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Build Your Own Trip
Start/Finish
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) / Hanoi
Duration
10 days / 9 nights
Private
Customized Tour

This ‘Essential Vietnam Tour’ will take you to the highlights of this charming country. Travel from the south of Vietnam and explore the enchanting sights in Ho Chi Minh City and Cu Chi tunnels. Find your way through the canals and hidden waterways to experience life in the local villages in the Mekong Delta region. Walk along the charming streets of Hoi An and try out its delightful dishes, and see the Imperial City and famous royal tombs of Hue. Spend the day wandering around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, exploring the historic buildings and eating delicious local food. End the tour with a scenic ride on the junk boat in Halong Bay!

Full Itinerary

- This itinerary is designed for your kind reference, and it can totally be personalized to match your time, budget and interests. Feel free to let us know your expectations for the trip and we take care of them for you.

- Trips are personally tailor-made, with basic standards of daily JOIN-GROUP TOURS where-ever possible, while accommodations and your time of leisure are at your own choice. If your budget allows, we recommend you upgrade to PRIVATE TOURS, when you are personally taken care of and be able to enjoy more private time on your own. Certainly, your trip can be a good mix of PRIVATE DAY TOURS and JOIN-GROUP DAY TOURS as you wish, just simply let us know!

Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City

On arrival at Ho Chi Minh City International Airport, you will be greeted by your private driver and guide, and transferred to your hotel for check-in. You will have some time free to rest and relax after your flight.

Overnight in HCM City



Day 2: HCM City – Cu Chi Tunnels by Boat

After breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred to the dock, to join the boat ride along the HCM City River (approx. 1hr15m) to Cu Chi District. A light breakfast of sandwiches or pastries, fresh tropical fruits and Vietnamese iced coffee (Ca phe sua da) is served, as your guide explains rural traditions and aspects of riverbank life.

Upon arrival in Cu Chi Tunnels, before the majority of larger bus tours arrive, you will watch a brief introductory video to the Cu Chi area. After that, you will start to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which include the specially constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides this, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purposes during the war. Following the tour of the tunnels, a special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served.

Enjoy a short break or try your hand at shooting a real gun. Then you will get back to the boat and wind your way back to the City

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in HCM City

Optional Experience: Explore “HCMC after Dark” on Vespa scooters

Watch Video

Time: 06.30pm – 10.30pm

A foodie night out on the town.

This HCMC night tour is part night excursion, part street food adventure. Experience HCMC nightlife the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter.

To start off this HCMC night tour, enjoy drinks at our Vespa-themed café, Café Zoom, to watch “as the world goes by” (as said in the Lonely Planet guidebook). Throughout the night, try a variety of food and drinks at 2 local restaurants and samplings of HCMC’s best authentic local food. Zoom past the famous must-see sights of Ho Chi Minh City while in the bustling traffic. We’ll also go to a Vietnamese-style coffee shop with special live music, and then wrap up the evening at an exciting music bar where the new generation of Vietnamese unwind and flaunt their unique styles.

Guests ride pillion behind our drivers to enjoy and experience the Vietnamese nightlife with friends. This tour includes free-flowing drinks and all you can eat, so come with an appetite!

Price: Upon Request



Day 3: HCM City – Mekong Delta (Cai Be – Vinh Long)

After breakfast, you will depart HCM City for a two-hour drive to Cai Be town, passing through numerous towns, picturesque rice fields, and lush orchard farms.

Cai Be offers many exciting attractions, activities, and excursions. Nature lovers will enjoy the lush natural landscape and those interested in local culture will love meeting the very hospitable local people and discovering the way of life in this region.

Upon arrival at Cai Be pier, you will embark on a boat trip to cruise along the Mekong river, pass through a small floating market, where the vendors and purchasers floating in their small boats selling and buying their agricultural products.

During the boat trip, you will disembark to visit the craft village where you can witness how the local products are made.

Continue cruising through the tributaries of the Mekong River. Get off the boat again you will visit an Orchard farm where you will be treated with exotic tropical fruits while enjoying the live local music performance.

Around midday, we will head to the local restaurant, attend a hand-0n cooking class with the local chef, then enjoy your Lunch afterward.

