Best Vietnam Tour

Upon arrival in Hanoi, you’ll meet your private tour guide and driver just outside Customs at the Noi Bai International Airport, and then be transferred to the downtown area. If you arrive at the hotel before 14:00, store your luggage there, and then you’ll be accompanied to go sightseeing in the capital city.

We’ll first take the cycle rickshaw to tour the Hanoi Old Quarter, which is the soul of Hanoi's history and culture. Explore the maze-like streets, each of which sells a kind of primary goods, such as the Hang Thung Street selling buckets, Hang Tre Street selling bamboo products, and Hang Duong Street selling all kinds of sugars. Besides, the buildings here are in a blend of Vietnamese and French styles, so walking through the streets is like traveling through time and space. In the center of the quarter is the Hoan Kiem Lake, where you’ll walk into the Ngoc Son Temple, and hear about its historical stories from your knowledgeable guide.

In the evening, you will have dinner at a superb restaurant to taste delicious Vietnamese food. The grilled chicken with pandan leaves and fried spring rolls with chicken or pork are highly recommended. Spring Rolls are the must-taste food when you are in Vietnam. A rice paper is rolled up with julienne cucumbers and carrots, cooked chicken or pork, and fresh vegetables. Then the long rolled-up burrito is fried in the oil till golden and crisp. Delicious fried spring rolls are ready for you to enjoy. After the dinner, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: May De Ville Lakeside Hotel-Premier City View Room (5 stars) or La Siesta Classic Ma May, Hanoi (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, you will be guided to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to admire the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It is closed on Mondays, Fridays and from August to October, and we’ll only appreciate it from the exterior then. Then we’ll visit the Presidential Palace, a splendid French-style building built in 1868, where you can see how a regime rose and fell, and Uncle Ho’s Stilt House nearby. Later, your guide will take you to visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a temple constructed on a stone pillar in the middle of a pond, looking like a blooming lotus. It is said that the emperor got a baby from the blooming lotus after praying at the temple in ancient times. From then on, more and more people have come here and prayed for a baby. Now, it is the most popular temple with endless local visitors who come to pray for good luck and health. Afterward, let’s walk southwards for a few yards to the Temple of Literature, a classical site in Hanoi full of Chinese characteristics.

In the afternoon, we will drive to the West Lake area to visit the nearby Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, or the Taoist Quan Thanh Temple. Then, either the Museum of Ethnology, where you can learn more about the culture and history of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, or the National Museum of History, showcasing the country’s modern history, will be visited according to your preference.

After finishing the visit, enjoy the Water Puppet Show, a traditional form of Vietnamese folk art. It was originally an entertainment activity for local rice farmers in the Red River Delta, themed with fishing, planting, rice harvesting, as well as rural folk customs, etc. The peculiarity of the show lies in its performance in the water, and the puppeteers have to soak in the water for a long time. As the puppets are so small to see from the back seats, please book your tour as soon as possible, so we can scramble for a front seat for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: May De Ville Lakeside Hotel-Premier City View Room (5 stars) or La Siesta Classic Ma May, Hanoi (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we will drive for around 2.5 hours to the port to board the Ha Long Bay Cruise. Along the way, you will enjoy the idyllic landscape of the Red River Delta on both sides. Approaching Ha Long Bay, you will be attracted by the bizarre rocks in various shapes, as well as many beautiful islands and sheer cliffs. With the help of the cruise representative, you will board the luxury cruise and have a sumptuous lunch on board. Enjoying the alluring natural landscape, you would feel completely relaxed from head to toe.

★ What Makes Us Different?

Instead of a day trip of shallow water cruise on a small boat arranged by other tour operators, we offer two kinds of luxury cruises exploring different pristine bays for you to choose from. Please note that the itinerary listed below can be subject to the cruise companies.

