VN06 Vietnam Explorer ( 13 days / 12 nights )
Hanoi - Ha Long Bay – Hoi an - Hue - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta
Day 1 Hanoi – Arrival
Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 Hanoi – Sightseeing
Take a full day tour to explore Hanoi’s illustrious history. In the morning, visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (CLOSED ON MONDAYS & FRIDAYS) before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. You will then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, which is imbued with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. In the afternoon, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi and learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture. The tour includes a stop at an ancient Vietnamese "long house."
Overnight in Hanoi [Breakfast]
Day 3 Hanoi – Cooking Class
Participate in a cooking class at a local restaurant to experience the Hanoi culinary tradition.
Overnight in Hanoi [Breakfast, Lunch]
Day 4 Hanoi – Ha Long Bay
Drive through rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay. You will board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a seafood lunch and a swim (if weather permits). Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea.
Overnight on a junk [Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner]
Day 5 Ha Long Bay – Boat Cruise – Da Nang – Hoi An
Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf. Transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, transfer to Hoi An.
Overnight in Hoi An. [Breakfast]
Day 6 Hoi An – Sightseeing
Set off on a walking tour to explore this World Heritage Site. Highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market. In the afternoon, visit one of Hoi An’s famous lantern workshops and learn how to make one yourself. End the day by taking a peaceful boat trip on the Thu Bon and afterwards enjoy free time to further explore the old town.
Overnight in Hoi An. [Breakfast]
Day 7 Hoi An – Da Nang - Hue
Free in the morning. Check out and drive to Da Nang to visit the Cham Museum which houses the world’s finest collection of Cham artwork before continuing on a coastal drive via the Cloudy Pass and the photogenic village of Lang Co to the ancient capital of Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, check in and relax.
Overnight in Hue [Breakfast]
Day 8 Hue – Sightseeing
Take a morning boat cruise on the peaceful Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda and then take a car to the poetic mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc. In the afternoon, proceed to visit the Imperial Citadel and the Dong Ba Market. The spectacular Citadel (which was built in accordance to strict principles of geomancy) houses a series of palaces, ornate halls, libraries, residences and colleges.
Overnight in Hue [Breakfast]
Day 9 Hue – Ho Chi Minh City
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to a hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the city.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]
Day 10 Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels – Sightseeing
In the morning you will visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels where Vietnamese guerrillas built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Highlights include the Reunification Palace (photo stop), the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]
Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho
Drive to Cai Be and take a boat cruise to the Cai Be River. You will have a chance to observe the lively activities of local merchants trading their produce from laden vessels. Visit a village where you will see some family run businesses that produce rice cake and rice paper. After eating lunch at a local house, you will proceed to Binh Hoa Phuoc islet for a sampan ride before disembarking at Vinh Long for your drive onto Can Tho.
Overnight in Can Tho. [Breakfast, Lunch]
Day 12 Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy a morning boat cruise to the Cai Rang Floating Market which is full of small boats and vessels that deliver goods from all parts of the Mekong Delta. You will have a chance to observe lively activities of merchants trading their produce. Continue cruising to the Ba Lang Canal; stop at an orchard to enjoy the seasonal fruit before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City [Breakfast]
* OPTIONAL - extension after fruit tasting
Take an optional bike ride or walk around to explore the surroundings. Help prepare food and have lunch with the locals before returning to Ho Chi Minh City or next destination (Lunch).
Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City – Departure
Free until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure.
[Breakfast]
*