after the Easter Offensive conducted by NVA. This battle is etched into Vietnam war history with a bloody blistering summer with almost 30.000 killed in action from both sides North and South.