14-Day Cultural Discovery Tour of Vietnam from Saigon to Hanoi

In the morning, we drive 70 kilometers Northwest to explore the underground tunnels in Cu Chi which system had been created long time back, from 1948 to assist Viet Minh in the combat with French. It was continuing to be built over 25 years later. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers. In places, it was housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years… getting married, giving birth. During the American War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded. Since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. You may even have a chance to crawl through the tunnels yourself. We return to Saigon.

In the afternoon, visit the War Remnants Museum, Historically, the war museum as part of the Vietnam and World Peace museums system was born on Sep 4, 1975, at 28 Vo Van Tan Street, district 3, HCMC. Since its 30-year inception, the museum has attracted over 10 million arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists, especially student delegations from provinces and cities nationwide. It helps reappear the then-wars, helping students well realize on the values of patriotism, struggle for peace and national liberation from forefathers. This museum includes 8 specific exhibitions and various collections of the truth of history (conspiracy and process from hostile forces for the war in Vietnam); crime evidences and war consequences; kinds of weapon and tools serving for the wars; prison (prison house system, concentration camp, torture, maltreatment, corporal mutilation, and spiritual oppression against political prisoners).

We also stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office. The post office, built between 1877 and 1883, is an excellent example of classic French colonial architecture.

Overnight in Sai Gon.

Meet our guide and driver then transfer to Ben Tre, a small town, hidden within the Mekong Delta, has recently stepped out to be a destination. This peaceful retreat offers many charming surprises besides the lush vegetation, snaking canals, and enchanting smiles.

A day to Ben Tre is a day when you are no longer a tourist but a true resident embarking on a sensory voyage of discovery. Enjoy observing how bricks and grass mats are made with age-old traditional techniques as well as how products are extracted from coconuts. Admire stunning panoramic countryside pictures made of green coconut palms, yellow river streams and colorful local products. Feel the warmth of the tropical breeze and the coolness of water currents whilst exploring the earthy trails. Taste and smell local exotic fruits, “garden-made” cuisine or stop to observe and satisfy your palate with just-made wet rice paper or coco candies married with green tea.

Complete your experience listening to the sounds of boat, and certainly the banter and laughter of local people, modest yet hospitable. Enjoy traditional music songs and return to Sai Gon.

18:00: Get picked up by our tour guide then start our street food tour by motorbike.

Throughout the tour, eat a variety of delicious dishes and drinks at 7 local food places and sample over 10 of Saigon's best authentic street foods and local beer/ optional drinks: Charcoal Grilled Pork On Skewers Rice Noodles or Beef Noodle Soup, Vietnamese Savory Crispy Pancake (Banh Xeo) and Mini pancake (Banh Khot ) (You can also change to BBQ SEAFOOD with Scallops and Steamed Clams with Lemongrass). Banh Trang Nuong (Best Saigon Style Pizza) and Cryspy Banana Cracker and Banh My – This food is listed as #1 street food that Vietnamese people eat almost every day because it is very convenient and delicious.

Overnight in Sai Gon.

This morning, we transfer to the airport for an hour flight to Da Nang

Upon arrival, meet our guide and driver at the airport then depart to Son Tra peninsula to visit Linh Ung Pagoda, where the highest Goddess of Mercy Statue of Viet Nam exists. The pagoda offers stunning views of Danang beach and Cham Islands in the distance.

Continue on, visit Marble Mountain. Climb Thuy Son (‘Water’ Mountain) by the stone stairs and enjoy the panoramic view of the nearby countryside and visit Huyen Khong cave before entering Tam Thai and Linh Ung pagodas where you will be rewarded by great city views and amazed by the main cave which houses a beautiful Cham Buddha sitting under a natural shaft of light. Rest at the foot of the mountain, where you can visit Non-Nuoc Stone Carving Village, where the skillful local sculptors create many marble products which are exported to many countries worldwide.

We have free time for sea bathing at Da Nang Beach before heading back to your hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Today you will visit My Son Holy Land. Located 70 km southeast of Da Nang, My Son was the capital of the once almighty Champa Kingdom. It boasts a complex of ancient ruins that date back 1,700 years. This is the most complete example of ancient Champa ruins that Vietnam has maintained.

