Compare Vietnam: Saigon, Central Highlands, Coast and Hanoi by Myths and Mountains vs Best of Vietnam Tour 11 days by Asia Authentic Travel

Day 1: Arrive Saigon. Cyclo Ride And Ben Thanh Market

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Saigon or Caravelle

You will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, and transfer to your hotel.

Built on the site of an ancient Khmer settlement and an outpost for early pioneers in the 14th century, Ho Chi Minh City did not begin to come into its own until the early 17th century. The derivation of the  name, Saigon, is somewhat vague and centers around its water location. Some say that Saigon comes from the Annamese word Thay Ngon, meaning a highly populated area near a dammed river. Others claim that Sai Con is a transcription of the Khmer word Prei Kor or The Kapok Tree Forest. In any case, the city is fast regaining its reputation as one of Asia’s most vibrant cities. The tree lined boulevards and French colonial architecture hearken to the city’s recent past, while the bustling markets, changing infrastructure and dynamism of the people look to the future.

In the afternoon, you will meet in the lobby and go for a cyclo ride in the city, ending up at the Ben Thanh Market. You can explore the market and then have a welcome dinner outside with the locals.

Day 2: Visit Saigon and Cu Chi Tunnels

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Saigon or Caravelle

This morning, you will tour some of the important parts of Ho Chi Minh City. You can stop at the Reunification Palace, the former palace of President Thieu and his predecessors. Today this building is a museum and venue for official receptions. Inside you can visit the private rooms of the president, the “War Room” from where the South Vietnamese forces were controlled, and, most poignantly, the room where the North Vietnamese army finally took control in 1975. Nearby are the Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. Neo-Romanesque in form, Notre Dame is the major seat of the Catholic religion in modern Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you can venture outside the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the few remaining monuments to the Vietnam War. Beneath the ground lie 200 km of tunnels, dug by hand and inhabited by the forces of the Viet Cong during the conflict, which ended in 1975. At its peak, prior to the Tet offensive, the tunnel complex was base to almost 10,000 troops. To this day, it remains one of the most powerful examples of how the war was fought.

Day 3: Drive Dalat and Explore Town

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Da Lat Du Parc or Ana Mandara Villas Dalat

Rising early, you have about a 4-hour drive towards Lam Dong Province through “Borri Country,” once the home of Jesuit missionaries. Your destination is “The City of Love,” Dalat, a favorite holiday resort for Vietnamese as well as the French. With evergreen forests, waterfalls, beautiful lakes, the country’s best flower gardens, and delicious fresh produce, Dalat has always provided a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands.

When you arrive, you can have lunch in the market, and then begin to explore the town. You can visit some of the crafts, see the cathedral, walk down to the water and visit the home of Bao Dai, the last of the Nguyen Emperors.

Day 4: Dalat – Valley of Love, Convent, University, Pagodas

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Da Lat Du Parc or Ana Mandara Villas Dalat

Today, you can continue to explore Dalat, visiting its gardens, waterfalls, Valley of Love, convent, university and key pagodas.

Day 5: Drive Buon Me Thuot. Visit Lac Lake and enjoy Gong Show

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Ban Me Hotel

After breakfast, you have a full day’s drive to Buon Me Thuot, the provincial capital of Dac Lac Province, and the site of the last battle of the Vietnam War in March 1975. Along the way, you will visit some of the hill tribe people, stopping in Lak Lake around lunch time. Here you can ride elephants in a M’Nong village and take a dugout canoe ride on Lak Lake.   The area’s villagers welcome all visitors with local dancing – a gong show Q and an invitation to sample the local homebrewed rice wine. Be prepared and you might want to bring some salt, a gift prized by the villagers. The gong culture has been recognized by UNESCO as one of mankind’s most notable cultures.

From Lak Lake, you will continue on to Buon Me Thuot for dinner and the night.

Day 6: Visit town, museum and villages

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Ban Me Hotel

There are said to be about 31 different ethnic groups in Dac Lac, each with their own traditional dress and customs. The area is also known for its big game hunting, although new conservation laws have brought this practice to a close.  Before venturing out into the villages, you will stop at the ethnic museum in town, with its collection of everything from models of houses to clothes to musical instruments to games popular with the local people.

