Vietnam Highlights Route – 8 Days 7 Nights

🌟 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Saigon & Cholon: Chinatown lanes, Thien Hau Temple, FITO Museum, Ben Thanh Market, and French-era landmarks
• Ben Tre (Mekong): local boat on the Chet Say River, coconut crafts, candy workshop, village cycling/buggy, and sampan through palm canals
• Hoi An Ancient Town (UNESCO): Japanese Covered Bridge, assembly halls, tailor culture, riverside evenings
• Hanoi Heritage: Temple of Literature, One-Pillar Pagoda (outside visit to the Mausoleum area), Old Quarter walk, water puppetry
• Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise: karst scenery with fewer crowds than Halong; kayak/cave/swim per boat program

✨ DETAILED ITINERARY
DAY 1: HO CHI MINH CITY – ARRIVAL [_/ _/_]

From Tan Son Nhat International Airport to hotel in HCMC (8km):30mins

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 2: HO CHI MINH CITY – FULL DAY CITY TOUR [B/L/_]

Route can change subject to client’s interest.

Depart the hotel for a full day Ho Chi Minh City tour. Head to Cholon (Saigon’s Chinatown) where guild streets, herb drawers, and tea tins line shophouses. At Thien Hau Temple, incense spirals trace migrations on sea winds. Nearby, the FITO Museum unfolds 3,000 artifacts of traditional medicine—lacquered cabinets, mortars, and woodblock texts linking kitchen and clinic.
Back downtown, browse Ben Thanh Market for snacks and crafts. In the afternoon, take in your choice of context-rich stops War Remnants Museum or History Museum then a short heritage stroll by the Central Post Office, Opera House, Dong Khoi boulevard, and the Continental façade.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 3: MEKONG DELTA – BEN TRE DAY TRIP [B/L/_]

HCMC to Ben Tre (100km): 2 hours.

Today’s tour starts at 08:00 with a pick up from the hotel in the city centre. Leave the busy streets and modern buildings of Ho Chi Minh City behind on this Ben Tre day trip.

Drive 2-hours south of the city to this land of coconut in Mekong Delta. On arrival in Ben Tre Province, board a local boat for a first glimpse of life inside the Mekong Delta’s maze of waterways. Board a local boat on the Chet Say River to watch barges glide and jackfruit dry in the sun. Visit a handmade brick kiln, a coconut-shell charcoal yard, and sip cool coconut water at the source.
Taste fresh coconut candy at a family workshop, then roll along village paths by buggy or bicycle, meeting mat-weavers in Nhon Thanh. A rowed sampan slips into palm-shaded canals—green, quiet, and close to the water. Riverside lunch, then back to Saigon by late afternoon. Arrives at around 16:30 (Depending on traffic)

Rest of the day is at your leisure

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

DAY 4: HO CHI MINH CITY – DANANG - HOI AN [B/_/_]
After breakfast transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport, a short flight delivers you to the central coast Danang, then a scenic drive to Hoi An—a trading port where Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese influences layered into timbered homes and tiled roofs. Rest of the day is at yours leisure to walk riverside lanes, try cao lau noodles, and watch lanterns glow at dusk.

Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 5: HOI AN [B/_/_]

This morning, go on a walking tour in Hoi An, a charming destination with two faces – the old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, Hoi An, once a major Southeast Asian trading post in the 16th and 17th centuries, is basically a living museum that houses old-town architecture. Some notable heritage buildings include Chinese temples, a Japanese-designed bridge, pagodas, wooden shop-houses, French-colonial houses, and old canals. Although large-scale trading had long moved elsewhere, Hoi An has been successful in preserving and restoring its charming roots and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1999. Take a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit former merchants’ houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and the colourful market.

Finishing the tour, heading back to the hotel
Afternoon is free at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.

DAY 6: HOI AN – DANANG - HANOI – HALF DAY CITY TOUR [B/_/_]
Route can change subject to client’s interest.

Transfer to Danang airport for the short flight to Hanoi.
On arrival, transfer to hotel.

