Fascinating Vietnam Tour 12 days

+ Private tour with English/French speaking guide

+ You choose the date of departure

+ Starting from Hanoi & ending in HCMC or vice versa

Outlined Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L)

Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)

Day 5: Hanoi - Hue (B/L)

Day 6: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/L)

Day 7: Hoi An (B/L)

Day 8: Hoi An - HCM City (B/L)

Day 9: Tay Ninh Caodai Temple & Cu Chi tunnels (B/L)

Day 10: HCM City - My Tho - Can Tho / Mekong Delta (B/L/-)

Day 11: Mekong Delta - HCM City (B/L)

Day 12: Depart Vietnam (B)

FASCIANTING VIETNAM TOUR 12 DAYS

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Hoi An - Mekong - Ho Chi Minh City

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)

You will be warmly welcomed upon arrival Hanoi airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will take a private walking city tour to visit local markets and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, known for its 36 streets and former craft guilds.  In the evening you will enjoy a water puppet performance before a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L)

The post-colonial capital city of Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, numerous lakes, pagodas and temples. This full day tour takes you around Hanoi’s most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and his Stilt House, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Also on the tour will be the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, peaceful West Lake “with “lovers' street” Thanh Nien), the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple and one of the city's museums, either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum.  You will stay overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Today you leave Hanoi for Halong Bay (a World Natural Heritage site) via the Red River Delta. Upon arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise on the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay, swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck.

In the late afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset, you can kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board, you can enjoy watching the peaceful sunset and later unwind at a restaurant. You will stay overnight onboard.

Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)

You’ll wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves and birds welcoming the new day. You will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay and after breakfast, visit a beautiful limestone grotto.  You will have a walk back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Then you will drive back to Hanoi and stay overnight.

Day 5: Hanoi - Hue (B/D)

You will transfer to the airport for your noon flight to Hue. Upon arrival at Phu Bai Airport you will be transferred directly to your hotel. In the afternoon you will embark on a tour of the city, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market. You will stay overnight in Hue.

Day 6: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/L)

Rising up in the ancient land, enjoy your breakfast in the hotel. Then, board a private boat for cruising the romantic Perfume River, visit Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), the ornate Minh Mang's tomb. We will enjoy lunch at local restaurant. Leave the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Hue for Hoi An. We will travel over the Hai Van pass, stop in Danang for a visit to the Cham Museum and handicraft villages on the foot of Marble Mountain before arriving in Hoi An. Once in Hoi An, we will check into our hotel and have some free time to explore the town. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An (B/L)

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. 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 Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Following the tour there will be free time to shop or relax. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An - HCM City (B/L)

You will then leave Hoi An for Danang Airport to take a one hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon you will embark on a city tour of HCMC (Saigon) including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office and bustling Ben Thanh Market. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 9: Tay Ninh Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi tunnels (B/L)

This morning you will drive to Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh. Cao Dai Holy See Temple is the cathedral of the Cao Daism religion and home of the Divine Eye, the official symbol of this unique religion. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. You will also be able to observe the midday service.

Following lunch you will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life was like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. You will stay overnight in HCMC.

Day 10: HCM City - My Tho - Can Tho / Mekong Delta (B/L)

You will leave HCMC to lush My Tho where you’ll cruise on a private boat through the green vegetation of the canals to an orchard, where you are treated to a delicious lunch in a local restaurant in the heart of the Mekong, complete with tropical fruits. You will also visit the snake farm Dong Tam that breeds snakes for, among other things, snake wine and visit Vinh Trang pagoda.  You then head to Can Tho city, heart of the Mekong Delta, for an overnight stay.

Day 11: Mekong Delta - HCM City (B/L)

You wake up to the sounds of the Mekong River welcoming a new day and take boat trip to join in the Cai Rang floating market, one of the most bustling floating markets in the Mekong Delta, with hundreds of small boats barging and jostling for space to sell their goods. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort you back to the hotel through myriad canals. You will have lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Ho Chi Minh City for an overnight stay.

Alternative for early birds: 

Join the floating market on the “The Lady Hau” cruise

Enjoy breakfast on the "Lady Hau" while cruising to the floating market. When the "Lady Hau" arrives at Cai Rang floating market, guests are transferred to a local traditional boat to enter the market. Then, you will continue cruising with the hotel's guide along narrow creeks to visit a noodle factory and an orchard. After sampling local fruits, our guide will escort guests back to the hotel by local boat through myriad canals. (Starting at 6:30 AM, the Lady Hau cruise and tour extension takes around 4 hours; minimum 4 persons).

Day 12: Depart Vietnam (B)

There is no activity planned for today so you are free to enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Special note:

The list of hotels is recommended by New Vision Tour, but please feel free to advise us of hotels you prefer in each category or to combine hotels category as you wish (tour price will be changed accordingly).