Essential Vietnam 9 Days 8 Nights

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh Arrival

Welcome to Vietnam’s financial hub: Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive in the late morning and enjoy an orientation tour through Ho Chi Minh’s bustling streets en route to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from jet lag and explore the city on your own.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh (B)

Today, after breakfast, you travel to the Mekong River Delta on a day trip to explore the rich culture and lush alluvial landscape. Your driver and guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to Cai Be.

Start your tour with a visit to CaiBe’s colorful floating market, cruising among the local barges stuffed full of fruits and vegetables. Visit some local workshops then enjoy a delicious lunch served at an ancient house (over 170 years old!) in the cool shade of An Binh Island’s orchards.

In the afternoon, take a traditional rowboat and venture deeper into the countryside, floating through narrow canals to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Stop at a nursery garden to discover how farmers along the delta produce their world famous fruits and vegetables.

The cruise ends around 3:30 PM in Vinh Long. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you back to Ho Chi Minh.
Overnight at your hotel.

Day 3: Ho Chi MinhCityTour -Danang – Hoian (B)

Enjoy a full day tour of Ho Chi Minh’s diverse attractions. Start with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s China Town, then learn about traditional Vietnamese medicine at the FITO Museum and browse through the amazing array of goods at Ben Thanh Market. Stop for lunch then continue on your city tour with a visit to the War Remnants Museum and former Presidential Palace. You conclude the day exploring the city’s French colonial architecture, stopping at the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office.

Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Hoian.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4: Hoian (B)

After breakfast, take a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tam Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge.

The rest of your day is free for shopping or relaxing on the sandy beach.
Overnight in Hoian.

Day 5: Hoian – Danang – Hue (B)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then check-out and drive over the 500metre high Hai Van pass to Hue. Enjoy a stop at the scenic Lang Co Beach for a drink before continuing on to Hue – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam’s former capital.

Spend the afternoon on a leisurely walking tour through the ancient city. Visit the Royal Citadel, the Imperial Museum, as well as the Mausoleum of King TuDuc (a replica of the king’s palace built for the next reincarnation of the king).
Overnight at your hotel in Hue.

Day 6: Hue –Fly to Hanoi (B)

Spend the morning on a private boat cruise down the romantic Perfume River to visit the Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), Dong Ba Market and the ornate Minh Mang’s tomb. Drive to Hue’s airport in the afternoon to catch your short flight to Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. Upon arrival, you are transferred to your hotel in the city centre. The rest of the day is free for your leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise (B, L, D)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay.

* The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3 star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available though with our luxury cruise itineraries on the Violet, Jasmine, Ginger, Paradise or Au Co. Please contact us for more details.

*Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including DinhHuong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (ThienCung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white sandy beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (weather permitting). Spend the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for brunch then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City, where your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Hanoi. Enjoy a Vietnamese traditional water puppet show at Thang Long Theater.

Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi..

Day 9: Hanoi City Tour – Departure (B)

Today you explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas; Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and the Ethnology Museum.

At the end of your tour you are transferred to the airport for your flight back home.