Amazing Vietnam – 17 Days

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, we will be welcome at the airport by Viet Vision Travel’s tour guide and then transfer to the hotel. Check in and relax. In the evening, we enjoy our welcome dinner on the cruise on the Saigon River. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, the guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the meeting point. Embark on this adventure from the back of a Vespa driven by a professional local. Step by step explores Saigon’s hidden charms as well as its traditional culture with an unusual way out of normal traveling routes.

In the early morning, we visit Tao Dan Park for bird watching and then take a visit to Thich Quang Duc Monument dedicated to a historical Buddhist monk who burnt himself to fight against the anti-Buddhism policies promulgated by Diem Government.

Later on, a quick stop at Flower Market to capture a series of Instagrammable photos of colorful flowers. Go through Ong Bon Pagoda, also called Nhi Phu Temple. The pagoda was built by the Fujian Congregation, its architecture is ironically carved with gold. Soak in the religious space, smell the aroma of burning incense, and see the locals coming to pray for luck and health. We will then stroll along a small fabric valley to reach the old-fashioned Chinese medicine street.

In the afternoon, hop off the Vespa and come to some iconic landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City consisting including Saigon Old Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market. Immerse yourself in French-colonial architecture and get a panorama of their history through stories told by the knowledgeable guide. Before the sun goes down, say goodbye to the energetic city and return to the hotel for lunch & relax, prepare for your next departure.

Today, we check out and leave our big luggage at the hotel and bring the necessary things for a 3-day boat trip. Transfer to Cai Be where we will board the cruise for 3-day cruising in the Mekong River. The river is one of the best places to explore in South Vietnam. Check-in cabin while our cruise set toward Cho Lach on the Tien Giang River.

Lunch will be served on board while the boat slips into Cho Lach canals passing through busy markets and the hustling river traffic. We then visit a village on the river banks of Mang Thit and stop by an orchard or rice fields to interact with the friendly local people. Boarding back, we will have a complimentary drink and relax on the sundeck enjoying the sunset in the river. Dinner on board and set anchor for the night in Tra On.

Get up early in the morning to enjoy the fresh air in the river while the cruise resumes its sail to Tra On floating market. The market of Tra On is not as famous as the market in Cai Be or Can Tho but is also one of the most authentic markets in the Mekong River. Continue cruising toward Can Tho, we then transfer to a local boat to visit the Cai Rang Floating Market which is among the best floating markets to see in the South of Vietnam, stop at a noodle factory and return to Ninh Kieu Pier by mid-morning.

Free time in the city and boarding back at Ninh Kieu pier and continuing upstream of Hau River while having lunch. Arrive in Thot Not in the early afternoon, we transfer to the longboat to take some walks in a village in Thot Not. Going back at dusk and relaxing at the sundeck to enjoy the sunset. Dinner will be served on board while the boat takes the way back to Can Tho where its anchors for the second night.

Breakfast is served from 6.30 AM while the ship cruises toward Can Tho City. Arriving in Cai Rang market, we check out and transfer onto a local boat for a visit to an ancient house and return to Ninh Kieu Pier where our car is waiting to take us back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day will be free. Back to Ho Chi Minh for overnight accommodation.

Today we transfer to the airport for our short domestic flight to Nha Trang – the city with the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. After 1-hour flight, we arrive at Nha Trang Beach city. Welcome upon arrival by a local tour guide who will take us to An Lam Retreat. Check in and relax at the white sand beach. Overnight at the retreat in Nha Trang.

Time will be free for beach relaxation or shopping. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Today, we will swim and play water sports or other activities at Mot Island, Tranh Beach Island, or on a small island called “Mini beach”. Enjoy a fresh lunch on the island. After lunch, we turn back to visit a fishing village before going to the shore. Relish in the scenery and relax before a nice sunset dinner on a cruise at dinner-time. Overnight at the hotel in Nha Trang.

