This trip is a very popular itinerary to discover the beauty and the culture of Vietnam. Get a taste of the excitement of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Ho Chi Minh); crawl through the fighting tunnels at Cu Chi. This fantastic trip allows you to venture deep into the Mekong Delta and get a real taste of local life. Fly to Hue imperial city to discover the Royal tombs and enjoy “Royal dinner”. Explore Hoi An ancient town; enjoy a Vietnamese cooking lesson at Tra Que village. Fly to Hanoi capital to explore the crowded Old Quarter on an exciting cyclo tour and enjoy a traditional Water Puppet performance.We visit Ninh Binh, take a sampan on the river and relax amongst the limestone landscape of Tam Coc “Ha Long bay on land”. Relax amongst the 3000 stunning limestone islets onboard a luxurious traditional junk (cruise boat) in Ha Long Bay - a New World’s Wonder.

• Brief Itinerary:

• Trip Grade:

Moderate - Suitable for travellers with an average level of fitness and mobility. However, some walking and hiking is required.

• Weather:

Undoubtedly, weather is one of the determining factors for your traveling decisions. If you are heading to Vietnam, then, take it easy to make up your mind. Vietnam’s climate is not just steamy hot as what you are frequently exposed to on movies. All year round here, there is always a perfect place where it is pleasant to stay. Basically, the whole country falls into the tropic and subtropics but its stretching length and diverse topography allow it to span several different climate zones. The weather thus, tends to vary considerably from season to season and also from region to region.

The North of Vietnam is generally cooler than other South East Asian regions in the same longitude. It experiences two main distinct seasons. In winter months, the weather gets colder and colder from November to March and considerably warmer in April (a leap into summer).  This is also time to observe much cloud and frequent drizzle. The average winter temperature is 17.2°C (62.9°F). Particularly, the mountainous areas (Northwest) are often much colder, temperature may keep below 10°C (50°F) for long period. Ice and snow even cover Hoang Lien Son Mountains and nearby Sapa town for some times with the lowest record of -3°C (26.6°F) in Feb 2008.

In the summer (from May to October), the whole region is quite hot. Temperature may rise to 37°C (98.6 °F) in the peaks of June and July. Hanoi and coastal provinces around the Red River Delta generally enjoy equitable weather with high average humidity (80%) all year round though they may occasionally be subjected to typhoons and heavy rain in late summers (September to November). Vietnamese people even identify four seasons in the Northern provinces (from Hai Van Pass toward the north) with their distinct features: pleasant spring (typically March-April) and autumn (October-December), a chilly winter (December- February) and a hot summer (June – July).

The Central Vietnam with two sub-regions, coastal lowlands and central highlands, can be seen as an in-between climatic area of the North and the South. The coastal strip is usually dry and hotter than the rest in the summer, as the Truong Son Mountains do not allow it to enjoy most rainfall of south-western monsoon (from April to October). Unprotected coasts in their turn, however, make it wet and colder than the rest in winter-monsoon season (from November to March). Also, storms and typhoons strike this area more frequently than the northern coasts in summer months (from July to November). The Central Highlands in particular enjoys nearly double the average rainfall of the country. Two biggest towns in this plateau, Dalat and Pleiku, are ideally cool throughout the year. Near-the-south coastal cities, Quy Nhon,  Nha Trang and Phan Thiet, on the contrary, experiences steamy hot weather (21°C-32°C / 70°F-90°F) all year round.

The South of Vietnam, merely 8 degrees north of the Equator, is typical of humid tropical climate which is excellent for growing rice. The region’s temperatures experience little variations in a year (around 27-32°C/80-90°F). There are two main seasons: the rainy and the dry. During the rainy/monsoon season (from May to November), downpours are expected to happen nearly every afternoon, resulting in occasional street flooding in and around Saigon. In the dry season, it is hot from late February to April then slightly cooler when first downpours come. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) enjoys rather equitable tropical climate with high humidity all year round. December to March is said to be the most pleasant time to hit this region’s center.

Note: In all, Vietnam climate is so diverse that there is almost no definition of an average temperature for the whole country. Thanks to these regional variations in weather, generally, you can drop in Vietnam at any time of year. Commonly, based on the duration of your stay, you should plan to catch the good weather and places by either dropping in Saigon in February or March then following the coast to north or hitting Hanoi in October-November then tracing southward.

Day 01: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival.

