Tour Itinerary
A family-friendly trip in a friendly country Our 11-day journey through Vietnam is made up of sightseeing highlights, cultural attractions, achievable rides, and leisurely boating that help you and your kids understand the culture while keeping the whole family active and involved.
DAY 1: Ho Chi Minh Arrival (D)
When you arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel.
Ho Chi Minh city, formerly known as Saigon, is Vietnam’s largest metropolis and its commercial hub. It is constantly a hive of contemporary activity. It is where businesses converge, and shoppers indulge themselves in unlimited choices. However, the city also carries with it a rich historical legacy, in contrast to its dazzling glamor.
A welcome dinner will be ready for you at a restaurant.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Meals: Dinner
DAY 2: Full Day Mekong Delta – Phong Nam – Ben Tre (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Our tour guide and car will pick you up at your hotel. Depart for Phong Nam.
Arrive at Phong Nam Pier. Take the boat along the Chẹt Sậy river, one of the branches of the Mekong River. See daily activities along the river like fishing, water transfer, etc. Stop at the brickwork to see the local people make bricks by hand (the traditional way). Enjoy fresh coconut juice.
Visit the coconut husking factory to see the local people husking coconuts by hand. Then, continue with the boat to visit one of the coconut processing workshops where coconut candy is made and have a chance to learn about the coconut candy making process located along the canal (Lan Thanh coconut candy workshop) and taste tropical fruit and honey tea.
Turn on the natural scissors’ creeks, where they look smaller and smaller, to go to the village. Take a walk to the family-made sleeping mat. Afterward, being on a motorbike or biking and traveling through some tranquil villages where there are vegetable gardens to be able to touch on real life and find out tropical culture from peasants
Have lunch at the local restaurant.
Take the rowing boat to the small canal.
Arrive at Nhà Việc Bridge – board a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Return to your hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 3: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
In the morning, driver and tour guide will meet you and transfer about 75 km north-west of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base for Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways, at times stretching as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination, containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches, and emergency exits all aimed at guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges. Return to the city at noon for a rest.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4: Ho Chi Minh City Tour – Flight to Danang – Hoi An (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Meet a tour guide at your hotel and take a full-city tour. Start with a visit to the War Remnants Museum, which features an extensive collection of exhibits including weaponry, photos, and documentation on Vietnam’s wars with the French and Americans. Continue to the Reunification Palace, which was formerly the South Vietnam President’s residence and a symbol of the Southern Administration’s reign until the end of April 1975. The next destination is the Saigon Post Office, a fine colonial building that was designed and built in the early 20th century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel. Stop at Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral built over 130 years ago by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles. Move on to Cho Lon, or the city’s China Town, where you will visit the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built in 1909 in dedication to the Lord of Heaven. Have lunch at a restaurant.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 5: Hoi An city tour & Handicraft Villages (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
In the Morning, discover the charm of Hoi An as a renowned World Heritage Site. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between the 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles, and traditions. After receiving a brief introduction to the history, shape, and color of traditional lanterns, start a walking tour around the town to see its highlights. Sightseeing includes the town’s iconic 400-year-old Covered Japanese Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture; the Museum of Trade Ceramics, which is an elegant Vietnamese-style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts; the 200-year-old Tan Ky House, typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence; the Ong Temple, built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery, and justice; and the local market, which is vibrant with colors and activities.
Then, take a boat cruise on the Thu Bon River to enjoy the countryside landscapes and land on Kim Bong village, where carpentry has been practiced since the 16th century as the village’s trademark, to visit some old-fashioned boatyards using timber as the main material. Afterwards, move on to Thanh Ha village to see its traditional ceramic production trade still alive and thriving despite the 500-year passage of time.
Lunch at the local restaurant
Note: Hoi An is famous for its speedy tailor-made clothes, which take 4 to 24 hours for tourists.
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6: Hoi An Cooking Class (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
We start the day (8:15 am) with a welcome drink at the meeting point.
