From Saigon to Hanoi: Vietnam Culture and History Package | Authentic Tour – 21 Days

Ho Chi Minh City arrival, welcome and transfer to hotel

Landing at the Tan Son Nhat airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. On the 30-minute driving from the airport to the city center, your tour guide will introduce you about the highlights of the city, and share the experiences of eating and drinking, traffic, culture....

On arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

Included:
English speaking guide
Private transportation
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Elios Hotel(Senior Superior Room)
233 Pham Ngu Lao street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Discovering Saigon city with the best highlights: Independence palace, Binh Tay market, China town, Quan Am pagoda and Fito Museum of traditional medicine

9:00 AM: Start your day with a pickup from your hotel and visit the Independence Palace, the former official residence and office of South Vietnam's Presidents. Explore the North Vietnamese tank that captured the palace in 1975, ending the Vietnam War, and tour the preserved five-story palace with its 1960s and 1970s decor, including a bunker basement.

Then, take a leisurely walking tour. First, visit the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1863 and 1880, showcasing French colonial architecture and offering a picturesque city view.

Walk to Nguyen Hue Walking Street to see the Saigon Central Post Office, an architectural gem by Gustave Eiffel. This still-functioning post office boasts beautiful interior decorations.

Next, you'll be driven to Binh Tay Market in Saigon’s Chinatown. This vibrant market is the city’s largest, offering a variety of goods such as clothing, souvenirs, and food, with a food court where you can enjoy local street food.

Continue to Quan Am Pagoda, one of the city's oldest, dedicated to Guan Yin and reflecting elements of Taoism and folk worship.

Finally, visit the Traditional Medicine Museum (FITO), where you can see preserved medicinal herbs, magical concoctions, and historical tools.

At the end of the day, you'll be dropped back at your hotel.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B
Private transportation
Entrance fees
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Elios Hotel(Senior Superior Room)
233 Pham Ngu Lao street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

From Saigon to Mekong discovery: Boat trip & biking in Ben Tre, visiting typical craft village, interact local people, garden tour, overnight in a homestay

8:00 AM: Begin with a pickup from your hotel and transfer to Ben Tre, a picturesque area in the Mekong Delta known for its coconut candy production.

Upon arriving at Hung Vuong Pier, embark on a boat ride along the Ben Tre River to get an authentic glimpse of local life. Continue your journey by boat through the tranquil canals to Nhon Thanh Village. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to sample fresh, tropical fruits and enjoy a bike ride (or tuk tuk) along the village’s charming pathways, taking in the lush vegetable gardens, verdant rice fields, and sprawling coconut groves.

For lunch, savor a local specialty—elephant ear fish—served in the heart of the community. After your meal, take a leisurely stroll to further immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of village life. Follow this with a boat ride through a narrow canal shaded by wild palm trees, enhancing your experience of the region’s natural beauty.

Depart Ben Tre and head to Cai Lay for the next part of your journey. Upon arrival, you’ll be warmly welcomed by your homestay host. Join in a hands-on cooking session to prepare Banh Xeo Nam Bo, a traditional dish of the area, and enjoy a delicious dinner featuring your culinary creations.

Spend the night in Cai Lay, reflecting on a day filled with cultural insights and local flavors.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L, D
Boat: Ben Tre
Private transportation
Tuk Tuk: Ben Tre
Cooking class: Ben Tre homestay
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Hai My's Homestay(Standard Room)
864 Provincial street, Dong Hoa hamlet, Tam Binh village, Cai Lay district, Tien Giang , Vietnam

Mekong discovery: Enjoying fruit garden tour, Kien An Cung pagoda, Huynh Thuy Le's house

Take a one- to one-and-a-half-hour bike ride through the longan, sapota, and durian gardens on the road that runs from Dong Hoa to Tam Binh after breakfast at the homestay. Engage in discussion with the villagers prior to visiting the village marketplace. Return to the homestay for refreshments. (Extension: Ride your bike to Ngu Hiep Island, where the alluvium of the Mekong River has sculpted a verdant garden, and accompany a native on a one-hour stroll along the path. These are special excursions in a luxurious yet authentic setting.) If you would prefer not to ride a bike, you may ask our tour guide to reserve a motorbike for you to ride as a passenger.