Xin Chào!
Welcome to Vietnam!
Your tour guide will meet you at the Tan Son Nhat Airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh city. The rest of the day is at leisure

Ho Chi Minh City was a small fishing village likely known as Prey Nokor, "Forest City". The area that the city now occupies was originally swampland, and was inhabited by Khmer people for centuries before the arrival of the Vietnamese. In Khmer folklore southern Vietnam was given to the Vietnamese government as a dowry for the marriage of a Vietnamese princess to a Khmer prince in order to stop constant invasions and pillaging of Khmer villages. Currently Ho Chi Minch City is the commercial City of Vietnam.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city

Day 02: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels.

After breakfast at the hotel your driver will take you to the Cu Chi district, around 50 km to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The incredible underground network in Cu Chi stretched over 200 kilometers and became legendary during the American war. The extensive tunnels were specially constructed with living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, field hospitals, command centres, plus accommodation.

On arrival to the Cu Chi tunnels, we watch a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, then spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels; you will even have a chance to crawl through the tunnels. Also on display are various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous craters made by 500-pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers. 

The next part of our tour visits most of the major sights in Ho Chi Minh City. The first stop is Notre Dame Catholic Cathedral and a short visit to the nearby French-built post office and then on to the War Remnants Museum, which primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. We continue to visit the Reunification Palace. Discover the history and fascinating street life of Ho Chi Minh City on a walking tour along Dong Khoi Street, known as Rue Catinat in French-colonial times.

Enjoy your special dinner on an Indochina junk, cruising along the Saigon River; enjoy your food while listening to traditional folk music, with singing and dancing. You will have time to relax and watch the view of the city, and people working at the Port of Saigon. Along both sides of the river you will see many mansions, and watch the lifestyle of the locals who inhabit the river banks.

Free time at your leisure or explore Ho Chi Minh City nightlife.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 03: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta - My Tho - Ben Tre “Coconuts homeland”.

After breakfast at the hotel then start your journey south to the Mekong Delta, known as the ‘rice bowl of Vietnam’, and spend a full day exploring one of Vietnam’s most fertile regions and the main cultivation area of rice and tropical fruits.

You'll transfer to My Tho City (2 hours), famous for its extensive orchards and immense rice fields. On the way past the rice fields we can observe the rural activities of the local people; gardening, fishing (in ponds) and rice planting. On arrival we take a leisurely boat trip around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise (the 4 sacred animals of Buddhism). We enjoy a rowing boat ride in the shadows of the water-coconut palms along the tiny canals and enjoy fresh coconut juice on the boat. We will visit the picturesque orchards and sample the freshly picked fruit at the invitation of the friendly local farmers. We will spend some time in the villages to learn about the daily lives of the inhabitants, enjoying some tropical fruit while listening to Southern Vietnamese traditional music.

You'll continue to the “Coconuts Homeland”, Ben Tre - where you can learn how to make coconut candy. You can try some candies, visit the honey bee farm and try the honey, banana wine, ginger jams, soy beans… all made by the villagers.

Next we enjoy a horse-cart ride around the village to have a look at the orchards and visit local people’s houses. We enjoy a relaxing cup of honey tea before returning to My Tho via a natural canal, cruising under the shadows of the water coconut palms.

Travelloops would like to recommend you try the famous dish “Fried Mekong Elephant Ear Fish” at a local restaurant (cost not included).

Then we drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Free time at your leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 04: Ho Chi Minh City - Fly to Hue Imperial City.

After breakfast at your hotel, you are going to pick up by your driver for transfer to the airport for a 1-hour domestic flight to Hue. Upon your arrival will be greeting and welcome by your local English speaking tour guide at Phu Bai airport and transfer to our hotel for check in.

Hue Citadel Complex including Royal Citadel and Forbidden Citadel – both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, set up by Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945, is now one of the most famous relics of the Hue ancient capital.

The sightseeing continues with a walk to the bustling Dong Ba market - fantastic to wander boulevards, verdant parks and ochre buildings that retain an old-world charm. It sells all manner of items and is a lively place to spend a couple of hours; Dong Ba is also famous for making the best conical hats in Vietnam.

Tonight you will have a chance to enjoy a “Royal Dinner” at the Royal Park Restaurant. You will enjoy some great food while listening to melodic music feeling like the King and Queen. Everyone wears traditional royal clothes and the food served is very royal including some dishes complete with elaborate carved vegetables in the shape of dragons, phoenix and peacock.

Overnight in Hue.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Day 05: Hue – Da Nang - Hoi An ancient town.

After breakfast at the hotel, this morning you'll enjoy to take a boat trip along the romantic Perfume River, which carries us through a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes, where Hue’s best-known religious sites are located. You will also, visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue. Moving on to visit the Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. This impressive landmark reflects the beautiful architecture, intricate decor and mysterious statues. Afterwards we take a short drive though the rolling hills to see the elaborate Royal Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc - One of the most beautifully designed complexes among the tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, this tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all emperors of the Nguyen dynasty.

