Tour Ho Chi Minh – Mekong – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Ha Long – 12 days 11 nights ( VN12 )

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

• Upon arrival, your guide and driver will be waiting for you at the arrival lounge, holding up a welcome sign with your name on it and taking you straight to your hotel in the city centre.
• After checking in, you are free to relax, your guide will introduce you to the tour program, then have dinner at Bloom restaurant with local cuisine.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and take you to Cu Chi, located in the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City to visit the tunnels, a significant historical site.

• When you arrive at Cu Chi, you will watch documentary films and listen to explanations about this historical site. Inside the tunnel, there are living quarters, storage rooms, temporary hospitals and kitchens…
• Try some of the staple foods of the Viet Cong soldiers, such as cassava served with sour tea. Then return to the city with lunch on the way at Ben Nay restaurant.

Afternoon: You will visit the sites of Ho Chi Minh City such as: Notre Dame Cathedral, the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market with a variety of goods and crafts.

• Visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum to learn about the historical site.
• Ngoc Hoang Pagoda is a spiritual tourist destination, then you can watch the sunset on top of Bitexco Tower, the tallest building in Vietnam.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Morning: After breakfast, your tour guide and driver will take you to Ben Tre Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields, many waterways and beautiful landscapes.

• After a two-hour drive you will arrive in Ben Tre, you will board a motorboat to go through the narrow winding canals through coconut forests, you will visit local handicraft industries to see people making bricks and weaving sleeping mats by hand. Learn about traditional handicrafts.
• Take a relaxing stroll along the village roads, visit local houses to taste fresh fruit, enjoy delicious honey tea while enjoying the traditional musical performance. Visit a coconut candy factory, a famous specialty of the West.
• Experience a small sampan boat ride through the canals lined with palm trees, gently gliding along the water surrounded by lush green forests in a peaceful setting. As the boat glides through the rice fields, coconut forests and lush fruit orchards, meet and chat with the people here.

Afternoon: After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, you will return to Ben Tre town and drive through the fields and towns of the Mekong Delta to Can Tho city, stopping at Vinh Trang Pagoda if time permits.

Evening: Free to explore Can Tho night market and try some local food. The market streets come alive with dozens of bustling food stalls selling grilled meat and tofu skewers, as well as grilled rice paper (‘Vietnamese pizza’)…etc.

Overnight in Can Tho

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Morning: Get up early and take a boat to Cai Rang Market, the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. With hundreds of small boats gliding across the water, street vendors selling fruits and vegetables, you can learn more about the culture of the river region. You can stop at the boat to enjoy rice noodle soup and delicious fruits in season.

• Leaving the market, continue to take a boat along the canals to visit a traditional rice noodle factory, where you can watch locals making rice noodles and enjoy homemade “rice noodle pizza”.
• Return to the City to visit Binh Thuy Ancient House, you will visit the wooden house. Then, transfer to Can Tho airport to take a short flight to Da Nang, central Vietnam.

Afternoon: Arrive in Can Tho, your tour guide and private driver will pick you up and take you to the hotel near Hoi An Ancient Town to check in. You go to the walking street to enjoy delicious cuisine.

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: You are free to explore as you wish. Enjoy a late breakfast and relax at the hotel.

Afternoon: The tour guide will pick you up and take you to Hoi An Ancient Town, you will visit famous destinations such as: Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall and Japanese Covered Bridge…

• Visit the Heritage Museum, which permanently displays the precious Heritage Collection of Réhahn, and paintings of ethnic minorities.
• Visit the Reaching Out Teahouse, a small oasis of welcome peace in the bustling Old Town, owned and operated by deaf and mute people. Here, you will be treated to delicious cakes and enjoy oriental tea.
• Continue to the house of a lantern artisan, you will be introduced and guided on how to make lanterns from cutting fabric, gluing to finishing the lantern. Before the end of the trip, you will have a lantern made by your own hands.
• Explore Hoi An street food. You and your guide go into the small alleys to enjoy the stalls with dishes prepared by local people. In Hoi An at around 4 pm every day, Hoi An streets are filled with countless street food carts, stalls and street vendors, you will be delighted to explore Hoi An’s culinary scene

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: After breakfast and check out, your guide will pick you up to go to Hue Citadel (travel time about 4 hours) via Da Nang, on the way you will stop and visit My Khe Beach, also known as China Beach, which was a popular resting and relaxing spot for American soldiers. Continue the journey through Hai Van Pass (Ocean of Clouds) with its beautiful scenery.

• Arrive in Hue around noon and check in to your hotel. Then, transfer to a peaceful Buddhist temple where you will enjoy a delicious vegetarian lunch served by nuns. Learn about Buddhism or get to know your friendly hosts.

Afternoon: You will visit:

• The ancient walled citadel with fresh air, including the old Royal Palace and the Forbidden City.
• The Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities houses a stunning collection of antiques belonging to the royal family.
• Vietnam’s only ancient Roman arena; where the fight between elephants and tigers took place.
• Visit Truc Chi Garden, a bamboo paper craft workshop. You will chat with the students there and experience how to use bamboo pulp carving techniques to create works of art.

Overnight in Hue

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide will pick you up for a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River, visiting Thien Mu Pagoda – Hue’s most famous religious site. Explore the pagoda’s landscaped gardens, seven-story octagonal tower and watch monks chanting sutras.