This morning, we transfer to the airport for our short flight to Hue. On arrival, we will be welcomed by our guide and driven to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day, we are relaxing at the hotel. In the evening, become King and Queen in our Royal Dinner. Overnight in Hue.

Hue is known as an ancient Capital city with many original historical vestiges. There are more than 100 architectural works to be extremely reflected the life of Emperors and Mandarins under Nguyen’s reign – the last dynasty of Vietnam. Situated in the middle of hills on the Southern Bank of Perfume River are very beautiful tombs of Nguyen Kings.

Our tour starts at 08:00 in the morning in the lobby of the hotel. We will be met and transferred to the Wharf where we will cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (The Heavenly Lady pagoda), from here we will have a good view of the Perfume River and its surroundings. We then rejoin our car and drive to visit Tu Duc King’s tomb, which is one of the most beautiful works of Royal Architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty. The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest.

Then we transfer back to the city for our delicious lunch at a fine local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City; Tinh Gia Vien Garden house, and Dong Ba market. Tour ends at around 06:00 PM at the hotel. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast at the hotel, we travel by vehicle to Hoi An which brings the peaceful and ancient beauty of Vietnam along with the splendid decoration of colorful lights. Along the way, we will stop to contemplate the stunning views from North to Lang Co Beach and South to Danang city. On arrival in Danang, we will have a brief visit to the amazing Cham Museum before leaving for Hoi An.

Back to Ho Chi Minh for overnight accommodation. On arrival, we will start our walking tour around the ancient town to visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky’s old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, the temples, and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Overnight in Hoi An.

In the morning, we join the fantastic Cooking class at Red Bridge restaurant with the first activity to visit Hoi An colorful market to experience the amazing sights, sounds, and aromas of this busy market; and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

Later, we board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School; explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chefs before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked. The rest of the day will be free at the beach or shopping, tailoring at various Silk shops in Hoi An. Overnight Hoi An.

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to Danang airport for a short flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. One hour later, we will be welcomed at the airport by a local tour guide; transfer to the hotel, and relax.

In the afternoon, we will take a one-hour cyclo around the Hanoi Old Quarter, known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally, each of the 36 street names’ was related to the products being sold there. Before we go back to the hotel, we will have a chance to enjoy the unique Water Puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

Today we start our one-day city tour from the lobby of the hotel. We will drive to Ho Chi Minh Complex, where we will spend a couple of hours visiting: Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh museum, and One-pillar Pagoda. Keep going to see the Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society placed then and now on education.

Lunch will be at a fine local restaurant in Hanoi. In the afternoon, we will visit one of the most interesting museums in Vietnam; the Museum of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. Following that, we will wander around the city by car to see the real life of Hanoian as well as the different parts of the city.

Today will begin with an amazing journey to Halong Bay by seaplane.

Upon arrival at Hon Gai International harbor, we will check in the boat and enjoy a welcome drink while listening to the safety briefing. Enjoy lunch in the outdoor dining room (of course depending on the weather condition) while cruising into the magnificent Bai Tu Long bay, and admire the fascinating karst formations on the way. The cruise brings us ahead to Vung Vieng fishing village, which we call a fish farm. In the village, witness the daily life of the fishermen by the bamboo boats and continue cruising to the Cap La area.

In the late afternoon, the boat will anchor at the Hai Quan area for overnight accommodation.

We will start a new day with a Tai Chi demonstration on the sun deck, enjoy the morning view of the Bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee, and have breakfast in the fresh air. This morning cruise will take you to Cong Do to explore the well-hidden Thien Canh Son Cave. Then enjoy kayaking and swimming at Hon Co Island before returning to the Dragon Legend Cruise to check out. We will have a buffet lunch while cruising toward the harbor. On arrival, we will get in your car and head back to Hanoi.

Free time until our vehicle arrives to take us to the airport for our departure flight. The 17-day Vietnam tour package now ends. Thanks for joining this tour with Vietnam Local Tour Operator!