12 Day Vivid Vietnam
Description:
Itinerary:
Departure from San Francisco on Vietnam Airlines
Flights depart on a Wednesday at 21:10 with Vietnam Airlines.
In Flight
Today you will be in flight and enroute to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon – Arrival
Xin Chao! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City – The City That Never Sleeps. A warm greeting awaits at Ho Chi Minh City’s International Airport. Your private guide and driver will meet you OUTSIDE the arrivals lounge and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Please look for your tour guide who holds up your names on a welcome signboard. While every effort is made to have your room available upon arrival, the check-in time is 14.00; your room may or may not be ready before this time. You can leave your luggage at the hotel reception or hotel’s store luggage room and then head to a local restaurant for breakfast on your own (if you arrive early). The morning is free for you to explore nearby attractions or simply relax in the hotel lobby until check-in time at approximately 14.00.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Please note:
– Regular check-in time in the hotel: from 14.00 (early check-in service is not included).
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Private vehicle and driver
– Tour guide: English Speaking Tour Guide
– Accommodation
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast is at the hotel. The whole day today will be free for relaxing at the hotel, strolling or shopping in the town or whatever takes your fancy. When the sun goes down, we start the local food discovery by motorbike in the evening. At 17:30, your English-speaking guide will pick you up at your hotel. You’ll review the itinerary and dining options before heading to a local restaurant for dinner. Enjoy specialties like beef noodle soup, sugarcane juice, and grilled beef in betel leaves, followed by a visit to Nguyen Thien Thuat Street for diverse street food experiences. Explore the vibrant night scene, visit the district’s flower market, sample Vietnamese pancakes, and browse Nguyen Trai Street for shopping. Marvel at the nighttime view from Nguyen Van Cu Bridge before immersing yourself in district 4’s unique lifestyle and traditions. Conclude the evening with a BBQ seafood party in district 4, filled with seafood delights and local dishes. Finally, your guide will escort you back to your accommodation.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Please note:
– Please inform your local guide about any food allergies you may have.
– It is recommended that you leave your handbags, passports and jewelry at your hotel for safekeeping.
– A camera is always encouraged. Please take extra care of your camera to avoid theft.
– We recommend that you should wear something comfortable and cool. Shorts, T-shirts and light pants are also suitable.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Motorbike and driver with high quality open-faced helmet
– Tour guide: Shared English-Speaking Tour Guide
– Meals: Breakfast, Street-food Dinner
– Accommodation
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast is at the hotel. Today is your day to relax and enjoy Ho Chi Minh City at your own pace. Here are some simple suggestions for how you can make the most of your free time:
– Enjoy the Food: Ho Chi Minh City has delicious street food. Try different local dishes like pho, banh mi, and fresh spring rolls. You can go on a food tour to taste a variety of flavors.
– Visit the Ben Thanh Market: Go to the Ben Thanh Market, where you can find a variety of items like clothes, crafts, spices, and souvenirs. Walk around and see what catches your eye.
– Take a Relaxing Walk: Enjoy a peaceful stroll along Nguyen Hue Walking Street or by the Saigon River. Admire the buildings and watch the people going about their day. You can also find a cozy café to sit and relax.
2 optional tours available today, see optional activities for details:
– Mekong Delta 1-day Tour
– Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Included for the day:
– Meals: Breakfast
– Accommodation
Ho Chi Minh City – Danang – Hoi An
Breakfast is at the hotel. This morning you will be free to relax at the hotel, strolling or shopping in the old quarter or whatever takes your fancy. In the afternoon, you will be picked up and driven to Noi Bai International Airport for a short flight to Da Nang – The City of Bridges, located in Central Vietnam.
