Compact Vietnam Holiday

Arrival Flight: Guest’s own tickets

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

A warm greeting awaits at Noi Bai International airport; your private guide and driver will meet you OUTSIDE the arrivals lounge, holding up a welcome signboard with your names on it and transfer you directly to your hotel in the Old Quarter.

Please look for your tour guide who holds up your names on a welcome signboard. If you can’t find the tour guide, please feel free to call your Travel Designer/ Tour Guide.

While every effort is made to have your room available upon arrival, check-in time is at 02:00 pm; your room may or may not be ready before this time. Your tour guide will provide additional details regarding your stay, and you will be able to ask any questions you may have.

The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Today, with the help of your private guide and driver, you’ll uncover Hanoi’s top attractions and savor authentic local dishes, dining street-side alongside the locals.

Morning
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you on a full day tour to discover the city, taking in sights including Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, where Vietnam honors its ‘Great Father.’ Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed afternoons, Fridays, and Mondays) to see his embalmed body, his House on Stilts, and the One Pillar Pagoda, a historic 11th-century Buddhist temple.

Next, visit the historic Hoa Lo Prison (nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton), once used by French colonists and later for U.S. prisoners of war.

Today, you will enjoy lunch at Lan Ong Restaurant, located on one of Hanoi’s most well-preserved ancient streets. Beautifully presented and rich in Vietnamese culture, their dishes, complemented by the ‘secret’ sauce, provide an authentic culinary experience.

Afternoon

After lunch, take a fun cyclo ride through the French Quarter, admiring its colonial architecture, including the Vietnam History Museum, Metropole Legend Hotel, and Opera House.

Attend a traditional Water Puppet Show, a unique northern Vietnamese art form, at a nearby theater.

Enjoy a cup of Hanoi’s famous Egg Coffee at Pho Co Café, offering stunning views of Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.

This evening, embark on a walking tour of Hanoi’s best culinary spots. Start with a short walk to Thanh Ha market, a busy, eclectic market alive with the sounds and smells of Hanoi. Here you will capture the essence of Vietnamese culture while browsing the food stalls, hearing about local culinary culture, and sampling unusual Hanoi delicacies.

Sample delicious dishes like Nom Du Du (green papaya salad), Banh Mi Pa Te (a sandwich that reflects Vietnam’s culinary heritage), and the famous Hanoi dish Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles). Continue to see ceremonial cake stalls and taste a special Vietnamese dessert.

Return to your hotel with a deeper understanding of local life.

Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, our private tour guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Tuan Chau Marina where you board Peony Cruise which is your home for a lovely night.

You will be taken aboard our support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board our luxurious craft, Peony Cruises. The itinerary briefing is announced during this time.

Welcome fresh drinks, wet towels, and a special lunch of fresh food and an assortment of appetizing delicacies will be served. You will be enchanted when decadently dining on our luxury junk. Life just doesn’t get better than this! We then set sail for Lan Ha Bay – A member of the World’s Most Beautiful Bays.

Enjoy the delicious lunch of fresh seafood and an assortment of appetizing delicacies while cruising along Lan Ha Bay with the breathtaking scenery.

15:30 Visiting Tra Bau area which has known as an area famous for its unspoiled, poetic natural beauty and attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. This is the best time for kayaking to discover the truest beauty of the limestone islands. Immerse yourself in the emerald, green water of the bay or enjoy the Jacuzzi pool on the Peony Cruises.

17:30 – 18:30 Joining us for a cooking demonstration to learn how to make one of the most famous Vietnamese cuisines, the spring rolls. Or reach the top deck of the cruise where the guests can admire the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin. Enjoy a Happy Hour time – BUY ONE GET ONE FREE at the bar. It is an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the greatest moment of sunset over Lan Ha Bay.

19.30 Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served by our skillful chef. This is a delightful meal in an intimate romantic setting.

21:00 – 22.00 Relax and sip the exotic cocktails and drinks at the sky bar (with a surcharge). Indulge yourself with spa service (optional) or simply relax on the top deck just under the cover of a brightly illuminated sky.

Or try to get your luck at the squid fishing on the main deck.

Overnight on board.

Begin the day full of energy with the Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun just rising up beyond the horizon.

