Best of Vietnam Tour

Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, you will meet your driver and local guide and travel by car to your hotel.

Meals included: no
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, you will begin your full day discovery of the capital with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - a tribute to the architecture of Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, his traditional stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda - built in the 11th century. Later on, you will pay a visit to Hoa Lo Prison, which was well-known to American soldiers (like former prisoner, late US Senator John McCain) as the “Hanoi Hilton”. The prison closed during the 1990s, but the gatehouse and a small part of the prison still remain as a museum, a somber historical reminder. You will have the chance to visit two separate parts of the prison, each of which shows how the prison was used during two specific time periods: the French colonial Era and the Vietnam War. In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu in Vietnamese), situated in the place once known as the first university of Vietnam. Built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the university was first opened for princes and mandarins exclusively. With its ancient courtyards, altars and roofs, Van Mieu is a very fine example of Vietnamese architecture. Then, continue your way to the Old Quarter and the surroundings of the Sword Lake. In the evening, you will enjoy a traditional water puppet show, an art form which was invented a thousand years ago by the farmers of the Red River Delta area and then elevated to royal entertainment under the Ly and Tran dynasties. This typical and enchanting art form often portrays scenes of everyday life and legends to a backdrop of traditional music.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel

Notes:
- The Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday (outside visit will be arranged instead)
- To be allowed to enter the mausoleum, you must cover your legs, stand in pairs in silence without crossing your arms, or putting your hands in your pockets

In the morning, you will travel without guide to Tuan Chau Habour and arrive around noon. There, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see Lan Ha Bay, a part of Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner aboard with excellent and freshly caught seafood from the bay.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the junk
Distance: 155 kilometers - 2h 30min

Early in the morning and depending on the season, you will wake up to enjoy the sunrise over the aquamarine waters of the bay. Then the cruise will tour around the bay until you disembark at the end of the morning. After that, you will then return to Hanoi airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arrvial, you will be welcome by your guide and driver, then transfer to your hotel for check in.

Meals included: Breakfast, brunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
Distance from Halong Bay to Hanoi airport: 155 kilometers - 2h 30min

Setting off in the early morning, you will ride your bicycles for 1 hour into the Cam Thanh countryside. Travel across plains of flooded rice fields and enjoy the opportunity to observe picturesque scenes of the local daily life with the beautiful background of verdant nature. After arriving at the local boat pier, you will board a boat that will transport you for 30 to 45 minutes to the seaport of Cua Dai, at the mouth of the Thu Bon River, which runs through Hoi An. At this point, two very different activities will be waiting for you to enjoy.

First of all, you will be initiated to a method of fishing using huge nets raised by special pulleys, the catch, accessed only by paddling out in “basket boats”. After this first fun activity, a bamboo basket boat will take you into the mangrove forest. This amazing round basket boat will carry you along while you watch and take part in scenes of crab fishing. At this point, you’ll no doubt be invited to try and paddle your boat for yourself, but it’s not an easy task making circular paddle movements while trying to keep your balance! But it's certainly a lot of fun. As a reward for your morning's efforts, you will be accompanied to a local family’s house to enjoy a lunch consisting of local dishes, carefully prepared by the fishermen.

In the afternoon, you will visit Hoi An Ancient Town. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it offers you a glimpse into what a Southeast Asian trade center looked like hundreds of years ago. Meander down narrow lanes framed by many old houses and see local people trading at the market, visit the famous Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple and Tan Ky Trading House. Discover the harmony of Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and French architectural elements in this fascinating town. With a unique ancient Chinese architectural style, Quan Thang ancient house is one of the most beautiful ancient houses in Hoi An town. More than 300 years old it is home to three generations living together with that continue the tradition of making White Rose (dumplings stuffed with shrimp or pork), well-known specialties in Hoi An.

When visiting the house, you will be warmly welcomed by the host, listen to a story of his ancestors who were Chinese merchants, as well as learn about the history and architecture of the house. Then, you will make your own White Roses with the guidance of the host and will finish the experience by tasting your own "White Rose".

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
Duration: 5 hours including lunch
Boat transportation: 30-45 minutes to the seaport of Cua Dai
Duration cycling tour: 1 hour

Head to Hoi An's Center Market with your expert chef, where you will have an opportunity to haggle with local sellers and learn about the delicious ingredients to be prepared for the cooking lesson. Continue on, boarding a private boat, and cruise along the river to the restaurant on the riverside.Upon arrival, you're welcomed by the wonderfully friendly staff with a drink. Finally, under the guidance of your master chef, you will have plenty of opportunities to get involved and try your hand at reproducing the flavors that make Vietnamese cuisine so special. Once everything is hot and ready, enjoy the meal you've helped cook yourself!

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel

Free day at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel

At a good time, you will be transfered without guide to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh City airport, you will meet your driver and local guide and travel by car to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel

You will leave early in the morning for the Cu Chi Tunnels. Originally dug by hand by the Viet Minh (Resistance Force) during the French-Indochina War, this network of underground tunnels was expanded during the Vietnam War. At its peak, it was 200 kilometers long, 3-to-4-meters deep, and was very well-equipped with meeting rooms, medical, and sanitary posts. Today, it is one of the most important historical sites of the Vietnam War. You will begin the visit by watching a documentary on the tunnels and the war in the 60s-70s, and then you can pass through various narrow underground ducts in order to discover the many rooms: offices, kitchens, bunk rooms, weapons stores, and even hospitals. At the end of the tour, you will have the chance to taste a culinary specialty of Cu Chi, khoai my luoc (boiled cassava), a Vietnamese dish eaten daily during the war. After your visit, you will return to Ho Chi Minh City. This afternoon, embark on the tour to discover the city, very soon you will notice that the architecture in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City is still representative of the colonial era and Chinese influence. Your discovery of the capital of the South would not be complete without a visit to the city’s main historical sites: the central post office, whose metal structure was designed by Gustave Eiffel; Notre-Dame Cathedral, constructed from red bricks and resembling Notre-Dame in Paris; the Reunification Palace and Dong Khoi Street.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
Distance Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels: 75 kilometers - 2 hours one way
Note: Not recommended for people with claustrophobia

In the morning you will depart from Ho Chi Minh City to explore Ben Tre in the Mekong delta, also known as the “Green Venice” of Vietnam. After visiting a brick factory in Phong Nam where bricks are still hand-made, step onto a boat for a cruise along the Chet Say river (one of the Mekong’s arms). You will make several stops along the way to discover different local workshops, allowing you to understand better the specialities of the local economy. The boat will then cross a small canal and stop at a small village, where you will continue your discovery of the delta by visiting a workshop specializing in carpet-weaving. You will even be able to try this activity yourself, before hopping in a xe loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) or on a bicycle to wander around the village. You will see traditional farms and vegetable plants, before stopping at a small local restaurant to taste a delicious (and generous) lunch made of regional specialties, such as “elephant-ear fish” and freshwater shrimps.
In the afternoon you will get back on the sampan for some leisure time along the narrow canals. You will then travel back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
Level: 0
Distance & duration: 4 to 5 kilometers - 30 minutes cycling
Terrain: Good road, easy to ride
Distance Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre: 90 kilometers - 2 hours driving

At a good time, you will be transferred without guide to the airport for your outbound flight.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: no