Upon arrival at Da Nang International Airport, you will be picked up by your new private driver and tour guide and taken to your hotel in Hoi An – The Ancient City of Colorful Lanterns.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Private vehicle & driver
– Tour guide: English-Speaking Tour Guide
– Meals: Breakfast
– Accommodation
Hoi An
Breakfast is at the hotel. Today will take you to join a cooking class and share your great experience to go to the local market for buying fresh ingredients and cook Vietnamese traditional dishes. Plus, you will feel peaceful when visiting the beautiful vegetables gardens, having an opportunity to ride a bike or take the boat trip to discover and experience rural life. Leaving your hotel around 9am, you will conquer the street along the Thu Bon River and visit Hoi An colorful market to choose ingredients and make dishes with them. Finish buying ingredients at the market, embark on a small boat to ride along the Thu Bon River (or cycle 15 minutes) for about 25 minutes to reach the cooking school on the other side of the river. Today’s activities end at around 13.00 and departure to your hotel. The rest of the day is your leisure time.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Shared vehicle & driver
– Tour guide: Shared English-Speaking Chef at the class
– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Cooking Class
– Accommodation
Hoi An – Hanoi
Breakfast is at your hotel. There are no activities planned for today. You can relax at the hotel, stroll or go shopping in the town or whatever takes your fancy. Then, check out of your hotel at hotel’s check out time and we will depart Hoi An and head to Danang International Airport for a short flight to Hanoi City – Capital of a thousand years of civilization, Vietnam. Upon arrival, you will be met by a new private driver and tour guide, who will drive you to the hotel in the city centre for check in. Then we start our walk through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our taste buds with the famed Hanoi dish with Pho for dinner, a Vietnamese Noodle shop. Some of the local people call this world-famous Noodle soup “Mac-Noodles” since it is as popular here as McDonalds is in other parts of the world! At the restaurant, your tour guide will explain the routine during Vietnamese mealtimes and tell you which special ingredients are needed for you. You can choose beef noodles or chicken noodles. Here are some local restaurants with the traditional flavor and taste which is recommended by Michelin guide, you can choose one of them:
– Phở Gà Nguyệt (Chicken noodle): https://guide.michelin.com/vn/en/ha-noi/ha-noi_2974158/restaurant/pho-ga-nguyet
– Phở Bò Lý Quốc Sư (Beef noodle): https://guide.michelin.com/vn/en/ha-noi/ha-noi_2974158/restaurant/pho-10-ly-quoc-su
Overnight in Hanoi.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Private vehicle & driver
– Tour guide: English-Speaking Tour Guide
– Meals: Breakfast, street-food Dinner
– Accommodation
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – overnight cruise
After breakfast, check out of your hotel, and around 08.00 AM, our bus (without tour guide) will pick you up to go to Ha Long. Enjoy the landscape of the countryside and a short break on the way. Embark on the cruise followed by a short cruise briefing. Savor a delectable lunch as you cruise among the limestone islands. Take a small sampan among the hidden bays around the Luon Cave. Cruise to Ti Top Island, go swimming or relaxing at the beach or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay. Enjoy the sunset with dinner.
After dinner, fish for squid or just laze around.
Overnight on cruise in Halong.
Please note:
– Depending on cruising conditions, itineraries may change without prior notice.
– Wi-Fi is available at the restaurant/Piano Lounge areas, however, Internet connectivity may be intermittently interrupted due to the geographical condition of the bay.
– Detailed program of each cruise is different, it will be confirmed later after booking.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Shared vehicle & driver, shared overnight cruise
– Tour guide: Shared English-Speaking Tour Guide onboard
– Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
– Entrance fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary
– Accommodation
Ha Long Bay – Hanoi
Start your day with Tai Chi class and breakfast at sunrise. Explore the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the nicest cave in Halong Bay. Continue your cruise exploring Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet and more. While heading back to the harbor, watch the cooking demonstration before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. Check out the cruise, then our bus (without tour guide) will pick you up & transfer you back to Hanoi. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Shared vehicle & driver, shared overnight cruise
– Tour guide: Shared English-Speaking Tour Guide onboard
– Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
– Entrance fees: To all sites stated in the itinerary
– Accommodation
Hanoi
Breakfast is at your hotel.
Coffee Workshop Class
– Class time: 08.00 AM, 09.00 AM, 14.00, 15.00 (you can choose the most suitable times for you)
– Duration 60 minutes – 90 minutes
The driver will come to your hotel (without tour guide) to take you to the class to learn about Vietnamese coffee history and its stories. Learn to make two most famous coffee drinks in Vietnam which are egg coffee and coconut coffee. After making yourself the cups of coffee, enjoy them together with a banh mi sandwich or spring roll of your choice in our café. Finishing the class, the driver will take you back to your hotel (without tour guide).
