Full Exploration of Vietnam

Upon arrival in Hanoi, you’ll meet your professional tour guide and driver at the exit of the airport and then be escorted to the well-selected downtown hotel. Take a short rest and start today’s sightseeing!

First, follow your guide to visit the colonial-era Opera House, which was modeled after the Paris Opera House in neo-Baroque style; the peaceful Ngoc Son Temple on a little island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake; as well as the busy Old Quarter, where the soul of Hanoi's history and culture is unveiled. Each of the nearly 40 old streets in the quarter is dedicated to a specific product, such as a street for fabrics and another for salt. You’ll see galleries, musical instrument shops and theaters along the way; local women wearing bamboo hats selling snacks; as well as iconic swarms of motorcycles forming a vivid cultural atmosphere. Enjoy unique charms emanating from the chaos and immerse yourself in the aroma of freshly made Vietnamese coffee. Motorcycles are the major means of transportation for the Vietnamese, so people consider the country a motorcycle kingdom. When you walk on the crowded street, you’ll exclaim over how skilled Vietnamese drivers are, thrilling you while keeping you safe.
➤ Please note: The itinerary above will be subject to your arrival flight time.

By nightfall, enjoy an authentic Vietnamese dinner we have prepared for you, and maybe try classic beef noodle soup “pho”, spring rolls and shrimp cakes. Vietnamese food has a balanced blend of light flavors, mainly tasting sour, sweet or a little bit spicy, and usually uses more vegetables than meat. The dishes are often fried, steamed or stewed with spices like fish sauce, curry powder and bean paste. Let’s get firsthand experience of Vietnamese culinary culture on the first day of your 22 days Vietnam vacation package!

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, head to the extensive Ba Dinh Square and visit the nearby Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's founding father. Please note that the mausoleum is closed on Mondays, Fridays and for annual maintenance from August to October, when we’ll admire it from the exterior. Then, admire the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House. Through the sharp contrast between the sumptuous bright yellow mansion and the simple stilt house, you’ll know more about President Ho, who was thrifty all his life. Next is the One Pillar Pagoda, which is unique for standing on a pillar in the center of a lotus pond.

In the afternoon, we’ll go northwards to the West Lake area, which will enchant you with natural beauties and many ancient buildings, and you’ll admire the Taoist Quan Thanh Temple or the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda. Then, continue to the Temple of Literature, a typical Chinese-style architecture which enshrines Confucius and many Confucian sages, to see how Confucian culture has influenced the country. Next, you’ll be accompanied to the Museum of Ethnology, admiring the distinct cultures of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups, including colorful costumes, musical instruments, and daily supplies. Learn about dyeing and conical hat-making techniques and appreciate the well-maintained replicas of tribal houses. Or head to the National Museum of History, which narrates the country’s history from the prehistoric era to revolutionary modern times.

At last, we’ll enjoy a traditional Vietnamese folk performance, the Water Puppet Show, which embodies the local rice culture and is a national treasure of Vietnam. Puppeteers in waist-deep water skillfully manipulate puppets with long strings and bamboo poles, being in harmony with live traditional music played alongside. The show is based on Vietnamese mythology and daily life, like fishing and rice transplanting. Please book the tour in advance so that we can book you a front seat in case you can't see the small puppets from the back seat.

After today's trip, your guide will accompany you to Lao Cai by overnight train, the traditional Vietnamese meter-gauge train. The cabins are in different styles, clean and tidy. The space in the 4-berth cabin is small, and you may find it hard to stretch if you’re tall, but taking the train is really an exotic experience. Besides, it’s cost-effective not only for saving money on accommodation but also for saving your daytime for pure fun. It’s recommended that you wear a pair of earplugs to avoid noise caused by the moving train. You’ll arrive early the next morning.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight Soft Sleeper Train (Shared 4-berth Cabin with AC)

Your guide and the driver will pick you up at Lao Cai Railway Station and escort you to the hotel in Sapa, a town located in a valley. During the 1-hour drive, you’ll be amazed at the spectacular landscape - thousands of acres of rice terraces, mist-shrouded mountains and bamboo forests, as well as cascading waterfalls. More than half of Vietnam's ethnic minorities, such as the Hmong and Dao, live here. Their unique folklore has injected vitality into this beautiful land. After breakfast, you’ll be accompanied to visit Cat Cat Village, whose rural idyll with incessant terraced fields, green hills and streams makes it suitable for hiking. En route, browse local handicrafts if you are interested in shops lining the road. Take the steep downhill trail until you see the Cat Cat Waterfall at the bottom of the valley, and you can rent a local costume to have a photo shoot at your own expense. Then, continue to Sin Chai Village to experience more primitive natural landscapes and village life. Here, you’ll pay a visit to a local villager's home to watch the locals printing and dyeing in an ancient way and weaving cloth on an original handloom. They use the woven cloth to make scarves, handkerchiefs and little bags, which are good and cheap as souvenirs. Afterward, we’ll return to the hotel.