Visit Hoi An colorful market and experience the amazing sights, sounds, and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.
We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.
On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb garden before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours; the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.
Bring your swimsuit, and after the cooking tour has finished, relax and enjoy free use of our 20-meter swimming pool; towels and showers are provided.
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 7: Hoi An – Danang – Flight to Hanoi – Half Day City Tour (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Free at leisure until transfer to Da Nang International Airport for flight to Hanoi. Arrival at Hanoi, welcomed by our guide and driver, then transfer to the city
Hanoi, or “River-bound City,” as its name literally means, is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty, which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards, and romantic lakes, has made it one of the most charming cities in Asia.
Start a half-day city tour, beginning with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday, and through October–November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural-style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, or Buddha of Compassion, and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university in Vietnam, built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages, and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8: Full-Day Tour to Ninh Binh (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Pick you up from Hanoi for departure to Ninh Binh.
Arrive in Tam Coc Village, visit a local farmer’s house, and be warmly welcomed with traditional tea and peanut candy. Widen knowledge about a typical farmer’s life in Vietnam and about the main business of VAC (Garden, Pond, and Cage). Besides, you will have a better understanding of the worship culture of Vietnamese families.
Join in a bike ride to discover the natural beauty of the countryside, as well as the characteristic Karst terrain with the limestone mountain system. Cycling to Hang Mua: climb to the top of the mountain and enjoy the panoramic view of Ninh Binh City and Tam Coc village.
Having lunch with Vietnamese cuisine.
Discover Tam Coc on a Sampan boat and enjoy the beauty of caves and limestone mountains on the smooth and peaceful river, which is called Ha Long on Land.
Our group will arrive at Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the past. Your tour guide will give you information about the first emperor in Vietnam. You also have wide knowledge about the three dynasties in Ninh Binh. We will visit the temple of the first Emperor of Vietnam. More information about Vietnamese culture and architecture in temples.
We finish activities in Ninh Binh and depart for Hanoi.
Arrive in Hanoi. Our tour guides and driver will drop you off at your hotel.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 9: Hanoi – Halong Over Night On Boat (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Driver and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. The transfer is approximately 3 hours. You will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields and you may stop on the way to admire the local scenery.
Landing at Tuan Chau Marina and Boarding time, check in your cabin. Followed by activities such as: boarding Cruise for departure, Welcome drink will be served and cruise briefing, safety instructions, check-in cabins by Cruise Manager
1:00 pm: Great lunch is served while cruising passing by islets.
Kayaking around Luon cave, visit Titop Island. Free choice of activities such as sunbathing, swimming and conquering the peak of the biggest island in Halong and taking panoramic photos of Halong bay in the afternoon.
Happy Hour. Buy 2 beverages get 1 free
Cooking Class. Our Chef will demonstrate the preparation of a particular Vietnamese cuisine in the dining room. Our guide will let you know what item will be prepared and will explain the process during the demonstration. Duration about 20 – 30 minutes
Under the magnificent night sky, our luxury set menu dinner is served with variety of Vietnamese and Asian foods
Joining the squid fishing on boat with our crews and can enjoy the squid cooked with assistance from our chef or laze yourself with our happy-hour drinks at the bar.
Overnight in cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 10: Halong – Hanoi (Brunch)
Early start for a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck; tea and coffee available.
A light breakfast will be served in the restaurant.
Discover Surprise Cave, one of the biggest caves in Halong Bay, with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
Back to the main boat for check-out. Please put your baggage out in the corridor and settle your bill at reception.
A buffet brunch will be served in the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor.
The boat anchors at the wharf. It is time for you to go ashore from the boat, and we arrange for a private car with a guide to pick you up upon disembarking and transfer you directly to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Meal: Brunch
DAY 11: Hanoi Departure (B)
Have breakfast at your hotel.
Free at leisure until meet our guide for transfer to airport for flight to departure.
Tour ends!