After the museum, you can visit some of the villages in the area. Some of the villages are known for elephant hunting and taming, some for weaving and other arts. The societies vary from matrilineal and matrilocal among the Rha De to patrilinear. In Ako Village, you can see some of the Ede traditional brocades being woven.

In Dra Sap are the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in Daklak Province, located in a jungle setting. Late in the day, you will return to Buon Me Thuot and walk through the local market.

Day 7: Drive Pleiku and visit villages

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hoang Anh Gia Lai Hotel

Leaving Buon Me Thuot, you will drive on to Pleiku. Crossing the Nha Rong pass is truly a cultural experience. Along the way are coffee plantations and the stilt houses of the Central Highland’s largest ethnic group, the Gia Rai. These people stubbornly resisted the colonization of the French and, later, the town of Plei Me saw the first North Vietnamese battle of the Vietnam War in 1965. Domestic elephants are kept by many of the villages, and there are even sites where one can find   elephant   fossils   dating   back   to   the   Neolithic and Paleolithic ages. We will follow the Tun River over a pass and down into the small market town of Pleiku.

In the afternoon, you will visit a Giarai Village. The Giarai are animists, believing that demons are an integral part of creation.  They build their villages in the form of a square, with a communal house for all and the society is matrilineal.

Here you can meet the local musician, stroll around the village to get a sense of the traditional culture and customs, and visit the graveyard. Here you can learn about the wooden statures and the unique burial philosophy behind them. When you are spending time with the musician, you can experiment with the goong, the local instrument of the highlands.

When ready, you will return to Pleiku for the night.

Day 8: Drive Kon Tum via Plei Phun. Visit Orphanage, Church and villages

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Kontom Indochine Hotel

After breakfast, you drive to Kon Tum, stopping at Plei Phun Village. Here you can explore the differences between the Bahnar and the Jarai or Gia Rai. The ancestors of the present day Gia Rai arrived on the coast during the first centuries AD, and belong to the Malay Polynesian language group. Villages comprise about 50 homes built around a nga rong or communal house. Families are matriarchal and girls take the lead in choosing their husbands. Hunters, fishermen, and gatherers, the Gia Rai also cultivate fruit trees, rice, beans and other cereals. The animist world of the Gia Rai is peopled by yang or genies of the mountains, water, villages, homes, and other facets of their lives. Two of the most fascinating aspects of the Gia Rai are their graveyards, with their intriguing statues and the watering spring place.

You continue on to Kon Tum, about 30 miles farther. Here you will have lunch. Once in Kon Tum you can begin to do a bit of sightseeing.  During the war, Kon

Tum was the site of massive bombing by American BQ52s and was basically levelled by the bombings and the fighting that occurred between NVA and ARVN troops in 1972. The town is also inhabited by some colorful ethnic groups – Sedeng, Jarai, Bahnar and Rengao. Today you can visit the beautiful wooden Catholic Church, the seminary, and the Orphanage of Vinh Son.

Crossing the amazing suspension bridge, you will visit the villages of Pleitonghia and Konhngokotu. Late in the afternoon, you will return to Kon Tum for the night.

Day 9: Hike to villages and overnight or return to Kon Tum

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Local Village or Kontom Indochine Hotel

After driving to the suspension bridge, you will do a bit of hiking to two other villages – Kon Jori and Kon Kotu. From here you will walk along the Dakbla riverbank to a hanging bridge. Lunch will be a picnic on the Dakbla riverbank.  The length of the walk will depend on you.

After lunch, you will take a wooden boat along the Dakbla River to Kon Ko Tu Village.

Option A: Spend the night

Here you will spend the night. In the evening, you can attend a performance of local ethnic dances, songs and music – the Cong Chieng Show. You can also sip the local wine drink out of a jar through pipes.

Option B: Return to Kon Tum

If you prefer not to spend the night, you can take the boat back and return to Kon Tum and your hotel for the night.

Day 10: Drive Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa

You have a long drive through some spectacular mountain ranges and along sandy beaches to Hoi An, nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Lunch will be on the way.

Hoi An is nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia, and a center for East West exchange and trade. From the 2nd until the 10th century, Hoi An was one of the principal Cham cities. Over the years, Indian, Dutch, Portuguese, French, Thai, Indonesian, Spanish, American, Japanese, Filipino and Chinese ships docked in Hoi An. In the 19th century, as the result of warfare and environmental changes, Hoi An was replaced by Danang as a major port. Reflecting the diversity of the traders and missionaries that settled in the port (including Alexander of Rhodes), the ancient architecture is a fascinating mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. The rooftops of Hoi An retain a magical old world Oriental feel and are a favorite subject for Vietnamese artists. In the early 1980s Hoi An’s ancient quarters and historical monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of UNESCO and the Polish government.

