Highlights
- Saigon city tour and Cu Chi tunnels
- Mekong Delta day cruises
- Overnight cruise on Halong Bay
- Hue city tour
- My Son – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Routine
- Day 1: Ho Chi Minh Arrival
- Day 2: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi – Ho Chi Minh
- Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – My Tho – Cai Be
- Day 4: Cai Be – Vinh Long – Ho Chi Minh City
- Day 5: Ho Chi Minh City – Danang – Hoian
- Day 6: Hoian
- Day 7: Hoian – Tra Que Village – Hoian
- Day 8: Hoian – My Son – Hue
- Day 9: Hue
- Day 10: Hue – Phuoc Tich Village – Hue
- Day 11: Hue – Hanoi
- Day 12: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hanoi
- Day 13: Hanoi – Halong
- Day 14: Halong – Hanoi
- Day 15: Hanoi Departure
Itinerary
DAY 1 Ho Chi Minh Arrival
Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, meet our guide and then transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
DAY 2 Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi – Ho Chi Minh
Drive to visit Cu Chi Tunnels to discover the underground network built by Vietnamese in the Vietnam-American War. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon, have a city tour to visit Presidential Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office. Continue to visit Chinatown, Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh (B,L)
DAY 3 Ho Chi Minh City – My Tho – Cai Be
Drive to Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, take a riverboat for a cruise along the riverbank of the Mekong Delta. Take a boat trip around four Islets including Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and Phoenix on Tien River. Have lunch with the specialities of Ben Tre – the kingdom of coconut. Back to the boat and cruise toward Vinh Long. Check in homestay and enjoy dinner with the owners. Overnight in Cai Be (B,L)
DAY 4 Cai Be – Vinh Long – Ho Chi Minh City
Drive to Cai Be and take a boat trip to visit Cai Be colorful floating market. Continue visiting some local home factories to discover traditional rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies and longans drying process. Proceed to Vinh Long and visit Tam Ho Bonsai garden. Last stop can be a visit of the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beatiful potteries from clay. The boat will end at Vinhlong market in the town. This is the best choice for you to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegretable… Following head back to Ho Chi Minh City . Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.(B)
DAY 5 Ho Chi Minh City – Danang – Hoian
This morning take a short flight to Danang. Arrival in Danang, meet our guide and then proceed to Hoian with stops to visit Cham Museum and Marble Mountain in Danang. Arrival in Hoian at late in the morning and then take a walk along the narrow streets where you will pass ancient houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Temple, and Phung Hung house. The Japanese Covered Bridge is on a small stream and was built by the Japanese community back in 1593. It links the Japanese and the Chinese quarters. Phung Hung house is a traditional two-story wooden house, inhabited over 100 years by eight generations and it offers a nice insight into days gone by. Overnight in Hoian (B)
DAY 6 Hoian
Start the day leisurely cycling along country roads witnessing local Vietnamese rural life first hand, discovering all manner of photo opportunities – maybe a water buffalo working in a rice paddy field; seeing ducks swimming along the rice farm or farmers tending their crops. The photo opportunities are endless. As well you will experience the friendliness of the local people greeting you along the way. Later you will board a boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fishermen and enjoy a hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. You will also experience paddling the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat while exploring coconut-palm flanked waterways. This tour provides you with a cultural window into the ways of life of both our farming and fishing communities. Overnight in Hoian (L,B)
DAY 7 Tra Que Village
A leisurely cycle ride to local farm in Tra Que Village where you can explore the riches of the sweet-scented vegetable garden. Talk with the village farmers and join with them as they prepare the land and enrich it with soil-nourishing seaweed. Enjoy the land ‘hands-on’: try raking, sowing, watering and harvesting, just like a local!With the fieldwork done, it’s time to think about food. Learn to prepare tam huu, a spring roll delicacy made with local vegetables, before sitting down for a home-cooked spread including banh xeo, a savoury pancake wrapped in rice paper. A gentle bike ride later and you’re back in Hoi An. Overnight in Hoian (L)
DAY 8 Hoian – My Son – Hue
This morning head off to My Son, the capital and religious centre of the former Champa Kingdom. Here, 40km southwest of Hoi An in a lush green valley, discover a wealth of unique, red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the seventh and thirteenth centuries. Wander through the ruins then visit the little museum at the My Son entrance before driving to Hue with stop en route at Lang Co beach and Cloudy Pass to enjoy the marvelous scenery. Check in hotel in Hue. Overnight in Hue (B)
