Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Hanoi
You'll touch down at Noi Bai International Airport where a driver from Luco Travel meets you for the trip into Hanoi's Old Quarter. After checking into your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to either relax or wander around and get a feel for the neighborhood on your own.
- Day 2
Hanoi City Tour & Water Puppet Show
This is a full day of guided sightseeing starting with the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, Presidential Palace, and Uncle Ho's house on stilts. You'll see the One Pillar Pagoda and Temple of Literature, then head to scenic West Lake to check out Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda. Lunch happens at a local spot with traditional Vietnamese food. The afternoon takes you through the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Later, you'll ride a cyclo through the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake, then catch the traditional Water Puppet Show in the evening.
- Meals
- Lunch (Special Vietnamese food at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex
- Visit Presidential Palace
- Visit Uncle Ho's House on Stilts
- Visit One Pillar Pagoda
- Visit Temple of Literature
- Visit West Lake and Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology visit
- Cyclo (Xich Lo) tour through Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake area
- Water Puppet Show
Landmarks/POIs Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Presidential Palace One Pillar Pagoda Temple of Literature West Lake Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Hoan Kiem Lake Ngoc Son Temple - Day 3
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay Cruise
Leave the hotel at 8:00am for the scenic drive to Ha Long Bay with a quick 20-minute break along the way. By midday you'll reach Hon Gai Harbor and board your cruise vessel. After settling in with a welcome drink, the boat heads into Bai Tu Long Bay for lunch. The afternoon gives you a choice between exploring Vung Vieng Fishing Village by bamboo boat or kayaking. You'll watch the sunset from the boat, have dinner onboard, and later can join an optional cooking class, play board games, try squid fishing, or do karaoke.
- Meals
- Lunch (Set menu lunch aboard cruise), Dinner (Delicious dinner on cruise)
Included Activities
- Cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay
- Explore Vung Vieng Fishing Village by bamboo boat or kayak
Optional Activities
- Traditional Vietnamese cooking class
- Board games on cruise
- Squid fishing
- Karaoke
Landmarks/POIs Ha Long Bay Bai Tu Long Bay Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Day 4
Ha Long Bay to Hue
Start early with Tai Chi on deck followed by breakfast. The boat cruises toward Thien Canh Son Cave while you take in the sea views with tea or coffee. You'll explore this medium-sized cave, then return to relax and watch fruit carving demonstrations before checking out. After transferring to shore, lunch happens during the scenic return to harbor. From there you head back to Hanoi to drop luggage at your hotel, then fly to Hue. Your guide meets you at Phu Bai Airport for the transfer to your Hue hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast on cruise), Lunch (Lunch on boat during return to shore)
Included Activities
- Tai Chi exercise on deck
- Visit Thien Canh Son Cave
- Fruit carving demonstration
Landmarks/POIs Thien Canh Son Cave - Day 5
Hue to Hoi An
Morning pickup takes you on a guided tour of the Imperial Citadel, where 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty ruled. You'll explore the Nine Holy Canons, Ngo Mon Gate, courtyard, Thai Hoa Palace, temple, and Forbidden Purple City. Next is a scenic drive along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then you'll visit Tu Duc Tomb with its beautiful Nguyen Dynasty architecture. After lunch at a local restaurant, the journey continues to Hoi An with a stop at Lang Co Beach. Later that afternoon includes a walking tour of the ancient town, the central market, merchants' houses, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese communal hall, and a museum.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Imperial Citadel
- Visit Thien Mu Pagoda
- Visit Tu Duc Tomb
- Stop at Lang Co Beach
- Walking tour of Hoi An Ancient Town
- Visit Japanese Covered Bridge
- Visit Hoi An Museum
Landmarks/POIs Imperial Citadel of Hue Thien Mu Pagoda Tu Duc Tomb Lang Co Beach Hoi An Ancient Town Japanese Covered Bridge Perfume River Thu Bon River - Day 6
Bana Hills & Marble Mountains
After breakfast, you head to Ba Na Hills, known as the second Da Lat in Central Vietnam. Ride Southeast Asia's modern cable car to Dream Stream Cable Car Station and Fantasy Park. You'll reach King Peak at 1,487m altitude for panoramic views and see Linh Tu Pagoda at the summit. The famous Golden Bridge comes next before buffet lunch at a Bana Hill restaurant. The afternoon shifts to the Marble Mountains near Da Nang with five sacred limestone mountains, pagodas, and caves. You'll climb 151 steps up Thuy Mountain to explore Linh Ung Pagoda, Xa Loi Tower, Van Thong Cave, Hoa Nghiem Cave, Huyen Khong Cave, and Tam Thai Pagoda. There's an optional visit to Stone Carving Village before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Lunch (Buffet lunch at Bana Hill restaurant)
