Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Arrival (D)
Welcome to Viet Nam. Welcome to HCM City. At Tan Son Nhat International Airport, driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel for check-in. You have free time to relax after a long flight. Have dinner at a floating restaurant on Sai Gon River. (Sai Gon is the old name of Ho Chi Minh City).
5:00 pm: After resting at the hotel, the driver and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to harbor. You will experience the nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City. An indispensable activity when coming here is a cruise on the Saigon River. You can enjoy the beautiful view of the city while enjoying Vietnamese cuisine on the boat. Besides, you will see the life of residents on both sides of the Saigon River, and feel the difference “On the Wharf under the Boat” in the most modern city in the country.
9:15 pm: The tour ends. The driver will drop you off at your hotel.
Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnel (B, L, D)
8:00 am: Driver and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel and start the first destination of the journey. Depart from Sai Gon to Cu Chi tunnels (about 50km). As you know, Cu Chi tunnels are one of the most famous historical Vestiges of Vietnam’s National Liberation War. Its network consists of over 200km of tunnels linked to each other like a Cobweb. You go inside the tunnels which have the kitchens, food and ammunition storage caches, medic-care chambers (a small clinic), meeting room, commanding chambers, etc. At the end of the tunnels, you can eat Cassava (called Khoai Mi), which is the main food for Vietcong people during the war.
Say goodbye to the Cu Chi tunnels, we will return to Saigon. You have lunch in a nice restaurant.
PM: After lunch. You will take a city tour to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Continue the journey in Ho Chi Minh City, we will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Norodom Palace, and Independence Palace.
And then you can discover the activities war during the US war by visiting. The War Museum in which is an interesting collection of American Weapons.
At the end of your tour stop at Ben Thanh market, the goods here are abundant, including almost all domestic products.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 3: My Tho (Mekong Delta) (B, L)
Have a breakfast at your hotel.
8:00 am: The driver and tour guide will pick you up at the hotel. Leaving Sai Gon for My Tho city, on the way you will see rice fields, orchards and small villages. Those are the characteristics of the Mekong Delta.
Arrive in My Tho city, you will take a local motorboat and cross the Mekong River (Asia’s largest river, passing through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, about 4,800km long). Enjoy fresh coconut water on the boat. On the first stop to Unicorn Island, you will taste pure natural honey bee, bee pollen and bee royal jelly. The second stop by boat is at Dragon Island, where you can see how locals make coconut candy and rice paper. This is a specialty product of Ben Tre province. Walking in the village, you cross the Monkey Bridge, then ride a horse-drawn carriage around the village. Coming to the fruit garden, you can eat tropical fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, longan, royal banana, and listen to traditional folk music called Cai Luong.
Have lunch on the Turtle Island with the special food such as Elephant Ear fish, etc
Back to Harbor for 2 hours back Sai Gon. Night at Hotel.
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang – Hoi An By Flight (B, L, D)
Have a breakfast at your hotel.
Tranfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for flying to Da Nang. Have a lunch.
P.M: Visit Da Nang Beach, Ngu Hanh Son Stone Village (handicraft). Drive to visit Hoi An Ancient Town – a World Cultural Heritage in central Vietnam, 30 km to the South of Danang. Overnight in Hoi An town
Day 5: Hoi An – My Son – Hue (B, L, D)
Drive to visit My Son, an ancient religious center of the Cham people in the past, 40 km to the southwest of Hoi An town, another World’s Cultural Heritage.
P.M: Driver to Hue (120 km) through Hai Van Mountain Pass 30 km length. Stop on the top of the mountain for a photo. Relax at Lang Co Beach. Free time for dinner and night in Hue – The Old Capital.
Day 6: Hue City Tour – Ha Noi (Night Train) (B, L, D)
Visit The Old Capital full day.
AM: Boat trip on Perfume River to visit handicraft village: making conical hat and bronze casting. Visit Thien Mu Pagoda considered as Royal Pagoda of the Nguyen Dynasty and Imperial Citadel. Have a lunch.
PM: Visit the Mausoleums of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh King. Visit a typical garden house in Hue. Visit Dong Ba market. Have a dinner in Hue.
