Essential Vietnam 8 days

Arriving at Noi Bai International airport where you will meet your tour guide and driver, then transfer to hotel for check in.

The city that celebrated its millennial anniversary in 2010 has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites and today’s full-day sightseeing tour will take in the highlights: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, built at the place where Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam in 1945; the famous One-Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To to thank the Goddess of Mercy for bringing him a successor; Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake; the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university dating from the 11th century; and the Hoan Kiem (“Restored Sword”) Lake. Perhaps the most interesting area you will visit is the fascinating Ancient Quarter (known as the “36 streets”). Here, many tiny streets join to provide the shopper with a huge diversity of products. In the olden days, each street bore the name of the product it sold – “Shoe Street,” “Noodle Street,” etc. Today, the sellers sometimes sell a variety of items, but often the names are still accurate. The Old Quarter also houses some of the most interesting art galleries in the city. You can spend some time visiting several of the most respected galleries, meeting with the owners and artists. In the evening, you attend a popular water puppet performance. 

Today you will overland to the famous Ha Long Bay which means “Descending Dragon Bay”. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an area of great natural beauty, with over 3,000 limestone islands rising dramatically out of the water. Board the elegant classic junk, and then start cruising the bay. On board activities in the afternoon include an exploration to the well- hidden Thien Canh Son Cave and enjoy a sandy beach at Hon Co Island, swimming or kayaking. Sumptuous seafood on board is one of the highlights beside the scenery. 

Continue cruising in the less visited area of Halong bay and enjoy the magnificent landscape. A visit to a floating fishing village by a rustic row-boat, meeting the local people, pass through the floating school and fish farms is surely one of the day’s highlights. The cruise ends after lunch. On the way back to Hanoi airport, stop at Yen Duc village to enjoy a water puppet show performed by local artists. Then transfer to the airport for a flight to Da Nang, drive to Hoi An ancient town.

Today we will take a walking tour around this delightful UNESCO World Heritage town, visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge, the local market, Tan Ky House and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. The town is a paradise for local artists and there are galleries galore. Hoi An is also particularly well known for its tailors. 

Transfer to Da Nang Airport to take a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arriving Ho Chi Minh city, we will enjoy a tour of its main historic landmarks, including the Reunification Palace – the former Presidential Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and the City Post Office. The tour will include a walk along major landmark buildings during war time such as City’ opera house, Rex hotel, former CIA office building… The rest of the day is at leisure.

You will travel to see the  amazing underground tunnel network of over 200km, equipped with bunkers, trenches, kitchens, dining rooms, water wells, hospitals and other facilities essential for the guerrillas’ survival. A war veteran is available to share a story of his tough days living and fighting in the tunnels. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh city and enjoy a free afternoon. 

You will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Cai Be by car/minibus, stopping for photos at Tan An town where you can get an excellent view over the flat rice fields. On arrival in Cai Be you will board a motor boat to visit the Cai Be Floating Market and watch how people buy and sell goods, fruits, vegetables and many other commodities while sitting in their vessels. You will then explore some nearby small villages where you can visit an orchard and fruit plantation. Your motor boat trip will continue through small canals to Vinh Long, where you can enjoy the charm of the Upper Mekong Delta. Here you will visit small family businesses where products such as coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made by hand. Next you will visit Binh Hoa Phuoc river island, the “green pearl” of Vinh Long town, where you can immerse yourself in nature and enjoy a lunch of fresh river fish served in a tropical garden setting while listening to traditional southern Vietnamese folk music. Take a nice walk through the bonsai garden before returning to Vinh Long where your car/minibus will drive you back to Ho Chi Minh City to take your flight home.