Vietnam > Ho Chi Minh City > Tour

Day 1: HCM City (D)
Arrive at the Tan Son Nhat international airport. Meet your Viettours’ guide for an orientation tour, transfer to hotel. Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals. A city tour of dynamic Saigon includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office, a lacquer ware factory and Thien Hau Pagoda in the city’s bustling Chinatown. Dinner. A moonlit dinner cruise on the Saigon River. Overnight in HCM City.

Day 2: Cu Chi – Tay Ninh (B–L)
After breakfast, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels – Vietnam’s No.1 tourist attraction, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. Lunch. Visit the Great Temple of Caodaism - a religion that includes bits and pieces of most of the religious philosophies known in Vietnam during the early 20th century: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Native Vietnamese spiritualism, Christianity and Islam. This temple is partly based on the structure of the Roman Catholic Church. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by road.

A relaxing “Health and Beauty” package is optional. Participants can enjoy 30’ minutes of one of the following: shampoo and head massage; manicure; foot massage or facial massage.

Day 3: HCM City – Dalat (B–L)
Leave HCM City after breakfast for a scenic drive through rubber and tea plantations en route to the cooler climes of Dalat, 300 km from HCM City. Lunch. An afternoon of sightseeing in Dalat takes in the art deco former summer residence of Emperor Bao Dai, the old Dalat Railway Station, Xuan Huong Lake, the Central Market and Lam Ty Ni Pagoda. Overnight in Dalat.

Day 4: Dalat – Nha Trang (B)
Leaving for Nha Trang after breakfast, the road descends to the coastal city of Phan Rang. Break the journey here to visit the 13th century Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers perched high on a rocky hill. After Phan Rang, Hwy 1 turns north and follows the coastal past salt ponds and vivid green rice fields to Nha Trang. On arrival in Nha Trang transfer to hotel. An afternoon city tour includes the Po Nagar Cham Towers overlooking the Cai River and Long Son Pagoda with its enormous white Buddha statue. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 5: Nha Trang (B)
You have the option to have the day for yourself, to explore the city, the beach area and the Bao Dai villa. Or there is the opportunity to hire a speed boat to tour the outlying island of Hon Mun, which has been designated an Oceanographic Park for its clear water and excellent coral and fish life. Enjoy swimming and snorkeling at the park and a fabulous fresh seafood lunch of local crab, shrimp, and fish, which will be on your own.

Day 6: Nha Trang – Hue (B-D)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure to Hue. A boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda. Visit the mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes and the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Enjoy a royal dinner with traditional music. Overnight in Hue.

Day 7: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at hotel, leave Hue early in the morning for the central port city of Danang. The Vietnam’s most scenic route passes through the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co to the Pass of Ocean Clouds. Visit the two famous sites of Danang, the Cham Museum, Marble Mountain. Finish our day at the picturesque and historical riverside town of Hoi An. Explore the town which was one of Southeast Asia’s major international ports during the 17th century. Another Hoi An’s attraction are the tailor shops which custom tailor clothes for you overnight. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An - Danang - Hanoi (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure to Hanoi – the modern day capital of Vietnam. Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. Tour includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts Museum, the Lake of the Restored Sword and the Old Quarter. Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show in the evening.

Day 9: Hanoi – Ha Long (B–L)
After breakfast, a half day city tour of Vietnam’s capital includes such sights as Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, the Lake of the Restored Sword and the Old Quarter. Lunch. In the afternoon, transfer by road to Halong Bay, 160 km east of Hanoi. Visit Dong Trieu ceramic village en route. Overnight in Halong.

Day 10: Ha Long - Hanoi (B–L)
After breakfast, a morning cruise in a private junk on the emerald green waters of Halong Bay, among the 3,000 spectacular limestone islands. The cruise ends with a fresh seafood lunch on board. Return to Hanoi by road in the afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi (B)
Departure day. At leisure until transfer to the airport for onward flight. Home sweet home.