Ho Chi Minh City

Tour

Essential Vietnam

Day 1: HO CHI MINH CITY / Arrival
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat international airport, meet your Viettours’ guide for an orientation tour, transfer to hotel. Ho Chi Minh City is still called Saigon by many locals. An optional walking tour of Dong Khoi St. (formerly Rue Catinat) and Le Cong Kieu St., two of Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous streets, is available. Overnight in HCM City.

Day 2: HCM CITY – CU CHI TUNNELS – HCM CITY (B)
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. Optional side trip en route to Cu Chi is visiting a rice processing plant where rice paper is made, a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine.
Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Visit the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Post Office, Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown. Overnight in HCM City.
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: HO CHI MINH CITY – DANANG – HOI AN (B)
Fly to the central coastal city of Danang after breakfast. Upon arrival, transfer to the ancient port town of Hoi An. En route, visit the Cham Museum, housing the world’s finest collection of Cham artwork and the Marble Mountains which was famed for being a “Viet Cong” guerillas hideout during the Vietnam War. Upon arrival in Hoi An, take a walking tour of this attractive town, visiting ancient merchants’ houses, a Hokkien temple, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the colourful riverside market. Visit a workshop where artisans make Hoi An’s famous lanterns. Guests learn how the lanterns are made then have a chance to create their own lanterns, from designing the frame to gluing the cloth. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 4: HOI AN – HUE (B)
Depart Hoi An for the ancient capital of Hue. The three-hour drive along the coast, through emerald-green paddy fields and over the spectacular Hai Van mountain pass, is itself a trip highlight. Upon arrival in Hue, visit the Imperial Citadel before transferring to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the elaborate tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. Stop en route to learn how Vietnam’s famous conical hats and colourful incense are made. Overnight in Hue.

Day 5: HUE – HANOI (B)
Take a boat cruise through the centre of Hue on the romantic Perfume River. Visit the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda along the riverbank. Transfer to airport for flying to Hanoi – cradle of Vietnamese civilization. Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined avenues, French architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel. In the evening, enjoy a water puppet show - a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 6: HANOI (B)
A full day to explore the architecture and history of Hanoi. In the morning, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his former residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. In the afternoon, visit the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, the Lake of Restored Sword and Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a relaxing way to end the day. The tour includes a stop at an ancient Vietnamese “long house”. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 7: HANOI / Departure (B)
Departure day. At leisure until transfer to the airport for onward flight. Home sweet home.

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Related Places

Ho Chi Minh City	Cu Chi Tunnel	Da Nang
Hoi An	Hue	Hanoi