Taking the 15 day/ 14 nights Vietnam Experience Tour, you will experience Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history, the beauty of the country from the South to The North of Vietnam. Discover Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) – the bustling city in the South Vietnam with the surrounding excursion to Mekong River Delta, visit Hue – the Citadel and Hoi An – Ancient Town, overnight cruise in Halong bay – the World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO and top off your adventure in Sapa!
Ho Chi Minh City (Google Map)
Hanoi (Google Map)
Vietnam Great Tours guide and driver will welcome you with the VIETNAM GREAT TOUR LOGO & your name on signboard at the airport and drive you to the hotel. During the drive your guide will provide an introduction to Saigon. Rest of the day is free at leisure.
More options for Saigon: surcharge might be implemented
Option 1: Vintage Vespa Night Life
• A chance to see many interesting landmarks in Saigon where almost tourists don’t know
• Crossing China Town to explore the most favorite shopping area in Saigon
• Stunning Flower Market, more of a wholesale market than a shopping experience
• Enjoy a dinner with local foods before exploring modern style architecture in Saigon such as: The New City Town, Bitexco Building, and sparkling Saigon Riverbank
Option 2: An evening introduction to street food
A fun and very tasty overview of Ho Chi Minh City’s best street food.
Dive into local life in a bustling hẻm (alley) packed with food vendors who have spent decades perfecting their special dishes. While sampling a variety of simple street food, you’ll hear stories about this local neighborhood and how history has influenced the Saigon’s culinary scene.
Some dishes you’ll try will have a little taste of France, the former colonial rulers of Vietnam. Some dishes contain flavours from China, which ruled Vietnam for 1,000 years. Some nights you might even get a hint of Korean undertones.
Our tour usually includes four stops, including Vietnamese dessert-in-a-glass at a local market on the way back to your hotel.
This tour is designed to give you the confidence to go out and try street food on your own once you’re released back into the wilds of Ho Chi Minh City. We hope you’ll also have a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture and history. (As well as a very full stomach.)
We’ll take you to and from our favourite foodie neighbourhood by xe om (motorbike taxis). If you’re worried about riding on the back of a motorbike, we do have the scardey-cat option of taking a taxi. This requires a slightly earlier pickup (to navigate the peak hour traffic) and a small surcharge.
Once in our foodie hẻm, we’ll walk from place to place, in amongst the everyday chaos of motorbikes, bicycles, kids, grandmas, street soccer, hairdressers and drink stations.
After breakfast, you will visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnel system which was created to assist the Vietnamese Revolutionists against the French in 1948. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers etc and in certain areas, housed up to 10,000 people, who virtually lived underground for years.
After a video introduction and a guided tour through the grounds, you will have the opportunity to take part in the unique experience of guerillas living underground during the war, with a crawl through 20/30/50 meters of the tunnel system.
Taste typical boiled tapioca and hot tea before you come back to Saigon.
In the afternoon, you will visit Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office, two of the best highlights of old Saigon architecture.
Walk to the nearby Reunification Palace, witness of the historic events of old Saigon and famous for its architectural characteristics.
Discover the very popular War Remnants Museum, the one that gathers a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photographs and documentation of the Vietnam wars.
Stop by the Jade Emperor Pagoda, one of the most spectacularly colorful temples, dedicated to King of Heaven and filled with exquisite and phantasmal statues.
Pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city and start the trip to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19th century. Then boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.
Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking in the village paths to contemplate orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, and Vietnamese folk music performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation.
Be rowed in a small sampan through the Thoi Son canal and treat yourself to the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business & bee-keeping farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.
Have lunch at the local restaurant. Break time.
The afternoon is time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meeting the local people to experience their daily life in the Mekong Delta. Relaxing on hammocks to enjoy the cool breeze is for those do not want to join the cycling trip. Proceed to Can Tho City and overnight in Can Tho.
Breakfast at the hotel. Take a leisure boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River) then visit to Cai Rang floating market which is the liveliest one in the whole of region.
Walking trip to visit the fruit plantation and local noodle factory. Visit Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda – a Khmer pagoda, renowned for its unique structure.
Have lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh City.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departure flight to Hue. On arrival, our guide will see you at the airport and travel with you to the city. You are free at leisure to walk along Huong River – most beautiful and romantic river in Vietnam.
After breakfast, you will cruise on the Perfume River to visit the ancient and sacred Thien Mu Pagoda.
You will then visit the Citadel – The palaces of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the last dynasty of Vietnam – Noon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Imperial Ancestral Temple and Hue Royal Antiques Museum.
Visit and shopping at Dong Ba Market before have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will visit Minh Mang tomb, one of the most interesting emperor tombs in Hue and Khai Dinh Tomb which represents a fusion of traditional Vietnamese style and modern influence. The tomb is almost entirely made of concrete and includes many European architectural details.
Today, we take bus from Hue to Hoi An.
