Compact Vietnam Holiday

After breakfast, we’ll dive into the sights, sounds and smells of Hanoi. Your guide and driver will collect you from the hotel lobby to start your trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex, on the site where he declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945 and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their “Uncle Ho”. Other sites that we will visit with our local guide include House 54, Stilt House, Presidential Palace, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Continue on our journey through Hanoi, we’ll drive to the Museum of Ethnology to learn more about the cultural diversity of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. Established by the Vietnamese government in 1997, the museum provides us with a fascinating insight into the diverse cultures, customs, and lifestyles of the 54 ethnic groups that inhabit Vietnam.

After the visit to the Museum, we will have Pho for lunch at Pho Huyen, 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.

After lunch, we’ll visit the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor of Confucius by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or “mandarins”. The University remained here until Emperor Gia Long moved the countries administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue in the 18th century.

Return to your hotel for some rest before starting the evening local food discovery.

17:00 – 20:30
We will start our walking tour at Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes.

Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we ‘ll tempt our taste buds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continue into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we will wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.

Our next stop will be Banh My 25 shop “French Baguette”, a little food stall with a few typical tiny Vietnamese chairs on the sidewalk where we can enjoy the delicious and fresh baguettes while observing the neighborhood.

Move on to Hanoi Food Culture at Phat Loc Street, where we’ll sample some Bun Cha consisting of vermicelli, herbs and grilled pork. At this Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a hidden café we will watch the demonstration and then try some egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy.

Continue to other food stalls in Hang Bo and Ho Hoan Kiem Street, where we’ll try some dishes such Che “Vietnamese style pudding” and Nom “papaya salad with beef”.

It’s time for dessert as we will venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced – this specialty is one not to be missed!

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

Street food in Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

(No tour-guide for Halong Bay cruise, there is a Cruise Manager to assist all clients onboard)

Halong Bay will be your destination today. Your private driver will collect you from the hotel and take you on a 4.5 hours journey on a scenic road with plenty to see along the way. You may even have some photo opportunities on the way.

Around midday, you’ll arrive at Halong Bay. Board your boat in Halong Bay. Then enjoy a delicious seafood lunch while soaking up the magnificence of the UNESCO Heritage area.

After lunch, you will visit Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) – one of the largest caves in Halong Bay, before climbing Titop Mountain for some panoramic views of the stunning sunset over Halong Bay. You will have our dinner back on your boat and settle in for a relaxing sleep onboard your junk boat.

Note: each junk operates a different itinerary and onboard facilities may vary. Your consultant will be very happy to discuss each option with you.

Overnight on board
Meals: (B/L/D)

Halong Bay overnight cruise

Wake up with the sunrise, join a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck. You will then enjoy a buffet brunch on board while continuing to cruise and head back to the shore. Disembark, meet your driver again, you will drive back to the airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City)
Pick up and transfer to hotel

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city
Meals: (B/Brunch/_)

Chi Minh City

After breakfast and check out, your private tour guide will pick you up and take you to Ben Tre, located in the heart of the Mekong Delta. The fertile Mekong Delta is famous for its abundant harvests of tropical fruits and flowers as well as boating along the canals. On arrival, you will board your private boat and cruise along the maze of waterways to visit some local cottage industries. Hop on motor-cart to an out of the way village where you might have a chance to peek inside local homes for an insight into rural life seldom seen by the outside world and try some regional specialties for lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will return to the docks. From here you will drive back to HCM City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: (B/L/_)

Mekong Delta

Your private guide and driver will take you on a guided tour to see the major attractions of the city. You will first start with the War Remnants Museum and The Reunification Palace, and you will pass by the former American Embassy (now the American Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City). Continue to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the City General Post Office as well as Dong Khoi Street where the City Opera House is located. Wrap up your morning with a delicious bowl of noodle soup for lunch at Pho 2000, a famous noodle shop where President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea ate lunch during their visit to HCM City back in the year 2000.

After lunch, you will be transferred to the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels, a Viet Cong Stronghold during the American War between 1965 and 1975. First constructed in 1948, during the French Resistance War, the tunnels were expanded by the Viet Cong, with the help of the local people, into a complex underground network stretching over 250 km. A visit to this place will offer you an insight into the war when Vietnamese determination and loyalty to their country overcame the hardships of the times and eventually brought the war to an end. After the tunnel tour, you will return to the City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: (B/L/_)

Cu Chi tunnels

After breakfast and a leisurely morning on your own, you will check out by midday and your private driver will pick you up and take you to the Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight home.

Meals: (B/_/_)