The Allure of Vietnam 13 days

Xin Chao! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Your tour will begin at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). Once you have cleared customs, you will be transferred to your hotel, where you will first check-in.

After that, you are free to enjoy the remainder of the day in the brilliant southern metropolis of Vietnam, which is comprised of a wide network of streets and thoroughfares where the traffic is both noisy and rapid. Located just a few steps away from your hotel, you will find a plethora of markets where you may bargain over the food and goods that are produced locally.

Before tonight's welcome supper at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant, your guide will provide a quick tour briefing.

Please note: Your travel documents contain a Visa-on-Arrival letter (unless otherwise arranged). Please bring this item in your carry-on baggage. You must produce your Visa-on-Arrival letter to Customs when entering the country.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Morning

After breakfast, your driver and guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Ben Tre Town, which is referred to as the "rice bowl" of Vietnam because of its extensive rice fields, intricate canal system, and picturesque surroundings.

To get to Ben Tre town, where you will board a motorized boat excursion around the picturesque River and see several local industries along the route, it takes around two hours of driving through the fertile farmland countryside. While on the boat, we'll make stops at the modest local factory housing the mat-weaving business and the coconut processing workshops. Visit a quiet village where you may take a little stroll to see how the inhabitants live their daily lives and sample fresh fruits and honey tea, and listen to local music. Continue your tour by stopping at a workshop in a coconut mill where a variety of expertly handcrafted coconut husk and fiber goods are made, including the local delicacy of coconut candy.

After that, go for a motorcycle (Xe Loi) ride or a bicycle excursion to visit the village's coconut and vegetable orchard plantations. Then you've finished your tour, your guide will take you for lunch at a local restaurant beside a river.

Afternoon

Take a small sampan to row around the coconut canals after lunch for the stunning view. The canals are secret streams that are bordered by a huge variety of tropical vegetation. The peaceful, rural environment is a refreshing and healing retreat from the hectic, distant HCM City. When the boat returns, the bus will pick up passengers at the pier and depart for Ho Chi Minh City.

The night is all yours. Let's go on a nighttime tour of Ho Chi Minh by yourself.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning

After breakfast, once you're ready, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and drop you off at a central pier. From there, you can take a speedboat to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you'll better understand the underground city and the hidden world of the Cu Chi freedom fighters.

Explore the complex's tunnels and see massive bomb craters left by the American bombing campaigns; find secret passages under your feet; pass small chimneys that release smoke from underground kitchens; eat some of the simple foods that local fighters would have eaten; and learn about the history of the area. It is thought that the concealed network of Viet Cong tunnels spanned "hundreds of miles" in total length and contained living quarters, storage areas, temporary hospitals, kitchens, etc. Although the system was initially somewhat narrow, some sections have been enlarged for tourists, and you have the option to explore them.

After exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels, return to the city and have lunch at a local restaurant along the road.

Please keep in mind that these tunnels will be hot and claustrophobic, so you may choose to observe from above ground.

Evening

Experience the vibrant nightlife of Vietnam with an exhilarating "Saigon by Night" tour. You may enjoy a night out like no other on the tour because it stops at a variety of places. This unique adventure provides a refreshing change from our daytime excursions, allowing you to immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere after dark. Discover four lesser-known districts in Saigon that are often overlooked by tourists, and indulge in the mouthwatering flavors of Vietnamese street food! We will take you to some local restaurants in Saigon, where you will try a variety of local specialties. In addition, you will relax at a cafe decorated in a Vietnamese style, where you will listen to live music while sipping a beer or beverage. The evening comes to a close in a busy music bar, where you can get down to the beats among the hip young Vietnamese audience!

Rest assured, even vegetarians can enjoy a wide range of delectable choices! Safety is our top priority, so you can relax and enjoy the adventure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Highlight of Ho Chi Minh – Hue

Morning

Enjoy your breakfast. Seeing a few of the most important attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. The Notre Dame Cathedral, the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, renowned for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste, are particularly recommended. Later, visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum for a somber and enlightening look at Vietnam's military history and violent past.

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Hue. The driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. And this is free time to explore Hue in your way.

Overnight in Hue

Meal: Breakfast.