In the afternoon, Begin where Vietnamese scholarship took root: the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám). Founded in 1070 under King Lý Thánh Tông, this sanctuary of courtyards, ponds, and ancient trees later welcomed Quốc Tử Giám—the royal college established in 1076 by King Lý Nhân Tông. Here, stone steles record the names of successful scholars; pavilions and red-lacquered doors speak to a thousand years of learning and a culture that venerates teachers as much as kings.

A short hop away stands the graceful One Pillar Pagoda, first built in 1049 by King Lý Thái Tông. Rising from a lotus pond, it’s one of Vietnam’s most iconic images—compact, symbolic, and serene. Nearby, you’ll view from outside the solemn Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the simple stilt house where Uncle Ho lived from 1958–1969—a spare, wooden residence that reveals the modest habits of a modern revolutionary. (Mausoleum/Mausoleum area is closed on Mondays & Fridays and during parts of Jun–Aug; we adjust routing accordingly.)

Then, let Hanoi’s present-day heartbeat take over in the Old Quarter—“36 Streets.” Stroll past guild lanes where shop signs still hint at the crafts sold here for centuries. We dip into Hàng Bè Market for snack stalls and bright produce, wander toward Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and find quiet corners for photos between bursts of scooter energy and temple bells.

Close your day with a classic Water Puppet performance—a uniquely Northern art where lacquered puppets skim the water to live music, reviving scenes of rice harvests, village festivals, and folklore heroes.
Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 7: LAN HA BAY OVERNIGHT CRUISE [B/L/D]

From your chosen hotel in Hanoi to Hai Phong (140km): approx.2hrs
Lan Ha Bay is made up of around 300 karst islands and limestone sea rocks and can be found southeast of Cat Ba Island. As a geological extension of Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay is equally as beautiful although it is less visited, less inhabited and therefore has the extra appeal of being a more peaceful place.

Leave Hanoi after breakfast for a 2-hour transfer to Hai Phong City with a 15-minutes stop on the way. Board your Lan Ha Bay cruise—Halong’s quieter neighbor with jungle-draped islets. Lunch as limestone walls open like book pages. Afternoon activities vary by boat—kayak, swim, or a cave visit and sunset washes the karst in copper. Dinner on board under a field of stars.

Overnight on Lan Ha Bay.

DAY 8: LAN HA BAY – HANOI DEPARTURE - MEALS [B/ _/ _]

From Hai Phong to Hanoi (140km): approx. 2hrs
Wake up to the fresh morning amidst the bay and have breakfast (brunch on some boats) while leisurely immersing in the serene setting of the spectacular rock formations. Proceed to checkout as the cruise arrives towards port.  Disembark, then transfer back to Hanoi or onward to the airport for your next flight. (Cruise routing may adjust for weather and tides.)

***END OF SERVICES***

📍 PRACTICAL INFO

• Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
• Start/Finish: Ho Chi Minh City → Hoi An → Hanoi → Lan Ha Bay → Hanoi
• Accommodation: Quality hotels & overnight cruise (twin/double by default; single on request)
• Transport: Private A/C vehicles, two domestic flights, boats per itinerary
• Pace & activity: Easy city walks; optional cycling (Mekong); kayak/swim per boat program
• Best for: Expats & first-time visitors who want the essentials done well—culture, cuisine, and coastline
• Seasonality: Year-round; we adjust day order for weather, flight times, and cruise confirmations

✅ WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Accommodation in shared twin/double rooms (single supplement on request)
• Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• English/French-speaking local guides (other languages available with surcharge)
• All tours & transfers by private A/C vehicle as per program
• Boat trips per itinerary (Mekong & Lan Ha Bay); overnight cruise cabin
• Entrance fees to listed sites

❌ WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• Meals & services not specified
• International & domestic flights (we can quote on request)
• Personal expenses (laundry, phone, minibar, etc.)
• Tips & travel insurance (strongly recommended)
• Booking & Safety Notes
• Dress code: Shoulders/knees covered for temples is appreciated.
• Heat & humidity: Light clothing, hat, sunscreen; we balance indoor/outdoor time.
• Accessibility: Street curbs and cruise gangways vary; we adapt routing/assistance.
• Flexibility: We can swap museums/markets, shorten walks, or add tailoring/cooking per your interests.