TASTE OF VIETNAM IN 11 DAYS

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival

Our driver will meet you in Hanoi and transfer you to your hotel in the famous old quarter of Hanoi.

After check in you will have free time to take a rest or start exploring the area around the hotel and take a walk around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Water Puppet show – Ha Noi Food Tour (B/L)

0800h: Guide will meet you at your hotel & you will depart to visit: Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum. Next stop is a visit to the Temple of Literature.

1200h: A delicious set menu lunch will be provided for you in a local restaurant.

1300h: Your tour recommences with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology which is widely acknowledged as the best in Vietnam and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. Then it is on to the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake.

Enjoying the traditional Water Puppet Performance

The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses and street vendors, selling a wide variety of goods. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ were related to the products being sold there.

1800h- Take a short walk to Cho Hom market off Pho Hue street, passing some tempting food stands on the way. Explore Cho Hom market, one of the biggest markets in Hanoi with its colourful arrays of fruit and vegetables, sweets, meats and elaborate temple offerings. Dinner will be provided along the way before you return to your hotel or continue to explore the old quarter of Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Overnight on cruise (B/L/D)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ha Long Bay.
The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3 star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available through our luxury cruise itineraries (Please contact us for more details) *

Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters.

Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Ha Long’s numerous islands. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white sanded beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (if the weather will be suitable). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Day 4: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Da Nang – Hoi An (B/L)

0630h – If you put your name down the night before, you can join the early morning Tai Chi class on the sun deck or simply take advantage of the amazing photo opportunities presented by watching the sun rise.

Enjoy a nice breakfast in the dining room while you watch the scenery of the bay slide past the windows as you cruise toward towards Bo Hon Island

You will visit the truly amazing Sung Sot Cave which is also known as Surprise Cave. Discovered by the French in 1901, the cave is reached by climbing approximately 100 stone steps and the journey up allows some excellent views of the bay below.

Return to your cruise boat and time to freshen up before checking out of your cabin.

As you continue your cruise, you will be able to reflect and absorb the memories of the past two days as you enjoy a farewell buffet brunch and slowly cruise back to the Marina.

Disembark and drive through the beautiful countryside once again as you travel back to Hanoi.

1630h -1700h – Arrive to your hotel in Hanoi.

Free time until the driver  will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Da Nang

Arrive Da Nang , the driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 5 – Hoi An – Cooking Class – Walking Old Town (B/L)

0800h-0815h: You will be met at your hotel and taken into the exciting morning markets in Hoi An to purchase the fresh ingredients needed for your cooking class. The sights and sounds of the food market in the morning are quite interesting and a great start to your experience.

Next you is a relaxing 45 minute boat trip where you can enjoy the passing scenery before arriving at a local fishing village. For the more adventurous you can transfer into a small row boat for a short trip through the coconut water to visit a rustic village house.

1330h: You will then be taken back to Hoi An old town

1430h: Your English speaking guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a two hour walking tour of Hoi An Old Town. Famous for its quant mixture of Chinese, Japanese and European architecture, the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. You will visit, the Japanese bridge built in the 16th century and famous for being the only covered bridge known to incorporate a Buddhist pagoda, the 200 year old Tan Ky house, museum of trade ceramics and several other historical sites.

You will then have free time to continue exploring the old town or to go shopping for those special items.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6: Hoian – Danang – Fly to Da Lat (B)

 In the morning the driver will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to Da Nang airport for your flight to Da Lat

Arrive to Da Lat  the driver will be met and transfer to your hotel in Da Lat

Overnight in Da Lat

Day 7: Da Lat – Elephant Waterfall – Linh An Pagoda- flight to Ho Chi Minh (B/L)

0800h – You will be picked up from your hotel and begin your tour with a drive out into the surrounding countryside. Along the way you have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful panorama of the forest covered mountains while making short stops to visit flower and vegetable farms along the way.