After lunch, you will take a Bicycle ride along the countryside road to get to know the locals going about their day.

Finish the tour in the late afternoon and wind your way back to the city.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in HCM City

Optional Experience: À Ố Show
www.luneproduction.com/ao-showPerformed at the Opera House, À Ố show is a one-of-a-kind show with optical illusions, amazing choreography, powerful acrobatics, and traditional music. Appreciate the exterior of this French-designed HCMC Opera House before venturing inside this architectural gem.Price: Upon request


Day 4: HCM City – Flight to Danang/ Hoi An

After breakfast and check out you will be picked up by your private driver and transferred to the airport for a short flight to Danang.

You will be met and greeted by your tour guide at Da Nang Airport then you will be transferred to Hoi An ancient town. En route, you will make a short stop to climb up the Marble Mountain, a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble in Da Nang. It’s also a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels, and temples all just waiting to be discovered. Reaching the summit you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views below.

Continue to drive to Hoi An. From the 16th to the 18th century, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port. Today it is a quaint riverside town popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailor shops, and cafes.

After checking in to your hotel and enjoying a short rest your guide will meet you again and take you on a walking tour winding through the narrow streets of the Ancient Quarter. During the walk, you will visit the town’s major attractions including Chua Ong Pagoda, Fujian Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tam Ky House, the Japanese Covered Bridge. You will also have the opportunity to attend the traditional music show and explore the Lantern making factories, a typical traditional hand-made product of Hoi An.

The rest of the day will be free at your leisure. You can visit a tailor-shop to have some clothes made to measure within 24 hours. Dine at one of many great restaurants in the old town.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Hoi An



Day 5: Hoi An - Day at leisure

The whole day is free at your leisure. You will enjoy everything that Hoi An has to offer. Visit the Old town again for further exploration or head to An Bang Beach to relax. Perhaps you will join our recommended optional experience below.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Hoi An

Optional Experience: Hoi An Cooking Class at Red Bridge Cooking Centre 

Time: From 08.15am – 01.00pm

Start the day (8.15am) with a welcome drink at Hai Café – meeting point (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Ancient Town)

Visit Hoi An colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds, and aromas of this busy market. Here you will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

Board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view the local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.

On arrival, you will explore the cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before you prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, you will sit down and eat what you have cooked.

Bring your swimsuit and after the cooking tour has finished relax and enjoy the free use of our 20-meter swimming pool – towels and showers provided.

Price: Upon Request



Day 6: Hoi An – Hue

After breakfast, you will leave Hoi An heading north to Hue Royal City for a four-hour road journey. Today, you will enjoy one of the most scenic drives over Hai Van Pass.  En route, you will stop to visit Lang Co beach and enjoy some rest.

Arrive in Hue around midday and check into your hotel. After that, you will embark on an afternoon tour exploring Hue’s famous royal tombs, illustrious examples of the Grand Dynasty’s past, and garden houses. First, you will visit Emperor Minh Mang’s tomb, one of the most beautiful and majestic tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty. The next stop will be the Emperor Khai Dinh’s Tomb, an impressive monument situated in an imposing site nestled high on the mountainside.

End up your day with a visit to a local workshop where you can see how incense sticks and traditional conical hats are made. Interact with the local people and try your hand at making some incense sticks.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Hue



Day 7: Hue City Tour – Flight to Hanoi

After breakfast, you will continue to explore the Royal City of Hue.

Transfer to the pier to embark on a traditional dragon boat trip on poetic Perfume River, stop to visit Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda. This iconic seven-story pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city, overlooking the Perfume River. In the backyard, you will see the Austin car which took Monk Thich Quang Duc to Ho Chi Minh City where he famously set himself on fire in 1963 as a dramatic protest against the unfair treatment of Buddhists by the Diem regime. The photo of his self-immolation is one of the most well-known images of the war.

Continue to visit the Royal Citadel, where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled the country from 1802 till 1945. You will explore the ancient and atmospheric walled Citadel which contains the former Imperial Palace and the Forbidden Purple City. You will have a chance to visit the Royal Antiques Museum – A collection of ornaments from the Nguyen dynasty. After that, proceed to the vibrant Dong Ba Market, sited on the northern bank of Perfume River.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will be transferred to the airport for a short flight to Hanoi.