Travelloops would like to recommend your lunch at the Tinh Gia Vien Restaurant (cost not included).

Continue your trip to Da Nang (110 km) a long the beautiful coastline. Upon arriving in Da Nang via Lang Co Beach and Hai Van pass, you’ll have a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statues in the Cham Museum - One of the largest collections of Cham sculpture and artwork in the world. The museum is officially known as the Museum of Champa Sculpture. We continue to visit a nearby stone-cutting craft village before leaving for Hoi An ancient town (35km) - an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Hoi An has 1,068 ancient houses, 19 pagodas, 43 temples, 23 communal houses, 38 family temples, 5 assembly halls, 11 old wells, one bridge and 44 ancient tombs. In the Old Quarter, there are more than 1000 relic sites.

Travelloops would like to recommend your dinner at Full Moon Town Restaurant(cost not included). 

Overnight in Hoi An.
Meals: Breakfast included. 

Day 06: Hoi An ancient town - Tra Que cooking class.

After having breakfast at your hotel, starting your first visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience its amazing sights, sounds and aromas. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

Next we head off on a cruise on the Thu Bon river to Tra Que village - a charming little village on the edge of Hoi An, the village is famous for its sweet scented, green vegetables that spice up the daily meals of the Hoi An people, namely Cao Lau and Quang noodles. You will have a chance to discover the art of cultivating and watering plants, tasting and doing a cooking class with local dishes, walking through the market gardens where local farmers work their fields using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago. Arriving at Tra Que’s Family house, you have a chance to freshen up before beginning your class. Working together with the Family Chef you'll learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. After the lesson, sit down and enjoy the dishes that you have created.

After lunch, you enjoy walking round the historic town soaking up the atmosphere, exploring the many Chinese assembly halls and fascinating ancestral homes, some of which have been occupied by the same family for fifteen generations. One of the most spectacular Assembly Halls is the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built in 1690. The pagoda inside contains intricate statues and artwork, in part dedicated to Thien Hau Than Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and protector of fishermen.

A walking tour of the ancient town centre takes us to the sites of former merchants’ homes, the 400-year old Japanese Covered bridge - The symbol of Hoi An. The Japanese Covered bridge was the first bridge in Hoi An and was constructed in 1593. It was built by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

The town is also famous for its shops in particular its large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could have a whole new wardrobe made for you here. You can enjoy browsing and shopping in one of the most colorful local marketplaces in all of Southeast Asia.

Free time to relax or discover the hidden charms of Hoi An town.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 07: Hoi An – Da Nang - Hanoi (by air).

After breakfast at the hotel you have free time until you are picked up and transferred to Da Nang airport for a 1-hour domestic flight to Hanoi. You are welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Travelloops would like to recommend you for having your lunch (cost not included) at Cha Ca Street with “Cha Ca La Vong”, a favorite dish of the Hanoians, listed in ‘1000 places to visit before you leave, then you'll continue with a visit to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The museum has successfully recreated the daily life together with the religious rituals and the symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. Visitors have the opportunity to admire costumes and embroidery as well as outside stilt houses and habitats from the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Continues to visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070. The temple is dedicated to one of the world’s most famous scholars, Confucius. Inside the temple grounds huge stone stele rest on the backs of even larger stone turtles (in Vietnamese culture the turtle represents longevity).

You will love the cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets.” This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It’s a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you. We will travel around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake, (Lake of the Restored Sword.) in the heart of Hanoi.

Start your evening with a traditional water puppet performance (Roi Nuoc). The stage is actually a large container of water where the characters (carved wooden puppets} “act” out the story. Most of the stories are whimsical and fun, and the puppeteers stand in waist deep water behind a screen controlling the puppets with rods that mostly are under the water.

Travelloops would like to suggest you round the evening off with dinner (cost not included) at Le Tonkin Restaurant.

Overnight in Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast included. 

Day 08: Hanoi - Hoa Lu (Tam Coc).

After breakfast at your hotel then will drive to Ninh Binh province (95 km) to visit Tam Coc which is also known as ‘Ha Long bay on the rice fields’; the same limestone rocks as in Ha Long bay but seen from a winding stream through paddy fields instead of the sea. On arrival, we will take a sampan ride through a karst landscape to visit the Tam Coc Grottos. The sampan rower will drive the boat through shallow rice paddies and three splendid long grottos. From here we will visit a small temple, built in 13th century.

Next stop is Hoa Lu, which was the capital of the Dinh and Early Le dynasties in Vietnam in the 10th and 11th century. The sanctuaries were built in the 17-century. You will see the stone pedestal of a royal throne, bronze bells and statues of the Emperors.