Travel by Sa Dec to Long Xuyen, where we can view the pagoda Kien An Cung and the residence of Huynh Thuy Le, who is referenced in the book "L'Amant - the Lover" by Marguerite Duras. Explore the plethora of produce, fish, and fruits available at the Sa Dec local market. Travel to Long Xuyen, making stops to visit a crocodile farm and the Cao Dai temple along the way. Stay the night in a hotel in Long Xuyen.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Private transportation
Entrance fees
Bike: Ben Tre
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Hoa Binh 1 Hotel(Standard Room)
130 Tran Hung Dao street, Long Xuyen city, An Giang , Vietnam

Mekong discovery: Long Xuyen floating village, Cu Lao Ong Ho island. Back to Ho Chi Minh City

Transfer to Long Xuyen in the morning to see the bustling, real-life floating market and town situated on a tributary of the Mekong River. Learn about the people that live by the river on a daily basis. Take a boat ride to Cu Lao Ong Ho, where there is a little museum honoring President Ton Duc Thang. After that, enjoy the tranquil beauty of the island by riding a bike around it.

In the afternoon, return to Saigon and make your hotel reservation.
Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Boat: Long Xuyen
Private transportation
Bike: Long Xuyen
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Elios Hotel(Senior Superior Room)
233 Pham Ngu Lao street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Special excursion to Cu Chi tunnels and then visiting Cao Dai temple, flying to Danang, Hoi An

8:00 AM: Check out of your lodging and head to the most amazing site in Vietnam War history, the Cu Chi Tunnels.

With a massive network of tunnels covering more than 250 km, Cu Chi is a genuine underground metropolis where the Viet Cong waged an American military fight of resistance. For twenty years, during which time the tunnels were excavated, only pickaxes and shovels were utilized. A section of the trip requires entering a certain tunnel. You will also be able to view the far less frequented Ben Duoc Memorial Temple, which was built in 1993 as a memorial to the Vietnamese troops who died in Cu Chi.

Explore the Cao Dai Temple, one of the most sacred locations in Vietnam. Cavaism is a religion that is unique to Vietnam; it takes its cues from Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and even Roman Catholicism. When you are in town, you are welcome to attend the noon mass.

Return to the city center after lunch at a neighboring restaurant. Take a plane to Danang.

You arrive at the Da Nang airport and are greeted by an informed tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby.

During the roughly 30-45-minute journey from the airport to your accommodation, your tour guide will give you an overview of the city's key attractions and talk about things like eating and drinking, traffic, and cultural experiences.

Travel down the breathtaking coastline to your lodging, check in, and relax.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Private transportation
Entrance fees
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Flight :VN138 (SGN - DAD) - (Direct) / 16:00 - 17:35 - Vietnam Airlines - Economy / 06 tickets
Delicacy Hotel & Spa(Deluxe City View Room)
116 Hung Vuong, Hoi An, Quang Nam , Vietnam

Discovering Hoi An rural by cycling and city walking tour
8:00 AM: Travel to Hoi An town center. Begin with a visit to Cam Pho, one of the town’s oldest communal houses. Constructed in the shape of a Chinese character symbolizing the country, this site was used for worship and facilitated cultural and commercial interactions between local people and Chinese and Japanese traders.

Enjoy a leisurely stroll to Hoi An's emblem, the Chua Cau, also called the Japanese Covered Bridge. It was built in the seventeenth century to link the Japanese part with the Chinese quarters. The bridge's original construction has been painstakingly preserved throughout the past four centuries.

You can truly grasp the native way of life by taking a stroll about the town. One of the most authentically old structures in Hoi An is the Quan Thang Ancient House, which has remarkable architecture and wonderful sculptures made by master carpenters from the well-known Kim Bong carpentry hamlet in an oriental style. The apartment offers a good picture of the Hoi An family's everyday activities.