You will return to Hoi An then take a walking tour to visit the old town.

HoiAn is known as an ancient town of meandering narrow streets dating back to the 16th century. A one-day tour offers us a chance to see the Japanese Bridge, Phuoc Kien Pagoda, the ancient house Tran Phu and the Hoi An Museum. Enjoy shopping with tailor-made clothing, lanterns, shoes, food or relaxation on the beach. Overnight in Hoi An

In the afternoon, free to explore the town, enjoy shopping or simply relax on the beach.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Explore a unique way to see Hoi An and countryside where there are less travelers. Meet our Vespa drivers then we will explore the countryside around Hoi An on the back of a vintage Vespa and experience something a little different during your stay. We will get to see the countryside and visit some local businesses where you will learn more about the way of life in this part of Vietnam. We will show you a side of Hoi An that most visitors miss out on. We will start the day by driving out of Hoi An city and seeing beautiful scenery including rice paddies and vegetable plantations. The trip includes a stop where you will enjoy Banh Dap (a local rice flour dish) being made and you can give it a go yourself! You will also see local weavers making straw mats, riding on the back of Vespa along the bank of the river, seeing fish farms and amazing to see fish traps and stopping to see the people building fishing boats as well as crossing a traditional bridge built completely from bamboo. the bamboo boat you get a chance to see a vast fish farm. Your guides will give you information about some of the history and local traditions. The tour lasts around 5 hours, and we will have a coffee break along the way. We look forward to showing you another side of Hoi An!

The rest of time is free at your leisure

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and begin our journey to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass (also known as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds”). This scenic pass crosses a mountain range that juts into the sea and is commonly used by vehicles traveling between Da Nang and Hue.

On the way, we’ll stop to enjoy a local lunch of grilled pork or grilled chicken with noodles and visit the beautiful Lang Co Beach.

Upon arrival in Hue, check into the hotel.

In the afternoon, visit one of Hue’s ancient pagodas: either Tu Hieu Pagoda or Tu Dam Pagoda.

Enjoy your free time in the evening to explore the city and discover its famous local cuisine—Hue is truly a food lover’s paradise.

Overnight in Hue.

Your day starts with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village where we can see the lively morning market. This is where the locals come to buy their daily food. Nearby is the 300-year-old Thanh Toan bridge and a Cultural Museum where you can visit and talk to the locals.

Continue to the Hue Royal Complex, former home to the Nguyen Dynasty, the last royal dynasty of Vietnamese history, from 1802 to 1945. This site was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Vietnam in 1993. You will explore the ancient and atmospheric walled Citadel which contains the former Imperial Palace and the Forbidden Purple City.

In the afternoon, you will visit one of the royal tombs, the final resting place of a Nguyen emperor—either the Tomb of Tu Duc, Khai Dinh, or Minh Mang.

Then cruise on the Perfume River to see the Old Thien Mu Pagoda. On the way back to town you will visit a local workshop where you can see how incense sticks and traditional conical hats are made. If time permit, we will explore Dong Ba market runs along the north bank of Huong (Perfume) River.

Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for a flight to Hanoi

Upon arrival at the airport, you are welcomed by our guide and driver then transfer to the hotel.

We begin a full-day city tour by visiting the Ho Chi Minh complex, including the One Pillar Pagoda, the former leader’s house on stilts and his Mausoleum (outside).

Keep forward to the peaceful Temple of Literature - the first university of Vietnam.

Continue walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and take an hour Cyclo - tour viewing the charming French colonial architecture to the bustling Old Quarter To finish the day off, you attend the performance of the unique water puppetry.

Start our street food tour in Ta Hien – Luong Ngoc Quyen – Hang Giay – Dao Duy Tu streets, where shows many kinds of local and traditional dishes. Here, you will have a chance to try Bun Cha (a type of noodle soup with pork BBQ).  All the preparation and content are explained by the guide. The guide also tells the daily life of the common Vietnamese, experiencing something that the Vietnamese used a lot in cooking, dried foods, spices, and fresh herbs. You also have chance to taste the Hanoi's specialties Banh Cuon – the dish that made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed rice. This is one of the most famous dishes in Ha Noi and has been along with Hanoian for years. The tour ends with a cup of Egg Coffee at Nguyen Huu Huan Street.

