Highlights of Central & Southern Vietnam
Overview
- Family
Day 1: Arrival in Da Nang/ Hoi An
Day 2: Hoi An – Walking and Food tour
Day 3: Hoi An – Da Nang – Hue
Day 4: Hue – Fullday City tour
Day 5: Hue – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Day 6: HCM City – Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai Temple
Day 7: HCM City – Day trip to Ben Tre (Mekong Delta)
Day 8: HCM City – Departure
Customizable itinerary
On this ‘Highlights of Central and Southern Vietnam’ tour, you will get to visit the most attractive sites of these regions. Walk through the lovely streets of Hoi An, where each house is a unique symbol of culture in the town. Drive to the historic city of Hue, en-route visit Da Nang’s renowned Marble Mountain and My Khe beach. Explore the glorious past of Hue at the Imperial Citadel complex and travel to the famous royal tombs. Tour the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels and learn about the Vietnamese life during wartime. In Ho Chi Minh City, wander around to feel the juxtaposition of the historic buildings and the dominating skyscrapers. Discover the traditional way of life in Mekong Delta with visits to the local villages, small factories, and fruit orchards.
Arrival at Da Nang International Airport, collect your luggage and process through the custom. Your private tour guide and driver from Indochina Pioneer will be waiting for you outside the baggage claim/customs area to transfer you in a private vehicle to the hotel in Hoi An Ancient Town for check-in. 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 will be free at your leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An

Morning
The whole morning will be free at your leisure. Enjoy late breakfast and the comforts of your hotel.
Afternoon
Your tour guide will pick you up and take you to the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you will embark on a walking tour visiting the major attractions such as Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall with the Chinese influence, and the Japanese Covered Bridge.
Continue to visit the Precious Heritage Museum, home to the permanent exhibition of Réhahn’s Precious Heritage Collection. While transporting you to the furthest reaches of Vietnam, the collection will unveil the rich cultural tapestry of the ethnic tribes
The highlight of the day is the visit to the Reaching Out Tea House, a welcome little oasis of calm in the busy, vibrant Old quarter, owned and operated by the mute and deaf people. Here you will be treated with delicious cakes and incredible tea in the Eastern style.
Move on to the house of a lantern craftsman. There, you can observe the lantern craftsman’s technique before hands-on work through each stage of lantern-making under the guidance of the enthusiastic craftsmen: from bending it into the frame, cutting cloth, gluing, to completing lanterns. Before this trip concludes, you will have your own lantern created by your own hands.
Now, it’s time for your Hoi An street food discovery tour. With your guide, you will weave in and out the tiny alleyways, get to chow down with the locals at stalls you’d never discover on your own. Every day at 4 pm, Hoi An’s streets filled with a myriad of street food carts, stalls, and vendors. The street food tour is a great introduction for you to enjoy a few of the Hoi An specialties cooked up by the locals, to introduce you to the faces behind the stock pots and to teach you how the Hoi An locals deal with those condiment trays!
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: (B/_/_)
Morning
After breakfast, you will be collected by your private guide and transferred in a private vehicle (approximately 4 hours) to the Royal City of Hue. Today the drive over the Hai Van Pass will be one of the most scenic ones on your trip. En route, you will stop to visit the Marble Mountain, Cham Museum and the white sandy 20-mile stretch of My Khe Beach which was home to American GIs during the war.
Arrive Hue around midday and check into your hotel in downtown.
Afternoon
Your guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the wharf for your dragon boat ride on the romantically named Perfume River. During the boat cruise, you will stop to visit the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda – Hue’s most famous religious site. Explore the pagoda’s landscaped gardens and seven-storey octagonal tower.
The tour comes to an end at Dong Ba Market which runs along the north bank of Huong (Perfume) River. Here you will have a chance to discover a favourite Noddle shop by Anthony Bourdain – the World Famous Chef and TV Producer. Sample the best Bun Bo Hue “Hue Noddle soup”.
Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Overnight in Hue
Meals: (B/_/_)
Morning
Your day will start with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village where you can see the lively morning market. This is where the locals come to buy their daily food. Nearby are the 300-year-old Thanh Toan bridge and a Cultural Museum, meet and talk to the locals.
