Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Start: Hanoi Finish: Ho Chi Minh City
Duration: 9 Nights
Physical rating: 2 - Light
Special diets catered: Vegetarians, Vegans
Tour Operator: G Adventures
Group size: 12 - 16
Age range: You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
Tour operated in: English
Prices From: $1113 $946
-£120Tour Overview
Sail through limestone karsts aboard a traditional junk boat and walk the streets of imperial capitals. From vibrant Hanoi, the natural beauty of Halong Bay, the atmospheric imperial capital of Hu?, and the charms of Hoi An to the modern day life of Saigon, experience the energy of Vietnam in 10 jam-packed days. An experienced Chief Experience Officer will lead you to must-see highlights with time in between to do your own thing.
Highlights
Sip Vietnamese iced coffee- People-watch in hectic Ho Chi Minh City.
- Squeeze through the Cu Chi tunnels
- Shop in romantic Hoi An
- Sail on a junk boat through Halong Bay
- Experience bustling Hanoi
Places You'll See
Countries:
Cities & Attractions:
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Itinerary
Day 1
:
Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Bonne Nuit Hotel (or similar)
Meals: No Meals
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities today until an evening welcome meeting. After the meeting, opt for dinner out with the group.
ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2
:
Hanoi/Ha Long
Location: Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay, Hạ Long
Accommodation: Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a Ha Long Bay cruise on a junk boat with visits to a cave and an island lookout. Savour a seafood lunch and dinner.
Drive to Bai Chay harbour, the jumping off point for Ha Long Bay. Thousands of islands with intricate cave systems rise dramatically from the waters. Sail past limestone karst mountains in the junk boat and stop to visit some of the islands and caves. In the evening, devour a seafood dinner, then opt to enjoy a drink on deck under the stars.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.
TRANSPORT: Skim across the water aboard this iconic traditional Asian sailboat.
ACTIVITY: Board a traditional junk boat at Ha Long Bay harbour and cruise out onto serene waters. Marvel at massive limestone karst mountains jutting out of the water, creating unforgettable spectacular scenery. Swim, kayak or go cave exploring on one of the islands, if conditions are right. Indulge in fresh seafood meals with a variety of dishes to sample. Drift to sleep in a cozy cabin on board. On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.
Day 3
:
Ha Long/Huế
Location: Hạ Long, Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay, Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Asia Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board before sailing back to the port and return to Hanoi. Enjoy some time in the city before an overnight train to Hue.
Interested in local cuisine? Opt to pre-book the "Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour" activity on the checkout page to include this optional on your tour.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Spend a few hours exploring this beautiful capital city. Visit some shops, have a bia hoi on a street corner or grab a coffee in a lakeside café.
TRANSPORT: Drive about 15 mins to the station and then board the southbound train for the overnight journey.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 4
:
Huế
Location: Huế
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Asia Hotel (or similar)
Meals: No Meals
Guided tour of the Imperial Citadel, Royal Tomb and Tien Mu Pagoda.
Arrive early to Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam. Start the day with a visit to the Tien Mu Pagoda followed by a visit to the tomb of one of Vietnam’s former emperors. After, opt for a vegetarian lunch at a local nunnery. While in the city, try some local Hue specialties such as banh khoai (Hue savoury pancakes), and banh bot loc boc tom thit (thin rice paper filled with meat and shrimp). Wash it all down with a Hue beer. Opt to pre-book the "Hue Motorbike Tour" activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
ACTIVITY: Visit Tien Mu, one of the tallest and, perhaps, most elegant pagodas in Vietnam, at seven storeys high. Take a step back in time touring this historic temple - built more than 400 years ago along the north shore of the Perfume River, it has been the site of many political protests.
ACTIVITY: Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China's Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.
ACTIVITY: Visit the Royal Tombs along the Perfume River in Hue. Embracing the concept of Feng Shui, these tombs are extremely ornate and provide fantastic insight into the lives of the former rulers.
Day 5
:
Huế/Hoi An
Location: Huế, Hội An
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Vinh Hung 2 Resort (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Drive the Hai Van pass. Take advantage of Hoi An's many options over the 2.5 days in town. Opt for a cooking class, riverboat trip, bike ride, beach time, tailor visit or My Son ruins.
Cross the Hai Van Pass (weather permitting), with fantastic views in all directions, before arriving to Hoi An in the afternoon. With three nights here, there's plenty of time to explore all this charming town has to offer.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.
Day 6
:
Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Vinh Hung 2 Resort (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Explore all Hoi An has to offer. Dive into the culture, hang out on the beach or get clothes tailor-made in one of the many shops around town. Enjoy a noodle making demonstration and lunch at Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported project.
ACTIVITY: Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.
FREE TIME: HALF DAY Explore this charming city.
Day 7
:
Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Vinh Hung 2 Resort (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Spend a free day exploring all Hoi An has to offer.
FREE TIME: FULL DAY Enjoy free time in this charming town.
Day 8
:
Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Lotus Boutique Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Fly from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City with free time to explore this hectic city.
Drive to Da Nang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, once the capital of South Vietnam and the country’s commercial centre. Start exploring the small alleys and busy streets, keeping an eye out for laquerware shops and delicious local food stalls.
TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Day 9
:
Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Củ Chi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Lotus Boutique Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn more about the Vietnam War. Use free time in the afternoon to explore sprawling Ho Chi Minh City.
With some free time in the city, opt to visit the Thien Hau and Giac Vien pagodas and stroll through the immense Ben Thanh Market. Also well worth a visit are the Reunification Palace (the residence of South Vietnam presidents before 1975), the city's Chinese quarter of Cholon, and the War Remnants Museum.
ACTIVITY: Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Get out and explore this frenetic city.
Day 10
:
Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Depart at any time.
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
What's Included
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Internal flight
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All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
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Your Discover Moment: Hoi An.
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Halong Bay boat cruise with seafood lunch and dinner
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Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles Demonstration and Lunch, Hoi An
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Halong Bay caves entrance
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Fully Guided
CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
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Meals
8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner Allow USD100-130 for meals not included.
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Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
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Accommodation
Hotels (7 nts), sleeper train (1 nt), junk boat (1 nt).
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Imperial Citadel and Tomb entrance
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Cu Chi Tunnels entrance and tour
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
Transport
Accommodation
Meals Included
Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
G Adventures requires a deposit of 200 GBP to secure a place on this tour, and the final balance is not due till 60 days before departure..
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Secure payments
All payments to TourHub are deposited into an externally regulated Trust account.
Got a question? Check out our Q&As
View Q&As Ask A QuestionTravel, Your Way
Good reasons for travelling privately
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Personalise your trip
Make changes to the itinerary, accommodation, or transport method
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Increased safety during COVID
Spend the majority of time amongst your group to reduce exposure to others
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Travel more exclusively
Your tour guide can focus all their attention on your group
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Travel for a special occasion
Celebrate an important event by only travelling with your friends or family
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