➤ Tips: The weather in Sapa is capricious. The temperature difference between day and night is large and it may be cool even in summer, so you’re advised to bring a coat. Besides, sunscreen and rain gear are necessary, too.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa-Classic Garden (5 stars) or Bamboo Sapa Hotel-Deluxe Mountain view (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to explore the hill tribe villages to see distinctive dwellings, pass local people wearing traditional costumes and experience the unique lifestyle they’ve maintained for hundreds of years. You may encounter traditional markets where an array of workshops are selling handicrafts and embroidered clothing and bags, if today falls on a weekend. Some traditional customs remain, too, like “wife-catching” in Hmong. It allows a man to take home a random girl he meets on the road during the Lunar New Year (late January to early February). Their parents then negotiate the marriage, and the girl has no right to make her own decision. In the late afternoon, you’ll be transferred to the railway station for an overnight train back to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight Soft Sleeper Train (Shared 4-berth Cabin with AC)

In the morning, your guide will pick you up at the railway station and escort you to a nearby restaurant for breakfast and a short rest. Then, we’ll take a 2.5-hour scenic drive to the UNESCO-honored Ha Long Bay. Being one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, it’s famous for the typical karst landscape with nearly 2,000 limestone islands standing in the turquoise sea. Ha Long Bay’s beauty never dims over the change of seasons - it’s an aquamarine gem surrounded by karsts under gleaming sunlight, and a mist-wreathed wonderland when shrouded in light fog.

★ Privilege of Our Guests:

Ha Long Bay is divided into Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. We’ve arranged for you a luxury cruise away from the heavily commercialized coast and take a free kayak to explore the serene and pristine Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay, where you’ll see wooded islands and fine beaches for swimming. If you choose the Indochine Cruise, you’ll admire magnificent karst caves on the island of Lan Ha Bay; if you take the Signature Royal Cruise, you’ll visit a local fishing village and get to know their life on the sea in Bai Tu Long Bay. In addition, both cruise ships have interesting onboard activities including Vietnamese food courses, night squid fishing, etc. Or you can just bask in the cozy atmosphere on the ship - chat with friends, if you have brought any, on your luxury balcony if you stay at Indochine Cruise, for instance.
➤ Note: Today’s schedule can be updated according to the cruise companies.

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

This morning, you’ll attend the Tai Chi class, enjoy morning tea or coffee, view the charming scenery of the glistening sea and explore nearby isolated caves by rowboat. After a hearty brunch, we’ll disembark and drive to Hanoi. Your guide will help you with the check-in procedures, and then you can either have a rest or explore the city on your own.

➤ Recommended Activities upon Arrival in Hanoi
You’ve experienced a panorama of Hanoi's rich history and unique cultural ambiance in the first 2 days, so why not make the most of today to explore more details, such as seeing Hoa Lo Prison Relic, the largest prison in North Vietnam used to jail prisoners during the Vietnam War? It got its name from the local pottery village, was renovated after decommissioning, and displays war relics and historical materials. Then head south of the museum to the restaurant Ngon Sai Gon for iconic dishes, such as coconut shrimp and xoi chien phong, deep-fried sesame balls shaped like a full moon. It costs VND 200,000-300,000 (USD 8-10) per person on average.

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

This morning, you’ll be picked up at the hotel lobby and transferred to the airport to catch your 1-hour flight to Dong Hai. Upon arrival, your local guide will escort you to the hotel and help you with the check-in procedures. Then you can either have a rest to recover from the transfer, or take a wander around on your own.

