Grand Tour Viet Nam

Say "Xin chào Vietnam". Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. A chaotic whirl, the city breathes life and vitality into all who settle here, and visitors cannot help but be hauled along for the ride.

From the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls, the choicest of boutiques to the scrum of the markets, HCMC is a city of energy and discovery.

Wander through timeless alleys to incense-infused temples before negotiating chic designer malls beneath sleek 21st-century skyscrapers. The ghosts of the past live on in buildings that one generation ago witnessed a city in turmoil, but now the real beauty of the former Saigon’s urban collage is the seamless blending of these two worlds into one exciting mass.

Our guide will pick up and transfer to the hotel from Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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 Ben Thanh Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Leaving the city behind, we journey two hours to the Mekong Delta town of Cai Be where we embark on a traditional wooden boat for an enchanting cruise. The tour begin with a visit to the local floating market where you'll see local products hung on offering poles in front of boats. Then our boat continues the cruise through a large network of lush back waterways, pausing en-route to visit some local home factories. We'll disembark and watch the process of making traditional rice paper, pop rice and coconut candy. Then we will enjoy a leisurely rowing boat trip along small creeks before heading to a local ancient house for lunch of specialties of the area. After lunch, continue go to An Binh island. (Seasonally, on the way to the Mekong Delta, we can enjoy the peaceful scenes of farmers seeding, ploughing, and harvesting the rice crop.) Overnight in Cai Be – Vinh Long.

(Note: The program includes a short cycling through remote hamlets around 5-8km. None-biking program can be arranged if required)

After breakfast, the last short boat trip will be reached Vinh Long, one of the famous fruits town in Mekong. We will land on a marketplace and walk around to have a good opportunity for seeing how and what the poor rural people of Vietnam sell in Vinh Long City. You are encouraged to interact with the merchants and see how loving and respectful they are. It takes about 1/2 hour here to find a lot of interesting things for little amount of money. And then transfer back to Ho Chi Minh. You will spend the last day in Ho Chi Minh by your own.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

After breakfast, our guide will transfer to Airport for the flight VN 120 at 10:00am to Da Dang for the historical town of Hoi An, a recognized World Heritage Site, which famous by its ancient architecture of mixed Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese style from the 16th century. Upon arrival, meet and transfer to the hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon, we take a walking tour through the narrow streets of the ancient town visiting the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tan Ky house, and the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge. The tour will give you a glimpse of Hoi An’s prosperous past - a bustling international trading port dating back to 16th century. Today, Hoi An is a quiet riverside town, renowned for its quaint architecture, delicious fusion cuisine and excellent 24h tailor-made service.  It is a world heritage site listed by UNESCO.

Overnight in Hoi An.

This morning is free at your leisure

In the afternoon, greeting our friendly tour guide at your hotel.  We then cycle a short distance to escape from the city and main roads to Tra Que village where we meet the locals working on their herb and vegetable gardens and watch and learn how the Vietnamese farm organically.

Enjoying the local daily activities such as watering veggie garden, rowing the famous rounded bamboo boat, caring water buffalo, cycling through the rice fields and villages are the main key of this popular ride. Join our Hoi An Experience for those unique activities will be your best day ever in Hoi An!

·       Cycle along the quiet roads amid beautiful scenery

·       Visit Tra Que Vegetable village and meet and chat with the locals working in the fields.

·       Witness and  how friendly the water buffalo

·       Meeting local families, see their daily lives, taste their tasty rice wine

·       Rowing the traditional bamboo basket boat.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Take a scenic drive to Hue this morning, passing Da Nang City and stop to visit the Marble Mountain.  Climbing up to the Hai Van Pass (“Pass of the Ocean Clouds”), stop en-route again to witness the spectacular panorama of the fishing village of Lang Co. Continue our drive on to Hue, arrive in Hue at noon, transfer you for lunch at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Hue.

Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. 08:30 Begin the day with a quick stop at Dong Ba market - a great example of a local Vietnamese market. Stroll around to see the daily marketing activities and. Then we depart for the Imperial Citadel and spend time exploring the monument complex. The buildings inside the enclosure were heavily damaged by carpet bombings and bullets during the Tet Offensive in 1969, especially the Forbidden Purple City. Many of them have been recently renovated but not yet finished. Continue your journey on to Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs for an insight into the final resting places of the Nguyen Emperors. We stop to make visits to Incense & Conical Hat making workshops en-route. As the sun slowly sets over the horizon, enjoy the view (weather permitting) from a boat cruising the Perfume River towards the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda. Hop off the boat and finish the day with a last visit through the pagoda. Return hotel.

Overnight in Hue.

Your flight VN1542 to Hanoi at 10:35am. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check in. Ha Noi - the historic capital and cultural heart of Vietnam.  Set on the banks of the Red River, Ha Noi is brimming with French colonial architecture, historic and religious sights.  There and plenty of beautiful lakes, exquisitely arranged to make it one of the most graceful and charming cities in South East Asia. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

08:30 This morning, depart on a sightseeing tour of the charming capital city. We begin at the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (view from outside), an imposing monument lavishly built using marble and granite.  It is where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” resides.  Next it is the nearby One-Pillar Pagoda, dating back to 1049, and then Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, which is just a few steps away. Then it is on to the sixth century Tran Quoc Pagoda –with architecture that is harmonized with nature.  The pagoda complements the beautiful scenery around the lake.  Finally, we visit the Temple of Literature - the first University in Vietnam, founded in 1070.

In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed Monday) that offers extensive exhibits from Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. Then we drive to Hoan Kiem Lake for a relaxing rickshaw ride (cyclo) through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - known as the ‘36 Streets’. The Old Quarter is a labyrinth of roads, alleyways and marketplaces, bustling with local activities. End the day with a traditional water-puppet performance – a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes of rural life and episodes of national history. Once finished, we return to hotel.

Overnight in Ha Noi.

This morning a scenic drive takes us to the magnificent Halong Bay, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, board our deluxe cruise for an overnight journey into the Bay. As the boat sets sail on the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, prepare your appetite for an enjoyable lunch on deck. Stop to visit the floating fishing village of Vung Vieng - where you'll gain a fascinating insight into the daily life of the floating communities in the bay. During the cruise, there will be swimming and a chance to explore the area by kayak (extra cost involved). Enjoy the sunset over the bay from the sundeck while our boat weighs anchor for the night. Dine tonight on a scrumptious seafood dinner onboard.

Overnight on board.

Rise early to enjoy the gentle breezes of the bay. Enjoy the fresh air and greet the day with a Tai Chi class on the sundeck. As our boat weaves slowly through strange-shaped limestone rock formations making its way back towards the port, enjoy a wholesome brunch. There's time to explore a hidden grotto, famed for its stunning stalactites and stalagmites of all kinds before our disembarking at noon. Meet our driver then transfer to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Our team will meet and transfer to Airport for your own flight. We wish you a pleasant journey ahead and hope to see you soon. Good bye!!!

END OF PROGRAM.