10 DAYS SCENIC VIETNAM TOUR

Trip summary: You will have the opportunity to discover the best highlights of Vietnam within ten days. This tour will cover 4 beautiful cities in Vietnam: Saigon, Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An, as well as 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Hoi An, Hue and Halong Bay.  You will visit Cai Lay – an authentic area of the Mekong – and Tho Ha – a typical ancient village in the Red River Delta. You also can experience some of I.T.S. Exclusive Discovery features such as a cyclo trip to a rural area in Hoi An, or see the hidden area of the Imperial Citadel in Hue, visit the old Noble Village of Kim Long, and enjoy a special vegetarian lunch in Dong Thien Pagoda in Hue.  More than this, the pace of the trip is unrushed, allowing some half days free to relax or discover the area on your own.

Day 0 - ARRIVAL - SAIGON

Upon arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you will meet your guide and transfer to your hotel in Saigon.

Overnight in Grand hotel**** (Executive Deluxe)

Meals: None

Day 1 - SAIGON

Breakfast at hotel and free on your own.

Overnight in Grand hotel**** (Executive Deluxe)

Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 2 - SAIGON – CAI LAY

In the morning a 2-hour drive will take you from Saigon to Cai Lay, a small but fertile town in the Mekong Delta via the new national freeway. You arrive at the town’s local pier, where you will board your small motorized boat for a 30-minute trip on one of the small branches of the Mekong River to see the lively life of the locals near the water. You will disembark at Cam Son bridge where you start a leisure cycling trip (alternative transportation is the “xeloi”, a fun local transportation) into a deep Mekong Delta exploration. The ride is about 7 km on shady narrow village roads curving over tiny canals and past fruit gardens and sleepy villages. Many kids will greet you with big smiles and “xinchao” or Hello.

 

Along the village road, you will have a chance to stop and visit local factories, fish farm, and rice paddies to learn briefly about the local economy. Then you’ll arrive at a lush orchard with diverse tropical fruits and have a friendly chat with the owner – a former veteran with interesting topics about his motherland as well as his daily life, both past and present. He will be very happy to take you around his garden. You will enjoy tasting fresh fruits picked right from the trees. Then you’ll relax with a sampan ride to visit a local home, have a brief interaction with these friendly residents in their 100 year old house, and then taste their hosted lunch of traditional dishes of the Mekong area. After you bid farewell to the family, you will drive back to Saigon.

Overnight in Grand hotel**** (Executive Deluxe)

 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 3 - SAIGON CITY TOUR - DA NANG – HOIAN

A morning visit to Reunification Palace – the former Presidential Palace of Southern Vietnamese Government before 1975. Then visit Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and Historical Museum and enjoy the water puppet show there. After lunch at Ngon Restaurant, you’ll transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for a departure flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, you will transfer to Hoi An and then check in at your hotel. You can take an orientation walk around the town.

Evening, enjoy dinner at Cargo Club.

Overnight in Golden Sand Resort & Spa ***** (Premier Garden View)

 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 4 - FULL- DAY HOI AN CITY TOUR

Morning: take a walking tour to Hoi An’s ancient town. Visit ThangLoi Handicraft workshop in Phan Chu Trinh Street. You will have the chance to experience all the typical traditional handicrafts of Hoi An, such as wood carving, mat weaving, lantern making, silk worm raising, spinning and weaving, table cloth making and picture-embroidery. These handicrafts have made great contributions to upgrade the living standard of local people, since Hoi An is a popular destination for tourists. Then you’ll take another walk in ancient Hoi An. The walk will start from a small alley from Phan Chu Trinh Street to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. This is the typical old street of Hoi An, that can show you the great atmosphere of the ancient town. You’ll visit the Japanese Covered Bridge – the symbol of Hoi An. After that, you’ll visit Tan Ky, the most well-known and authentic ancient house in town. Then you’ll take a walk along the Nguyen Thai Hoc – the ancient street of Hoi An to the local market, and visit PhucKien Congressional Assembly Hall, the communal place for the Chinese community from Fukien province, China.   You will spend time in the temple to ThienHau, the Goddess protecting people on the sea – an important and beautiful place of worship for the Chinese Merchants and Fishermen in the past. Then you’ll have free time for discovering the town on your own or for shopping.

 

Afternoon brings a departure for the cyclo trip to Cam Nam Village (this is an exclusive discovery feature of ICT). The cyclo will take you from the town to Cam Nam Bridge. Your first stop is a photo opportunity of the activities and scenery on the Thu Bon River. Then the cyclo will continue along the Thu Bon River bank, where you can have another photo stop for a panoramic view of Hoi An from the other side of the river. You will ride along the riverside and cycle through local villages of Cam Nam. This area is untouched by tourism, and you will see very friendly and hospitable local people. You can see their daily life activities or even view the interior of their houses and their life through always-opened doors. The cyclo trip will end at green small canal covered by water coconut trees. Then you’ll embark by boat for a cruise to Thu Bon River. You’ll see the local daily life along the river, such as fishing, farming, catching clams. . .and come back to Hoi An around sunset.