➤ Note: If you prefer to stay longer in Hanoi, and it happens to be Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, when a late afternoon flight is available, we would like to book the flight and save the morning for you to schedule on your own.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Nhat Le-Deluxe (4.5 stars) or Phong Nha Lake House Resort-Bungalow Lake View, Dong Hoi (3 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we’ll drive to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO-preserved scenic region featuring diverse karst landforms, numerous familiar and unfamiliar forms of life, as well as deep, enigmatic limestone caves. Along the way, you’ll pass verdant farmlands and undulating weathered limestone hills, unique and stretching to the park’s karst terrain - the park is so large that it has no clear boundary. To avoid pollution, we’ll take a hand-rowing boat to explore the Phong Nha Cave, which boasts an underground river with a total length of 7 kilometers (4.35 miles). The cave got its name “Phong Nha”, meaning “wind and teeth”, from the wind flowing out of it and a huge, teeth-shaped stalactite once at its mouth, but unfortunately, it was blown up during the war. The cave is home to countless creatures, including a blind fish, which cloaks the cave in mystery. After that, visit the Paradise Cave, a dry cave where you’ll admire giant stone columns and exquisite stalagmites. After the visit, we’ll drive back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Nhat Le-Deluxe (4.5 stars) or Phong Nha Lake House Resort-Bungalow Lake View, Dong Hoi (3 stars) or similar

In the morning, follow your guide to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, not only an underground shelter during wartime but also a home for the villagers due to the prolongation of the war. You’ll explore a part of these 3-floored tunnels, which boast halls, living rooms, wells, toilets, exits to the sea, and even maternity rooms, where a total of 17 babies were born during the 6 years of residents’ living here. Then, head to the Ben Hai River to visit the graceful Hien Luong Bridge, which sits on the line that separates Vietnam into the north and south. After that, visit the 200-year-old Quang Tri Citadel, once a vital military fortress. Walk to the martyrs monument, in the heart of the Citadel, to show respect to the thousands of soldiers who died fighting for national liberation for 81 days and nights during the war in 1972. Take a look at the historical relics left over from the war in the museum. You’ll see a bronze bell on the bell tower, which is struck on holidays and full-moon days to commemorate the soldiers. Round off your trip in Dong Hoi with a visit to the La Vang, a holy church and a famous pilgrimage site for Vietnamese Catholics.

In the afternoon, we’ll drive for around 1.5 hours to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival, your guide will help you check in at the hotel and you can have a good rest.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Indochina Palace-Palace Deluxe Room (5 stars) or White Lotus Hotel Hue-Deluxe River View Room (4 stars) or similar

Today you’ll have a full day of sightseeing in Hue City. After breakfast, we’ll visit the grandiose and well-preserved royal Tomb of Minh Mang. Afterward, take a short boat trip to admire Thien Mu Pagoda, the oldest temple in Hue, which boasts a history of over 400 years. Unlike most travel agencies that drive you to the Pagoda, in order to make the most of its location facing the Perfume River, we’ve arranged a dragon boat trip for you to admire the seven-story tower while boating on the river.

Then visit the Imperial City, the former capital of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) and the largest and most complete group of ancient buildings in Vietnam preserved by UNESCO, as well as the Purple Forbidden City in central Hue. You’ll see a deep influence of Chinese and European cultures from the overall design, which imitates the layout of the imperial palace complex in Beijing, China, and incorporates Baroque elements on the façade. Finally, go to the bustling Dong Ba Market to wander about narrow hallways flanked by stalls selling fruits, souvenirs, spices, local delicacies, etc.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Indochina Palace-Palace Deluxe Room (5 stars) or White Lotus Hotel Hue-Deluxe River View Room (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we’ll drive for around 3 hours to Hoi An. En route, stop to have a panoramic view of the sea and appreciate the surrounding rolling mountains at Hai Van Pass and then reach Da Nang to enjoy the coastal beauties at Non Nuoc Beach. Later, proceed to the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture to admire stone and earthen carvings. The Chams are an ancient and flourishing ethnic group in the Indochina Peninsula, mainly distributed in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, etc. They once established the Champa Kingdom in south-central Vietnam. Then stretch your legs to the Marble Mountains, the sacred sites for Hindus and Buddhists, to marvel at naturally formed limestone caves, many of which contain small temples or divine figurines. Be more amazed by Huyen Khong Cave, the largest one, and bask in the sunlight pouring through the five openings in the roof. Upon arrival in Hoi An Ancient Town, check in at the local hotel and enjoy a rest.