The rest of the day is your leisure time.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Private vehicle & driver Tour guide:
– Shared English-Speaking Tour Guide at the class
– Meals: Breakfast at the hotel, Coffee & Banh Mi Sandwich or Spring Roll at the class
– Accommodation: Your selected hotel option
*Optional tour activities available upon request.
Hanoi – Departure
Breakfast at hotel. There are no activities planned for today, so you are free until the driver picks you up and transfers you to Noi Bai International Airport for your flight back home or next destination. Home sweet home.
Please note:
– Regular check-out time in the hotel: latest at 12.00 (late check out service is not included).
Included for the day:
– Transfer: Private vehicle and driver
– Tour guide: English-Speaking Tour Guide
– Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions:
- International airfare to/from San Francisco with Vietnam Airlines; domestic flights will be with Vietnam Airlines or other carriers, subject to availability.
- 3-star accommodation in twin/double room with daily breakfast at hotels
- All transfers and transportation with air-con vehicles
- Transfer to Halong Bay by shuttle bus of the cruise (sharing bus with other tourists).
- Local English speaking guides
- Meals (B/L/D) (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) as indicated in the program.
- Daily breakfast at hotel.
- 1 lunch + 1 dinner + 1 brunch on cruise in Halong Bay
- 2 bottles of mineral water per person per day
- Entrance tickets at tourism sites indicated in the program
Exclusions:
- Optional tours
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, camera fees, communications, postage, gratuities etc.
- Meals and services other than mentioned in the program.
- Drinks with meals
- Compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons and peak season surcharges which will be advised at the time of booking.
- Early check-in and late check-out at hotels, if not mentioned in the program
- Visa application and visa stamp fees at Vietnamese embassies overseas and/ or upon arrival (Please note that a visa is compulsory for most nationalities.)
Please kindly note that US passport holders need to apply for a visa to visit Vietnam. The visa-free stay period is counted from THE DATE OF ENTRY. Please apply for an E-Visa to Vietnam at least 15 days before the date of entry.
Vietnam e-Visa validity is 90 days, multiple entries.
For Vietnam visa it can be easily obtained online via this link: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn
Optional activities:
Optional Tours and Activities:
- Day 5 – Mekong Delta One Day Tour
This morning, you will be picked up from the hotel after breakfast and travel to the city of My Tho (approx. 1.5 hours) on the banks of the Mekong. Upon arrival, board a motorboat and cruise along the Mekong River. The boat will take you to Xep Canal, a lovely place where you can escape the traffic of the main river. Here you will cruise under coconut trees before arriving at a small islet. Disembark and walk around a small local village. Stop at a local family’s home to enjoy tropical fruit, honey tea and wine and listen to traditional Vietnamese music performed by the villagers. Afterwards continue onwards to another islet where a traditional Vietnamese lunch will be prepared by a local family (included). In the afternoon return to Ho Chi Minh City and your hotel accommodation. – $50 per person - Day 5 – Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour
This tour, perfect for history and war buffs, will take you back to wartime where you can explore the famous Cu Chi tunnels, have an opportunity to try your hand at shooting accuracy with an AK-47 and even sample food eaten by Vietnamese soldiers during the war. We pick up at your hotel to Cu Chi Tunnels, 60km from Ho Chi Minh City. Cu Chi is now considered a heroic district for its role in the anti – American war in Vietnam. It is legendary for its tunnels system of over 220 km and is a popular spot for both Vietnamese and foreigners. The famous Cu Chi tunnels are a network of underground tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels were used as a military base for resistance to US forces during the Vietnam War and often used as hiding spots or spy activities. Along the way to Cu Chi from Ho Chi Minh city, we will pass by the scenic local countryside, where you might even spot ducks and buffalo cooling off in the river. You will find it hard to imagine the destruction and damage that once dominated the area, caused by bombing and mines when Cu Chi was “a free target zone.” Lunch at a local restaurant before going back to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. – $35 per person
