Essence of Vietnam Tour 12 Days

Day 01: Hanoi Arrival

You will be warmly welcomed upon arrival Hanoi airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will take a private walking city tour to visit local markets and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, known for its 36 streets and former craft guilds. In the evening you will enjoy a water puppet performance before a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Meal: No

Tour guide: English Speaking guide

Day 02: Hanoi City Tour

The post-colonial capital city of Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, numerous lakes, pagodas, and temples. This full day tour takes you around Hanoi’s most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his Stilt House, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Also on the tour will be the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, peaceful West Lake “with “lovers’ street” Thanh Nien), the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda and one of the city’s museums, either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum. Át the end of the tour you will take cyclo tour in 30 minutes. You will stay overnight in Hanoi.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking guide

Day 03: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Enjoy breakfast at hotel. You will then leave Hanoi for Halong Bay, arriving at the jetty around 12:30 p.m. Upon arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise on the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay, swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. You will stay overnight onboard.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide on board

Day 04: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Hue

You’ll wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves and birds welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay and after breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto. You will have a walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Then you will drive back to Hanoi airport for flight to Hue. Upon arrival, pick up then transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hue.

Meal: Brunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide on board

Day 05: Hue City Tour

You will embark on a tour of the city, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market. You will stay overnight in Hue.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 06: Hue – Danang – Hoi An

Rising up in the ancient land, enjoy your breakfast in the hotel. Then, board a private boat for cruising the romantic Perfume River, visit Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), the ornate Minh Mang’s tomb. We will enjoy lunch at local restaurant. Leave the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Hue for Hoi An. You will travel over the Hai Van pass, stop in Danang for a visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages on the foot of Marble Mountain before arriving in Hoi An. Once in Hoi An, you will check into our hotel and have some free time to explore the town before an overnight stay.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 07: Golden Bridge – Half Day Hoi An Ancient Town

Ba Na is located 1,480 meters above sea level in the Truong Son mountain range, two hours from Hoi An.

Ba Na was formerly a 1920’s French resort and once boasted 200 villas, restaurants, and clubs. Its temperate climate, unspoiled forest, and spectacular views over the Ben Cat Sea and the Lao mountain range made Ba Na a popular retreat for both the French and the wealthy Vietnamese.

Today the area still attracts locals and tourists alike such as: Golden Bridge although extra effort and a four-wheel drive are required to reach Ba Na as the roads are quite rough and sinuous.

After lunch, you will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Following the tour there will be free time to shop visiting the local tailors who make quality clothes in a flash.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 08: My Son holyland

Located 75km from Hoi An, My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a Must-See for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 09: Hoi An – Danang – Ho Chi Minh

You will then leave Hoi An for Danang Airport to take a one hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meal: Breakfast

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 10: Full Day Cu Chi Tunnel – City Tour

Pick-up at your hotel, you enjoy a half day excursion to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. This network of tunnels, which stretched for over 200km, became legendary during the 1960s.

Cu Chi tunnels played a vital part in the U.S.-Vietnam War in that they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area only 30 to 40 km from former Saigon .

At its height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border. The network, parts of which were several levels deep, included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens.

Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and feel of what underground life during the war must have been like.

The tunnels have been widened for our benefit (otherwise we would not be able to enter them!) For those interested there’s even the opportunity to try an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

In the afternoon you will embark on a city tour of HCMC (Saigon) including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office and bustling Ben Thanh Market. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 11: Mekong Delta for a day to Ben Tre

Ben Tre is the best option for a day trip to the Mekong Delta from Saigon, since it is only around 2 hours away, and 15 minutes from My Tho. However, this wonderful destination retains an authenticity which has been somewhat lessened in nearby My Tho.

This picturesque and friendly Mekong Delta town has historically seen very few travelers, but the recent opening of a bridge connecting Ben Tre and My Tho has made it far easier for day trippers to visit from Saigon.

Our one day cruise excursion starts at 8:00 am from the lobby of your hotel in Saigon with a drive to Ben Tre. While there, you can take a walk along the waterfront, lined with French era shops and houses, and you’ll see plenty of coconuts being unloaded from boats for dispatch around the country. Then, jump on a boat for a couple of hours of cruising on the Mekong River. You will enjoy your delicious lunch at a local restaurant or on board. The excursion will end at around 4:00pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide: English Speaking Guide

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh Departure

There is no activity planned for today, so you can enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Cam on va chao tam biet!