7:45 – 8:15: Our guide pick you up at your hotel and depart to My Son Sanctuary – The World Cultural Heritage.
9:30: Arrive at My Son and we’ll have 2 hours to discover the site by walking throughout the landscape, learning histories with our local English speaking guide, enjoying the Champa’s traditional performances.
11:45: Get back to mini van and move to a local house to learn how to make ricepaper, you will enjoy your own hand-making product later on!
12:30: Back to the van and have lunch at another local house. relax with cold herbal tea, nice foods and fresh air.
13:30 take a boat trip to Hoi An with nice and cool breeze on boarding, beautiful river scenery on the biggest river in the Central of vietnam named as Thu Bon River.
14:00: arrive in Hoi An, we will drop you off at your hotel.
You will be free for relaxing or shopping in the morning
In the afternoon, you will take a flight to Hanoi. On arrival, our guide and driver will pick up and take you to your hotel in the centre. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
Start Vietnam Experience Tour today by picking up at your hotel (join tours will free pick up all points in Hoan Kiem, Hanoi).
8.00- 8.30: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City
08.45:Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish IsLand in West Lake
It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.
09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world
11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam
Special Note: we will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays
12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine
with 8 delicious dishes.
14.00-14.15 : Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century
15.15:Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton
16.15 -16.30: Tour finishes. Back to hotel
6.30 : Pick up and depart for Sapa.
9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break
11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa
13.00: Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.
– Welcome drink and itinerary briefing
– Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures
14.30: A short drive to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.
Trekking distance is about 2.5 kms and it lasts for 2 hours
17.00: Come back to Sapa Town. Have dinner and overnight in hotel with night activities
7.00 – 7.45: Have breakfast at hotel and prepare light pack for trekking
8.00: A short drive to Y Linh Ho then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain after that heading to Ta Van village – home of Dzay ethnic people.
Trekking distance is about 9 kms and it lasts for 3.5 hours
11.30: Bus picks you up at Ta Van Bridge to Sapa.
12.00 – 14.00: Have a shower at hotel, check out and have lunch and time at leisure on your own.
14.00: Meet all group members at hotel to get on bus to go back to Hanoi with two comfort breaks.
21.30: Arrive at your hotel.
After breakfast, we start Vietnam Experience Tour today by transfer to Halong Bay – designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1994. Traveling through the scenic fertile Red River Delta countryside, we get to Ha Long Bay by noon. The natural world heritage site Ha Long Bay is truly one of the most impressive scenery that should not be missed if someone ever comes to the north.
Upon arrival at Ha Long, we embark on cruise for an exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. This exciting hours cruise passing by the evocatively shaped islets will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands and islets rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. Enjoy a Sea food lunch while you cruising through the bay.
Arriving at Trinh Nu Cave area, you will take part in kayaking activitie here. To get to Trinh Nu beach, you need to kayak around thousand-year-old limestone formations and then walk for 5 minutes through Trinh Nu cave. Trinh Nu beach will amaze you with its white sand, emerald water and mild pleasant weather condition.
Back the cruise and relax, free fresh fruits are served. You’ll join cooking class guided directly by Chef of the Cruise. You have chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring roll or famous cuisine of Vietnam.
After time for dinner enjoying seafood on the cruise, you will be free for evening entertainments: play game on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing.
Wake up in the morning to the calming sound of the waves crashing on the nearby islands, enjoy Tai Chi lesson on sundeck. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and relax. Sitting on the upper deck, you can enjoy the breath – taking beauty of the rocky Islands rising from the crystal-clear waters of the Bay. The quiet is almost eerie; in summer you can hear birds singing, even that cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against our boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.
Arrive Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visiting and explore the cave.
Our boat start cruising back and brunch will be served on the way. Check out and arrive at the harbor by 11:30. You get back on the bus and go back to Hanoi.
Free at leisure until transferring to the airport to take departure flight for next destination.
My husband & I and our 2 children (13 and 15) just returned from a wonderful tour of Vietnam, organised by Miss Anna from Vietnam Great Tours. Starting with the standard itinerary, Anna worked with me to incorporate more things that suited us, and remove some things that didn’t. The result was a perfect tour, which incorporated the normal touristy temple things, but also wonderful experiences, such as cooking classes and lantern making. The guides were, without exception, polite, efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. My 13yo is vegetarian, and the lengths the hotels, restaurants and cruises went to to provide her with a range of beautifully cooked suitable food was well above and beyond our expectations.
Our tour incorporated HCMC, the Mekong Delta cruise, HoiAn, Ha Noi, Ninh Binh and Halong Bay. All were different and offered us a variety of experiences. The bicycle rides we had along the way were the best – especially along the Mekong Delta and Ninh Binh.
At the end of our tour, Miss Anna even came to our hotel to meet with us, and to give us some souvenirs. This is my first ever review on Trio Advisor – sign enough that I can’t speak highly enough of Vietnam Great Tours!