➤ Recommended Activities upon Arrival in Hoi An
If you’re still energetic, head to the Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum to get insights into Vietnam's 54 minority groups and their traditional costumes. Each portrait in the museum tells you a unique story, and the comparison of the photos and mannequins dressed in these costumes will give you more impressions. Then by nightfall, head to the south bank of the Thu Bon River to stroll around Hoi An Night Market, which is filled with stalls and colorful lanterns, an iconic scene of Hoi An. Sit at a table to enjoy street food, pick out some unique souvenirs, take a boat tour, and float a handmade water lamp with blessings.

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

As Hoi An was once a seaport for foreign trade, many foreigners, especially Chinese and Japanese, settled here as early as the 17th century. As a result, buildings here reflect a combination of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architectural styles. Today, we’ll tour Hoi An Ancient Town on foot to successively visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, which is dedicated to a Chinese military leader; the Chinese Assembly Hall, a Chinese gathering place built in the late 19th century; the Tan Ky Old House, where you can get a glimpse of the rich merchant’s life 200 years ago; and the Japanese Covered Bridge, the bond that once connected Chinese and Japanese merchants. This delicate roofed wooden bridge is adorned with Japanese lanterns, and boasts a tiny temple atop, which enshrines the god of weather.

Hoi An is a gourmet paradise and you will enjoy authentic Vietnamese cuisine for lunch. The must-try dishes include Hoi An rice noodles (Cao Lau), fried wonton (Hoanh Thanh Chien), fish cake noodles (Bun Cha Ca), chicken rice (Com Ga), and white rose dumplings (Banh Bao Banh Vac). The last is a kind of savory dumpling made of shrimp wrapped in rice paper, rolled into a rose shape, and sprinkled with fish sauce and chopped chives.

Then, we’ll take an eco-tour of the outskirts to enjoy the idyllic landscape and experience the unique local lifestyle. You’ll either ride a bike or take our private drive as you wish to travel through country roads and visit an organic vegetable village. The water buffalo working hard in the fields is sure to bring you a fresh perspective, and why not take your chance to enjoy a buffalo ride? That’s not the end! The particular Hoi An bamboo basket boat trip is around the corner! Sitting in this small round boat, marvel at the lush water coconut trees lining the narrow waterways, and the boatman's show of spinning the boat! Be sure to hold the edge of the boat tightly! Besides, the fisherman here will teach you fishing skills with traditional fishing tools. At the end of the day, we’ll go back to the downtown hotel.

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 breakfast, your guide will take you to attend a join-in cooking class to learn about Vietnamese food culture in a hands-on way. Here’s the time list:
[08:00 - 08:15] Your guide and driver will escort you to Hai Scout Café to meet your cooking class teacher.
[08:15 - 09:00] Your teacher will accompany you to Hoi An Market to buy some ingredients and explain Vietnamese food culture to you.
[09:00 - 10:00] Take a boat to Red Bridge Cooking School and visit the Herb Garden upon arrival.
[10:00 - 11:30] Learn 4-6 kinds of Vietnamese dishes like Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp, Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with shrimp, herbs, bean sprouts and a peanut sauce, as well as Seafood Salad with Tra Que Herbs. Then learn how to carve tomato roses and Vietnamese fans.
[11:30 - 12:30] Taste the dishes made by yourself and prepared by the chef.
[12:30 - 13:00] After lunch, return by cruise and meet your guide.

After that, follow your guide to unveil the UNESCO-preserved My Son Sanctuary, the largest Champa religious site in Vietnam, known as "the Angkor Wat in Vietnam". It was once magnificent, but with the decline and collapse of the Champa Kingdom (137-1697), this place was gradually abandoned and is now hidden in tropical rainforests. Marvel at the unique brick carving of the Chams, and the remains as red and seamless as they were hundreds or even thousands of years before, which is due to the Champa people’s superb brick masonry technology. While their red bricks are somewhat immortal, which still remains a mystery, the modern restored parts have been moss-covered. After the visit, you’ll be escorted to the hotel.

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

This morning, we’ll leave you some time to linger in Hoi An by yourself. You can ride a bicycle along the lively streets, or rent a traditional attire, Ao Dai, for some beautiful photos.

In the afternoon, your guide will see you off at Da Nang airport and you’ll take a 1.5-hour flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, you’ll be warmly welcomed by your Nha Trang local guide and then escorted to check in at the hotel.

