Day 1 Arrive Ho Chi Minh City
Start your Vietnam Experience this evening in Ho Chi Minh City, still referred to as Saigon, a cosmopolitan city that combines Vietnamese flair with US influences post the Vietnam War and is one of the most dynamic and progressive cities in Asia with great places to eat and drink. The French also left their fingerprints all over this ‘Paris of the Orient’, from architecture like Notre Dame Cathedral to the best pastries this side of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 2 Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta
For the next 2 days, we journey into the Mekong Delta. In your time here, cruise the Delta on a traditional boat and take in Vietnam’s major rice producing area. See local fruit farms, floating markets and everyday life on Vietnam’s waterways.

Learn about local industry with visits to a rice paper factory. You’ll also get a taste of tradition at a tea house and get to enjoy a typical lunch at a local house.

Later, local musicians will perform for us, before we tuck into some home cooked food at the simple, local guesthouse where we stay overnight. (B,L,D)

Day 3 Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City
It’s an early breakfast before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City
via the Viet Cong’s legendary tunnels in Cu Chi. See booby traps, hidden doors and some of the 250kms of tunnels that Vietnamese resistance fighters dug by hand to escape danger and launch surprise attacks from. If you’re up for it, you can even go down into the skinny tunnels and experience them first-hand.

Tonight it's a free evening, so why not grab some delicious Vietnamese food with your tour mates. (B)

Day 4 Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang
Today you’ll hear Vietnam’s history in a nutshell on a city tour that starts from colonial times.

Check out the Notre Dame Cathedral, a relic left from French rule. We also see the Presidential or Reunification Palace, the former political heart of the country, from where various leaders have ruled. Learn how the loss of this building marked the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War. Then look through the sobering War Remnants Museum and find out about victims of the Vietnam War.

In the afternoon, the group flies to the seaside resort town of Nha Trang, famous for its sweeping, golden beach, turquoise waters and fun water sports.

This evening, order yourself some fresh lobster, prawns or even fish’n’chips! (B)

Day 5 Nha Trang
A free day gives you time to sink into the laid-back beach lifestyle. Snack on fresh pineapple or other tropical fruits from the area. Try a massage and soak up the sun or cool off in the South China Sea.

Activity-wise, there’s a chance to get out among the gorgeous offshore islands on our optional cruise. With swim stops and snorkelling off the island of Hon Mun, this is a fun way to explore the area.

Your Tour Manager can also organise you a treat - experience a mineral mud bath and hot thermal springs!

Tonight, find yourself a spot on the beach or at a waterfront bar to watch the sun set over the sea. But don’t stop there! Get into Nha Trang’s nightlife with some of the group - it’s a pretty lively place! (B)

Day 6 Nha Trang to Hoi An
After a short flight to Danang this morning, we drive on to Hoi An.

Hoi An is a pretty little town, with history written all over it. Blending Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and European influences, this former port town is an unusual mix of architectural styles.

You’ll get a real feel for this town when you walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Listed old quarter with our Local Guide, who’ll tell you the story behind the old merchant shops, the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge and the pretty pagoda.

This afternoon, it’s free time to either relax back at the hotel pool or get some clothes made. Hoi An is known for its beautiful cloths and colourful silks, and there are loads of tailors ready to whip up some made–to-order threads in record breaking time. One tip is to bring some clothes you like from home with you. Then the tailors can copy the patterns pretty much exactly. They also have designs in their shops to choose from.

As the sun sets, we head out on bikes with a Local Guide into the surrounding countryside for a look at the gorgeous scenery. Cruise past rice fields and traditional homes before riding riverside back into town.

Choose an optional Vietnamese cooking class tonight and taste why this food has such a good reputation. Cook up 4 traditional dishes - you’ll get to enjoy eating them afterward. (B)

Day 7 Hoi An
It’s a free day today, so explore more of Hoi An and its surrounds.

For a day away from it all, head to untouched Cham Island on an optional trip through this UNESCO World Heritage Listed World Biosphere reserve. With a speed boat cruise, fantastic snorkelling, secluded beaches, wildlife and delicious local food for lunch in a small village - this is a great way to spend the day.

Alternatively, you could visit the ruined Hindu temples of the Champa Empire at My Son. Our optional excursion takes in the highlights of this UNESCO Heritage Listed site that was built between the 4th and 14th century. You’ll see overgrown temples in a location that was once a leading spiritual centre in this part of Vietnam.

Otherwise, look through the galleries, antique shops and workshops of the old town. Locals still use traditional methods for pottery, weaving silk and wood-carving. Walk along the historic waterfront to the local market and continue through the stalls selling hand-woven baskets, medicinal herbs and local specialties. If you’re working up an appetite, there are lots of cool cafes serving great food to snack on, as well as coffees and beer. (B)

Day 8 Hoi An to Hue
Back on the coach we travel through the “Pass of the Ocean Clouds”, on to the former imperial city of Hue. Keep your camera handy for the incredible coastal views and rolling green hills along the way.

We start our time in mellow Hue with a visit to the imperial Tu Duc Mausoleum. Our Local Guide will give you the story on this poet Emperor and ancient burial rites as you walk around the intricately decorated pavilions, gorgeous gardens, and lotus flower ponds. Take your time to view the statues and colourful artwork.