Move on to the Royal Complex, former home to the Nguyen Dynasty, the last Monarchy of Vietnam from 1802 – 1945. You will explore the ancient and atmospheric walled Citadel which contains the former Imperial Palace and the Forbidden Purple City.
Continue to visit Cat Tuong Quan Zen House, an oasis of peace and tranquility where you can get ready for a little zen and re-connection to yourself. At first, you will be given some explanation about the architecture of the building and the purpose of the lady who started it all. After that, you will start a walking meditation session and attending a Qi-Gong class.
Today you will enjoy an excellent Vegetarian lunch at a local Buddhist Monastery, prepared and served by the nuns.
Afternoon
You will visit the final resting place – called the King tomb of Tu Duc, then head to Vong Canh Hill to watch the beautiful sunset over the Perfume River. On the way back to town, you will stop to visit a local workshop where you can see how incense sticks and traditional conical hats are made.
Overnight in Hue
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your private driver will you collect you and take you to Hue Airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta.
Upon arrival, we will be met by your private guide and driver and taken to the hotel for check-in.
Afternoon
With your guide you will spend the rest of the day visiting some of Ho Chi Minh City’s key highlights. We’ll tailor your tour to suit you, but we particularly recommend visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Rex Hotel, the City Hall, the Opera House, the General Post Office, renowned for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market.
Later stop at the Reunification Palace and the moving War Remnants Museum to learn more of Vietnam’s turbulent past.
Proceed to the atmospheric Jade Emperor Pagoda before finishing in fine style with a sundowner at the top of the Bitexco Tower, the tallest building in Vietnam.
Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/_/_)
Morning
After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh Province.
On arrival, set out to explore the sacred temple and learn more about the fascinating Cao Dai religion, which borrows elements from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, and Taoism. You will then take part in the midday mass, admiring the monks in their colorful robes and listening to the mesmerizing chants.
Afternoon
After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant you will be transferred to Cu Chi, a small community located northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, known for its network of deep tunnels that provided shelter and an effective source of infiltration for the Vietcong during the later years of the Vietnam War.
Upon arrival, you will see original film footage from the period, followed by a walk through the reserve. You will have the chance to go underground into Cu Chi’s hidden network of Viet Cong tunnels which reached hundreds of miles in total length, housed storage rooms, command bunkers, makeshift hospitals and sleeping quarters…etc. This trip offers a unique insight into the ingenuity behind the fighters, and a glimpse of underground life during the war.
Try some of the main food of the Viet Cong Soldiers with a cassava tasting served with a tangy tea and then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Your evening is at leisure, giving you time to enjoy a Vietnamese coffee or a stroll through the night market.
Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/_/_)
Morning
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will take you out of HCM City in a private vehicle and onto some beautiful country roads to Ben Tre Town, the heart of the Mekong Delta, popularly known as the “rice bowl” of Vietnam. This picturesque little town is famous for its vast rice fields, numerous waterways, and beautiful landscapes.
After approx 2 hours driving through the lush farming land, you will arrive at Ben Tre town where you will embark on a motorized boat trip around the scenic Ben Tre River, viewing various local industries along the way. During the boat ride, you will stop to visit the small local factories where bricks and sleeping mats are made.
Take a leisurely walk along the village lanes, visiting the local homes to sample tropical fruits, taste honey tea while enjoying a local Tai Tu music show. Continue to visit a coconut mill workshop where the local delicacy of coconut candy is produced and a range of coconut husk and fiber products are skillfully handcrafted.
Next, take a small sampan through palm-fringed back canals, gliding peacefully along the hidden waterways surrounded by an immense variety of tropical plants. The quiet, rural setting is a welcome and restorative retreat to the frenetic buzz of HCM City which seems far, far away.
Enjoy sitting in the back of a Motorised Cart (xe lôi) passing endless rice fields and lush orchard farms while meeting with the local people.
Afternoon
Finish your sightseeing tour and then your guide will take you to a riverside restaurant for lunch, after which you will be driven back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/L/_)
Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Ho Chi Minh International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.
Meals: (B/_/_)

Useful Information
This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and the availability of ground services. Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!
Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suit your requirements.
What’s Included?
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- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Private Vehicles and Drivers
- Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
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- Domestic flight
- Airport Taxes and Fuel charges
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
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What’s Not Included?
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- Your International Flight to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
- Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
- Any bank fees or charges at your end
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- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
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Free service. No credit card required
Reviews on Our Service
Vietnam Luxury Vacation Review: Sightseeing, Culture, 12-Day Travel
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sightseeing, Rice Fields, Boat Rides, 18-Day Trip
We started searching for our tour for Vietnam / Cambodia back in October 2022 to start the tour in the first week of January 2023. We selected this travel agency, and contact name provided to us was Elly. She was extraordinary with her communication with us. Excellent English speaking language capability & excellent in communication on Whats app and email communication. We went back & forth few times to arrange the tour we wanted. She was very accommodating in arranging our schedule. We requested automobile tour for both countries, just for two of us.
We requested SUV FOR OUR COMFORT AND WE GOT IT!
We requested to get the high end hotel in each city and she gave us choices and not only that but send videos of each hotel for each City and then waited for us to decide which hotel we select. All the Hotels turned out to be one of the best we would expect to be. M/s Elly, personally came to visit with us on the evening of our first day tour. Very respectful and asked if she could do anything for us.I had requested before in our communication, if she would arrange for power converter for us, since my camera chargers are all in 110. So brought two power converters for us! Something, not everyone will do this kind of service. So all the kiddos to her!
as to the drivers in each city were very courteous, very professional and very careful in how and where they have to do driving.
our Guides in each city were so friendly, courteous and knowledgeable in where ever we visited. How ever wish two guides in Hue An and Ho Chi Minh City spoke English more clearly.
We only wish we had one extra day in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, , however, there is so much to see in the world! Perhaps next time will visit Vietnam.
As to Cambodia, same thing to express about site seeing and our Guide and drivers. Guides and drivers really made our travel thro’ the countries where we do not speak that language, made it so comfortable and enjoyable.
Outstanding!
Hi Lam…hope you don’t mind me contacting you directly. My wife Barb & I (Paul) have just arrived home after completing a great tour of Vietnam which was organised through your company Asia Pioneer Travel.
We want to tell you personally how impressed were were with the level of service that we received…it was amazing and the best that we have experienced anywhere. After we made initial contact with you, you handed us over to Chloe to arrange the trip which she did in very quick time and the amount of detail that she went to was fantastic. From the moment that we walked out of Hanoi airport on arrival to see our guide waiting, we knew that we were in for a great trip. The drivers & guides were fantastic and Chloe was in contact by email constantly making sure that everything was going to plan & that we were happy. At one stage we need to vary the itinerary by extending accommodation & changing air tickets and Chloe did that without any fuss or bother.
We also met some wonderful Vietnamese people along the way and Ive got to say that they are our kind of people, very generous & friendly.
Enough of my ramblings, thanks for a great visit to Vietnam, and a special thank you to Chloe for looking after us in such a terrific manner…she is a very special caring lady.
Kind regards & I hope that we have the opportunity to use Asia Pioneer Travel again….Paul & Barb Little from Newcastle Australia
Superbly organised and very flexible
We travelled to Vietnam for two weeks, booking the whole trip through Lizzie at Asia Pioneer, including hotels, excursions, trips, guides and internal flights. Lizzie was so helpful and flexible, accommodating changes to our schedule until the last minute, especially as we missed our connecting flight in Dubai and arrived a day later than planned (our fault). Nothing was too much trouble, including getting my wallet back to me after I left it in the car taking us to the airport.
We started in Hanoi in the North and worked our way south to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon), taking in Ha Long with its amazing sea stacks and sleeping on a boat, then to Sa Pa on the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi, with its wonderful countryside and rice terraces. Afterwards, we went to Hoi An for three days of relaxation. Hoi An probably my favourite place and three days are enough to cover it. Then onto Hue, the original capital, my least favourite place and then finally on to HMC, which was a real contrast to the North.
The 3-star hotels that Lizzie picked were very good and comfortable, and the guides were very knowledgeable. I would definitely use Asia Pioneer again for future Asia trips.