Tonight, you will enjoy the luxury of the Victoria Hoi An, located on the beach.

Day 11: Visit My Son and Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa

This morning you will rise early and drive a short distance to the Cham ruins of My Son. The Cham Empire controlled the central coastline of Vietnam from the 4th to the 14th century. It is said that the people came to Vietnam from Indonesia, and brought with them the Hindu religion. They made masterful temples and fortunes trading silk, pearls, and even birds nests. Sadly, the ruins of My Son were badly destroyed during the Vietnam War, but enough of the temples remain to get a good sense of the art and architecture of the period.

After visiting My Son, you will return to Hoi An and tour a bit in the town, walking the Japanese Bridge, visiting the different Chinese Assembly Halls and pagodas and walking the market.

After your walk, you can take a boat ride to one of the islands in the river to see a village of potters. In the evening, you might want to head to Brothers for dinner on your own. The food is extraordinary.

Day 12: Free Day in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa

Today is free to rent bikes, enjoy the beach by your hotel, or wander in Hoi An.

Day 13: Fly Hanoi. Cyclo ride and Water Puppet Show

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel De L’opera or Sofitel Legend Metropole

Rising early, you will fly to Hanoi on VN #1509 (0950/1105), where you will transfer to the Serenade, located in the Old Quarter. After changing clothes and a brief lunch, you will take a cyclo ride around the area.

Hanoi, located at the confluence of the Red and Duong Rivers, has come a long way from the stilt houses of the stone and bronze age dwellers of four and five thousand years ago. Myths link Hanoi’s origins to the center of the earth, visions of soaring dragons, and fears of invasions or fierce winds from the north. Between Chinese power struggles, peasant rebellions, invasions from warring Mongol hordes, the French occupation, and American bombing attacks, the city has undergone and continues to undergo tremendous growth and change. Today’s Hanoi, “the city inside a bend of the Red River,” is a blend of thousand year old temples, tube houses, neo Parisian buildings, and new, modern hotels and office buildings.

After your ride, you will enjoy a charming water puppet show. It may seem touristy, but it is an event that is loved by the locals and tells stories that are intimately part of their culture.

After the performance, you have time to explore the Old Quarter. Here many tiny streets join to sell a huge diversity of products. In the old days, each street bore the name of the product sold – “Shoe Street,” “Noodle Street,” and the like. Today, the streets sometimes sell a variety of items, but often the names are accurate. The Old Quarter also houses some of the most interesting art galleries. You spend some time visiting several of the most respected galleries, meeting with the owners and artists.

Day 14: Tour Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel De Lopera or Sofitel Legend Metropole

A real treat is to rise early before breakfast and walk down to Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you will join the locals in their morning Tai Chi exercises. Returning to the hotel, you will eat breakfast and then take a tour of the city. Your path will take you past the granite and concrete mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state, and the government buildings. Leaving the museum, you will walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle of the city passing the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong to celebrate the birth of his only son, and Ho Chi Minh’s house, given him by the people of the country in thanks for his leadership. If time permits, you will also visit some of the most important temples of Hanoi. One of the most interesting is the Temple of Literature, called “Le Pagoda des Corbeaux” by the French, because of the huge flocks of crows gathering in the mango trees near the entrance. Built in 1070, the complex consists of five courtyards dedicated to Confucius and the pursuit of Confucian thought and behavior. It is here that Vietnam’s first university was founded. Another fascinating shrine is the Dao Quan Bich Cau Temple, built in the 15th century and dedicated to the military hero Ta Uyen, who fought many battles against Cham. One of the most   beautiful   in   Vietnam, this Taoist  temple contains statues of the her, his wife and son. Nearby is a statue to Lao-Tse, who founded the Taoist faith around 604 BC.

After lunch, you can choose between a visit to the wonderful Ethnic Museum or time in the Art Museum.

This evening, you will have a delicious farewell dinner at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants.

Day 15: Home

Meals: Breakfast

The day is free until time to transfer to the airport for your flight home.

