Splendours of Vietnam & Pristine Beach

Handcrafted Travel
Daily Departure

Overview

  • Beach Escapes
  • Culture & Heritage
  • Family
  • Honeymoon
  • Luxury Travel
Day 1 – 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay
  • Arrive in Hanoi. Hanoi City tour. Cruise in Lan Ha Bay. Discover the charm of the karst islets and caves in the bay
Day 4 – 5 – 6: Hoi An
  • Head to Danang/ Hoi An.
  • Stroll around the narrow alleys of the old town. Learn to make a few of Hoi An’s delightful dishes.
Day 7 – 8: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta
  • Touch base at Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Sightsee HCMC’s highlights.
  • Embark on a motorized boat trip through the narrow canals in Mekong Delta.
Day 9 – 10 – 11 – 12: HCMC – Phu Quoc Island
  • Fly from HCMC to Phu Quoc Island. Spend the days at your leisure
  • Say goodbye to HCMC and be ready for your departure flight.

Customizable itinerary

Your wish is to explore the beautiful sites of the country and relax on its idyllic beaches? This tour will let you do both! Go on a full day city tour in Hanoi to understand its history and culture then visit the towering karst islands in Lan Ha Bay on a cruise. Unwind at the pristine My Khe beach in Da Nang. See life in the centre of Hoi An, its distinctive mix of cultures as a former trading port and the daily routine in the villages along the Thu Bon river. Explore the highlights in the Metropolitan city of Ho Chi Minh and the scenic waterways in Ben Tre. Learn about the complex tunnel system in Cu Chi before heading to Phu Quoc for complete rest and relaxation on the white-sandy beaches.

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, your private guide and driver are waiting to meet you, holding up a welcome signboard with your names on it and take you directly to your hotel in the Old Quarter.

After checking-in, you will have time to relax and adjust to the pace of Hanoi. There will be a short tour briefing this evening with your guide followed by a welcome dinner at KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that trains and employs underprivileged youth to provide a step up in life.

Please note: Your travel documents contain a Visa-on-Arrival letter (unless otherwise arranged). Please ensure to pack this in your carry-on luggage. Your Visa-on-Arrival letter must be presented to Customs upon entry into the country.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (_/_/D)


Today with the help of your private guide and driver, you will get to explore the city’s top attractions, sample Hanoi’s authentic local dishes away from the tourist trails, hunkering down with the locals on the street at a variety of atmospheric food stalls.

Morning
Begin with a tour of Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex where the Vietnamese people honour the country’s ‘Great Father’. Here you’ll visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which contains the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh and his House on Stilts to observe how he lived and how his life unfolded to become one of modern history’s greatest names. Nearside his house is the miniature 11th-century One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist temple of historical and cultural significance.

From HCM Complex, you will take a leisurely walk through the small laneways toward Huu Tiep Lake. Explore the grounds of a 400-year-old temple, followed by a stroll through traditional local market streets to see the B52 crash site at the lake. This US bomber was shot down during the 1972 bombing raids of Ha Noi, a poignant reminder of Vietnam’s recent history.

Take a short drive to the outskirt of Hanoi to visit the fascinating Museum of Ethnology which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam. Some of them you will meet during your trip to Sapa.

Today you will have Pho for lunch, a Vietnamese Noodle shop. Some of the local people call this world-famous Noodle soup “Mac-Noodles” since it is as popular here as MacDonalds is in other parts of the world!  At the restaurant, your tour guide will explain the routine during Vietnamese meal times, and also tell you which special ingredients are needed for you.

Afternoon
After lunch, continue to visit the millennia-old Temple of Literature and explore its role in the country’s past, as both a university and a Confucius temple. Next is Hoa Lo (so-called Hanoi Hilton), a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War.

Embark on a fun cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi) ride through the French colonial architecture of the precinct known as the French Quater, past the French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel and the Opera House, name to a few.

Enjoy a cup of unmissable Egg coffee at Pho Co Café with stunning views of Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, and the surroundings.

Finish the day with a walking tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter (in contrast to the French Quarter) to discover the street food scene in Hanoi where it feels like you are never further than a few metres from a street food stall. Your guide will talk you through the ingredients and the different herbs of each dish, while you are crouching on tiny plastic stools in a back alley. 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).

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to the port city of Hai Phong, where you board the stylish Junk Boat that is your home for the evening.

On arrival around midday, you’ll be welcomed aboard your boat, each with its own individual route, to begin your cruise around the Lan Ha bay. Lying south and east of Cat Ba Island, the 300-or-so karst islands and limestone outcrops of Lan Ha are just as beautiful as those of Halong Bay but more isolated and untouched.

After checking into your cabin, a delicious lunch will be served, enjoy the delightful Vietnamese cuisine along with fantastic panoramic views of the passing scenery.

Relax on the terrace deck or on your private balcony and soak in the enchanting aura which emanates from the surreal seascape.