The next spot we stop at is the 7-storied Thien Mu Pagoda. Learn about the legend behind its construction plus the events surrounding the notorious Hue Buddhist massacre.

It’s a unique experience tonight with our included dinner. Enjoy the hospitality of the Lac Thien Restaurant operated by a local disadvantaged family. Feast on authentic Hue food in this low key restaurant that is also popular with locals. (B,L,D)

Day 9 Hue to Hanoi
After a short flight, we land in the Northern capital of Hanoi. Hanoi is completely different to its southern counterpart, Ho Chi Minh City. It combines French flair, Chinese culture and Vietnamese vitality. This town is a romantic living time-line and open-air museum.

Our hotel is smack in the middle of the old quarter, which is the place to be. It’s been Hanoi’s commercial core since the 15th Century and is packed into a tiny square kilometer. A maze of back streets, merchant houses and shops loaded with goods gives the old town its special atmosphere. Your Tour Manager will take you to some of the 36 trade streets found here – each street specialises in certain products. See masses of colourful items on display, from red banners, black-lacquered goods, to silks, fans and paper products.

In your free time, navigate to the French Quarter for a change of scene. Walk the wide Parisian-style boulevards and take in the shuttered mansions, balconies and other leftovers from a by-gone colonial era.

For a real slice of Vietnamese culture, sit down at one of the simple bia hoi (draught beer) sidewalk bars, pull up a stool and hang out among the locals. People-watch and order some local dishes, like bo luc lac (spicy beef and green pepper stir fry), dau chien ron (fried tofu) or nom ngo sen (lotus-stem salad). (B)

Day 10 Hanoi to Halong Bay
First thing this morning is a visit (seasonal) to the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh – former president of Vietnam. Be part of the solemn procession of onlookers paying their respects to the leader who fought for the country’s independence.

We then drive to Halong Bay where we’ll board a Chinese-style junk boat for an overnight cruise through the absolutely stunning waters of this UNESCO World Heritage Listed site.

This natural wonder doesn’t come short on views: traditional sampans and junks sail the crystal waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Nearly 2,000 limestone islands dot the sea. Kick back on deck and soak up views of grottos, lagoons and thick forests. Our boat passes hidden coves, sheer cliffs and stunning beaches before arriving at the Sung Sot Caves where we'll visit the limestone interior and take in the fantastic views.

Back on board there’s a little more cruising before we stop for a swim in an idyllic remote lagoon and dock at Dao Titop for sunset.

Tonight enjoy some fresh seafood with the group for dinner before settling in to your air-conditioned cabin on board the junk. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Halong Bay to Hanoi
After a relaxed breakfast take a local boat to explore a small, hidden grotto. Perhaps see some of the monkeys that live there.

Then we cruise back to port and return to Hanoi, with free time this afternoon.

Escape the busy streets with a visit to the Temple of Literature – a quiet haven of walled gardens, red-lacquered pillars and golden painted dragons. Nearly 1,000 years old, the Temple is Vietnam’s most important Confucian sanctuary and it's historic seat of learning.

For more culture your Tour Manager can help you get tickets to Hanoi’s world-famous water puppet performance, a quirky tradition from the region of the Red River Delta.

Tonight is the last night on tour so perhaps enjoy a memorable dinner at KOTO Restaurant. This eatery helps support an organisation that works to improve former disadvantaged childrens' lives by training them in hospitality. (B,L)

Day 12 Depart Hanoi
Our tour ends this morning after breakfast and some free time, so say goodbye to your crew and Tour Manager. (B)

With golden temples, jade green waters, yellow rice paddy fields & coloured silks, Vietnam is an explosion of color. See coconut palms, sugar plantations & the locals in their conical hats in the Mekong. Cruise the river delta, visit floating markets, get on 2 wheels as you cycle through Hoi An, soak up some rays on the beach in Nha Trang & cruise Halong Bay on a traditional junk boat. This is truly a country where East meets West & this tour is the ultimate way to experience it.

• 17 meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 3 dinner.
• An experienced & professional Tour Manager & English-speaking local guides.
• Sightseeing tours of all major cities plus orientations in all other destinations.
• Local taxes, payments & service charges.
• 3 internal flights.
• Transport & included sightseeing.

• Cruise the Mekong Delta.
• Live with a local family on an overnight stay.
• Experience the underground tunnel network built by Cu Chi guerrilla fighters over the course of forty years.
• View the Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office & Presidential Palace.
• Visit to the War Remnants Museum.
• Enjoy this seaside resort town known for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters.
• Visit the town's UNESCO-listed Old Quarter & Japanese covered bridge.
• Countryside bike ride.
• See stunning scenery en route to Hue.
• Take a dragon boat down the "Perfume River" to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda.
• Cyclo ride to Hue's Imperial Citadel.
• Traditional Vietnamese meal at a family-run restaurant.
• Visit the Temple of Literature.
• Overnight cruise in a traditional Junk boat.
• Swim, snorkel and explore the lagoon and coral.

3-star hotels (9 nights)
Guesthouse (1 night)
Overnight cruise (1 night)

• If you're traveling solo, we can share you with a same sex roommate at no extra charge.
• A single supplement is available for $359.
• A copy of your valid passport is required at time of booking.
• Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

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* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.