DAY 1: ARRIVE SAIGON

Greetings from Saigon, the thriving capital of Vietnam.

When you arrive, take a taxi from Tan Son Nhat airport to Saigon's city center, then check into your hotel. at will to unwind and overcome jet lag. Saigon overnight.

Note that check-in for hotels often begins at 14.00. Early check-in if the hotel has space.

DAY 2: SAIGON – CITY TOUR - CUCHI TUNNEL (B, L)

The Reunification Palace, a testament to the bloody end of the Vietnam War in 1975, is where the city tour begins. Today, the opulent structure houses a museum and a hall for business meetings. The Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the city's most well-known buildings, and the Central Post Office, both in colonial design, are close to the Palace. The War Remnants Museum will be our final trip for the day. In a nearby restaurant, lunch will be served.

We travel by land to the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels in the late afternoon. These tunnels were built by Vietnamese insurgents as a defense against American attacks during the Vietnam War. We may even partially crawl into the tunnel, visit their kitchen and infirmary, and learn how they managed to stay alive there. Later, head back to your hotel.

Saigon overnight.

Meal: Lunch at a nearby restaurant; breakfast at the hotel.

DAY 3: SAIGON – MEKONG DELTA – SAIGON (B, L)

We depart Saigon this morning for My Tho, located in the Mekong Delta, stopping en route to see the lovely Vinh Trang pagoda. When we get there, we'll take a leisurely boat trip along the river to see the fishing communities, fruit plantations, and stilt houses that line the bank. Have lunch in the orchard garden before continuing to Tortoise Islet. After that, take a boat to An Khanh, a less popular destination in Ben Tre, and enjoy paddling a hand-rowed sampan through natural canals while enjoying fresh fruit and honey tea to the sounds of "Southern Vietnamese folk music," played by locals.

As you stroll around the fruit plantation and village, stop at a family-run company that embodies the ideal rural way of life, sample some delectable coconut candy, and take in the pastoral scene. Saigon overnight

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

DAY 4: SAIGON – DANANG – HOIAN ANCIENT TOWN (B)

Transfer to the airport in the morning for your subsequent trip to Danang.

Once you arrive, a driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel in Hoi An so you may check your bags.

We'll explore the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, the reticent Chinese Assembly Halls, the ancient homes and Trading Houses, pagodas, and the market by the Thu Bon River with our guide in Hoian. Here, we might experience the same emotions as the artists who view the Hoi An rooftops as a magical old world with an Oriental feel and a source of inspiration. In addition, this is a great town for shopping for raw silk, soft silk, and lanterns. You can also get your garments customized here in a day.

The next day in Hoian. Ho Chi Minh hotel overnight.

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel

DAY 5: HOIAN – TRA QUE COOKING DEMONSTRATION – HOIAN (B, L)

Ride a bicycle for 30 minutes to the Tra Que herb village from your hotel. While taking a brief stroll through the vegetable garden, learn about the village's past. Then take part in gardening tasks including clearing the land, adding seaweed fertilizer, raking the dirt, planting, watering, and collecting veggies. Before making lunch with a local family, take a foot soak. Participate in making 'Tam Huu' spring rolls and 'Banh Xeo,' a popular pancake in the middle area of Viet Nam. After lunch and your morning excursions, you receive instructions on how to pick and package the veggies. Bicycle back to your hotel after saying goodbye to your host family. The afternoon is free for leisure activities like shopping for silk products, picking up souvenirs, having your garments created on the same day, or simply relaxing on the beach.

Hoi An hotel overnight.

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at Tra Que vegetable village.

DAY 6: HOIAN – MYSON SANCTUARY – HOIAN – HUE (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, we'll travel from Hoian to the My Son Sanctuary, where you may explore the undiscovered riches of the Cham culture, which formerly flourished in what is now Central Vietnam. My Son was also named one of UNESCO's five World Heritage sites in Vietnam as a result of the intrigue and construction mysteries surrounding the Cham towers. It is a sizable religious complex with more than 70 temples and towers of various architectural styles.

Return to Hoi An by car so you can catch a bus to Hue. The bus departs at 5:00 o'clock. Stay the night in Hue.

