Vietnam Family Fun-Filled Vacation

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.

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 back to the city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Soon, your private transfer will have you at the airport and ready for your journey to Da Nang, a beautiful beach town in the center of Vietnam. Upon your arrival at Da Nang airport, look for our driver and guide waiting for you with a sign bearing your name.

Today, you visit My Son Holy Land, a religious center, built in the late 4th century by the Cham King Bhadravaman. This Holy Land is surrounded by marvelous mountains, 42km west of Da Nang Airport, and takes you 1 hour to drive.

Upon arrival, you will visit the temple complex, with its unique architecture. It is a huge religious complex with over 70 towers and temples of different architectural styles. You will learn that all temple complexes have the same structure with one main temple surrounded by sub-temples and small towers. In addition, you can also enjoy traditional Siva dance performances by Cham artists.

In the afternoon, you will drive to Hoi An and have the night at your leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An.

You start a new day with an orientation walk in Hoi An town. The walking tour will offer you a chance to visit: a private house where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting; the Sa Huynh Museum, which contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An's history; and the famous Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, the iconic symbol of Hoi An nowadays. The second part of this morning is learning how to make a colorful lantern. Getting the guide from your instructor, you will select from a wealth of different silks, craft a bamboo frame, and create your lantern, which will fold neatly into your luggage and bring it back home as a souvenir. Enjoy lunch before walking back to the hotel and spending the rest of the day by the swimming pool or beach.

Overnight in Hoi An.

A free day in paradise! Hoi An was a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little over the years. Also, Hoi An is a charming World Heritage village that is being beautifully restored and preserved that will captivate you immediately. No matter what you like, you will find it here, whether it is shopping, restaurants, photography, history, architecture, golf, fishing, swimming, scuba, abseiling, or massage and lazing around. Hoi An has become famous for its tailoring, where there is a huge variety of fabrics to choose from.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Your private transfer meets you in the hotel lobby and escorts you to the airport for your brief flight to Hanoi. Meet your guide at Noi Nai Airport and drive 45 minutes downtown for a full-day tour with many exciting outdoor activities. Take a short drive to the outskirts of Hanoi to visit the fascinating Museum of Ethnology. From the outside, you will be attracted by the presentation and layout, from the form to the displayed content, which is very scientific and logical. It is to grasp the cultural colors of each ethnic group.

Today you will have Bún Chả for lunch. The Bún Chả will have vermicelli, grilled meat, and side dishes, including pickled vegetables, lettuce, and some herbs. A feature of Bún Chả is that it is served with a bowl of fish sauce seasoned to taste, adding a little spice from pureed chili. Bún Chả will be a wonderful dining experience in the "Asian food paradise" - Vietnam for sure! (If you are not a fan of pork, chicken noodle soup or fish noodle soup would be perfect alternative options.)

To start the afternoon activities, we will visit Hidden Gem, a Vietnamese Coffee Shop. The coffee shop is impressive because the furniture is created by taking advantage of discarded products such as plastic bottles, tires, paint containers, and some parts of motorbikes and tractors. This activity aims to protect the environment. A cup of Vietnamese egg coffee is a must-try there.

Another exciting activity is waiting for you! Our guide and driver will take you to Long Bien Bridge, the first steel bridge in Hanoi and one of the first bridges built by the French in Vietnam. After a short walk on the over-a-century-old bridge, admire the panoramic river view and listen to your tour guide tell stories about history, Red River Delta culture, and local daily life; you will discover the banana island right at the bridge's foot. The walking banana island activity is a chance to observe the infinite fruit plantation and is also a one-of-a-kind memory for photographers or nature lovers.

Finish the day with a fun cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi). You will ride through the French colonial architecture of the precinct known as the French Quarter, past the French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel, and the Opera House. Of course, you will not miss the Hanoi Old Quarter before returning to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Get up early and enjoy a delicious breakfast with a cup of coffee at the hotel. Meet your guide and driver at 8:00 am, then you are on the way to Ninh Binh, the best Karst scenery in Vietnam.

Upon arrival, you spend 2 hours enjoying a boat trip on the Ngo Dong River to discover Tam Coc, the main attraction in the area, where the river flows through three caves, with deep gorges between them. Ashore, you continue your exciting journey with a relaxing bike ride. The small and flat road is suitable for both seniors and children. A 30-minute bike ride is an opportunity for you to take a closer look at the rice fields, the scene of farmers working with their buffalo in the fields, and the peaceful scenery of the Northern countryside. The biking leads you to Hang Mua Mountain. To conquer the top of Hang Mua, you need a bit of effort, and the reward is a 360-degree panorama of the karst landscape. It is also considered the Ha Long Bay on land, with mountains reaching the clouds, rich green fields, and a sparkling river gently flowing through the karst ranges. Sunset hunting is a must-try! In the afternoon, you will drive back to the capital and have the night at your leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

The scenery of Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes, is truly an iconic image of Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see. 

Saying goodbye to Hanoi, you drive through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to the legendary Halong Bay. It takes you 3 hours, including a 20-minute stop. Arrive at the jetty in Halong City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, enjoy a tasty lunch while cruising to the mythical bay. Around mid-afternoon, you participate in some activities to discover every corner of the bay. Each cruise operates a different itinerary, and caving, kayaking, rowing boat, and swimming are the most popular ones. Towards the end of the day, the cruise sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is on board.

Overnight in Halong Bay.

Get up early and don't miss the chance to watch the sunrise at one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Participating in a tai chi class on the sundeck is a way to welcome a new day full of energy. At the end of the gentle training session, you move to the restaurant and enjoy a hot breakfast with a cup of fragrant coffee. Some gentle activities in the bay will be arranged and announced by the cruise’s staff. Besides, you can choose to relax on board by watching movies, reading books, or sightseeing. After all, a buffet brunch is served while sailing slowly back toward the port. Disembark and transfer back to Noi Bai airport for a flight back home.