➤ Please note: If you prefer to arrive in Nha Trang earlier, a flight via Ho Chi Minh City is available, and you’ll arrive at 14:00.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mia Luxury Collection Hotel-Garden View One-Bedroom (5 stars) or Premier Havana Nha Trang-Deluxe Ocean Room (4 stars) or similar

Today you’ll have a full day to enjoy your beach time freely. You can take a sun bath, swim, dive, play beach volleyball, and do many other entertainment activities here. You can also head to the adventurous Hon Ba Nature Reserve on your own to enjoy beautiful waterfalls and hike in the mountains and forests. Get an incredible experience of cliff-jumping and swimming in the lake. The rocks here are slippery, so we recommend you wear non-slip shoes. Then head to Hon Chong Promontory, Nha Trang’s rare granite coast, to admire the charming sunset and take romantic pictures. Standing on the protruding rocks towards the sea, you’ll feel the shock of the waves. At night, go to the affordable and acclaimed I Like Buffet Restaurant for a delicious seafood meal. There is a huge selection of fresh seafood, omelets, fruits, etc. It costs VND 200,000-300,000 (USD 8-10) per person on average.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mia Luxury Collection Hotel-Garden View One-Bedroom (5 stars) or Premier Havana Nha Trang-Deluxe Ocean Room (4 stars) or similar

Today is still free for you. After breakfast, you can wander around the city, enjoy the beautiful environment and soothing music in a café, cycle along the beautiful coastline, or go island hopping! Book a one-day island-hopping tour at the reception beforehand. First, head to Black Island (Hon Mun), where you will discover the richest corals and fish. You can see them even when you snorkel in shallow water. Then go deep diving or undersea walking off Swallow Island (Hon Yen) and marvel at the lovely fish and corals around you. At last, experience exciting activities on Hon Tam Island, such as submarine walking, diving, motorboating, and parasailing.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mia Luxury Collection Hotel-Garden View One-Bedroom (5 stars) or Premier Havana Nha Trang-Deluxe Ocean Room (4 stars) or similar

In the morning, you’ll take a 3-hour drive to Da Lat, a summer resort for the Vietnamese. En route, stop in the idyllic countryside of Nha Trang to experience local farmers' lives. Although Da Lat is known as the “city of eternal spring”, it has a large temperature difference between morning and night due to its high altitude, so you’re advised to take a thin coat, and even a thin down jacket around January.

Upon arrival, check into the hotel and then your guide will accompany you to the Tanung Village. You may admire a rural landscape woven with colorful flowers, lush pine trees and terraced vegetable plantations on the way. Besides, we’ll make short stops at farmlands that nourish rice wine, flowers, crickets, silk, coffee beans, etc. At the cricket farm, get a glimpse of how crickets are raised, and be surprised by their nutritional value: they can be made into delicious food and cricket rice wine! In the coffee plantation, witness the processes of coffee bean planting, classification, roasting, etc. With its original pure aroma and a strong, bitter flavor, Saigon coffee is slightly different from traditional Vietnamese coffee, which you’ll find out in the plantation.

We’ll also visit the tranquil Elephant Waterfalls, the largest waterfall in central Vietnam, with a drop of 30 meters (98 feet). There’s a touching love story related to the waterfall, and listen to your tour guide’s fascinating storytelling! Please note that the paths are steep, so non-slip hiking shoes would be highly recommended. Then, admire the Linh An Pagoda, where you’ll honor the big white statue of the Smiling Buddha and the seven-story-high statue of Bodhisattva of Compassion, the tallest in Vietnam at 71 meters (233 feet). Take a circle around the Bodhisattva to pray for good luck, and climb inside it to the top to marvel at the stunning views of the waterfalls and the forest around it.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa-Villa Suite (5 stars) or Golf Valley Hotel-Superior City View Room (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to admire the refined Bao Dai Summer Palace, the summer residence of the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai (reigned in 1926-1945). Afterward, proceed to the retro Old Da Lat Railway Station, the most beautiful railway station in Vietnam. Although the narrow gauge railway station was designed by French architects, you’ll see its ginger façade incorporating architectural style of local minorities. It was once stopped from operating during wars, but is now reused for sightseeing and connects Da Lat to a village named Trai Mat which is 7 km (4.35 miles) away. Feel free to take some pictures in those well-preserved carriages. After a relaxing stroll around Xuan Huong Lake, we’ll visit the Central Market, where you could taste many delicious snacks, among which roast pork is a favorite of many tourists. Then we’ll come to the nearby Lam Ty Ni Pagoda to see artworks created by the “crazy monk” living there.

