Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Hanoi
You'll arrive at Noi Bai International Airport where someone will meet you and take you to your hotel in central Hanoi. Your room is available from 2:00 PM, so you'll have the afternoon and evening to settle in. If you want to wander around the Old Quarter and get a feel for the city, that's totally up to you, or you can just rest and get ready for the days ahead.
Optional Activities
- Stroll around the Old Quarter
- Day 2
Hanoi
A guide will pick you up at 8:00 AM for a full day exploring Hanoi's cultural landmarks. You'll see the Ho Chi Minh Complex, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Vietnam Ethnology Museum, and Tran Quoc Pagoda, which dates back to the 6th century. Then there's the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, plus Hoa Lo Prison. Lunch happens at a local restaurant somewhere in the middle of the day. By 4:30 PM your guide brings you back to the hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Authentic Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant with vegetarian options available)
Included Activities
- Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex
- Visit One Pillar Pagoda
- Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum (or Vietnamese Women's Museum on Mondays)
- Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda
- Visit Temple of Literature
- Visit Hoa Lo Prison
- Guided city tour with English-speaking guide
Landmarks/POIs Ho Chi Minh Complex One Pillar Pagoda Vietnam Ethnology Museum Tran Quoc Pagoda Temple of Literature Hoa Lo Prison - Day 3
Hanoi to Halong Bay
You'll leave Hanoi early and spend 2.5 hours getting to Halong Bay. After checking in at Tuan Chau Harbor, you'll board the Dragon Bay Cruise and get a welcome drink. From there, the boat takes you through Halong-Lan Ha Bay where you can see dramatic rock formations around Con Vit islet, Thumb islet, and Gia Luan Harbor. Lunch happens on the water, then you'll do some kayaking and swimming before watching the sunset. After dinner, there's fishing, games, massage options, and entertainment, and you'll sleep on the cruise overnight.
- Meals
- Lunch (Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian lunch while cruising through Halong-Lan Ha Bay), Dinner (Special seafood and Vietnamese typical food on the cruise)
Included Activities
- Cruise through Halong-Lan Ha Bay
- Visit Con Vit islet (Duck Islet), Thumb islet, and Gia Luan Harbor
- Discover Lan Ha bay lagoon natural area
- Swimming and sunbathing on cruise
- Kayaking excursion
- Sunset party
- Evening games, squid fishing, massage service
Landmarks/POIs Halong Bay Con Vit islet (Duck Islet) Thumb islet Gia Luan Harbor Lan Ha Bay Tuan Chau Harbor - Day 4
Halong Bay to Hoi An
You'll wake up to Halong Bay views with morning tea or coffee, then head out kayaking at the Frog Pond. By 9:30 AM you pack and check out, grab lunch on the cruise one last time, and leave the boat at Tuan Chau Harbor at 11:30 AM. The drive back to Hanoi takes until about 3:00 PM. After that you'll transfer to Noi Bai Airport for a short flight to Da Nang, then get driven to your Hoi An hotel with check-in from 2:00 PM. The evening is free.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Morning view of bay's landscape with a cup of tea or coffee), Brunch (Final lunch at cruise)
Included Activities
- Visit Frog Pond
- Kayaking and swimming at Frog Pond
- Scenic cruise viewing on Halong Bay
Landmarks/POIs Frog Pond - Day 5
Hoi An Cooking Class and Coconut Jungle
Your guide picks you up at 8:30 AM to start this cooking experience. You'll visit a local market first to learn how to pick out fresh ingredients, then travel to Cam Thanh village where you'll ride in traditional bamboo basket boats through the water coconut palm forest on narrow waterways. At a riverside spot you'll do a cooking class preparing 7 local dishes, then eat what you made for lunch. You get the recipes to take home and you're back at your hotel by 12:20 PM.