Take the train to Ha Noi. Overnight on train to Ha Noi by soft sleeper.
Day 7: Ha Noi – Ba Khan – Tan Mai (B, L, D)
Pick you up at your hotel in Ha Noi, then start at Tan Mai – Mai Chau. It takes around 4 hours.
One stop on the way at Ba Khan for a short break. From there, you can see the panorama of the Da River known as Halong on land, it is amazing.
Arriver at homestay in Suoi Lon – Tan Mai. Lunch at homestay.
Afternoon: Take the boat trip on the Da River to Thac Bo temple and Thac Bo Cave.
Back to the boat to come back to your homestay. Have free time for swimming in the areas near your homestay.
Dinner and overnight at homestay.
Day 8: Ba Khan Forest – Mai Chau – Ha Noi (B, L)
You can get up early to see the sunrise from 5:30 – 6:00 am. It will be your unforgettable memories in Tan Mai.
Breakfast at homestay.
Depart to Ba Khan. It takes about 20 minutes from Tan Mai.
Trekking to Ba Khan forest for about 1,5 hours. In this forest, you will be able to discover and admire a lot of different types of trees. Then you have a chance to visit the ethnic people’s house at the bottom of Ba Khan forest. So you will be able to more understand about the lives of the ethnic people here.
Transfer to Mai Chau for lunch.
After lunch, you have time for biking around Mai Chau to visit the village in Mai Chau
Then back to Ha Noi. Overnight at a hotel in Ha Noi
Day 9: Ha Noi City Tour (B, L )
8:00 am: Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s House-on-stilt, Ethnic Museum or Bat Trang pottery village, Van Mieu (Temple of Literature). Have a lunch at a restaurant.
P.M: Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple. Cyclo tour (2 hours) to visit the Old Quarter of Ha Noi and Dong Xuan Market. Night in Ha Noi.
Notes:
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes on Monday and Friday morning.
The itinerary can be changed due to weather, tide levels, and operating conditions.
Bat Trang pottery village will be visited on Mon, Wed & Fri (without Ethnology Museum). Ethnology Museum will be visited on Sun, Tue, Thu & Sat (without Bat Trang pottery village).
Day 10: Ha Noi – Halong (B, L, D)
Pick up at hotel and start the 3 hour-and-a-half drive to Hong Gai Tourist Wharf, check-in Oriental Sails JSC’s private waiting hall – The OS Lounge.
Embark on Oriental Sails followed by cruise briefing.
Savor a delectable lunch as Oriental Sails cruises further along the limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
You are free to choose one of the below options:
Option 1: Fishing village visit
Those who are interested in local daily life: Take a bamboo rowing boat trip (around 45 minutes) around Vung Vieng fishing village – one of the largest fishing villages in Halong Bay to see the life of local fishermen. The village is set in a closed lagoon, surrounded by mountains, an excellent setting for some good photos.
Option 2: Beach and kayaking
For those who like some water activities and beach. The tender shall take you to Ban Chan Beach, where you can enjoy yourself on the beach, swimming or playing volleyball, etc. or try your hands at some kayaking in the magnificent setting of Halong Bay.
Return to Oriental Sails and have a bath then relax as the sun starts to set.
Enjoy the Happy Hour at the bar and on the sun deck and take part in our cooking class with Oriental Sails Chef.
Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests, do night squid fishing or just laze around. Singing and dancing activities are available till 10:00 pm.
Overnight on board at Cong Do Area.
Day 11: Halong – Hanoi (B, L )
Start your day with Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck.
Catch a morning view of seascapes with a cup of tea or coffee, and have breakfast while cruising toward Thien Canh Son Cave
Visit Thien Canh Son Cave – the medium-sized and less visited cave in Bai Tu Long Bay
Check-out room. Luggage can be delivered to the reception area.
Head back to the Harbor. Have early lunch on board.
Disembark Oriental Sails at around 12:00 pm.
Transfer back to Hanoi and the trip finishes at the hotel around 4:30pm.
Night in Ha Noi.
Day 12: Ha Noi – Departure (B)
Breakfast. Shopping. Transfer to Noi Bai airport for departure.
