Essence of Vietnam by Group

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the driver will meet you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

➤ Friendly Tip:
We will create a group in WhatsApp for all joined travelers before tour starting. It will be used during the entire trip for reminding, announcing, discussing, or receiving comments. Please make sure your WhatsApp can work normally abroad. Thank you!

Accommodation: Harmony Saigon Hotel (4 stars) - Deluxe room

After breakfast, your Vietnam Small Group Tour officially begins. We will visit the Mekong Delta area to experience the lively agrarian life of the vibrant southern Vietnam. Firstly, we will float along the Mekong River by cruise to see the stilt houses, fruit plantations and small fishing villages along the banks. Then, we will stop at a picturesque island to learn how the coconut candies are made in a local cottage industry, and enjoy Vietnamese traditional music while tasting some local herbal tea and fresh fruits. Paddle-boat is a necessary means of transportation for local people. You will shuttle in the lush coconut trees by paddle-boat, to feel the superb paddling skills of the boatman, and speed through the narrow waterway.

For lunch, you will taste the “Elephant-Ear Fish”, a specialty of the Mekong River. Deep-fried with alive and fresh giant gourami fish from Mekong River, it takes only a few minutes to reach the table, with the scales and fins intact. It is well-known as “Elephant-Ear Fish” among tourists because of its shape, which looks like the ear of elephants. You will also enjoy delicious traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, crushed rice, and fish sauce.

In the afternoon, you will visit the famous Buddhist temple - Vinh Trang Pagoda, a national cultural relic with distinctive architectural and spiritual values. Finally, we will drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Harmony Saigon Hotel (4 stars) - Deluxe room

After breakfast, you will have some free time to explore Ho Chi Minh City by yourself. If you are interested in the history of Vietnam War, the War Remnants Museum is a good place to visit. Besides a series of themed rooms with exhibitions inside the building, you will also see some combat aircrafts, like 5A fighter, M48 Patton tank, and UH1 - Huey helicopter in the yard.

In the afternoon, we will check out from hotel and set out to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground complex with a total length of about 250 km (155 mi). The tunnel system was dug for more than 25 years with living rooms, kitchens, weapons storages, hospitals and war command centers. Located in the free-fire zone, it ever housed thousands of people living underground for years during the war. Now, some parts of the tunnels have been enlarged and broadened to get more moving space for visitors. You can walk inside to discover this cobwebs-like underground information center. After the visit, we will go to Ho Chi Minh Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Emm Hotel Hoi An (4 stars) - Superior room

After breakfast, we will spend the whole morning exploring Hoi An Ancient Town, a world heritage site by UNESCO. As the best way to touch the life of local people is to walk into their markets, your guide will take you into the Hoi An Market this morning to feel the local culture and atmosphere. Industrious villagers carry their fresh vegetables and fruits, and fishmongers neatly set various seafood out for people to pick. Storing around the market, you will meet some vendors selling their homemade Lotus Herbal Tea. The tasty herbal tea decorated with fresh lotus petals is absolutely a cool thirst quencher to drink.

You will then be guided into the Hoi An Museum, to learn about the history and culture of Hoi An. In particular, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the ancient town on the 4th floor. Hoi An is the only place in Vietnam that was not destroyed by the war, so you can see various characteristic buildings of more than 100 years, such as the Chinese-style Fukian Assembly Hall, the Japanese Bridge, and the Tan Ky Old House in an integration of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese styles.

Enjoy your own time in the afternoon. You could take a stroll through the old town, pick up some unique gifts, or step into a street café and taste a cup of Vietnamese drip coffee while watching the sunset over Thu Bon River.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Emm Hotel Hoi An (4 stars) - Superior room

In the morning, your guide will lead you to experience the rural life in Hoi An and taste the local specialties. You will ride a bicycle through the alleys of the ancient town and feel the peaceful vibe. You will taste Cao Lau, a special type of noodle dish. As one of the three famous dishes in Hoi An, it has high requirements for cooking skills and ingredients. Experienced local chefs, well-selected raw materials and water from ancient Ba-Le Well are three essentials to cook a bowl of authentic Cao Lau. You can't taste it anywhere else in Vietnam, so don't miss it. Next, we will cycle for about 30 minutes to Tra Que Village, where we will walk into a family to learn how to make "White Rose", Hoi An's second most famous dish. You can cook and enjoy your own creations. Continue your cycling to Cam Nam Village for famous Yin food, Banh Dap (smashed rice pancake), and Yang food, Che Bap (corn and coconut sweet soup). Finally, we will return to the hotel to rest.

