Discover Vietnam: HCM, Hoi An & Hanoi
Vietnam
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, (formerly known as Saigon) is the largest city in Southern Vietnam. Its known for French colonial landmarks including the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, with all-red brick façade imported from France and the 19th-century Central Post Office. Saigon also offers a choice of side trips and exploring the Mekong Delta. Day trip start from the Mekong town of My Tho to neighbouring Ben Tre island on the Mekong River.
This tour features Vietnam’s most popular cities, small towns, and scenic locations. Begin with a tour of Hanoi and luxury cruising on Halong Bay. Then travel to Central Vietnam, and tour the ancient city of Hoi An, with Chinese-styled shophouses, grand halls and stunning pagodas. Take a bicycle ride along the village roads or explore ruins of Champa Kingdom. Finally, travel to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and take historical tour before enjoying a cruise the Mekong River. This is a private tour with your own private guide and driver. This itinerary can be easily reversed if you like to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
Discover Vietnam This tour features Vietnam’s most popular cities, small towns, and scenic locations.
(12 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon
Begin in Hanoi, Vietnam’s artistic and intellectual capital. With your guide, ride cyclos around the lake to see the city's historic French colonial architecture. Visit ancient temples, the Museum of Ethnology and the fascinating Old Quarter with its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens and more.
While touring the narrow streets, learn about the history of the Old Quarter and its traditional architecture, and see how it has transformed into a fashionable district with cafes, art galleries and boutiques featuring the finest Vietnamese design and style. One day, take a Vietnamese cooking class and learn to prepare delicious dishes and attend an evening Water Puppet Theatre performance.
Continue to scenic Halong Bay and check-in the luxurious, but traditional junk-style boat for an overnight cruise. Few places anywhere rival the extreme natural beauty and serenity of Vietnam's Halong Bay. A noted Vietnamese poet and scholar described it as a "rock wonder in the sky".
Spectacular overland drive to Hue, the former Imperial Capital in central Vietnam. Visitors to Hue are often taken aback to discover that this sleepy provincial town was once the religious, economic and cultural epicentre of Vietnam. Tour the Imperial Citadel, a large complex that includes the Forbidden Purple City, where the emperor and his family once lived. See the beautiful gardens and traditional architecture at the royal tombs along the Perfume River.
Continue to Hoi An, a World Heritage town that retains a distinct Chinese atmosphere with colourful historic homes, charming cafes, and bustling silk and fish markets. With your private guide tour the Cham sculpture museum, the Marble Mountains and surrounding villages to discover the daily life of the local people and enjoy the stunning countryside scenes that will simply mesmerise you. In the evening enjoy a sunset cruise on the river.
Conclude your tour in Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, the country’s bustling commercial centre. With your own expert guide and driver, experience the city's most interesting neighbourhoods, historic attractions, museums, art galleries and shops, markets, and excellent restaurants. View the Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Post Office, both magnificent sights from the French colonial period. Also the former Presidential Palace, the China town and the local markets.
One day, visit the Mekong Delta, a vast network of islands and waterways where the Mekong River flows into the South China Sea. Cruise through small floating markets, stop for photo shoots and visit local villages enroute to learn their way of life. Or take private tour to Cu Chi (70 km), an amazing complex of underground tunnels.
Day 1 – Arrive
Hanoi Fast-track airport assistance.
Private transfer to hotel for 3 nights.
Day 2 – Tour
Hanoi Full-day private city tour, including option to tour by cyclo.
Evening water puppet or opera house performance.
Day 3 – Cooking Class
Hanoi Morning private market tour and cooking lesson.
Afternoon flexible touring and shopping.
Day 4 – Cruise
Halong Bay Private transfer to luxury cruise for overnight sail and afternoon cruise.
Day 5 – Transfer
Hue Sunrise cruise. Private transfer to Hanoi airport for flight to Hue.
Private arrival transfer to hotel for 2 nights.
Upon request, we can also arrange philanthropic experiences in the Hue region, as well as a visit to an ancient Buddhist pagoda to enjoy a vegetarian lunch with monks and learn about the monastic lifestyle in Hue.
Day 6 – Tour
Hue Full-day private tour of temples, royal tombs, citadel and market visit.
Day 7 – Transfer
Hoi An Private overland transfer to Hoi An for 2 nights at resort.
En route, tour Marble Mountains and Cham Museum.
Day 8 – Tour
Hoi An Half-day private tour.
Day 9 – Transfer
Saigon Private transfer to airport for flight to Saigon. Private transfer to hotel for 3 nights. Afternoon private city tour.
Day 10 – Tour
Saigon Full-day private city tour.
Day 11 – Tour
Saigon Full-day private city tour or excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple.
Day 12 – Depart
Saigon Private airport transfer.
Hotels
Check In: 14:00h
Check Out: 12:00h
Make this your holiday
Getting There There are few direct flights from Europe to Vietnam’s three main international airports – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang, but these are steadily increasing over the years. The majority of visitors take indirect flights routed through Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong. It can be cheaper if you fly to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore or regular international carriers and from there take one of the low-cost carriers to Vietnam. Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar are the two main domestic carriers. Fares are very reasonable and the frequencies of flights to main hubs are good.
When to go The high season in Vietnam is from November to March. Prices peak over the Christmas and New Year period, and if you don’t fancy crowds then it is best to avoid this busy time. During this period, it is warm and dry in the South but as you travel north of Nha Trang, it begins to get cooler.
From April or May to October, summer monsoon brings hot, humid weather except in the mountains up north. A slight break in monsoon during July and August makes it the second-high season in the South but violent and unpredictable typhoons can hit central and northern Vietnam. May, June and September are usually the quietest months.
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