Day 1: Hue - A Shau valley
We pick you up from your hotel in Hue then head west alongRoute 547 towards the A Firebase Birmingham todayShau Valley. Our first hikeing is Firebase Birmingham sitting on a low hill overlooking the Perfume river where one of the worst friendly fire inciddents of the US in Vietnam War took place at when a Marine F-4s dropped three 500lb ( 230kg ) bombs on this firebase killing 16 and wounding 40 men of the U.S 101st Airborne Division. We will hike up to the top of Birmingham and walk on the old helipad and the runway. Thence to Firebase Bastogne - the largest fire support base of the 101st Airborne Division in the A Shau valley - which has been turned over to farmland and housing, but we still uncover plenty of military trashes on the ground; sandbags, jungle fatigues, jungle boots, bullet casings and much more. And although the base area is partly cultivated, there are also clear traces of paved helipad and other installations. The last & Firebase Veghel todaytoughest hiking of the day is Firebase Veghel. Today Veghel is turned over to farmland, but trenches and bunkers still can be seen on the hill. There are some rugged dirt path leading up to the hilltop. The hike takes about half an hour each way ( from the parking to the hilltop ). Then drive to A Shau valley with a bieft stop-over at LZ Blaze - a major Pick-up Zone for the Hamburger Hill battle.
Stay overnight at a local Homestay at A Luoi town. Day 2: A Shau valley - Hue Today the main hike is HamburgerHill located near the Laotian border.Hiking on Hamburger HillThe battle of Hamburger Hill is the last large-scale engagement between the regular forces of the opposing sides. During Operation Apache Snow on May 10, 1969, the 3rd Battalion, 187th Regiment made contact with an unknown NVA unit on Hill 937, which led to ten days of fierce fighting. Three battalions of the 101st Airborne Division tried to push an NVA regiment off the hill. Heavy thunderstorm and difficult terrain as well as strong enemy resistance made the battle truly fierce and difficult. The 101st Airborne Div paid a costly price to take the hill, 56 killed and another 420 wounded.The battle became so publicly critisized due to the heavy casualties and the determination securing the hill but it was abandoned three weeks later. Due to the severity of the fighting, Hill 937 was dubbed Hamburger Hill. The hiking takes about 3 hours in total, from the bottom to the sumit where we will stroll around the hilltop before walking down the northwestern ridge trail where the men from Bravo company & Delta company of the 3rd battalion, 187 Regiment came up, and back down the hill for a well-hidden tunnel of the NVA on the crest of the mountain. Then, drive 35 km further south for The A Shau Special Forces Camp - one of the first U.S A Shau Special Forces Camp todaymilitary installations established in 1963 in the A Shau valley. In March 1966 the base camp was overrun by the NVA in a two-day battle.The base camp site now is one of the most affected by Agent Orange in the A Shau Valley. In late 2023, the area was annouced to be cleaned up from dioxin and has been turned over to resettlement. Bomb craters still can be seen all around the base camp site.Then, drive all the way back to Hue. End of the tour.
Hamburger Hill tour from Hue Price: $350
The price quoted is for 1-2 person(s). First extra person: $100, further extra person: $60
Included features:
• Private transfer ( 7 seater SUV cars or 15 seater minivans )
• English speaking guide.
• Entrance & permit fee for all sites.
• One night accommodation at a local Homstay at A Luoi town based on double or twin sharing. Excluded features:
• Meals
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