Overnight in Hanoi.

This morning, you leave Hanoi center and drive about 35 minutes to the west of the city. It is about 17 km from the old quarter to Xuan Phuong vegetable village. Upon arrival, you will meet the host at meeting point, and she will show you a local market since Le King Dynasty. It is the most famous market in the region where there are many traditional items for sales. If on market days (two or three times per week, other days the market is not too crowded), people from all the surrounding villages would come to trade. People bring dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, ducks, and bamboo baskets to sell. Everyone is excited to meet each other on that day. You will be surprised about the bustling and colorful market which is working under the canopy of an old tree. You will see the old women chew betel and areca nut and blacksmiths work hard with his bright brazier. Right next to the marketplace there are nice vegetable farms. We take a tour around vegetable fields growing a variety of produce including: bitter melon, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, green peas, snake peas and corn, as well as fruit gardens with oranges, pomelos, papaya and more (depend on the season to grow different crops)., You will learn more about background of vegetable and you may have chance to help a farmer working on his field.

Afterwards, we go to her house to cook delicious dishes. She will teach you how to cook some Vietnamese dishes by simple and traditional recipes. Enjoy local fresh vegetable, fruit, make traditional cake and talk about Vietnamese family’s custom together.

In the afternoon, visit The Vietnam Military History Museum, a must-visit attraction in Hanoi, especially if you are a history enthusiast. It is home to thousands of exhibits, photographs, maps, videos, and scale models that were used throughout Vietnam’s long resistant history.

Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast, we transfer to Ninh Binh province. Visit Hoa Lu - transfer to Hoa Lu, one of the oldest capitals in Vietnam dated to 968 – 1009. The remaining vestiges include two temples dedicated to Dinh and Le Kings. These temples are surrounded by beautiful hibiscus gardens, ponds with lotus blossoms and frangipani spreading a delicate perfume. Take time to relax in its airy and reflective atmosphere.

Additionally, one thing that makes this tour the most exciting is the boat trip through winding stream to visit Trang An. Forested limestone mounts contrasting in emerald water, caves, lowland and rivers create a mysterious fairytale-like scene. We then visit a network of 11 caves with beautiful stalactites of all shapes and colors. Trang An was recognized by UNESCO as The world Heritage Site in 2014. Trang An has a wonderful tunnel cave system so Kong’s Movie Group chose this place for New Version of Kong in 2016 – “Skull Island “.

Continue, visit Mua cave (Dancing cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach to the top of Lying Dragon Moutain, have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Drive to Ha Long Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea," as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Ha Long Bay has more than 1.000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes.

Upon arrival at Ha Long Bay we embark on a boat cruise to discover this magnificent UNESCO World Wonder. This is a great journey among surreal islands rising from a tranquil emerald sea.

The boat cruise will also include the experience of an overnight stay and fresh seafood meals.

Visit one of the most stunning caves at Ha Long Bay and stop at a beautiful beach to take a refreshing swim or sunbathe on the sundeck; take a short trek to the nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay.

Back onboard the junk, you will watch the sunset and be served a sumptuous dinner, with cocktails available for purchase from the bar. You will spend the night onboard the junk, in a cabin with an ensuite bathroom.

This is a truly memorable experience!  Without a doubt, Ha Long Bay is a destination in Vietnam which should not be missed.

Notes: The program may differ slightly based on the junk cruise’s itinerary.

Early morning coffee and tea will be served on the sundeck followed by a Tai Chi class. After breakfast we take a Sampan boat or kayak to explore Luon Cave. We may have a chance to see the wild monkeys that gather around waiting for food from the tourists. After that we continue to cruise around the bay. Lunch is served on the boat on our way back to the docks then we transfer back to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Free at the leisure until transfer to the airport for your flight home.

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