The five-star Indochine Cruise will take you to Lan Ha Bay, where you will appreciate the thousand-year-old karst Dark and Bright Cave (Bat Cave) via a kayak or sampan. The cave boasts natural inhabitants, and maybe you will be lucky enough to witness bats hanging upside down! Then you’ll return to the bay and swim, if you want, in the crystal clear water. A variety of activities on board are available for you to attend, such as a fruit and vegetable carving class, Parcheesi board game and night squid fishing. If you want just a cozy moment, immerse yourself in the peaceful vibe on your classical Vietnamese-style balcony. Dinner will be served around 19:00.

The four-star Signature Royal Cruise will show you around Bai Tu Lang Bay, a hidden gem where you’ll kayak around the floating Vung Vieng Fishing Village to learn about the superb fishing skills of local fishermen. After the visit, join in a Vietnamese cooking class that the cruise organized and enjoy a moreish dinner. Activities like night squid fishing are also ready for you to attend.

► Friendly Travel Tip:
Today, you will go up and down stairs to visit some underground caves. The temperature is relatively lower inside, so please wear your comfortable shoes and bring a coat. If you are a swimming lover, please take your swimming suit, and your guide will find a nice place for you to swim in the sea.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Indochine Cruise-Junior Suite (5 stars) or Signature Royal Cruise-Junior Suite (4 stars) or similar

In the morning, you could get up early to attend the Tai Chi Class on the sundeck and then enjoy morning tea or coffee. Later, visit the Trung Trang Cave if you take the Indochine Cruise. The cave not only boasts jagged karst landscapes but also has historical value - it was used as a secret information and radio base for Vietnam’s Navy during the Vietnam War. Admire the Thien Canh Son Cave if you take the Signature Royal Cruise. You’ll marvel at the millennial stalactites in various shapes in the cave and enjoy the white sandy beach outside it. After that, return to the cruise and feast your stomach with a hearty brunch. Around noon, we will disembark at the Ha Long Bay wharf, and then head to Hanoi airport for a 1.5-hour flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, you will be picked up at Da Nang airport and transferred to the hotel in Hoi An for check-in. After putting away your luggage, you can get a first impression of Hoi An Ancient Town by visiting its surroundings on your own.

Hoi An is the largest lantern-making center in Vietnam. When night falls, exquisite and bright lanterns illuminate the streets, which makes Hoi An a colorful ocean of lanterns. Lantern Street near Bon River is the best place to admire the beautiful scene and experience local life. You may see local people wearing their traditional dress, playing bamboo flutes and dancing with drums. You will also meet with some elderly townsfolk selling paper water lanterns, which can be used to pray for health and peace on the riverbanks. If interested, you can buy one and make your own wishes, then release the lantern into the river.

Meal: Brunch
Accommodation: La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa-Deluxe Balcony Room (5 stars) or Hadana Boutique Resort Hoi An-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we’ll start a half-day walking tour in Hoi An Ancient Town. Your guide will accompany you to walk along the old alleys to discover some symbolic architecture. Our first stop will be Chua Ong Pagoda, built in the 17th century to honor a Chinese general, Guan Yu. After that, we’ll visit the Fujian Assembly Hall and Cantonese Assembly Hall, where you’ll admire some Chinese calligraphy and painting artworks. Next, we’ll go to the Old House of Tan Ky, a Chinese-style building with some Japanese elements, and the Japanese Covered Bridge, a refined covered bridge.

➤ Get Your Lucky Coin in the Japanese Covered Bridge!
The Japanese Covered Bridge was chosen as the back picture of the 20,000 Vietnamese Dong for its unique architectural style and hopeful meaning. The Cau Temple on the bridge displays some stone carvings of mythical creatures revered by the locals. It is said that in the past, the east side of the bridge was a Japanese town, while the west side lay a Chinese town. Japanese merchants built this bridge to connect the two towns, so as to facilitate trading. Since then, their business has been prosperous, and they believe that the bridge bring good luck to them. Now, many locals still worship here for wealth, health and good luck. You can also see some lucky coins engraved with 12 zodiac signs in the temple. You can tell the staff your year of birth and buy a lucky coin belonging to your own zodiac as a souvenir.