Included Activities
- Ride modern cable car system to Dream Stream Cable Car Station
- Visit Fantasy Park
- Explore King Peak
- Visit Linh Tu Pagoda at summit
- Visit Golden Bridge
- Visit Marble Mountains
- Visit Linh Ung Pagoda
- Visit Xa Loi Tower
- Explore Van Thong Cave
- Explore Hoa Nghiem Cave
- Explore Huyen Khong Cave
- Visit Tam Thai Pagoda
Optional Activities
- Visit Stone Carving Village
Landmarks/POIs Ba Na Hills Dream Stream Cable Car Station Fantasy Park King Peak Linh Tu Pagoda Golden Bridge Marble Mountains Linh Ung Pagoda Xa Loi Tower Van Thong Cave Hoa Nghiem Cave Huyen Khong Cave Tam Thai Pagoda Stone Carving Village - Day 7
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast you transfer to Da Nang Airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your guide and driver meet you at the airport for the hotel transfer. You'll visit the War Remnants Museum, formerly called the Museum of Vietnam War, with its photography and war artifacts. Lunch is at a local restaurant. The afternoon covers the former US Embassy, Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office from 1877-1883 showing French colonial architecture. Next is the Reunification Palace, the site of the 1975 fall of Saigon. You have free time in the evening before staying overnight.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit War Remnants Museum
- Visit former US Embassy
- Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
- Visit Old Post Office
- Visit Reunification Palace
Landmarks/POIs War Remnants Museum US Embassy Notre Dame Cathedral Old Post Office Reunification Palace - Day 8
Cu Chi Tunnels & Saigon Street Food Tour
Pickup happens at 7:30am for about a 1.5 hour drive to Cu Chi Tunnels. There you'll explore this legendary network of over 250km of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. After watching an introductory video, you spend roughly an hour in the tunnels seeing trap doors, living areas, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers. You'll try manioc, the main food for guerilla fighters back then. The afternoon offers an optional shooting range with AK47, MK16, or machine guns for ages 18 and up. After lunch, you return to Ho Chi Minh City to relax. At 6:00pm comes a Saigon Street Food Tour on scooter with safety instructions, riding through rush hour traffic and lit boulevards. You'll sample Vietnamese pancakes, spring rolls, learn cooking techniques, and visit a traditional residential building for hidden coffee shop coffee. The tour covers local evening activities and snacks, finishing with 3-5 kinds of Vietnamese sweet soup desserts before heading back to your hotel around 9:30pm.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Ho Chi Minh City after Cu Chi Tunnels visit), Dinner (Saigon street food tour including Vietnamese pancakes (Bánh xèo), spring rolls, coffee, and sweet soup desserts)
Included Activities
- Explore Cu Chi Tunnels
- Watch introductory video about tunnel construction
- Saigon Street Food Tour on scooter
- Sample Vietnamese pancakes (Bánh xèo) and spring rolls
- Learn food preparation techniques
- Visit traditional Vietnamese residential building
- Enjoy coffee at hidden coffee shop
- Sample Vietnamese sweet soup desserts
Optional Activities
- Try manioc (wartime guerilla food)
- Shooting range experience - AK47, MK16, or machine guns (ages 18+, under Vietnamese Army control)
Landmarks/POIs Cu Chi Tunnels - Day 9
Mekong Delta Tour
Early morning departure at 7:30am with about a 2 hour drive to Cai Be town in the Mekong Delta. You board a long tail boat to explore the Cai Be floating market where hundreds of boats buy and sell. After that, you cycle for about an hour around village paths through fruit orchards and bonsai gardens, meeting local people to learn about daily life, rice paper production, traditional roof houses, and water hyacinth crafts. Lunch happens at Ba Kiet Ancient House with local meals, then you relax in hammocks. You return by boat to Cai Be wet market to see local buying and selling of food and fruits before your driver takes you back to Ho Chi Minh City.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local meal at Ba Kiet Ancient House)
Included Activities
- Cai Be floating market cruise
- Cycle tour around village paths
- Meet local islanders
- Learn about rice paper net production
- Tour traditional roof houses
- Observe water hyacinth craft production
- Visit Cai Be wet market
Landmarks/POIs Cai Be Floating Market Mekong Delta - Day 10
Departure
Your final morning allows free time depending on your flight schedule. Visit a well-known Vietnamese coffee shop to sample and get coffee souvenirs, then head back to your hotel for a final lunch of traditional Pho at a local restaurant with over 50 years of history. After checking out, your guide drives you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure.
- Meals
- Lunch (Vietnamese Phở (noodle soup) at a local restaurant over 50 years old)
Included Activities
- Visit Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee G7 coffee shop
Landmarks/POIs Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee G7
