Historical Beauty of Vietnam 14 Day Tour

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, the old capital of South Vietnam. You will find the driver at the airport, who will then transfer you to your central hotel, where you can choose to relax or head straight out into the thick of Saigon’s pace of life.

Enjoy the first breakfast of the tour and await collection from the driver. They will pick you up from your hotel lobby and take you northwest of Hanoi for just under 2 hours, where the Cu Chi Tunnels can be found below the jungle floor.

A brief introduction will introduce us to the past operations of the 250km tunnel and how the Viet Cong used it to help win the war. We will climb down inside the tunnels and explore some of the open attractions, including shelters, weapons storages, kitchens and medical rooms. We return to the jungle floor after this and observe the history still on display in the many entrances and trap doors that remain.

We have lunch here and take the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, where we will round off the afternoon with a tour of the city. We continue our education about the war at the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, before stepping back further to the time of French colonists, and the architecturally unique buildings left after their occupation of Saigon.

Get back to your hotel. End of the day tour visiting Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour.

Breakfast in your hotel is followed by the transfer south to My Tho for the day tour visiting Mekong Delta, one of the main cities of the Mekong Delta. Here, we arrive at the sight of a charming city living life on the water and head out the local way on a sampan boat down the My Tho Canal. Along the way, we can see exotic images of stilt houses, humble boats and smiling fishermen hauling in their nets.

We proceed through the Xep Canal and disembark on the fertile shores of the Mekong River, where we continue on foot to visit some iconic and highly local workshops. On display here will be some of the regional crafts, many of which involve the processing of coconuts and rice, featuring in rice paper, bamboo weaving and roofing made of coconut fibres.

Next, we stop at a local house to talk to the owner and enjoy some relaxation time with honey tea and some tropical fruits. We also have the chance here to ride a horse and cart before we stop for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river.

We make our last stop at a quaint coconut candy workshop, followed by a return to My Tho along the canal. We drive back to Ho Chi Minh City after this and drop you off at your hotel.

Wake up to a delicious breakfast and your last few hours in the south of Vietnam. The driver will arrive at the hotel to transfer you to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Once arrived, your new driver will find you and complete the 45-minute transfer to beautiful Hoi An.

Check into your hotel and use whatever is left of the day as free time. This can be spent on a simple walk around the town, taking in the charming aesthetic of walls splashed with colour and history.

09:00: The local guide picks you up at your hotel lobby and transfers you to Cam Thanh fishing village.

09:30: Transfer to Cam Thanh village by car or boat on the way, meet local fishermen and experience the daily life

10:00: Take a bamboo basket boat on the Cam Thanh water coconut forest and have a brief introduction to the history there.

11:00: Join local fishermen on the river and enjoy the hands-on experience of round net and cast net fishing.

+ Learn to paddle the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat and join in a basket boat race.

+ Explore the now peaceful coconut waterways of a past war.

+ Go catch the crabs 

+ Return fisherman's house for a welcome drink.

+ Enjoy Lunch in the local house

12:30: Return to the hotel

Rise at a time that suits you and make plans for your full free day in Hoi An. You can spend this at the beach, on the archipelago near the coast, at My Son Sanctuary, at Hoi An’s outlying craft villages and the many other fabulous destinations around Vietnam’s historic capital of trade.

Optional tour: You can join in Ba Na Hill Tour for Golden Hand Bridge today.

Enjoy breakfast and prepare for one of the most scenic days of the tour. The drive to Hue from Hoi An is one speckled with immense beauty, firstly through the coastal city of Da Nang, but mainly along the gorgeous Hai Van Pass. This is a 19km road snaking through the central mountains of Vietnam, bordered by verdant green karsts on one side and views of the beach and ocean on the other.

We drive through this picture of paradise and arrive at a white strip of sand near its endpoint, the magnificent Lang Co beach. We will relax here for a while, taking in the splendour of the blue ocean in front, green mountains behind and white sand underneath. After this, we complete our transfer to Hue and arrive at your hotel around midday.

You have free time until dinner, so feel free to check out some of the ancient and cultural delights of this regal city, which acted as the capital of Vietnam for 143 years.

In the late afternoon, the guide will arrive at your hotel and take you on a tour of Hue’s culinary delights. Most of Vietnam’s current favourite dishes originated in Hue, making the old capital is a foodie’s heaven.

Begin the day with breakfast as normal. The guide and driver will arrive shortly afterwards to begin your Hue City Tour, which begins on the beautiful Perfume River on an elegant dragon boat. We saunter down the river for a while, stopping at Thien Mu Pagoda, a 7-storey homage to Buddha built in 1601.

After this, we are rowed back to the centre of the city, where we will stop at the stately Hue Imperial Citadel. This was the seat of power for 143 years and for the 13 Nguyen emperors who ruled during this time, each contributing to the appearance and functionality of the citadel and its secret ‘Forbidden Purple City’, where only the most noble of nobles could enter.

We take lunch in the city and then proceed in the car to Hue’s fabulous outskirts, where the lush greenery of central Vietnam extends for miles. In the hills, we find the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, one of the most brutal rulers of the House of Nguyen. The beautiful Vietnamese architecture here shines best while sitting amongst splendid greenery on a lotus-filled lake.