➤ Note: There are many other cultural and scenic sites worth visiting in Da Lat, such as the Crazy House, XQ Silk Embroidery Village, Truc Lam Meditation Pagoda, Datanla Waterfalls, etc. If some of them are your preference, please talk with your expert guide and make the best arrangements!

After the visit, you’ll be driven to the airport to catch the 1-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

➤ Night Activities Recommended in Ho Chi Minh City
The century-old Ho Thi Ky Flower Market, located on Le Hong Phong Street, is the largest wholesale flower market in the local area. The flowers here mainly come from Da Lat and the Mekong Delta region. Immerse yourself in the sea of flowers, and enjoy a feast for the eyes and the sense of smell. Next to the flower market lies its namesake food street, an authentic night market in the city, running until 02:00. Most of the food is about VND 15,000-25,000 (USD 0.6-1). Don’t miss the lobster, fried spring rolls, grilled abalone, etc.

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

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a massive underground shelter for Viet Cong guerrillas in wartime. It also served as a communication and supply route, as well as storage for medicine, food and weapons. Enter through a cleverly designed entrance to marvel at a new if narrow world, with a living area, medical area, military defense and all.

In the afternoon, we’ll tour the city and visit the War Remnants Museum, which mainly displays exhibits including lots of photos and various armaments from the Vietnam War. Then head to the charmingly symmetrical Reunification Palace. It’s interesting to note that we will pass the symbolic tank that burst into the palace in the war - the mark of the unification of Vietnam. You’ll see the tank gun is still facing the main building. After that, take a stroll around the French Quarter to appreciate the Central Post Office, the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral and the bustling Dong Khoi Street, one of the most famous commercial pedestrian streets in the city.

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

Today, we’ll drive for around 2 hours to My Tho to board a cruise ship sailing down the Mekong River Delta. To get away from crowded and heavily commercialized waterways, we’ll accompany you to explore more pristine areas of the Mekong River via a hand-rowing boat. While floating on the narrow waterway, you’ll see lush water coconut trees standing along the banks, with feathery leaves spreading out and hanging down above your head and their fruits, meteor-hammer-shaped, sticking out of the water. Local life will slowly come into view - stilt houses and a church are standing along the banks, village women are busy washing on the shore, and children are playing aside. We’ll also go ashore halfway through to visit a coconut candy factory and a rice paper factory. Lunch will be specially arranged on an island. You may try fried elephant ear fish, a moreish specialty of the Mekong River. The fish is fried to a point that the bones can be eaten. Wrap a slice of flesh and some vegetables in rice paper, dip it in sauce and take a bite. It’ll amaze you! Afterward, we’ll disembark and then continue to drive to Can Tho and check in at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Victoria Can Tho Resort-Superior Room (4 stars) or Victoria Can Tho Resort-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar

In the early morning, you’ll visit the famous Cai Rang Floating Market to watch how local people make deals on boats. The hard-working people, thriving trade, as well as coming and going ships will give you a real sense of the local life. The market embraces its peak time between around 6:00 and 8:00. We’ve arranged a motorboat for you to start at 06:00, different from most travel agencies that arrange a crowded shuttle boat departing at 04:00. There are large cargo ships and small wooden boats loaded with fruits and vegetables shuttling back and forth, among which some vendors are hawking breakfasts like Vietnamese baguettes, spring rolls and even handmade coffee. You’ll see poles on the bows hung with samples of goods, and isn’t that interesting? You can wave to the vendor and pick some to have a taste on your own. Besides, today’s breakfast will be arranged either at the hotel or at the floating market as you prefer. Then, go on to visit a tropical fruit orchard, where you could taste the freshest fruits. After finishing the visit, we’ll 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 22 days private Vietnam tour package ends today. After checking out of the hotel, you’ll be escorted to the airport to take your flight home. Wish you a pleasant journey!

➤ Recommended Place to Go for a Late Departure
If time permits, wander around Ho Chi Minh City's Book Street, which has existed since the French colonial era. You’ll exclaim over how such a laid-back street can be preserved in this fast-paced downtown center. Grab a cup of Vietnamese specialty egg coffee and stroll along the hundred-meter-long street lined with bookstores selling Vietnamese, English and French books, cafés, as well as stationery shops. You’ll see the Red Church at the end of the street.

If you want to visit other nearby countries like China, Thailand and Cambodia, please feel free to contact us to tailor-make this itinerary for you.

Meal: Breakfast