The next stop before boarding the boat to cross the Thu Bon river and arrive in Kim Bong hamlet is the Phuc Kien, also known as the Fujian Assembly Hall. While aboard the boat, you may enjoy the breathtaking views on both banks of the river and unwind in the crisp, clean air.

This town is widely recognized for its wood carvings. The craftsmen's original methods came from the northern Vietnamese. Through economic exchange, they were subsequently able to successfully assimilate the skills of Chinese and Japanese sculptors and create their own unique style. Take a bike tour of the town to discover how the locals live their daily lives, and visit a carpenter's shop to show their skill. There are several wood items that may be bought as souvenirs.

Utilize the bike tracks to get to Tra Nhieu village. Admire the landscape of Vietnam's central regions. The trip will enable some previously unplanned interactions, such as those with Mr. Kha, who crafts bamboo sampan baskets, Ms. Duoc, who weaves mats, and Mr. Huynh Ri, who has a shipbuilding company. You will be surrounded by a rural panorama throughout the way, complete with buffaloes, farmers laboring in the fields, and rice and palm farms.

From Tra Nhieu, take a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to the hamlet of Cam Thanh. Along your journey, the picturesque landscape of fishing farms and water palm trees will accompany you.

Upon reaching Cam Thanh, unwind for a little while at the abode of fisherman Mr. Phong, sipping green tea and receiving a foot massage with medicinal herbs cultivated in the family garden. Next, prepare the Tra Que village veggies and herbs. Try your hand at preparing some of these recipes: crispy pancakes, Hoi An spring rolls, shrimp spring rolls, and grilled fish wrapped in banana leaf. Enjoy the meal that you cooked.

In the afternoon, ride a small, round bamboo sampan basket boat to the water palm tree forest. It is a quiet time after riding for hours.

When the day is over, get back to the hotel.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Boat: Tra Nhieu - Cam Thanh,Cam Thanh
Private transportation
Entrance fees
Bike: Hoi An
Leisure: Foot massage
Cooking class: Cam Thanh
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Delicacy Hotel & Spa(Deluxe City View Room)
116 Hung Vuong, Hoi An, Quang Nam , Vietnam

Exploring My Son Sanctuary, Champa culture, unique architecture

8:00 AM: Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel for a half-day trip to the sacred valley of the Champa Kingdom. Situated 40 km from Hoi An, My Son was a key intellectual and religious hub of the Champa Kingdom and might have also been a royal burial site.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, My Son contains 70 ancient brick and stone structures built between the 7th and 13th centuries. During your visit, your guide will share insights into the cultural, historical, and architectural aspects of the site. The tour concludes with a traditional Champa dance performance before heading back to the city.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Private transportation
Entrance fees
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Delicacy Hotel & Spa(Deluxe City View Room)
116 Hung Vuong, Hoi An, Quang Nam , Vietnam

Travelling to Hue, visiting Cham sculpture museum, Hai Van Pass, Thien Mu Pagoda and Hue citadel

8:00 AM: Your tour begins with a pickup from your hotel and a drive to Hue, passing through Da Nang via the scenic coastal route. In Da Nang, visit the Cham Museum, known for its extensive collection of Cham artifacts. After that, stroll down to My Khe Beach to see the enormous Goodness of Mercy sculptures within the Linh Ung Pagoda. After taking pictures of the fisherman near the shore, drive down the coast to the old capital of Hue. Stop at the summit of Hai Van Pass to take in the amazing ocean vista.

When you arrive in Hue, have lunch and then travel to Thien Mu Pagoda, which is among the city's oldest pagodas and dates back to 1601. This is the city's spiritual high point and is well-known for its imposing octagon tower and breathtaking Perfume River outlook.

Continue your tour See the most significant locations in the city, including the Hue Citadel, the only remaining reminder of Vietnam's former imperial capital. It draws inspiration from Vauban's fortifications. The city is divided into three sections: the Forbidden City (Cam Thanh), the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh), and the Capital City (Kinh Thanh). The flag tower, the South gate, the palace of supreme harmony, the Dynasty temple area, and the settlement area are among the most picturesque locations in Hue and are grouped together in this region.