Afternoon
Continue the journey, the Junk boat snakes her way past the islets of Con Vit and Gia Luan, their karsts (limestone formations) rising dramatically from the bay.

Late afternoon you will reach the shore of a small lagoon on Cat Ba Island, hop on bicycles (electric cart transfers are also available) for a sightsing tour along small paved roads towards Viet Hai village. Little has changed in Viet Hai since the ancestors of the 80 households settled here centuries ago. Situated in a valley within Cat Ba National Park and surrounded on all sides by forest and mountains, the locals are isolated from the island’s other villages and towns. Here you have the unique and authentic opportunity to meet the local inhabitants, learn about the fruits and vegetables grown in the valley, have a glimpse of local households and try some homemade liquors.

Return to your Junk boat for a cooking demonstration with the chef. Learn about local ingredients as well as the preparation of classic Vietnamese dishes.

Evening
As the sun sets, you will arrive at a tranquil anchor spot for the night. In this hidden spot, you can revel in the memories of the day’s adventures with a cocktail under the stars.

After a scrumptious dinner, you may like to unwind at the bar with a digestif, watch a movie in the cinema, or have some fun fishing for squid before retiring to your room.

Note: If your time permits, we would highly recommend an additional night on board which gives you a lot more time to relax and take in the amazing landscape. You’ll get to cruise deeper into the Bay where it’s more beautiful and less crowded.

Overnight on board in Lan Ha Bay
Meals: (B/L/D)


Morning 
Wake up early and join the Tai Chi session on the terrace deck to ease your mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun touching the water. Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries await you in the dining room to start the new day.

It is time for Junk boat to lift her anchors and cruise toward Frog Lake, a secluded spot perfect for our morning excursion. Go for a refreshing “bay swim” or explore this captivating marine landscape via kayak. The cliffs stretch vertically out of the water and you feel a sense of freedom while meandering through this green medley of water and tree-topped islets.

Return to the Junk boat to check out of the cabin. Then enjoy a full brunch buffet as you cruise back to the pier.

Afternoon
Disembark at Got pier in Hai Phong city, your private driver is waiting for you and take you back to Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport for a short flight to Da Nang.

On arrival you will be picked up by your private guide and driven in a private vehicle to the beach resort. Da Nang beach is one of the most beautiful ones in the world. It is a mammoth stretch of white sand and clear water, starting from Monkey Mountain to Hoi An Heritage town with Marble Mountain sitting smack bang in the middle. The soft sand, crisp sunshine, coconut palm trees, and a pristine coral reef here are things you couldn’t miss.

Overnight in Da Nang
Meals: (Br/L/_)


Morning
The whole morning is at your leisure. Spend time to relax at the pristine beach. You can consider joining the Yoga class at the resort. Or perhaps you may pamper yourself at the Resort’s spa.

Afternoon
Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from the resort and take you to the nearby Hoi An Ancient Town for a walking and food tour. The historic and quaint nature of UNESCO World Heritage Site Hoi An is perfect for exploring. As a former fishing village set on the banks of the Thu Bon River and strategic trading port for Southeast Asia, centuries of French, Chinese and Japanese influence have left their unique mark on this town.

Upon arrival, you will embark on a leisurely walking tour visiting the town’s major attractions such as Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall, 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 Da Nang
Meals: (B/_/D)

Today is at your leisure to enjoy the comforts of the resort and its private beach. You might opt to get a tailor-made suit fitted or join a hands-on cooking class.

Overnight in Da Nang
Meals: (B/_/_)


Morning
After breakfast, you will be picked up and driven to the airport to board a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals.

Your private guide and driver will meet you at the arrivals lounge and take 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 Viet Cong during the later years of the Vietnam War.

Upon arrival, you will watch the original film footage from the period, followed by a walk through the reserve. The hidden network of Viet Cong tunnels is believed to stretch to “hundreds of miles,”  in total length, housed living quarters, storage rooms, makeshift hospitals, and kitchens…etc. Although originally very narrow, some parts have been widened for the tourists and you have the opportunity to explore parts of the system.

Try some of the main food of the Viet Cong Soldiers with a cassava tasting served with tangy tea. After that transfer to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Afternoon
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 ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, renowned for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.

Later stop at the Reunification Palace and the moving War Remnants Museum to for an insightful, yet sombre, look into Vietnam’s military history and turbulent past.

Proceed to the atmospheric Jade Emperor Pagoda before finishing the day 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 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 in the Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields, numerous waterways, and beautiful landscapes. Known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, this region produces most of Vietnam’s fruit, rice, sugar cane, and coconuts.

After the two-hour drive through the lush farming land, you will arrive in Ben Tre where you will set out on a motorized boat trip on narrow channels winding through the coconut forest. During the boat ride, you will stop at the local cottage industries to see how the local people make bricks and weave sleeping mats by hand. Learn about their craft handed down through generations.