We’re going to leave for My Son Sanctuary in the afternoon, where you will see temples dedicated to Hindu deities, palaces, and sculptures. You will learn about the history and culture of Kingdom of Champa, once one of the largest ancient kingdoms in Southeast Asia. After its fall in the 15th century, these palaces in the jungle valley were abandoned. Until 1885, a Frenchman discovered the site accidentally. The complex of thousand-year-old palaces was found intact and colorful. But after being bombed during the war, only 20 of the original 71 palaces remain preserved. Besides the ruins, you will also enjoy a show performed by descendants of the Chams. Then, we will return to the hotel in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Emm Hotel Hoi An (4 stars) - Superior room

➤ Friendly Tips:
1. Crushed peanuts are often added in many Vietnamese dishes, such as Cao Lau and Banh Dap. Please tell us or your guide in advance if you are allergic to peanuts.
2. When visiting My Son Sanctuary, please be prepared with sun protection and rain gear as the weather is unpredictable due to its location in the mountains.
3. In My Son Sanctuary, please follow the guide and the instructions inside the park. Do not enter the zones not opened, because there may be unsafety in the unopened areas.

Today will be a free day for your leisure in Hoi An. The Hoi An Ancient Town will become a sea of lanterns, which in the eyes of the locals are a symbol of luck, happiness and wealth. If you are interested in hand-making, you can try to make your own lantern. Lantern shops inside the town welcome you warmly to join their handicraft classes. Tieng Vong Pho Lantern Workshop is a popular local lantern making shop, offering lanterns in various shapes like lotus, round, rhombic and materials such as silk, velvet, plastic to choose from. The whole making process takes 1.5 to 2 hours, and the cost varies from USD 5 to 30 according to the size and material you choose. You can make a folded lantern, which is convenient to be taken home.

➤ Friendly Tip:
Strolling around the ancient town, you will encounter some female street vendors carrying shoulder-poles and wearing bamboo conical-hat walk in the alleys to cry their wares, like flowers, snacks, and fruits. It makes the peaceful ancient town lively in daytime. Some vendors would say hello to tourists and present their goods actively. If you are not interested in their goods, they may also inspire you to carry their shoulder-poles and try to walk smoothly to experience their life. After the experience, they would ask for a tip. Therefore, if you're not interested, just turn them down.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Emm Hotel Hoi An (4 stars) - Superior room

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up from the hotel and drive to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by the local driver and taken to the hotel for a break. After lunch, we will set out to explore this charming historical capital city. Firstly, we will visit the Temple of Literature & National University, the prominent spiritual symbol in education of Hanoi. Then we will walk along the Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple, Pen Shaped Tower, Inkstone Stand, and The Huc Bridge.

Afterwards, you will take a 1-hour Cyclo Tour around Old Quarter. The driver would take you going through the intricate alleyways, where you can see the Vietnamese century-old architecture, antique shops, coffee shops emitting strong aroma, and mouth-watering street food. After night falls, the old quarter becomes lively snack and beer streets, where local young people gather here for chatting and drinking after work. You can feel the relaxed and happy atmosphere here.

➤ Friendly Tip:
Cyclo is a unique type of cycle rickshaw in Vietnam, with passengers sitting in the front and the driver riding in the back. Some people are concerned about safety because there are no seat belts. Don’t worry, our Cyclo tour is in the Old Quarter, avoiding the speeding cars. Also, to give you a better view of streetscape and convenience to take photos, the driver would ride somewhat slowly. Thus, you are safe on the Cyclo.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Flower Garden Hotel (4 stars) - Deluxe Room

Halong Bay was listed as a World Natural Heritage site in 1992 and is a highlight of our Vietnam trip. In the morning, the driver will pick you up from the hotel and send you to a luxurious and comfortable cruise ship to Ha Long Bay by around 2.5 hours’ drive. During the cruise trip, you will have a chance to appreciate numerous rocks of various shapes standing in the clear and calm sea like Incense Burner Island, Fighting Cock islet and Stone Dog. You can visit Titop Island to enjoy the panorama of Ha Long Bay on the top of the mountain, do kayaking to pass through the Limestone Mountains at Luon Cave, and relax yourself on Soi Sim Beach. Regional fresh seafood lunch and set-menu dinner will be served on the cruise. You are also welcomed to join in the squid fishing and chess game on boat. Or, you can enjoy some drinks at the bar during the happy hour at your own expense.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lavender Elegance Cruise (4 stars) - Deluxe cabin

Waking up in the early morning, you can enjoy beautiful sunrise over the sea while having morning coffee or tea on the sundeck. After breakfast, follow the cruise guide to take a wooden boat or kayak to explore the Surprise Cave, the largest cave of Halong Bay. Afterwards, we’ll return to the cruise and you can relax yourself at the sundeck. Around 10:30, you will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch while cruising back to the pier. The ship will dock at around 12 o 'clock. The shuttle bus will then pick you up on the shore and send you back to the hotel in Hanoi.

➤ Activity Suggestion:
The rest time of the day is free for you to explore the city by yourself. Your hotel is located near the West Lake with around 15 minutes’ walking distance. You are advised to stroll around the West Lake and visit Chua Tran Quoc by yourself. On the way to Chua Tran Quoc, you can also taste a cup of authentic Vietnamese drip coffee at the signature Highlands Coffee Ho Truc Bach.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Flower Garden Hotel (4 stars) - Deluxe room

Today will be the last day of your Vietnam vacation. After breakfast, you can enjoy some free time to walk around your hotel or buy some gifts for your friends. Then, you will be escorted to Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport according to your flight schedule. Wish you a nice trip!

Meals: Breakfast