Finally, enjoy your time in the historic capital by checking into your hotel.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B, L
Private transportation
Entrance fees
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Rosaleen Boutique Hotel(Deluxe Double Room)
36 Chu Van An street, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam

An amazing day tour to explore Perfume River by boat trip, excursion to Tien Non, Thanh Tien, Sinh village, Khai Dinh King's Tomb. Night train to Hanoi

8:00 AM: Move to the Huong River (Perfume River) to board a royal boat for a trip to the eastern villages of Hue. This is a great opportunity to see local life along the river. Upon arriving at Tien Non village, take a bike ride through Tien Non, Thanh Tien, and Sinh villages. Experience the rhythm of rural life firsthand.

In Tien Non village, observe the villagers working in fields and vegetable gardens, and visit a family worship house. Continue to Thanh Tien village, famous for its 400-year tradition of making paper flowers. Meet Mr. Hieu, a skilled artisan, and learn how to make these flowers. Then head to Sinh village, known for its 400-year-old folklore prints. Meet Mr. Phuoc to learn about the traditional printmaking techniques. Purchase unique souvenirs from the local artisans. Return to Hue by boat in the afternoon.
In the afternoon, drive to Khai Dinh King’s tomb, constructed over 11 years (1920 – 1931) on Chau Tru Hill. The tomb is notable for its blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles. Climb the hundred steps to the top to view the ornate porcelain decorations, a large ceiling painting, and a small museum of royal artifacts. Enjoy panoramic views of the tomb and surrounding landscape on your descent.

End the day with a night train to Hanoi.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B
Boat: Sinh - Tien Non
Private transportation
Entrance fees
Bike: Hue
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Train:SE2 (Hue - Hanoi) / 16:22 - 05:55 - Deluxe( 4 berths / cabin) / 06 tickets

Exploring the center of culture & education Van Mieu, outstanding museum of ethnology, visiting French Quarter and discovering Old town

Your driver and tour guide will meet you at the Hanoi train station. Have a traditional breakfast and take a little break before visiting the Temple of Literature. This Confucian temple was built in the eleventh century under the Ly dynasty and served as a school for regal children. Wander around the gardens to view the recognizable Khue Van Cac and stop by the "stone steles" designated as World Heritage sites, which bear the names of notable alumni. Proceed with your tour to Vietnam's first national university, Quoc Tu Giam.

Proceed to the Ethnology Museum (closed on Mondays), which showcases traditional clothes, utensils, musical instruments, and dwellings from different ethnic groups, offering a comprehensive view of Vietnamese culture. Give yourself around two hours to tour this interesting museum.

Explore the French Quarter in the afternoon. It is renowned for its wide squares, governmental buildings, and boulevards lined with trees that give it a "little Paris" vibe. After seeing Ho Chi Minh's tomb from the outside, stroll leisurely around the botanical gardens. The Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's stilt-built home, where he resided and worked, are visible from this location. Visit the One-Pillar Pagoda, another famous structure in Hanoi, to cap off your trip. Depending on the size of the party, this tour might take one to two hours.

Your next stop is the peaceful Ba Da Pagoda, which is located close to the 19th-century French colonial Hanoi Cathedral in a little alleyway. Then, your guide will lead you through some of Hanoi's most well-known streets, such Lo Ren Street, which is home to metalwork, and Lan Ong Street, which is well-known for its traditional medicine stores.

Proceed to the biggest market in Hanoi, Dong Xuan Market, to experience the local flavor. Walk to Ta Hien Street thereafter, which is a busy neighborhood well-known for its lively nightlife and street food scene. Savor a taste of the regional street cuisine while admiring the vibrant environment.

An 11th-century Vietnamese performance art peculiar to Vietnam is the water puppet show. End the day with it. The performance uses water puppets to portray many facets of Vietnamese culture and daily life, frequently accompanied by traditional music.

To end the day, head back to your accommodation.

Included:
English speaking guide
Meal: B
Private transportation
Entrance fees
Leisure: Water puppet
02 bottles of mineral water (500 ml)/pax/day
Conifer Grand Hotel(ROH Room)
42 Tho Xuong, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi City, Vietnam