Morning

The guide will come to your hotel to pick you up. You will go on a one-day tour of Hue to learn more about this beautiful city. Take a dragon boat to the first place, Thien Mu Pagoda (Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda), which is the oldest pagoda in Hue City. The morning boat ride to the pagoda will be a great way to start the trip. The Perfume River's fresh air will make you feel very good. Visit The Citadel. The Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last royal family, lived in Imperial City. After the Citadel, our car will take you to the Dong Ba market, which is Hue's busiest and has a lot of different foods and goods. You can see how people in the area buy and sell things here. This is also a chance to buy gifts for your family and friends. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant that served food from Asia and Vietnam.

Afternoon

Visit Khai Dinh Tomb, which is a mix of Western and Eastern architecture. A quick trip to the Minh Mang Tomb, which is thought to be the most beautiful of all the Royal Tombs. It is known for its architecture, which fits in well with the natural environment.

At the end of the day, you will arrive at Truc Chi Garden, an art workshop specializing in bamboo and papercraft. You will have the opportunity to speak with one of the other students there, and you will also be given the opportunity to participate in a hands-on activity in which you will learn how to produce artwork using the etching technique with bamboo pulp.

After a great day, get a private car to move to Hoi An Old Town. Check-in at your hotel.

Overnight in Hue

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

After breakfast at the hotel. Let’s check out of the room and get a private car to move to Hoi An Old Town. Check-in at your hotel.

Afternoon

Your tour guide will transport you to the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, where you will go on a walking tour of the principal monuments, including Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall, and Japanese Covered Bridge.

Continue to see the Precious Heritage Museum, where Réhahn's Precious Heritage Collection is on permanent display. The collection will transport you to the most remote regions of Vietnam while revealing the rich cultural tapestry of the ethnic communities.

The highlight of the day is a visit to the Reaching Out Tea House, a delightful oasis of peace in the bustling, dynamic Old Town that is owned and maintained by deaf and mute individuals. Here, you will be served delectable Eastern-style pastries and tea of the highest quality.

Proceed to the home of the lantern maker. There, you may see the lantern craftsman's technique before engaging in hands-on labor through each stage of lantern-making under the direction of enthusiastic craftsmen: from bending the frame, cutting the fabric, and gluing the lanterns to completing them. Before the conclusion of this journey, you will have crafted your own lantern.

Now is the time for your discovery trip of Hoi An's street food. With your guide, you will navigate the narrow alleyways and dine with locals at stalls you would never find on your own. Every day at 4 p.m., the streets of Hoi An are flooded with food carts, kiosks, and sellers. The street food tour is an excellent opportunity to sample some of the Hoi An specialties prepared by locals, meet the people behind the stock pots, and see how Hoi An natives handle those condiment trays!

Overnight in Hoi An

Meal: Breakfast, street food tour.

Morning

Let’s have a close-up and intimate exposure to both the local cooking and fishing communities. After picking you up at your hotel in Hoi An, you will start to visit the local market and shop for your ingredients for the day. Following the guide go to Cam Thanh village to get organic vegetables to prepare for cooking class later. But before this class begins, let’s board our 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 the waterways of coconut palm paradise. This tour provides you with a cultural window into the ways of life of both our farming and fishing communities.

A cooking class will be open after that, you will learn to make deep-fried spring rolls, papaya salad with shrimp crackers, pork or fish in a clay pot with steamed rice, and Banh Xeo (rice pancake with fresh salad) with seasonal fruit for dessert. And this is lunch.

Afternoon

After lunch, return to your hotel, where you have the remainder of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

Enjoy your time in Hoian Old Town. Let’s walk the ancient streets of Hoi An, lined with Chinese traders’ homes and wooden houses reincarnated as restaurants, cafés, and outlets for local artists, craftsmen, and tailors.

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Hanoi. The driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. And this is free time to explore Hanoi in your own way.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meal: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will have a journey to the city of Halong, which will take around two hours by car, and then you will take a speedboat from the port to your beautiful boat.

The lunch will be served to you as the boat travels on to our destination, passing by an almost unlimited number of islands and islets. Unquestionably a genuinely wonderful encounter.

Unwind and take in the entrancing atmosphere that envelops you thanks to the otherworldly setting of the ocean while relaxing on the terrace deck or on your own private balcony.

Are you prepared to take part in the activity now? Let's get out on the boat and spend an hour paddling on kayaks. If you don't like kayaking, don't worry, you can also swim.