On arrival in Hanoi, you will be picked up by your guide and driver and taken to the hotel in the city center for check-in. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Hanoi



Day 8: Hanoi – Fullday City Tour

After breakfast, dive into the sights, sounds, and aromas of Hanoi. Start with Ho Chi Minh Complex including his Mausoleum (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all afternoon, every Monday & Friday, and from late September until December), the Presidential Palace, the historic Stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Continuing on your journey through Hanoi, you head to Tran Quoc Pagoda (which means “Stabilizing the Nation”), the oldest pagoda constructed in the sixth century in the Westlake and also a famous attraction for pilgrims.

From there, you will proceed to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor of Confucius by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or “mandarins”.

Around 12.30: you will have lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch is aa short drive to the Museum of Ethnology, a museum of the 54 officially recognized Ethnic Groups in Vietnam (Ethnology Museum is closed every Monday).

Return to the City center to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart and soul of Hanoi.

End up your day with a fun cyclo/ rickshaw ride through the French Quarter and then enjoy a Water Puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history.

Around 18.00 – 18.30, return to your hotel where the rest of the day will be free at your leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Hanoi

Optional Experience: Hanoi Street food tour  

Start your walking tour of Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes.

Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we’ll tempt our taste buds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, you will wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.

Your next stop will be a food stall for you to try our Bread, a little food stall with a few typical tiny Vietnamese chairs on the sidewalk where we enjoy the delicious and fresh baguettes while observing the neighborhood.

The next one will be another famous dish – Bun Cha. Bun Cha consisting of vermicelli, herbs and grilled pork. At this Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a hidden café we will watch the demonstration and then try some egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy.

Continue to other food stalls near Hoan Kiem lake where we try some dishes such as Che “Vietnamese style pudding” and Nom “papaya salad with beef”.

It’s then time for dessert as you will venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced – this specialty is one not to be missed!

Price: Upon request



Day 9: Hanoi – Halong Bay

After breakfast you will leave the busy streets of Hanoi behind, bound for the serenity of Halong Bay where you will discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscapes. The limestone karsts and tropical islets rising up from the emerald waters provide an ethereal backdrop for your leisurely cruise.

Once there, you’ll be welcomed aboard your traditional-style Vietnamese Junk boat, each with its own individual route, to begin your cruise around the bay’s rocky islands and hidden caves.

After lunch on board, you will take a small boat transfer to the Tien Ong Cave and Cua Van Fishing Village, whose residents still live in traditional floating houses.

Return to your Junk boat for a cooking demonstration with the chef or enjoy a mesmerising sunset on the top deck before enjoying a scrumptious dinner and a peaceful overnight stay in this UNESCO-listed natural wonder.

Note: If your time permits, we would highly recommend an additional night on board which gives you a lot more time to relax and take in the amazing landscape. You’ll get to cruise deeper into the Bay where it’s more beautiful and less crowded. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on board in Halong Bay



Day 10: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure

The graceful practice of Tai Chi eases you into your day as is the local custom. Join a ‘Local Specialist’ on the deck of the Junk boat for a morning class in exquisite natural surrounds.

You’ll have time for an early morning swim at one of Halong Bay’s quiet beaches and, if you’re feeling energetic, a brisk walk to catch one last view of scenic Halong Bay before your drive to Hanoi Airport for your departure flight or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch



Pricing

The price of this trip varies according to selected airlines, the number of people in your party, dates of departure, hotel standard, and availability of ground services. If you wish to travel with your family, friends or on your own we would be more than happy to assist you with your arrangements.

Contact us for the best rates

Useful Information

For more information about tour types and accommodations, please click here

What’s Included?