We finish the tour with a trip to Dong Ba Market, where we can find deals on some of the local crafts and extraordinary food that Hue and its neighbouring villages are known for. After this, we return you to your hotel, where you can enjoy the rest of the day as free time.

Eat breakfast in Hue and take the last few hours to soak up the imperial atmosphere, followed by a transfer to the airport. Today, you will be flying from the old capital of Vietnam to the current one.

Once arrived, locate the driver with your name board and enjoy the comfortable journey into the centre of Hanoi. We will drop you off outside your hotel in the bustling HanoiOld Quarter, where Hanoi’s reputation as an energetic and picturesque city stems from. Enjoy the rest the day here as free time.

Wake up to a delicious breakfast in the capital of Vietnam; your Hanoi city tour will begin with the arrival of the guide and driver to your hotel. We make our first stop at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where the wartime leader of Vietnam is celebrated through the mausoleum, museum and former residence bearing his name. We will visit some of these, along with the One Pillar Pagoda, which has been one of the lasting symbols of the city since its construction in 1049.

After this, you will have a choice of four museums: the Vietnam Military History Museum, Hoa Lo Prison, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Vietnam Ethnology Museum. Here we can learn about important facets of Vietnam’s ancient and modern past, as well as its present culture.

We will have a local lunch before moving on, this time to the Temple of Literature, which has been standing at the centre of the capital since 1070. This is Vietnam’s oldest university, coated in prestige and beauty, with thousands of graduates’ names etched onto stone plaques at the back and a wealth of charming greenery at the front.

Our final stop of the day is Hanoi Old Quarter, where we will do a walking tour to reveal some of the magic on show here. Hanoi’s central district was historically built around the trades of 36 guilds, making everything from shoes to leather products to graves. After the informative walking tour, we drop you off at your hotel. End of the day tour visiting Hanoi City Tour.

Please Note: This is an example itinerary based on the destinations of Halong Bay’s most popular route. There are many different routes and destinations available throughout the bay; our booking agent will explain this to you during your booking with us and help you to select the perfect cruise for you.

Morning

Have another breakfast and wait for the driver. We will cross the Red River Delta in our comfortable shuttle bus and arrive in Vietnam’s astounding northwestern corner for the first day of your 3-day, 2-night Halong Bay cruise. We will arrive in Halong Bay around midday and will be able to board the boat once we have checked in at the harbour.

Afternoon

Following lunch, we will have a few hours to relax on the sundeck or in the cabin as the luxuriant world of Halong Bay glides past. We skirt in between limestone mountains in search of our first destination, the wonderful Titop beach. Here, we will disembark the cruise and head onto the golden sands, finding the chance to relax in the water or taking the opportunity to climb the stairs in the middle for a panoramic view.

After this, we head across to Cua Van fishing village, where we will be able to kayak amongst the architectural wonder of floating houses below impressive mountain peaks. Our guide will point out some of the interesting aspects of the village before leaving us to roam around at will.

Evening

We return to the cruise in time for sunset and a small party happening on the sundeck. Happy hour and perfect views will pave the way for a romantic dinner, which will in turn herald a calm evening. Either head to your cabin to relax or enjoy some more drinks at the bar.

Morning

Your day begins with tai chi on the sundeck, which reveals some of the magic of a Halong Bay sunrise. Breakfast will follow this in the dining room below, as will our transfer to the nimble day boat. Our day boat is capable of taking us to some of the quieter areas of Halong Bay, starting with Tien Ong cave. Here, we will admire some of the magnificent limestone stalactites and stalagmites that have emerged over tens of thousands of years.

Afternoon

Return to the day boat for lunch as we sail serenely to our next destination. At Ba Ham Lake, we are able to have a very quiet swimming and kayaking excursion amongst a natural tunnel carved into the rock, one that connects three lakes surrounded by streaked cliff walls. We re-join the main boat after this and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on board.

Evening

Enjoy another fun sunset party and a delicious dinner before an evening of relaxing activities, including a movie night, card games, board games or squid fishing off the back of the boat with the crew.

The final day of your Halong Bay cruise begins with another tai chi session on the sundeck, guaranteed to wake you up to the beautiful sunrise. The breakfast that follows will be a buffet affair, served as we start cruising to our final stop of the trip – the Surprising Cave.

We take a walk around the inside of Halong Bay’s most impressive cave, hearing of the legends attached to some of the shapely rocks here. Returning to the boat, we have time for the last few hours of cruising and a filling brunch on the way back to the harbour.

We disembark at the harbour and head back to Hanoi in the car that is waiting for us here. We arrive in the capital in the late afternoon, giving you a free evening to soak up the wonderful atmosphere of Vietnam before your departure tomorrow.

Savour the final breakfast of the tour and spend the last few hours in any way that you see fit. With a good time until your flight, your driver will arrive at your hotel and transfer you to the airport. Say goodbye here and board your onwards flight to the next destination.

Thank you so much for joining us on this tour of historical and beautiful Vietnam. We would love to welcome you back to our country in the future!