• Visit Tu Duc Tomb, considered one of the most beautiful and architectural works of the Nguyen Dynasty. This grand mausoleum took only 3 years to build and reflects the combination of Asian and European styles.
• Visit Cat Tuong Quan Zen House, a peaceful oasis where you will meditate and walk and take a Qigong class.

Afternoon: After enjoying lunch at Zen House, you will be transferred to Hue airport for your flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in. Free time to rest and relax

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: Start with a tour of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site, you will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the embalmed body of President Ho Chi Minh is kept, and his Stilt House to observe how he lived and how his life unfolded to become one of the greatest names in modern history. Near his house is the miniature 11th-century One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist temple of historical and cultural significance.

• From the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site, you will walk through the small alleys towards Huu Tiep Lake. Explore the grounds of a 400-year-old temple, then stroll through the traditional local market streets to see the B52 crash site at the lake. This US bomber was shot down during the bombing of Hanoi in 1972, a poignant reminder of Vietnam’s recent history.
• The driver will take you to the outskirts of Hanoi to visit the Museum of Ethnology, a research center and public museum displaying the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.
• For lunch, you will have a bowl of Pho, a Vietnamese noodle shop. At the restaurant, your guide will explain the Vietnamese mealtime habits and also tell you the ingredients to make a delicious bowl of Pho.

Afternoon: You will visit the Temple of Literature, which is thousands of years old, both a university and a Confucian temple. Next is Hoa Lo (also known as the Hanoi Hilton), a prison used by the French colonialists in Vietnam to detain political prisoners, and then by North Vietnam to detain American prisoners of war.

• Take a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle) through the French colonial architecture known as the French Quarter, past French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel and Opera House, etc.
• Enjoy egg coffee at Pho Co Café with a great view of Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple and the surrounding areas.
• Visit Hanoi’s Old Quarter (as opposed to the French Quarter) to explore the street food scene in Hanoi. Your guide will introduce you to the ingredients and herbs of each dish with dishes such as Nom Du Du (green papaya salad), Banh Mi Pho Te (a sandwich that reflects Vietnam’s culinary heritage) and Hanoi’s famous Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles).

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast, depart for Ninh Binh.

• Upon arrival, cycle through the limestone mountains, along the small roads and beautiful scenery. Visit a local family, where you will be treated to a delicious lunch cooked by their own hands.

Afternoon: Take a boat ride along the small canal to visit Thien Ha Cave, enjoy the natural scenery, the most beautiful cave in Ninh Binh.

• Experience a further 2.5-hour boat ride on a pristine waterway towards Thung Nang “Sunshine Valley”, a pristine area surrounded by steep limestone cliffs and beautiful rice fields, you enjoy the fresh air, clean and clear water with green grass.
• Arriving at the pier, the driver picks you up and takes you to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam dating back to the 11th century. Immerse yourself in history at the two remaining temples of King Dinh and King Le. Restored in the 17th century.
• Head to Hang Mua Mountain, where you can hike to a stunning viewpoint with breathtaking views of the Ngo Dong River below cutting through the towering mountains.
• Overnight at Tam Coc Garden Boutique Resort. Surrounded by rice paddies and stunning limestone formations, Tam Coc Resort is an oasis that will take you away from the hustle and bustle of city life amidst the most stunning landscapes.

Overnight in Ninh Binh

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Morning: After breakfast, you will be driven for three hours to Halong Bay where you will board a traditional Vietnamese Sailing Boat, where you will spend the evening. See the limestone mountains and islets or the beautiful caves.

• Upon arrival, you will board the Sailing Boat, and receive a safety briefing and an itinerary introduction, as the boat glides through the limestone islets and caves of the bay.

Afternoon: After lunch on board, you will spend time sunbathing on the deck and enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the bay.

• Visit the Cave of Surprises “Grotte des Surprises”, a hidden gem of Mother Nature. Gently drift through the limestone caves and many beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
• Continue the journey. As you pass through the islands, you will encounter deserted bays, white sandy beaches and floating villages. Enjoy activities on board and around the stunning views of the Bay, or enjoy a cruise spa or swim in the crystal clear waters.
• At the end of the day, you will sail to the overnight anchorage. You will have the opportunity to attend a cooking demonstration by the chef or enjoy the breathtaking sunset on the deck before dinner.
• The rest of the evening will be at your leisure. You can watch a movie or join the crew in squid fishing before retiring to your room for a good night’s sleep.

Overnight on board in Ha Long Bay

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Morning: You join the morning Tai Chi exercise, relax and enjoy the scenery, or freely swim in Ha Long Bay, or experience kayaking through the Bright and Dark Caves to admire the sparkling stone walls.

• Return to the Junk boat. Check out of the cabin and then enjoy the breakfast buffet then return to the port. You get off the boat around noon and get on the bus back to Hanoi.

Afternoon: Arrive at the hotel in Hanoi, you are free to relax in the afternoon and evening as you like. You can go to the Lotus Theater to watch the unique traditional Water Puppet Show that has been around for thousands of years.

Overnight in Hanoi

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Your private shuttle will pick you up at your hotel after breakfast and take you to Hanoi International Airport where you can catch your flight home or continue your adventure, which we will help you plan.

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