Best Of Southern & Central Vietnam - 8 Days
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City - the most hustling and bustling city of Vietnam. Your guide and driver will meet you outside the baggage claim of Tan Son Nhat International Airport then take you to the hotel in city center. Check in and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from jet lag.
This evening, enjoy the impressive dinner on Saigon River cruise, explore the city by night. Overnight in Saigon.
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City Tour
The tour will start with a visit to China Town in Saigon, which dominates the west bank of the city, boasting the attractions of Quan Am Pagoda, Thien Hau Temple, Binh Tay Market and numerous teahouses. Explore the vivid and distinct charm of this little-explored corner of the city - and learn the local secrets behind one of the world's oldest and largest Chinatowns. Stop by a Chinese medicine shop to learn how herbal tea is prepared. Visit the iconic Binh Tay Market (Cho Lon), famed for its Sino-French architecture and amazing food. Here, learn about the day-to-day lifestyles of shopkeepers here, who spend their days selling fruit and vegetables to local residents within this bustling commercial melee.
This afternoon, visit the War Remnants Museum and the former Presidential Palace. Continue with a stroll to the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall. Finish your full day tour with the visit to Ben Thanh Market where an incredible display of fresh produce is offered.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in HCMC.
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta day trip
Today you spend a day away from the busy city of Saigon and drive to Ben Tre Province. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem in Tien Giang en route. On arrival at Hung Vuong Pier, board on your private boat for a glimpse at the delta scenery while enjoying coconut juice. Experience the unique lifestyle of the Mekong Delta as you visit fruit orchards, coconut groves, brick workshops, and home-made products such as coconut candies, rice cakes, handicrafts etc. After a short walk to visit a local family to learn how they make sedge mat and enjoy tea, tropical fruits, take “Xe Loi”, a kind of motorized rickshaw or you can hop onto your bicycle and peddle through picturesque villages (about 20 minutes). Stop at a riverside restaurant for a delicious and filling lunch. Then board a sampan for a relaxing trip along narrow canals. The boat will be waiting for you at the pier nearby to bring you back to Ben Tre where your car will take you back to Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City - Fly to Hue - Sightseeing Tour
Today you leave Ho Chi Minh City for Hue – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend the afternoon on a leisurely walking tour through Vietnam’s ancient capital city. You will visit Thien Mu Pagoda and the Mausoleum of King Tu Duc – a replica of the king’s palace built for the next reincarnation of the king. Then, take a walk through the vibrant Dong Ba Market.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.
Day 5: Hue Sightseeing Tour
This morning, you start the tour with the scooter to Phuoc Tich village (Optional: If you cannot drive a scooter, a car with driver will be arranged to escort you). It will take one hour for us to get to the village. Upon arrival, we drive around the village to visit the ancient houses, traditional handcrafts such as rice flour making, hand-made pottery (nowadays, the production has not been as frequent as before and guide will help you learn more about its history). Take a break and walk around the village to view the charming scenery, communal houses, river wharfs, and Cham culture vestiges that remain. Meet and talk with locals. By strolling along O Lau River, the village facilitator and our guide will help you know more about the village as well as O Lau River’s geographic location that is one of the three largest rivers in Hue leading to Tam Giang Lagoon, which is the biggest one in the Southeast Asia region.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.
Day 6: Hue – Drive to Hoian
After breakfast, transfer to the sleepy riverside town of Hoian. Along the way, you pass over the epic Hai Van pass or Pass of the Cloud, a spectacular mountain pass between Hoian and Hue, with views of the East Vietnam Sea on one side and the lush mountainous landscape on the other. Stop en route in Lang Co Bay, a long white-sand beach with blue seawater which offers great view of a peaceful fishing village with boats sailing in Lap An lagoon and flocks of storks flying back to their nests at dusk. Visit Cham Museum and handicraft villages at the foot of Marble Mountain in Danang before arriving in Hoian.
This afternoon you join us on a guided walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient town Centre, visiting its highlights such as Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tan Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge. Later, board a traditional wooden boat to cruise along the poetic Thu Bon River and enjoy the sunset over the charming town.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.
Day 7: Hoi An Old Town And My Son Sanctuary Tour
08h00, our private car and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel in Da Nang or Hoi An. After meeting them, you will start the Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary tour.
Whether you start from Hoi An or Danang, it takes around an hour to get to My Son Sanctuary, your first destination on the tour. Upon arrival at My Son Holyland, our tour guide will lead you in and provide interesting information while you tour around.
Firstly, you will have a chance to enjoy the Cham royal dance, or Apsara, in the My Son Sanctuary theater. The show lasts about 30 minutes, but that is enough for you to have an overview of Champa’s spiritual culture.
After the show, we start exploring the My Son Sanctuary complex for a couple of hours. With our tour guide, you will learn more about its special architecture and glorious history.
For an overview, My Son Sanctuary was a center for spirituality and worship during the reign of the Champa Kingdom. It is a large complex of religious monuments. Originally, it consisted of more than 70 structures, the vestiges of 25 of which remain today.
Around 12:30 pm, we will wrap up the visit to My Son Holy Land and drive to Hoi An Town. Then, you will have a break for a lovely lunch at a beautiful local restaurant in Hoi An.
After lunch, around 2:00 pm, you will walk around to explore Hoi An Ancient Town. Companied by our experienced tour guide, you will visit some highlights, such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the Quan Cong Temple, and Tan Ky Old House.
Furthermore, you will move to Hoi An theater to enjoy dramas, plays, dance, and bingo games for about 30 minutes. Then, our tour guide will take you to Hoi An Market, where you can have a deeper insight into the local life.
Hoi An Ancient Town is also really famous for professional custom tailors. Therefore, if you would like to make some clothes, we will introduce you to a high-quality and reasonable Hoi An Tailor.
After visiting Hoi An Ancient Town, we will drive you back to your hotel in Da Nang or Hoi An downtown. Finally, we finished the Hoi An Old Town and My Son Sanctuary tourMeals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.
Day 8: Danang Departure
Have breakfast at hotel then enjoy a free time before taking the airport transfer. Get ready for your departure flight. Thank you for traveling with us!
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A.