When the time has passed, you will make your way back to the boat in order to participate in a lively sundown party on the sundeck. In this area, you will have the opportunity to socialize with other vacationers while you take in the beautiful beauty of Halong Bay while listening to soothing music.

As the sun begins to drop, we make our way to the peaceful anchorage where we will spend the night.  A great day is off by indulging in a sumptuous dinner prepared by our chef. After that, you are free to do whatever you wish with your time, such as fishing or just unwinding.

Overnight on Halong Bay

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

With a light breakfast of crisp toast, flavorful eggs, and a cup of enticing coffee or tea, you can start your day off right. When you're finished, you'll be prepared to embark on the day's main adventure: exploring the Cave.

Because it is the most stunning and alluring cave in Halong Bay, it is a remarkable destination. Your knowledgeable tour guide will tell you everything there is to know about it.

After that, the boat will continue crashing into numerous islands and islets, giving you a good perspective of Halong Bay's breathtaking splendor. Vietnam is the only country in the world where such a site exists!

Do you want to attend a cooking class? One of the regional specialties, delectable deep-fried spring rolls, will be one of the recipes you learn to make from our chef. You must do it to really appreciate it!

Later, as you have a delicious lunch, we'll cruise back to the pier. After that, it will be time to disembark and bid the boat crew farewell.

We'll bus you to Hanoi. The bus will drop you off at your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Morning

You will be picked up from your hotel by the guide, and then you will go to Ninh Binh, which is a world heritage site. The first destination is the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, which was established in 968 and continued to serve that function until the early 11th century when Emperor Ly Thai To transferred the capital to what is now the city of Hanoi. Upon reaching this breathtaking alpine setting, you will have to travel a distance of three hundred meters to reach the Dinh and Le Dynasty temples. In Tam Coc, you can sample some unique dishes at a restaurant in the area.

Afternoon

The journey will get underway in the Tam Coc region. Leaving from the Tam Coc wharf on one of the rowing Tam Coc Boat Tours. The boat tour is organized by local folks who are able to use both their hands and their legs. During your Tam Coc River Tour, you will get the opportunity to visit three different magical grottos: Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. Then, let's spend thirty to forty-five minutes pedaling about Tam Coc. Discover the way of life of the locals and take in the scenery of the expansive green fields by pedaling about the community. If you take a trip during the harvest season, you will see several rice fields that have taken on a golden hue. The Mua Cave is the final stop on the journey. Some people have compared it to "the Great Wall of China." You will have to climb 500 stairs to reach the top of the Mua cave, where you will be rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of Ninh Binh. After that, take some time to unwind, and then head back to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

After breakfast, your personal guide will come to the hotel to pick you up and take you on your adventure.

You should start your tour by going to Ho Chi Minh's House, which is a plain wooden house in a serene environment where the legendary leader of the country lived and worked.

Continue on to the Tran Quoc Pagoda, which was built in the sixth century and is Hanoi's oldest pagoda. It is located on a small island in West Lake. Take note of the numerous statues depicting lotus flowers and other Buddhist relics. Visit the Quan Thanh Temple, which dates back to the 11th century and features a wide courtyard with a giant banyan tree as well as a shrine dedicated to the most important deities in Taoism.

Visit the Temple of Literature in the afternoon. It was the site of Vietnam's first national university and was constructed in the late 11th century.

Back to the heart of Hanoi for a one-hour cyclo tour of the historic Old Quarter, which is renowned for its '36 streets of 36 products,' so-called because they are named after the first 36 artisan guilds that were established as early as the 13th century. Discover the interesting labyrinth of back lanes, fronted by narrow houses, which offers a wonderfully eclectic look into the life on the streets of Hanoi.

The day will come to a close with a rousing performance of water puppetry, an art form that is exclusive to the northern region of Vietnam and is supposed to have originated in the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta. The presentation is set to music and features colorful wooden puppets that illustrate scenes of living in rural areas as well as events from national history.

In the late afternoon, we made our way back to the hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meal: Breakfast, lunch

Start your day with a tasty breakfast at your hotel.

Free time to do some shopping and explore around before departing to the airport, where you catch your flight home or to your next destination; we will assist you with the planning.

The tour may be over, but the beautiful memories you have collected during these last 13 days will stay in your mind for the rest of your life. This is what we want to offer you: a tour that brings you great local experiences and makes you smile each time you think of them!