Vietnam Insights

Providing a variety of colour and beauty of Vietnam diversity. Vietnam Insight will tantalize all of your senses. From the chaotic Saigon to charming Hoi An, the imperial capital of Hue, vibrant Hanoi and spend a night on board our private boat on beautiful Halong Bay... all included in the the 12 Day of the trip.

Bief intinerary

Day 1 – Saigon arrival

Day 2 – Saigon city – Cu Chi

Day 3 – Saigon – Mekong

Day 4 – Mekong – Saigon

Day 5 – Saigon – Danang – Hoian  

Day 6 – Hoian tour

Day 7 – Hoian – Hue 

Day 8 – Hue – Halong 

Day 9 – Halong – Hanoi

Day 10 – Hanoi city tour 

Day 11 – Hanoi free day

Day 12 – Hanoi – Departure

Itinerary

Day 1 – Ho Chi Minh City arrival ( D)

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, our tour guide will pick up and transfer to the hotel. Check in Hotel

Welcome dinner in one of the finest local restaurant in town.

Meal: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 2 Cu Chi half day - Ho Chi Minh City city half day ( 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.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 3 Ho Chi Minh City  – Mekong Delta ( B/L/D)

Leave Ho Chi Minh city, 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 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 shade of the water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by the locals. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through fruit plantations and villages. 

Proceed to Can Tho. Overnight in the hotel (family home-stay with dinner can be arranged on request). Free time to visit bustling Can Tho market.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho

Day 4 Phong Dien - Cai Rang – Saigon ( B/L)

Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river ( Bassac River), then proceed tovisit Cai Răng floating market (& Phong Dien is optional), which are the liveliest in the whole religion.

Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to cross a "Monkey bridge" which is built by only o­ne stem of bamboo. Visit the orchard garden. Stop for lunch. Back to Ho Chi Minh city. Check in hotel.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 5 – Saigon – Danang – Hoian (B)

  

Breakfast at your hotel then you will be transferred to airport for flight to Danang. 

On arrival, get a pick up and transfer 30 km to Hoian. Check in hotel in Hoian and free at your leisure. And you will have a” Fisherman eco-tour”. 

13:30 Picking up the guest from the hotel to the boat area. Taking the boat trip to visiting  the seven -  hecta  Coconut Water Palm Paradise – such a fantastic place and peacefulness for you to come for exploring and relaxing. You can see the Palm Water Coconut and enjoy the water coconut fruit ( belong to the season fruit) .

15:30 You will intergrate the life of local people by fishing by traditional way ( throw  the net, seine pull…) and harvest the fish with local people . The local people will show you how to using traditional tool for fishing.  You will be a real fisherman in Hoi An.  Beside, you can enjoy the sunset on the Thu Bon River.

18:00 After that, you can have dinner with the local food in the restaurant – along the Thu Bon River.

Finishing the tour, the car drop you at your hotel and say good evening. You will enjoy the good time with local people. 

Meal: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian

Day 6 – Hoian city tour ( B/L)

Have breakfast in the hotel. 08.00 A.M tour guilde and driver will pick up your and start the tour with a drink then take part in a guided visit Hoi An’s 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 purchase some of 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 Red Bridge 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 and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, 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 exactly what we have cooked. Then transfer back your hotel for leisurely afternoon. 

In the afternoon, we enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visitingChua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200 - year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.

Day 7 Hoian – Hue ( B) 

Breakfast at your hotel, then our driver will meet you at hotel’s lobby for transfer to Hue. Arrival Hue then check in hotel, free to discover Hue City

Meals: Breakfast, 

Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Day 8 Hue City tour ( B/L)

Departure at 8:00  (Pick up at your hotel around 7:30 AM by car)

Morning sight-seeing

- Minh Mang Tomb
- Khai Dinh Tomb
- Performing Programs of Vo Kinh Van An
- Tu Duc Tomb
- Conical hat Making and Incense Making Village

Enjoying a Buffet Lunch with a choice of 50 traditional Hue foods, Asian and Western dishes

In the afternoon the tour will continue with 

- Citadel 
- Thien Mu Pagoda

Then you will get on a dragon boat to cruise the beautiful Perfume River back to the Hue town.  On the way you can discover lovely views and splendid sunsets on the Perfume River.

The boat will arrive at Toa Kham boat wharf  around 4:30 PM.  Our car will pick up and transfer you to airport to take a flight to Hanoi

On arrival Hanoi. Transfer to Hotel, check in hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

 

Day 9 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.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 10 Hanoi - Halong - 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 Halong Bay.

12:00   Arrive at Bai Chay 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.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on boat

Day 11 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 (passingFight 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 12 – Hanoi – Your country ( B)

Breakfast at hotel, Free till transferred to airport for flight home.

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

                          
- Transportation by private car

- Hotels bases o­n double/twin share

- Soft sleeper in cabin 4 berths with A/C

- All entrance fees

- English speaking guide

- Meal as mentioned in program

- Drink water

Tour Cost Non Included

- Transfer to and from the train station in Hanoi.

- Pre and post accommodation arrangement

- Drinks, except otherwise mentioned

- Travel Insurance

- Personal expenses & Tips

 

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

Vietnam Insights

Vietnam Insights