After witnessing the bustling and prosperous ancient town, you’ll be guided to explore the suburbs in an eco-tour in the afternoon. While riding to an organic vegetable village, immerse yourself in the idyllic scenery along the way. If you don't want to ride a bike, we’ll drive you there. In the village, learn about the local methods of growing vegetables and herbs, and get to know traditional planting tools. Water buffalo are old friends in the fields, and you’ll interact with them and experience riding a water buffalo! After that, a special bamboo basket boat tour will take you to explore the verdant water coconut grove. This small round boat can only seat 2 to 3 people. The boatman will teach you how to keep your balance when he rotates the boat! Besides, you will also learn the traditional way of fishing. At last, we’ll return to the town.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa-Deluxe Balcony Room (5 stars) or Hadana Boutique Resort Hoi An-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

After checking out of the hotel today, you’ll be transferred to Da Nang airport to catch a 1.5-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Upon landing, your local guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and then escort you to the hotel to check in.

After a short break, your guide will take you to visit the city landmarks, the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, which was built based on the prototype of Notre-Dame de Paris, and Central Post Office, a French-style building constructed in the late 19th century. Next, your guide will accompany you to the bustling Ben Thanh Market to experience local life. With many locals also coming here, the market is said to be the most down-to-earth one in the city. Teeming with stalls selling all kinds of goods from fresh food to fabrics and sundries, the market offers everything you are looking for! The Vietnamese nuts and coffee are of good quality, and if you want to pick some as gifts for friends, remember to make full use of your bargaining skills!

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Saigon-Deluxe Room (5 stars) or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

Today's tour will begin with a visit to Cu Chi Tunnels, which is like a full-featured underground village. With the length of 250 kilometers (155 miles), the tunnels were dug by Viet Cong during the war in order to house troops, transport supplies, save injuries and even lay booby traps. Now, you could walk into some of the tunnels to see the interior of the refuge. After around a 1.5 hours' visit, you will be transferred back to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy your lunch on the way.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit the War Remnants Museum, where you’ll get more detailed information about the different war periods with lots of displayed paper files, pictures and even some weapons. You can also find much military equipment such as an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber, a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter and a M48 Patton tank in the yard. Afterward, continue to visit the Reunification Palace, once the presidential palace of South Vietnam, where there are many rooms with different functions, like the delegation attending room, the state meeting room, and the banquet hall. You’ll get more information about the colonial period of Saigon and the milestones of modern Vietnamese history. After the visit, you’ll be escorted to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Saigon-Deluxe Room (5 stars) or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

The Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, particularly for people living in the Mekong Delta. Today, we have carefully selected off-the-beaten routes for your in-depth Mekong River tour, avoiding commercialized venues, and you’ll journey to its fertile and charming area to learn about how locals rely on the Mekong for their lives.

After breakfast, we’ll head for Ben Tre, taking about 2 hours. Upon arrival at Hung Vuong Pier, board a private wooden boat through the winding Mekong River branches while unwinding with a glass of refreshing coconut juice we prepare for you. Immerse yourself in the tropical rainforest and enjoy this moment of tranquility. We’ll disembark to visit some fruit orchards, a coconut candy factory and brick workshops. Then, go to a local farmer’s home to learn the manufacturing method of sedge mat and have some tea as well as tropical fruits. Later, you’ll explore the scenic villages by the local motorized rickshaw "Xe Loi" or bicycle for 20 minutes.

Afterward, have lunch at a riverside restaurant. Then, take a sampan for a relaxing trip along the narrow canals which are filled with water coconut palms. Finally, we’ll return to Ben Tre and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Saigon-Deluxe Room (5 stars) or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

Your 9 days best Vietnam tour will come to an end today. According to your flight schedule, you will be escorted to the airport for your leaving flight. Wish you a nice journey home!

Meal: Breakfast