Vietnam Southern Highlights
Overview
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Arrival
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City – Sightseeing tour
Day 3: Day trip to Ben Tre in Mekong Delta
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Nam Cat Tien National Park
Day 5: Crocodile’s Swamp – Drive to Mui Ne
Day 6: Mui Ne Free day
Day 7: Mui Ne Free day
Day 8: Mui Ne - Drive to Ho Chi Minh City – Shopping Afternoon
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City – Departure
Customizable itinerary
Arrive to Ho Chi Minh City, get welcomed by your tour guide and driver then transferred into your hotel in the downtown.
Enjoy your time of leisure.
All meals are on your own arrangement. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Morning
After breakfast, meet the tour guide and driver at the hotel and head out for a discovery tour of this City.
The first stop is ‘Tao Dan Park’ where locals practice their morning exercises – Tai Chi, aerobics and badminton. Stroll around the park to a small pagoda where you are likely to see locals performing daily prayers. Buddhism in Vietnam has had a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality as well as aspects of indigenous Vietnamese religion. You will also have the unique opportunity to enjoy a café sua da “White Coffee” at the birds’ club located at the end of the park. Local people gather here with their birds to relax, talk, enjoy a morning coffee and compare their birds.
Our next stop is the Reunification Palace before visiting a twin set of neighboring landmarks: the Post Office, noting the architecture and in particular the map of Saigon that shows where this modern city has come from, followed by Cathedral of Notre Dame (“Our Lady”).
Travel down Dong Khoi Street, know for its elegant shops, the name actually means “people’s revolution”. Pass by the Opera House, popular backdrop for wedding photos, now used as a Municipal Theatre. This area is rich with history from the times of the French invasion to the filming of Phil Noyce’s “The Quiet American.”
The next stop is the monument of Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death on June 11, 1963 to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam’s Ngo Dinh Diem administration.
Then take a quick stop at the colorful Ho Thi Ky flower market before riding to the Funeral Home to get to know about Vietnamese funeral ceremonies & customs.
Roll through Chinatown to Nhi Phu temple built in the end of 17th century by Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province. Although the exact construction date is unknown, an inscription on the pagoda’s ancient bell dates the pagoda to pre-1765. Nhi Phu Temple is built in a unique architectural style with an open yard in the center. Its roof is covered with tubular tiles lined with bas-relief mosaics made from broken ceramics, depicting the eight immortals of Taoism including apricot trees, orchids, bamboo and of course dragons and phoenix.
On the way stop at a Chinese Medicine shops for an explanation about “Thuoc Bac – medicine from herbs” or “Thuoc tàu – medicine from China” End the tour at the hotel at midday.
Afternoon
We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch we continue to discover the remains of Saigon including the Jade Emperor Pagoda and Ben Thanh Market and perhaps the War Remnants Museum if you are interested in war’s figures and facts. Kindly note that our tour guide can always assist you to discover other hidden parts of the City that normal tours do not go to.
Get back to the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of Halal/ No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Morning
You are picked up and depart for Ben Tre province at 8:00 AM.
Upon arrival at Hùng Vương Pier (Bến Tre town) you board your private boat and cruise on Bến Tre river – one of tributaries of Mekong river. During the cruise you will witness the lively activities of fishermen along river such as fishing, placing fish traps…
You will stop at a brick workshop to see how local people produce brick manually with their stunning printing and baking skills.
As you are in the homeland of Coconut, you also visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. You will learn how local people make use of coconut products from the wood, the fiber, the shell, the meet and the juice to make all kind of produces for local use and exports.
The boat continue to take you into the density of natural small networks of creeks. You then jump on land, walk in the peaceful village to visit a mat weaving family where you will have a chat with them and enjoy seasonal fresh fruits.
A trip on a local made motor-cart will take you in shady pathways, passing by green rice field and vegetable plains.
Afternoon
You will stop at a riverside restaurant and enjoy our local lunch today.
After lunch you take a rowing boat ride along the water palm creek to get back to our big boat for our cruise back to Hùng Vương Pier.
We then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Check into your hotel then enjoy your time of leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Morning
07.30 A private driver will pick you up and transfer you to Cat Tien National Park. The terrain rises up gradually via volcanic area. On arrival, we cross Dong Nai River to the park center. Check in room at the park center. Lunch break afterwards.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, your local guide will collect you and start to visit the Bear Sanctuary where they rescue and take care of hunted bears in Vietnam until their health get well enough to be released into the wild. Start walking 3km along the ecologic route: sites of Lagerstroemia Ovalfolia (Bang Lang), Tetrameles nudiflora (Tung), Cycas rumphii (Thien Tue), Ancistrolandus tectorius (Trung quan), Afzelia cyclocarpa (Go). Then trek back to the center for leisure and dinner.
Night activity: 20.00, 4WD vehicle transfer to TaLai buffer zone to look for nocturnal animals.
Overnight in Nam Cat Tien
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Morning
Your tour guide and driver will pick you up again and transfer you in a 4WD vehicle to junction where we turn off the main route and trek 5 kms to Crocodile lake station. Short break at lake, do some optional activities: rowing on the lake, watching biodiversity. If you are lucky, you may see crocodiles and various birds living in the lake, then trek back to the main route. 4WD pick up, transfer back to the center.
After lunch in the park you take our 5 hour drive to Mui Ne, Phan Thiet. Arrive to Mui Ne, check into your hotel and enjoy time of leisure.
Overnight in Mui Ne
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Enjoy a day of leisure in Mui Ne. In your free time, beside the beach you may want to see the fishing port, fish-sauce maker families and the famous sand dunes of Mui Ne.
Overnight in Mui Ne
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Today is at your own leisure to enjoy the beach.
Overnight in Mui Ne
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
We enjoy the last minutes swim at the beach then take our transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city. Check into our hotel and enjoy the rest of your day at your own leisure for your shopping time.
You may want to shop in best known places like Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Square, or stroll along the Dong Khoi and Le Loi Street. If you want some up-market products, check out the Diamond Palaza.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (Choice of No Pork – No Lard Meals)
Today your private tour guide and car will come at the informed time to transfer you back to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home.
End of service.
Meals: Breakfast
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 suite 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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- 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 Flights 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
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.
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.