Overnight in Golden Sand Resort & Spa ***** (Premier Garden View)

 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 5 - HOI AN - HUE

A morning drive takes you from Hoi An to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, visiting China Beach and Cham Museum en route. Upon arrival in Hue, you’ll check in and then have lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, you take a cyclo trip from your hotel over the famous TrangTien bridge and Dong Ba market. The cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue, through the streets, past local shops for an overview of daily life and architecture of this famous citadel. A stop at the Noon gate of Imperial Citadel will allow you a walking tour of the inner area of the citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.

Overnight in Huong Giang hotel**** (deluxe river view)

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

 

Day 6 - HALF- DAY HUE CITY TOUR

In the morning you drive to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the symbol of Hue city and then take a walk around Kim Long Village. You’ll have a great chance to learn about the lifestyle of local people there. You’ll visit the hundred-year-old house that belonged to the Mandarin of Royal Court in the village and talk to an 84 year old lady – the granddaughter of the Mandarin. Then you’ll visit TuDuc Tomb, discover beautiful and impressive architecture of this unique construction in Hue, as well as the story of the King there. At noon, you’ll experience a delicious vegetarian lunch at Dong Thien Pagoda and interact with the nuns there. The rest of the afternoon is free at leisure.

Overnight in Huong Giang hotel (deluxe river view)

 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 7 - HUE - HANOI

Morning drive to PhuBai Airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you’ll drive into Hanoi and then visit numerous places: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace, Presidential Garden, Ho Chi Minh House on Stilts and One Pillar Pagoda in the area nearby. Enjoy lunch at Seasons of Hanoi restaurant then check into your hotel. In the afternoon you will visit the Temple of Literature, the center of Hanoi’s culture, and then take a walk to discover attractive areas of Hanoi Old Quarter. This is a great way to get to know about the interesting daily life and life style of local people.

Evening, enjoy water puppet show – the unique traditional art of Vietnam.

Overnight in Boss Legend hotel (Deluxe)

 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8 - HANOI - HALONG BAY CRUISE

In the morning you’ll drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay by Red River Delta through beautiful rice fields and activities of local people along the way. Upon arrival to Halong, you’ll embark on the Junk at HonGai International Harbour. You will be welcomed by the cruise staff, enjoy a welcome drink, receive the cruise briefing, and then check into your cabin. The Junk will start cruising on magnificent BaiTu Long bay while you enjoy lunch on board. It is a great chance to admire the fascinating rock formations in the bay. In the afternoon you will visit the secluded cave of ThienCanh Son and then take a short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, go swimming or kayaking. Then you return to the Junk, relax and get ready for dinner.

Overnight on the Gray Line Cruise.

 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 9 - HALONG - THO HA - HANOI

In the morning you can admire the sunrise on the bay from the sun deck of the Junk, enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee, and then have breakfast in the open air.

After breakfast, you will have a chance to visit VungVieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms. Then back to the Junk for more leisure time, including a swim in the middle of the bay. The cruise will return to the harbor while an a la carte lunch is served. At noon, you’ll disembark at the port and drive back to Hanoi. On the way back to Hanoi, you’ll visit Tho Ha, the famous village of terracotta products made before 20th century. You will discover the village through narrow and zigzag alleys, noticing old houses constructed from broken pieces of terracotta from the past. Walking over village cemetery to the dike, you can see the village from a distance over the beautiful lake.  Then we’ll drive back to Hanoi and your hotel.

Overnight in Boss Legend hotel (Deluxe)

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10 - HANOI – DEPARTURE

Morning is free at leisure at the hotel till departure time for your flight home (Check out time is 12h00).

Tour concluded.

 

Meals: Breakfast.

Services included:

  • Transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with driver;
  • Air ticket Saigon – Da Nang, Hue – Hanoi (separated quote);
  • Accommodation in hotels (shared twin room);
  • Meals as indicated: B = breakfast, L = lunch, D= Dinner;
  • English speaking guide;
  • Entrance fee to indicated sights;
  • Water puppet show;
  • Cyclo tour, boat trips;
  • Join cruise on Halong Bay;
  • Water & cool towels on the van.

Services excluded:

  • Other meals;
  • tip;
  • drinks;
  • international flights & airport tax;
  • single room;
  • personal expenses;
  • insurance.