Sightseeing Highlights

  • City tour of Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An & Ho Chi Minh city with highlights
  • Halong Bay Cruise 2 days/1 night
  • Boat trip on Saigon River to Cu Chi tunnels
  • Mekong Delta discovery

Travel Services

  • Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
  • Excursions
  • All transfer in AC vehicles
  • English speaking guide(s)

  • Domestic flights
  • Local boats
  • Admission fee
  • Meals as stated in the program

Travel Highlights

  • Complimentary Vietnam Visa Approval Letter
  • An open choice for join-group tour or private tour with maximum flexibility
  • Small group size (Max 10-15 persons).
  • Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras.
  • Transfer in good and high qualified transportation vehicles

  • Hand-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • Accompanied by Experienced and friendly local guides
  • Optional Experiences and free time
  • Airport transfers on the first and last day of the tour

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    Suggestions

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    • Number of rooms you require?

    • Length of your stay?

    • Places that you want to visit?

    • Type of accommodation: Boutique, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels?

    • Your expected starting date?

    If you encounter any difficulties while submitting this form, please email us at [email protected] or contact our 24/7 customer support +84 982 116 630 Mr. Lam.


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      Renato
      Canada

      5-star service

      Absolutely satisfaction received with Asia Trip Deals.

      Working with Emma Le was a complete delight.

      Her professionalism, knowledge and advice were crucial to the experience I received travelling through both Vietnam and Cambodia.

      The tour’s setup was spectacular and transfers to and from each location went off without a hitch.

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      February 21, 2020
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      Maggie
      Hungary

      A perfect month in Asia

      I started my trip with Helen in September 2019, as my daughters’ honeymoon was organized by Asia Trip Deals and they were very happy with it. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand were the target and 31 days. I gave the company some ideas about what I would like to see. Over the course of 3 months we organized it almost daily and refined the 4 week trip with Helen. Thanks for her speed and helpful advice. Special thanks for suggesting that I stay in Vietnam until the Lunar New Year. It was wonderful!

      An exchange took place in December and Lam took over the organization of the trip and finalized the program. Lam made some very good suggestions for some changes, which also took into account that I’m no longer 20!
      Lam met me in Hanoi personally and promised to follow me to the last stop, which was the case.

      The hotels were perfect, the transports to the programs, the programs themselves and the guides were perfect. In addition to the “must-see” sightseeing tours, I am pleased to have learned about the lives of ethnicities, markets, and rural people. In particular, I would like to point out that not only the Vietnamese programs succeeded well, but the other 3 countries were also well organized by the trusted companies, especially A&Ftour, Nongnoot, who has always been a fan of my programs in Thailand. I have put these 4 countries in my heart, the cheerful people, the wonderful flowers and the delicious food! Thanks for the organization! It was perfect from the first minute to the last!
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      February 19, 2020
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      Okinawa, Japan

      Well planned and executed trip – again!

      I recently completed my 2nd trip to Vietnam using Asia Trip Deals and I was very happy and quite impressed once again. I was referred to Indochina Pioneer a year ago by a friend when planning for my first visit to Vietnam and their subsidiary Asia Trip Deals contacted me right away and immediately set to work constructing a tailor-made trip for me. The execution of the 2-week trip was even better and actually flawless. Every driver was waiting exactly on time. The many tours within the trip were fantastic with well-chosen guides of sub-tour operators. All lodging choices were excellent. Throughout the trip ‘Helen’ checked in to see how things were going. As a result of this excellent service it was an easy choice to go with Asia Trip Deals for my most recent trip to Vietnam last month.

      Working at first with ‘Helen’ again, she set to work building another itinerary for me based on the ideas and suggestions I had. Unfortunately, ‘Helen’ had to leave the company and Lam picked right up to complete the planning where ‘Helen’ left off. It was a clean transition and the communication with me was clear. Another 2-week trip itinerary was soon finalized after much patient back and forth and fine-tuning and I was set to go. Once again, the execution was flawless and I never once had a problem while traveling.

      Asia Trip Deals is a master at the small details of trip planning. They listen to their customer and actively seek to design the trip to their specific requests but also thoughts and ideas. Customer service is a 10+!!! I never once had doubts about this company, even though all planning and communication was completed over email and WhatsApp. I have traveled all over the world and for many years and this is a most impressive company that will do right by what you are seeking to do. Simply tell them and they will build a custom trip for you, respond quickly and then deliver on execution. I will use them again and refer all my friends and colleagues to them as well.

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      February 10, 2020
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