Vietnam Beach Escape, 12 days / 11 nights
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Mui Ne Beach
Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Mui Ne Beach
Upon ARRIVAL IN HANOI, welcome guests at airport & transfer to hotel for check in & relax.
Breakfast at hotel.
Hanoi is full of charm with colonial buildings & scenic lakes. Start the day with visit to Ba Dinh Square, Hochiminh Mausoleum & his House on Stilt, One Pillar Pagoda.
Next stop is Temple of Literature – the first University for the sons of Mandarins.
After lunch, visit the serene Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays), then walking through the Old Quarter (36 ancient wards & streets) for shopping & enjoy the bustling local life.
End your day by sitting down at a local coffee shop to enjoy a cup of egg coffee while observing the typical morning culture of Hanoians.
The rest of the day is free at your own leisure.
Breakfast at hotel.
Depart for the 3,5-hour drive to Ha Long Bay, journey there through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta, observe daily life of Vietnamese villagers
Check-in on board with welcome drink.
Enjoy lunch on board with fresh seafood.
A fantastic cruise in Ha Long Bay – the UNESCO World Heritage Site, passing through so many amazing islets. Enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board.
Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations.
Light breakfast on board (cake, pastry, milk, coffee….
Enjoy your fresh morning in the middle of the bay, the sunrises on Halong with Tai Chi exercise on sundeck.
The wholesome brunch is served while the vessels cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations and back towards port.
Disembark in the afternoon & drive back to Hanoi for short flight to Da Nang.
Arrival in Da Nang, proceed to Hoi An for overnight.
Breakfast at hotel.
In the morning, visit the charming and historic city of Hoi An, known as one of South-East Asia’s major international ports of call for Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and other trading vessels with name of Faifo: ancient houses, Japanese Covered Temple Bridge, Phuc Kien Temple.
Shopping at Hoi An colorful market with stalls brimming with local specialties, silk & art craft.
Lunch at local restaurant.
PM: free at leisure.
Breakfast at hotel.
Drive back to Da Nang, check in hotel & relax.
Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure.
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer guests to airport for morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
This evening, discover Ho Chi Minh City by night from the back of a Vespa scooter. Start the journey with fun drive around city center & visit the must-see landmarks such as Notre Dame Cathedral & General Post Office which were designed by Gustave Eiffel. After that, we will drive you to one of the most famous street food areas in Saigon with the considerable diversity in the style of the cuisine & local culture. Here we will take a short walk to explore & understand more about the lifestyle of local people and of course, we cannot skip chance to try a variety of Saigon authentic local food. We continue on driving to the biggest flower market which is considered as wholesale flower market in Saigon. Cool off with 02 different types of craft beer with snack at a local micro-brewery.
Breakfast at hotel.
Depart to Ben Tre province. Situated in the Delta of Mekong River, Ben Tre is famous for its tropical fruit gardens and traditional handicrafts made of coconuts. Visit an old brick kiln, coconut workshop, small family-run mat workshop, talk to the local to learn about traditional techniques that they have been using for hundred years.
Afterward, get on horse cart (or hop on a local bicycle & ride of 3km) to travel along the narrow shady village roads to admire the tranquility of the Mekong villages. Stop at a farmer’s house to enjoy tropical fruits grown in the garden.
After lunch at local restaurant, have a short break before getting on sampan for rowing through the idyllic nipa palm fruit creek. Change to motorized boat for cruising back to Hung Vuong pier, following by transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Breakfast at hotel.
Depart for Mui Ne Beach (200km ~ 4-hour drive)–the paradise of sun, wind, and sand.
Check in hotel & free for beach relax.
Early morning, visit to White sand dunes. At the top of the sand dune, catching the first sunrise of the day. Other activities can be taken: riding quad-bikes over sand dunes & ostriches riding (at your own expense), sliding down sand dunes’ slopes with surfboards.
Then visit to Red sand dunes, slopes are less steep than the White sand dunes but this is great opportunity for taking photo as red color of the sand is great contrast to background scenery.
Next stop is fishing village where you can observe the daily lives of fishermen, morning catch is hauled to shore & women are busy sorting out the catch.
Back to hotel for breakfast & then free at your own leisure.
Breakfast at hotel.
Free at leisure until drive back to Ho Chi Minh City for flight back home.
Remarks:
+ In the occasion of bad weather conditions, e.g. high winds, monsoons, thunderstorms, cyclones, storms, etc., the management board has the authority to cancel all cruises to guarantee the safety of tourists. Should this happen, accommodation will be at Ha Long City Hotel instead.
+ The above itineraries are subject to change without notice based on weather conditions and following the seasons.