After lunch at a local restaurant (cost not included) we set of on our drive back to Ha Noi. Free time at your leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast included.

Day 09: Hanoi - Ha Long Bay.

After breakfast at your hotel will depart for Ha Long city (170 km), approximately three hours away to visit Ha Long Bay (a World Natural Heritage site and a New World’s Wonder). Ha Long Bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes with 1969 islets. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves; others support floating villages of fishermen. You have a chance to observe the scenic countryside of Vietnam dominated by enormous lush rice fields.

Upon arrival in Ha Long will following by check in between 11:30 - 12:00 at the boat port where you will enjoy a refreshing welcome cocktail upon check in, on the sun deck. Enjoy your lunch as the vessel sails to Ha Long Bay passing the fighting cocks islet, the Elephant leg islet, the Castle islet and the Soi Sim Island. On arrival at Surprise Grotto - one of the most famous grottos in the entire Ha Long complex, we visit the cave by a small tender. After taking a lot of photos and admiring the beauty of the cave we visit the fishing village by local rowing boat (1 hour) where we have the opportunity to interact with the local fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Later, we return to the boat for some leisure time. You can swim in the clear emerald waters, soak up the sun over a cold beer on the top deck sun lounge or try your hand at some kayaking (additional cost) amongst the huge limestone outcrops that surround us. We retire to the junk and relax on the top deck and enjoy a refreshing drink from the bar. Here we enjoy a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Your delicious seafood dinner will be served in the restaurant. Stay overnight on board for a more memorable experience.

Overnight onboard boat (Junk)

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

(The itinerary above may be changed depending on the cruise we choose and is weather permitting).

Day 10: Ha Long Bay - But Thap Pagoda & Bat Trang ceramic village - Hanoi

Greet the day with morning Tai Chi exercises and an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. Sitting on the upper deck we can enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the crystal-clear water of the bay. We can hear the birds singing, cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against the boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.

Enjoy an international brunch buffet served in the restaurant. Check out on board and disembark at Ha Long city. Your tour guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to Hanoi. On the way you will visit the But Thap pagoda and Bat Trang ceramic village, very popular for being an ancient pottery handicrafts village. Most of the pottery kilns in the village still produce goods in the traditional way, similar to the ancient way dating back 700 years.

Free time at your leisure after check in at your hotel. Enjoy walking or shopping around the old quarter.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included. 

Day 11: Hanoi Departure.

After breakfast at the hotel you'll begin a full-day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex (NB. Closed on Monday and Friday mornings and the whole of September and October for annual repairs). You'll explore and visit the One Pillar pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. You then have free time to relax or visit the exciting Dong Xuan covered market, the oldest and largest market in Hanoi. Here you can buy anything from ‘ghost money’ (usually fake $100 bills!) to replica designer bags.

Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast included.

End of your Wonderful Vietnam Holiday!

This tour is private and can be tailor-made to suit your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and shown on a per-person basis. The 'Price From' quoted above is for parties of 2, 4 and 6 people and for accommodation in 3 star hotels. The final price will be privately quoted, based on the number in your party, your preferred time of travel, grade of hotel and any additional services requested. Please click on the BOOK NOW button and fill in the booking form, after which one of our travel consultants will customize the best value holiday for you.
 

• REMARKS:

We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina particularly, hotel price makes up most of the cost of your Cambodia cycling, Vietnam cycling, Laos cycling, Myanmar cycling or Thailand cycling. All of our prices are calculated on a twin-shared basis. As a guide, Travel Loops defines hotel grades as follows:

>>Superior Level (3 star hotels in good locations): > 40 USD/room/night
>>Deluxe Level (4 star hotels): > 80 USD/room/night
>>Luxury Level (5 star hotels): > 180 USD/room/night

Price based on twin shared accommodation.
Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
More people means more discount. Please enquire for more details

If, after reviewing the details of this tour, you would like to receive a "Special Offer" tour price, just click on the "INQUIRY" button below. If you wish to “Tailor Make" your trip, simply click on the "CUSTOMIZE TRIP" and enter your contact details.

COST INCLUDED:

• Experienced English speaking guide
• Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in double/twin sharing rooms with daily breakfast
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Bottled drinking water for sightseeing
• All sightseeing entrance fee where required in the itinerary.

COST EXCLUDED:

• International/domestic airfares & tax
• Visa fees.
• Travel Insurance. (We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance from home)
• Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)
• Tips for guide, driver, porters and project cost
• Beverage and alcoholic drinks
• Any other services not clearly mentioned on itinerary and trip inclusive portion.