Great values - 11 days 10 nights

Overview

GREAT VALUES is a 11 day trip, that provides a quick glance of Vietnam highlights including Saigon, Mekong delta, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ha Long.

In this trip you will visit the modern Saigon largest city of Vietnam, boat trip in Mekong delta, the ancient town Hoi An, the 1000 year old Hanoi capital and the mystical Halong Bay,

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Saigon arrival - transfer to hotel (-/-/-)

Our guide will welcome you after clearing custom, transfer you to the hotel.

Day 2: Saigon – Mekong delta boat trip (B/L/-)

Full day exploring the vast Mekong River.

Day 3: Saigon – Half day Cu Chi – Half day city tour (B/L/-)

Exploring the maze of underground Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong stayed and mount surprise attacks and enjoy a half day city tour of Saigon highlights.

Day 4: Sai Gon – Hoi An (B/-/-)

Transfer to internal flight to Da Nang flight details TBA. Rest of day free

Day 5: Hoi An City tour (B/-/-)

Spending a half day for exploring Hoi An town.

Day 6: Hoi An (B/-/-)

Today you are free at leisure or explore the city on your own.

Day 7: Hoi An – Ha Noi (B/-/-)

Transfer to internal flight to Hanoi. Being met you at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

Day 8: Hanoi City tour (B/L/-)

Enjoy full day features the most highlights of Hanoi.

Day 9: Hanoi – Ha Long (Overnight on Junk) (B/L/D)

Travel to Halong bay by private comfortable transportation, enjoy overnight on cruise.

Day 10: Ha Long – Hanoi (B, L)

Sightseeing Ha Long bay and transfer back to Hanoi

Itinerary

Type of trip: Private

Trip Duration: 11 Days

Starting: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), Vietnam

Finishing: Hanoi capital city, Vietnam

Destinations: Saigon – Mekong – Cu Chi - Hoi An – Hanoi – Ha Long

Day 1: Saigon arrival - transfer to hotel (-/-/-)

Upon arrival to Ho Chi Minh city airport, our guide will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel for check in. The rest of the day you are free at leisure.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 2: Saigon – Mekong delta boat trip (B/L/-)

Enjoy the scenic journey along the National Highway bordered by green rice fields. 

On arrived at My Tho, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view the stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank.

Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden.

Then a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by locals.

Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. Meet the bus and return to HCMC.

This trip provides a fascinating insight into daily life in the Mekong Delta and you are guaranteed to take home your own private collection of beautiful memories

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 3: Saigon – Half day Cu Chi – Half day city tour (B/L/-)

This morning, we leave Saigon for driving through pleasant countryside before arriving at Cu Chi. 

 

Located 60km from HCMC, Cu Chi is now a popular spot for both Vietnamese & foreign tourists, the tunnels were functioning underground cities including numerous trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens.

Today, ducks and water buffalos happily co-exist in the rivers along the side of the road. However, the peaceful rural rice paddy scenery belies the area’s violent history.

Visitors will find it hard to imagine the destruction, damage & defoliation over this whole area, caused by bombing and mines. There is plenty of evidence of the fierce battle that took place here during the 1960s when Cu Chi was a "Free Target Zone".

Start our tour in the morning, before entering the tunnels visitors can watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed. You will spend the next hour exploring the tunnels. Afterwards, enjoy tea, cassava (guerrilla’s food during the war). Return to Sai Gon. 

Have lunch with Saigon cuisines at a popular local restaurant in Saigon.

After lunch, you enjoy a half day city tour of Saigon highlights.

Star at  the Notre Dame Cathedral church that was built between 1877 and 1883. The nearby Old Saigon Post Officeis another example of French colonial architecture and is also the country’s largest post office.

Then, we move on to see the Reunification Palace. This was one of the most important buildings in the city. Here on April 30th 1975 the ‘American War’ officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.

After that, we continue to visit War Remnants Museum - Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, this is a poignant display of the futility of war.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 4: Sai Gon – Hoi An (B/-/-)

 Transfer to internal flight to Da Nang flight details TBA. Rest of day free

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 5: Hoi An City tour (B/-/-)

Today we spend a half day for exploring Hoi An town.

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants. These people came primarily to trade in the high grade silk, which is still produced in the area, as well as ceramics.

Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes.

Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century.

We enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200- year old Tan Ky ancestral house and the Japanese covered Bridge. Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 6: Hoi An (B/-/-)

Today you are free at leisure or explore the city on your own.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 7: Hoi An – Ha Noi (B/-/-)

Transfer to internal flight to Honoi. Upon arriving in Hanoi, our tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is time at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 8: Hanoi City tour (B/L/-)

Today features the most highlights of Hanoi including Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, His House-on-Stilts, One Pillar pagoda…

In the morning:

08:00 – 08:30 a.m: Our guide and driver pick you up from your hotel and start to visit Ho Chi Minh complex, includingHo Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of Vietnamese great father or Uncle Ho, President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house – where Ho lived on and off from 1958 to 1969, then visit Ho Chi Minh’s museum where tourists will learn what he had done for Viet Nam and some other countries and a lot of information about President Ho Chi Minh.

The next place is One Pillar Pagoda which is a group of structures consisting of a pagoda and a tower built in the middle of a square pond. Leave One Pillar Pagoda for the Temple of Literature the first college of Viet Nam dedicated to Confucian. Have lunch at a restaurant.

In the afternoon:

After lunch, drive to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, Which is on the shore of West Lake, the Museum of Ethnology. The last place of city tour is Hoan Kiem Lake (Restored Sword Lake), Ngoc Son Temple. Drop off at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 9: Hanoi – Ha Long (Overnight on Junk) (B/L/D)

08:00 – 08:30 Pick up at hotel for three and a half hours road trip with short refreshment on half way to HalongBay.

12:00   Arrive at BaiChay Wharf

12:15 Transfer by tender to the Marguerite Junk boat – enjoy Welcome Drink. Receive Junk Facilities and Cruise Instruction as well as Cruise Briefing before check in to cabins and begin cruise Off the Beaten Track.

13:00   Lunch - deluxe Vietnamese Set Menu.

15:00  Arrive at the Surprise Cave area. Transfer by tender to the Surprise Cave.Walk up the 100 steps to the entrance of the cave and tour on foot for approximately 45 minutes.

16:00   Return to the boat. Enjoy kayaking program to the nearby Cave, lagoon and surrounding waters as well as exploring the daily life of the local people in floating village

17:00   Enjoy snack party before swimming or relaxing on board

18:30   Take part in our cooking class with crispy spring rolls

19:30   Dinner - deluxe Vietnamese Set  Menu Dinner.

20:30   Evening activities include: film entertainment in the dining room, board games and

playing cards are available, squid fishing from the boat with our crew.

23:00   End of program for Day One

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on boat

Day 10: Ha Long – Hanoi (B, L)

07:00  Coffee, tea and light breakfast pastries served in the dining room.

8:00    Enjoy riding on the rowing boat to the tunnel cave

09:00  Check-out of cabins. Enjoy relaxing, sunbathing on sundeck while our boat cruise back on different route

10:45  Enjoy lunch Set Menu served in the dining room while enjoy the bay scenery as we approach the pier (passing Fight Cocks, Incense Burner, Stone Dog)

12:00  Transfer by tender to the pier, relax inside the pier building while waiting for return transportation.

12:20  Transfer back toHanoi. You will arrive in Hanoi approximately at 16:30

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 11: Hanoi depart (B/-/-)

Today you are free at leisure until being transferred to Hanoi airport for boarding your flight back to home. Trip end!

Meals: Breakfast

Price & Inclusion

This is a sample itinerary so the cost really depends on your hotel choice, number of people in your group and time of travel. 

Please enquire for availabilities & the most up dated price.

Tour Cost included:

Hotel standard

Saigon: Grand hotel/ Deluxe Double room

Hoi An: The Nam Hai Resort/1 bed room villa

Hanoi: Maison D’Hanoi/ Classic Double room

Cruise in Ha Long

Tonkin Cruise / deluxe double cabin

Domestic air ticket

Saigon – Da Nang

Da Nang - Hanoi

Transfer

Private car or van

Meals

As indicated in the program

Entrance fee:

To all sites indicated in the itinerary

Tour Cost Non Included:

International air ticket

Personal insurance

Expenditure of a personal nature, tips, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, emergency

Children Policy:

Free Of Charge for child under 5 years old sharing cabin with parents, maximum 1 child per room.

Children under 5 years old : free of charge 

Children from 5 – under 10 years old sharing bed with family charge 50% rate , put extra bed charge 75% rate

Children from 10 years old: pay as adult rate