Next you will be able to enjoy a visit to a minority village and gain an insight into their daily lives. You will also visit people making local wine and have a stop at the silk factory and learn how the silk is transformed from the cocoons.

After lunch it will be time to visit the spectacular 30m high Elephant waterfall and the nearby Linh An Pagoda.

From a distance, the Linh An Pagoda which is 1082M above sea level looks like the head of a dragon but the giant statue of laughing Buddha is what has made the pagoda famous.

On the way back into Da Lat you visit the Hang Nga Guest house which is also known as the crazy house due its unusual design which overall makes the building look like a giant tree. However, there are many other shapes contained within the structure and since it’s opening in 1990, it has proved to be a favourite with visitors.

15.00h – Arrive back to your hotel take the rest

Overnight in Da Lat

Day 8: Da Lat – Fly to Ho Chi Minh – Back of Motorbike Food Tour

Our driver will arrive to your hotel and transfer you to the airport where you will board the  flight to HCMC.

Arrive to Ho Chi Minh  the driver will be met and transfer to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh .

0800h – Our driver will arrive to your hotel and transfer you to the airport where you can check in for your 0955h flight to HCMC.

1205h – Arrive to HCMC where our driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in the exciting district of area of HCMC.

1730h – Your guide and excellent riders will meet you at your hotel and together you will set off on a night of fun and excitement as you explore the lesser known streets of Saigon. You will experience exciting new tastes and experiences as you wind your way around the streets and venture down the alleyways of the outer city.

Along the way you will stop to sample a wide range of authentic Vietnamese food in restaurants and cafes where the local’s eat and also sample some of the wonderful street food which is available.

Tour includes; local food you try, dessert, local beer and soft drinks.

2030h – Your tours ends and you will be taken to your hotel.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 9: HCMC – Cu Chi Tunnels – City Tour – Dinner Cruise (B/L/D)

0800h – You will be picked from your hotel and travel out of Ho Chi Minh City to visit the famous Vietcong tunnels at Cu Chi. The incredible system of tunnels, covering nearly 250km, was shelter to over 16,000 communist guerillas during the American war. You will gain an insight into the tenacity of the soldiers and have the opportunity to go inside the tunnels.

Lunch will be in HCMC and after you have enjoyed your meal you begin your guided HCM City tour

You will visit many interesting and famous places including, Ben Thanh Market, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace,Notre Dame Cathedraland the Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. The Central Post Office, finished in 1891 is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam’s largest post office.

1630h – Return to your hotel and overnight at the Hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

1830h – Your drive will meet you at the hotel and take you to the wharf to board your dinner cruise on the Saigon River.

Enjoy an amazing night and excite your taste buds with a selection of Vietnamese delicacies while being entertained with a traditional Vietnamese music performance.

2130h – Driver will take you back to your hotel.

Overnight in the hotel in HCMC.

Day 10: Mekong Delta Day Tour (B/L)

0630: Early start, your driver will meet you at the hotel and you will begin your drive to Cai Be.

On arriving at Cai Be you will board a private boat for a cruise through the busy Cai Be floating market. You will also visit a local house boat & chat with the family to learn a little of their daily life.

Next you will visit some local cottage industries such as the coconut candy workshop, learn how to make pop-rice and watch the process of how rice paper is made.

Back on the boat you will continue your cruise through the maze of canals to An Binh Island, where you will leave the boat visit an ancient house. There you will have the opportunity to taste fresh locally grown tropical fruits and enjoy lunch with local cuisines.

After lunch, take a short trip on a local sampan rowed by locals before getting back on board the motor boat to the Nursery Garden of Mr Tam Ho and a little further to visit the Brick & pottery kiln before arriving in Vinh Long town.

Drive back from Vinh Long town to Ho Chi Minh

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Day 11: Departure (B)

Free time until your private car and driver arrives to take you to Ho Chi Minh airport to board your departure flight or begin your train journey to your next destination.