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel

DAY 7: HUE CITY TOUR – STREET FOOD - HANOI – BY FLIGHT(B, L)

Hue is distinguished by the oldest royal architectural creations and the most traditional Vietnamese way of life, and is designated by UNESCO as the first Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam. We shall explore the city's splendor this morning from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City. Continue on to the vibrant Dong Ba market to see local business life and see many of the products used to make Hue's traditional cuisine.

The best way to learn about a place's culture is to sample its distinctive food. We'll leave on a special street food trip about midday to explore Hue's other side. Our tour begins with Filtered tapioca dumplings (Banh Loc) or Sticky rice dumplings on a fried dumpling (Ram It) and ends with the renowned Hue beef vermicelli soup (Bun Bo Hue). The modest restaurant where the street food tour ends serves Sweet soup (Che) a delicious regional specialty cooked with tapioca and other regional ingredients. Alternatively, Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk is available if the sweet soup is not your thing.

Immediately departing for Phu Bai Airport to catch an aircraft to Hanoi. Picked up and taken to a central hotel for check-in after arrival. Hanoi overnight stay

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

DAY 8: HANOI CITY TOUR (B, L)

Early in the morning, between 8:00 and 8:30, your Old Quarter hotel in Hanoi will be visited by a bus and a guide. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the first stop on the itinerary. Visitors can learn about the life and accomplishments of the late great leader Ho Chi Minh from the tour guide. Visitors then move on to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda, both of which feature impressive structures from the eleventh century (1049). The Tran Quoc Pagoda is up next on the itinerary. Located in a quiet nook of West Lake, one of Hanoi's largest lakes is the Ly Nam De (541_547) temple, which is the oldest structure in Vietnam. Next, head to Bat Trang, a village famous for its handmade ceramics (apply on Mon, Wed & Fri). Let's eat at 12:15 o'clock.

In the Afternoon, the Guest Explores the Ethnology Museum (apply on Sun, Tue, Thu & Sat). After that, you'll head to Vietnam's first and largest university, the Temple of Literature, which was established in 1070 by King LY Thanh Tong. Vietnam's educational system is based on the moral philosophy of Confucius, whose founder Chu Van An was the first teacher of Quoc Tu Giam. The Ngoc Son Temple is your final destination. Tours typically conclude between the hours of 15:30 and 16:00. Hanoi overnight stay

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Please note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes on Monday and Friday, from late September to November for annual maintenance.

DAY 9: HANOI – HALONG BAY OVERNIGHT CRUISE (B, L, D)

Wake up early and run to a lake near your hotel if you want to observe how the people of Hanoi get up and shine in the morning. You may join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals who are intensely focused on their daily Tai Chi Quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance, and other exercises. Travel for more than two hours to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, after breakfast at the hotel. UNESCO named Halong Bay a Natural World Heritage site in 1994 and 2006. The route will pass through the Red River delta, which is characterized by lush paddy fields and rural communities where hard-working farmers are engaged in farming tasks like plow buffaloes or planting seedlings. Aboard the overnight cruise after arriving in Halong, you may see the breathtaking beauty of the "Descending-dragon" bay, which was carved out by thousands of oddly formed limestone rocks and karst grottoes. Following a meal on board, we can explore the Grottos, stop for swimming or kayaking, pass by floating homes, and approach islets to take in their beauty up close. Before dinner, take in a cookery demonstration before returning to the ship. Attend boat activities in the evening or just unwind at your own pace. On the ship, spend the night.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on board

Please note the program may be a little varied on the cruise you choose.

DAY 10: HALONG BAY – HANOI (B, Brunch )

To enjoy the dawn on the sea in the early morning, you should get up early. You might be able to guess how magical it was to view the sunrise above the islets of the Bay since the Vietnamese refer to the "East Sea" by the point-oriented moniker "Eastern Sea." After breakfast, our boat will continue to go through beautiful locations where practically every islet has its own name, often based on its shape or resemblance, such as Sail Island, Fisherman's Head Rock, Butterfly Rock, or Turtle Islet. Check out your room and have brunch on the ship as it returns to the pier. Disembark the ship and go by land to Hanoi. enter the hotel. your leisure time. Hanoi overnight stay.

Meal: Breakfast and brunch on board.

DAY 11: HANOI DEPARTURE (B)

After breakfast, you will have some free time to rest or go shopping (as you see fit) before heading to the airport for your subsequent trip home. Service completed.

Meal: Breakfast at the hotel

Please note: Hotel check-out time is around 12.00.