South Vietnam: 5-day classical tour with amazing experience

After breakfast, your private tour guide and driver will take you to see the wartime legacy of the Cu Chi Tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by the Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. This vast network of tunnels played a huge part in the Viet Cong’s victory over the Americans, allowing them to control a large rural area surrounding HCM City. You will watch a brief introductory video at the Cu Chi Tunnels, followed by a walk through the reserve.

If you are feeling brave, you can crawl inside the Cu Chi Tunnels to experience how difficult life must have been and discover the 3 underground levels. There will also be a chilling exhibition of the traps and weapons used against the American GIs. After visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels, head back to the city center for lunch.

In the afternoon, you start the city tour to explore great architecture in one of our largest cities in Vietnam. The architecture of Ho Chi Minh City is a splendid mix of Vietnam’s historical heritage, from French colonial villas to modern steel and glass monuments. The top architectural sights for tourists date back to the time when Saigon, the “Pearl of Indochina” was the capital of French Indochina. More has been added to the cultural heritage since then, and we see interesting times ahead in terms of modern architecture.

Our guide would be more than happy to take you to the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Reunification Palace. If time permits, you can also visit the Saigon Opera House, Saigon’s City Hall.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Saigon Municipal Opera House

The rice bowl of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, is essential to Vietnamese agriculture. As the mighty Mekong river approaches the coast at the end of its journey from China, it begins to spread out into a myriad of tributaries that bring life to the whole region. Explore these tributaries, both big and small, and witness a life lived almost entirely on water!

Pick up at the hotel at 8 am, leave the busiest city, and start the trip to Ben Tre. On arrival at Ham Luong Pier (Ben Tre town), take a boat on the Ben Tre River—one of the tributaries of the Mekong River. See lively activities along the river, such as fishing and water transport. Stop at Brickwork to see how to make bricks in the traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along the canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to the village. Take a walk to the family workshop to make sleep mats and enjoy some fruit and tea.

Take a biking trip on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from peasants. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, take a rowing boat along Water Palm Creek and cruise back to Hung Vuong Pier. Disembark and drive through endless rice fields to reach Can Tho.

Overnight in Can Tho.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Ben Tre boat trip in palm trees village

In the early morning at 6:00 AM, you will take a boat to Cai Rang floating market, the biggest wholesale of tropical fruits on the floating market where local people pick the tropical fruits from their garden to sell there, and you will have an opportunity to talk to the sellers on their boats. After experiencing the floating market(s), you will visit a local family who has made noodles (“hủ tiếu”) by hand for three generations, and you can try to learn how to make noodles with them.

A light breakfast is served in a local restaurant beside beautiful and quiet canals. Then, you are back at your hotel at 10:00 to pack your luggage and check out around noon. Enjoy the way back to Ho Chi Minh City.

In the evening, you can venture to the popular Com Nieu Sai Gon Restaurant, which provides an experience that goes beyond the flavors and edges of cultural exploration.  Taste the clay pot-backed rice that is dressed with scallions and a savory sauce.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho, Vietnam

The morning is at your leisure, allowing you to venture back into the city for one last visit to the Old City. You’ll soon arrive at the airport and be prepared for your flight back home thanks to your private transfer.

Meal: Breakfast

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City - view from a side of river bank