Discover Vietnam – 9 Days 8 Nights

🌟 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Saigon & Cholon: Thien Hau Temple, FITO Museum of Traditional Medicine, Ben Thanh Market, French-era icons (Post Office, Opera House, Dong Khoi)
• Mekong Delta (Ben Tre): local boat on palm-lined canals, coconut candy workshop, charcoal & mat-weaving cottages, village cycling
• Cu Chi by speedboat: river approach, shaded forest walk, optional short tunnel crawl (respectful, context-led)
• Hoi An (UNESCO): Old Town walking tour, hidden craft stories, dessert stop in a family home
• Hanoi: Temple of Literature, One-Pillar Pagoda, Hoan Kiem & Old Quarter lanes, water puppetry
• Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise: karst scenery with fewer boats than Halong; kayak/cave/swim per 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: FULL DAY HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR [B/ L/ _]

Route can change subject to client’s interest.

After breakfast at hotel. Depart the hotel for a full day Ho Chi Minh City tour. Head to Cholon, the Chinatown district, to discover the area’s markets, shops. Incense curls at Thien Hau Temple as your guide shares Hoa community lore. At the FITO Museum, 3,000 artifacts reveal how Vietnamese traditional medicine merges kitchen and clinic.
In the afternoon, having lunch before starting the afternoon visit of the War Remnants Museum,  History Museum (closed Mondays) or the former Presidential Palace, Stroll to the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall (a vehicle will be waiting at all times).

At the end of the afternoon head back to the hotel.

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: CU CHI TUNNELS BY SPEEDBOAT (HALF DAY - NON PRIVATE) [B/L/_]

HCMC to Cu Chi by speedboat (Sharing boat): 1.5 hours.

Itinerary:
07:30 AM Pick-up at the customers’ hotel and transfer to Tan Cang pier by Saigon River Tour’s comfortable minivan.
08:00 AM Depart to the Cu Chi tunnels by luxury speedboat. When on board, enjoy a light breakfast of The Pat’ a Chou cake with Lavie water & seasonal fruits, enjoy the fresh air and understand the daily life of local citizens living along the river banks.
09:15 AM Arrive to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
09:30 AM Explore your excursion by watching a documentary film about one of the most sophisticated man-made tunnels together with its extraordinary wartime legends and:
– Walking in the jungle and visiting the traps, the secret entrances, the bunkers, and underground hideouts
– Relaxing with shooting real guns at the riffle range of Cu Chi Tunels. (Exclusive of bullets)
– Seeing the rice-paper (spring roll skin) and rice-wine production line
– Crawling into the tunnels and enjoying the special and fantastic feeling
– Taking a rest, drinking green tea and having tapioca – the main food served during the war time.
11:45 AM Finish Cu Chi tour and head to Tan Cang restaurant for lunch.
01:00 PM Arrive to Tan Cang restaurant and enjoy your Vietnamese traditional lunch with delicious 7-courses.
02:00 PM Arrive back to Ho Chi Minh City to be dropped off at your place of stay.
Service:
– Insurance on boat, all entrance fees
– English-speaking guide
– Lavie water and wet towels
– Hotel pick-up and drop-off in district 1
– The Pat’ a Chou cake & seasonal fruits
– Vietnamese traditional set lunch at Tan Cang restaurant
Tour Departure Time:  8:00 AM or  12:00 PM (Lunch will be served before cruising to Cu Chi tunnels in the afternoon tour)
Tour Length: Approximately 6 hours.
Group Tour: The Cu Chi Tunnels is completely operated by Saigon River Tour using our own private tour guide.

Rest of the day is at your leisure

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

DAY 5: HO CHI MINH CITY – DANANG - HOI AN ARRIVAL [B/ _/ _]
Route can change subject to client’s interest.

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 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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 9: 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: 9 Days / 8 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, speedboat, boats per itinerary
• Pace & activity: Easy city walks; light cycling (Mekong) optional; kayak/swim per cruise program
• Best for: Expats & first-time visitors seeking breadth with depth—culture, crafts, 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.