DAY 9 Hue
Take a morning boat trip through the centre of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. Visit Thien Mu Pagoda along the riverbank. Transfer by car to visit Khai Dinh and Tu Duc Mausoleums. En route, visit local families making Vietnam’s famous conical hats and colorful incense. In the afternoon take a cyclo ride to visit the Imperial Citadel and Dong Ba Market. Overnight in Hue (B,L)
DAY 10 Hue – Phuoc Tich Village – Hue
Built two centuries ago the covered Thanh Toan Bridge is one of only two of its kind in Vietnam (the other is in Hoi An). Built as a tribute to the villagers by the wife of a high-ranking mandarin, the bridge has survived storms, floods and wars. Whenever it was damaged, the villagers always contributed to repair, renovate and preserve it. Next to the bridge is the village’s bustling morning market which you’re welcome to explore. After Thanh Toan it’s an hour’s drive north to the 500-year-old village of Phuoc Tich. Once famous and prosperous because of its pottery, the village contains dozens of homes of between 100 and 200 years old. Several age-old temples, pagodas, worship halls and communal houses still remain. Many remnants of Champa and ancient Viet cultures, such as lingas (Hindu symbols), still remain. The religious culture of the village is seen in the family homes, which have their own ancestor worship halls, each worshiping five generations. After a fascinating Phuoc Tich visit, drive back to Hue arriving around lunchtime. Overnight in Hue ( B )
DAY 11 Hue – Hanoi
In the morning transfer to Hue airport for flight to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi, meet our guide and then go visit the mausoleum of the father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh*, and a timber, ethnic house where the great man lived between 1954 and 1969. Nearby discover the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 and an iconic symbol for the people of Hanoi. At the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university., the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. The Temple was originally built in 1070. Time for something different – a tour by cyclo (a chauffeur-pedalled tricycle) through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as the ‘36 streets’. As you weave your way around narrow roads and lanes, check out the vast variety of small businesses and shops which trade in their thousands. There’s much to see and this bustling community is perfect for capturing lots of fascinating photos! Then enjoy a water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi (B)
DAY 12 Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hanoi
Depart your hotel this morning at 0800 for the two-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam’s first capital, Hoa Lu. Visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009).After lunch, board your private sampan for one of the delightful trip in Trang An.Trang An is a nature reserve similar to but less frequented than Tam Coc. Limestone hills surround a peaceful river which passes through a series of caves (one cave takes 15 minutes to pass through, and the peaceful journey takes place in darkness). An eco-tourism area, the only interruptions here are the sound of birds and the gentle paddle of the oar upon the crystal clear river. Overnight in Hanoi (B,L)
DAY 13 Hanoi – Halong
Drive to Halong Bay to board a junk for a cruise amongst the 3,000 spectacular limestone islands of this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on board while taking in the awe-inspiring views. Visit Incense Urn Island and others, stop to wander around the impressive Surprising Cave famed for its remarkable stalactites and stalagmites. There will be time for easy kayaking or swimming if the weather permits. Overnight in Halong (B,L,D)(Note – fee applies for kayaking)
DAY 14 Halong – Hanoi
After breakfast, we continue to cruise past rock formations named after their unusual shapes. Enjoy the magnificent view of the sun rise on the bay before disembarking from the boat . Your driver will meet you and then transfer you to the airport for a short flight to Hue. En-route visit Biet Phu Thanh Chuong which belongs to Mr. Thanh Chuong, a well-known artist in Vietnam who has built this palace on a site of 10000 m2 and furnished with antiques furniture and his paintings. Overnight in Hanoi (B+L=BRUNCH)
DAY 15 Hanoi Departure
At leisure until transfer to the airport for onward flight. (B)
End of Tour.
Please contact us for rates
The package price includes the following services:
- Meals as indicated.
- Transfer with private A/C vehicle.
- Local English speaking guide*.
- All entrance fees as per itinerary.
- Mineral water and face towels in vehicles.
The package price doesn’t include the following services:
- International air fare
- Domestic air fares (prices available on request)
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Optional visits.
- Personal expenses (drinks, tips etc..)
- Any service not mentioned above.
- Travel insurance