Take a leisure walk along the village lanes, visiting the local homes to try fresh fruits, taste delicious honey tea while enjoying a local Tai Tu music show. Continue to visit another workshop where the local delicacy of coconut candy is produced and a wide 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 a Motor Cart (xe lôi) passing local hamlets, rice fields, coconut groves, and lush orchard farms while meeting with local people.

Afternoon
After finishing your sightseeing tour your guide will take you to a riverside restaurant for lunch with local specialties then return to the pier and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

This evening you will be free to visit the night market to discover the authentic local cuisine or simply enjoy a glass of cocktail on the rooftop bar of the historic Rex Hotel.

Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/L/_)

End your exploration of Vietnam with a relaxing stay on one of her many beautiful beaches. We have picked Phu Quoc Island, a stunningly beautiful and peaceful tropical paradise that floats in the warm and sparkling cobalt waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Despite being fringed by perfect white sand beaches and tropical waters, the tear-shaped island of Phu Quoc is still relatively undiscovered.

After breakfast, you will be picked up by your private driver and taken to the airport for a short flight to Phu Quoc Island.

On arrival, transfer to the beach resort for check-in. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Phu Quoc Island
Meals: (B/_/_)



The whole day is at your leisure. You can spend time exploring the rustic fishing villages and unspoiled beaches that dot the landscape. Watching the sunset on the beach with a few cocktails shouldn’t be missed. Phu Quoc is also a great place to sample some of Vietnam’s best seafood, with regional specialities of sea snake, octopus, shrimp and lobster.

Overnight in Phu Quoc Island
Meals: (B/_/_)



Today is another free day for you to enjoy everything that Phu Quoc has to offer. Spend time to chill out at the beach or book a diving trip. The warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand make Phu Quoc a great spot for diving and snorkeling. The reefs that surround the island abound with colourful marine life while the clear waters guarantee a great view. The best time to do this is from November until March.

Overnight in Phu Quoc Island
Meals: (B/_/_)



After breakfast and a leisurely morning on your own, you will check out of the resort by midday and your private driver will pick you up and take you to Phu Quoc airport to board a short flight back to HCM City and then connect via your departure flight home.

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 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.


Sightseeing Highlights

  • Discover Hanoi’s best-known landmarks, Enjoy the local food discovery tour
  • Spend a night onboard an overnight cruise in Lan Ha Bay
  • Climb the Marble Mountain in Da Nang, Stroll through streets of Hoi An Ancient town and taste the delicious local food
  • Discover the spectacular maze of Cu Chi tunnels below ground
  • Visit Ho Chi Minh City landmarks: War Remnant Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace and Ben Thanh Market…etc.
  • Take a discovery day trip in lush green Ben Tre town – Home of coconut in Mekong Delta
  • Discover an island paradise off the south coast of Phu Quoc, Lounge and make the most out of your relaxing on the beach.


Dining Experience

  • 11 buffet breakfasts.
  • 4 dinners and 4 lunches at well-selected restaurants
  • 2 street food tours
  • 1 Cooking demonstration on Lan Ha Bay boat


Travel Highlights

  • Your own private guide and driver for in-depth cultural touring based on your interests
  • Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our locally born travel specialists
  • Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and preferences
  • A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, hand-picked hotels and restaurants, private airport transfers, internal transportation, and entry visa assistance…etc
  • Around-the-clock support from your travel designer and concierge before, during and after your trip


What’s Included?

Private English speaking guide, accommodation, private tours and transfer, domestic flights, A/C vehicles, some main meals, all entrance fees, tax, and service charge.


What’s Not Included?

Your international flights from and to Vietnam, the entry visa to Vietnam, personal expense, tips to guide and driver.

Request this tour

Free service. No credit card required

Reviews on Our Service

We are committed to giving our customers unforgettable experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and beyond, not just something staged for tourists. Read reviews written by our customers about their experiences in Indochina after they have returned home. These include the ratings and comments on attractions, guides, activities, hotels and food.

Excellent
4.9/5
5 97.66%
4 2.13%
3 0.21%
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Vietnam Luxury Vacation Review: Sightseeing, Culture, 12-Day Travel

Asia Pioneer Travel was professional, provided prompt communication before and during our trip, and offered an itinerary custom to our wish list and timeline.

They helped us focus on highlights of areas which we would have spent considerable time researching and organizing without their help. Their attention to detail in information shared ahead of time, as well as step by step planning of transportation, meals, lodging, and sightseeing options offered a stress-free vacation- optimizing our time and energy on experiencing everything beautiful Vietnam has to offer!
The landscape, scenery, and customs of Vietnam are stunning and diverse. Each area we visited offered its own unique beauty. Absolutely amazing!!!
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Rachel Faust - USA
Mar 8, 2023
From: 5

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.

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Sudhir D - USA
Mar 3, 2023

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

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Paul & Barb Little - Australia
Mar 2, 2023

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.

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Alex Miller - United Kingdom
Mar 1, 2023