6:45 – 7:15 Breakfast is served while cruising back to Gia Luan jetty. (Breakfast time may be adjusted and follow the real itinerary)

7:30 – 9:00 You will join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere by transshipment. It takes 30 minutes to transfer from Gia Luan to Trung Trang – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

9:30   Return to the main boat from the cave and the guests will do the cabin check out. Luggage is placed outside of the cabin.

Lunch is served at the restaurant. Settle the bar bill by the desk at the restaurant (if any)

10:30 – 11:00 Disembark the Peony Cruises and transferred back to Block #34, Big Bay group terminal, Tuan Chau Marina. Relax and wait for the luggage.

Your private driver takes you back to Hanoi and head directly to Noi Bai International Airport to board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta.

Upon arrival, you will be met by a new private driver and English-speaking guide who will drive you to the hotel in the city centre for check-in.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Morning

After breakfast, your personal guide awaits to take you on a 1.5-hour journey to the lesser-known section of Cu Chi – the Ben Duoc tunnels. Fewer visitors tread upon this site, offering you the chance to savor an unparalleled, personalized experience as you venture into the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Arriving at Ben Duoc, immerse yourself in history through a documentary. Gain profound insights into the tunnels’ past and the remarkable stories they hold. With your experienced guide by your side, navigate the labyrinthine passages that once sheltered brave Viet Cong soldiers, functioning as their fighting bunkers, meeting room, kitchen, hospitals, and more. For those seeking an authentic connection, embrace the opportunity to crawl through a section, reliving the soldier’s experience. As we wrap up the walking tour, indulge in a taste of history by savoring cassava, a staple of the Viet Cong Soldiers’ diet, accompanied by a refreshing tangy tea.

As the morning journey draws to a close you’re escorted back to the city and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure.

Evening

This evening, embark on an authentic Saigon experience with our evening Jeep tour. Starting at 18.00 pm, the open-air Jeep will whisk you away to iconic landmarks like the Reunification Palace, Central Post Office, and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Glide through the bustling streets, passing by the Saigon Opera House, Dong Khoi, and Nguyen Hue Streets. Enjoy a crispy Banh Xeo at a local restaurant, explore the Ben Thanh night market, and savor a drink at Saigon’s best Rooftop Bar with a stunning city view.

Continue your culinary journey at a seafood street, indulging in local flavors. The Jeep tour then takes a scenic route along the riverside for a serene moment. The adventure concludes at 10 pm as the Jeep brings you back to your hotel, leaving you with a taste of Saigon’s vibrant nightlife and the real essence of the city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Leave the bustle Ho Chi Minh City behind for Ben Tre – the coconut kingdom. Arrive in a charming village, hidden under hundreds of coconut palm trees. Welcome at Mekong Home, charming familial house composed of several bungalows, set in a tropical garden and on the Mekong river bank. Fresh coconut juice will be served, then check in your room.

Relax until late afternoon for a 1-hour sunset cruise on the Ham Luong River. Enjoy local cookies and fresh fruit juice as you watch the sun goes down.

Return to the restaurant at the end of the afternoon and participate in a cooking class: “Bánh xèo” – Vietnamese pancake made from rice milk. Dinner is ready to serve with fresh dishes include local vegetable, ingredients and flavors cooked in local style such as: caramelized pork, fish soup, spring roll…

After dinner, relax by lemongrass and ginger foot bath, a local therapeutic method to relieve the pain and fatigue of the legs.

Overnight at a boutique ecolodge in Ben Tre.

Morning

Enjoy fresh air while breakfast is served.

After that, start a cycling trip (from 2 hours to 2.5 hours) to the island of Oc on a concrete track, lined with fruit trees and coconut trees. On the way, pass by the local market where various local ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, and fruits, are sold.

Subject to availability, visit a workshop of baskets made of coconut stems and a coconut processing operation. You will have a chance to interact with the workshop owner on different braiding techniques.

Then return to the bicycles and cross a local Mekong River ferry to reach the island.  From there, cycling on small paths dotted with small huts hidden in lush vegetation while seeing the daily life of the inhabitants of Mekong Delta, governed by artisanal andagriculture activities.

Stop at a fish farm, to know more about two species of catfish: ca tra (Pangasius hypophthalmus) and ca ba sa (Pangasius bocourti), raised in ponds. These catfish are the two main species of fish production in Vietnam. Continue biking and back to Mekong Home.

Afternoon

Transfer back to HCM City, and then head directly to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure flight.

Wishing you a pleasant journey home!