- Meals
- Lunch (7-dish cooked meal including papaya salad, Hoi An spring rolls, Hoi An rice pancake, grilled eggplant with onion fat, grilled clam and egg, fish in clay pot with steam rice, and fresh fruit dessert (customizable menu available for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and nut allergy accommodations))
Included Activities
- Market discovery with chef
- Scenic transfer to Cam Thanh village
- Bamboo basket boat excursion through coconut jungle
- Learn rowing techniques from local experts
- Cooking masterclass preparing 7 iconic local dishes
- Welcome drinks at riverside restaurant
- Lunch featuring your prepared dishes
- Recipe cards provided
Landmarks/POIs Cam Thanh Village - Day 6
Hoi An
This day is completely yours to spend however you want in Hoi An. The Ancient Town has really nice preserved architecture and historic buildings like the Japanese Covered Bridge and Tan Ky Old House. You can try Vietnamese coffee at a café by the river, head to An Bang Beach which is only 10 minutes away, or look for custom-made clothes from local tailors. The Night Market is good for picking up souvenirs and silk lanterns if you're interested. Breakfast is included, and you handle the rest of your meals.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Explore the Ancient Town
- Visit Japanese Covered Bridge
- Visit Tan Ky Old House
- Enjoy a riverside café
- Relax at An Bang Beach
- Get a custom tailored outfit at tailor shops
- Shop at the Night Market
Landmarks/POIs Ancient Town of Hoi An Japanese Covered Bridge Tan Ky Old House An Bang Beach Hoi An Night Market - Day 7
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh
You have the morning free in Hoi An before your driver comes to pick you up and take you to Da Nang Airport. You'll fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's biggest city, and your driver will meet you at that airport to take you to your hotel. Check-in is from 2:00 PM onwards. Dinner and the rest of the evening are on your own schedule.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 8
Mekong Delta
Someone picks you up between 7:30 and 8:00 AM for a full-day Mekong Delta tour. You'll travel to My Tho on the Mekong's left bank and check out the historic Vinh Trang Pagoda. Then you'll get on a traditional sampan and cruise past Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise islands. On Unicorn Island you'll walk through quiet countryside, sample tropical fruits, and listen to local folk music. Later there's a hand-rowed sampan ride through Thoi Son canal and a stop at a family honey farm where you can have tea and learn to make coconut candy. Lunch is at a local restaurant, and in the afternoon you can either bike through Tan Thach village to meet people or just relax in a hammock. You're back in Ho Chi Minh City by 5:30 PM.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Delicious lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
- Traditional sampan cruise past Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise islands
- Stop at Unicorn Island
- Stroll through countryside lanes
- Sample tropical fruits
- Local folk music performance
- Visit fruit plantation
- Hand-rowed sampan ride through Thoi Son canal
- Visit family-run honey farm
- Honey tea and coconut candy workshop
- Cycling through Tan Thach village or hammock relaxation
Landmarks/POIs My Tho Vinh Trang Pagoda Unicorn Island Thoi Son Canal Tan Thach Village Mekong River - Day 9
Cu Chi Tunnels
Your morning is free to explore Ho Chi Minh City however you like. Grab local coffee somewhere, walk around, or visit nearby spots that interest you. Someone picks you up between 12:30 and 1:00 PM to head to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which are about 70 km northwest. You'll watch a video about how the tunnels were built and how people survived there during wartime. Then you'll walk through the tunnel system which stretches over 200 km and has living areas, kitchens, bedrooms, storage spaces, weapons factories, hospitals, and command centers. You'll see hidden trap doors and security traps, have special tea and cassava, and if you want you can shoot real guns. You get back to Ho Chi Minh City by 7:00 PM.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Watch introductory video about Cu Chi Tunnels
- Explore tunnel systems including living areas, kitchens, bedrooms, storage, and facilities
- Discover hidden trap doors and traps
- Enjoy special tea and cassava refreshment
Optional Activities
- Try shooting real guns
Landmarks/POIs Cu Chi Tunnels - Day 10
Departure from Ho Chi Minh
You have free time before your private car transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your departure. Breakfast is included on this day. No tour guide goes with you to the airport, and you'll arrange any other meals on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast
