Our 10D9N Vietnam Taster with Man Nguyen
is based on a journey between Hanoi and Saigon, taking in the highlights of our central region between the two. In 10 Days, you’ll explore Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Imperial Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An & Saigon, priced on a private ‘Land Only’ basis with first-world comforts. Your price will include domestic flights as shown, your choice of 8 nights, three stars or four stars accommodation on a B&B basis, one night on board a luxury Vietnamese ‘Junk’ boat, eight lunches, two dinners and two evening food tours.
“A Vietnam Taster – From North to South in 10D9N”
Fascinating Vietnam & its Amazing Food
With its tumultuous history our enchanting country mergers old with new. And with a captivating mix of cosmopolitan cities, historic towns and charming villages you explore bustling markets, ancient temples and fashionable restaurants with us.
But your Vietnam ‘Taster’ includes more than just landscape, culture and history.
Vietnam’s cuisine is world-famous and appeals through the five senses (năm giác quan): pretty food arrangement attracts the eye, sound comes from crisp ingredients, five-spices are detected by tongue, aromatic ingredients stimulate the nose and many of our meals can be perceived by touch.
Our foods carry distinctive, unique characteristics by region. Reflecting the geographical and living conditions of our people. Every day you will taste the food of Vietnam, from street food to local eateries, from an onboard VIP dinner to Asian fusion.
In 10 Days you’ll explore Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Imperial Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An & Saigon priced on a private ‘Land Only’ basis with first-world comforts. This offers great flexibility to extend your holiday, use loyalty programmes to book international flights, or find best value long-haul deals. Our Land Only price includes everything outlined in this itinerary except the cost of international flights to and from Vietnam. Your price will include domestic flights as shown, your choice of 8 nights 3* or 4* accommodation on a B&B basis, 1 night onboard a luxury Vietnamese ‘Junk’ boat, 8 lunches, 2 dinners and 2 evening food tours.
Day 1: Arrival & Hanoi
We ‘meet & greet’ at Hanoi’s Nội Bài International Airport arrivals lounge and transfer you the 35km to your Hanoi hotel for check-in. We head out again in the evening for our ‘Taste of Northern Vietnam’, our Hanoi City Food Tour when most of the street vendors open for business (food included). We visit the most popular street stalls and hidden alleyways of the ’36 Streets’ that makeup Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Day 2: Hanoi
Located in the central area of the Red River Delta, Hanoi has been the capital of reunified Vietnam since 1976. Originally Thăng Long from 1010AD, in 1831 the city was renamed Hà Nội (‘inside the rivers’) by Emperor Minh Mang.
Having endured Chinese, Japanese and French occupation, as well as the chaos of the Vietnam War, our capital is now the commercial, cultural, and educational centre of Northern Vietnam.
Our Full-Day Hanoi City Tour will discover a city that is both ancient & modern, chaotic & peaceful! We visit: The mausoleum of our revered ‘Uncle Ho’ (Ho Chi Minh) and the unique ‘One Pillar Pagoda’,The Temple of Literature designed in 1070AD as Vietnam’s first university, The Hanoi ‘Hilton’, Trấn Quốc Pagodaon West Lake and ‘Temple of the Jade Mountain’.We include an authentic Vietnamese lunch and iconic ‘cyclo’ ride by Hoàn Kiếm Lakeside! Late afternoon we return you to your hotel.
Day 3: Ha Long Bay
We drive the expressway to Haiphong city and UNESCO listed Ha Long Bay. Here you board a traditional Vietnamese Junk for your overnight luxury cruise! Lunch is included on arrival. We cruise the stunningly beautiful but less touristy Lan Ha bay area of Ha Long, which offers you the opportunity to swim, kayak and explore caves by traditional sampan. Or just watch the world go by with a cocktail. You dine onboard tonight while enjoying a Vietnamese music performance (included).
Day 4: Ha Long Bay
Your mini-cruise continues after early breakfast on-board. This morning you can visit local fishing families or enjoy a Vietnamese cooking demonstration by the ship’s chefs before a fantastic Vietnamese buffet lunch. Saying goodbye to new friends and the ship’s crew, we make our way back to Hanoi airport for our short early evening flight to Da Nang in central Vietnam and your Hoi An hotel transfer.
Day 5: Hoi An
Another of our UNESCO World Heritage Sites, pretty Hoi An town never fails to delight its many visitors. Firmly on the tourist trail, it’s sometimes busy but always a real pleasure to discover. This former trading port is a melting pot of history, architecture, eras & styles.
Our full-day tour includes visits to rural families, riding Vietnam’s unique basket boats, a walking tour of Hoi An’s ancient town and evening time in the very pretty Hoi An Lantern Area, Riverside and its Night Market. We include lunch of Bánh mì, Hoi An’s Vietnamese baguette made famous by Anthony Bourdain. And a special dinner by the Thu Bồn river with our family for your ‘Taste of central Vietnam!’
Day 6: Imperial Hue
We make an early start today across Hai Van Pass (said to be one of the best coast roads in the world) for our full day tour of the once imperial capital of Vietnam. Located on the picturesque Perfume River, evocative Hue is a city crammed full of ancient and modern history, photogenic sites and wonderful lunch opportunities. Unlike Da Nang, Hue has resisted the dash for modernisation and remains a pleasant and gentile reminder of a past Vietnam.
You will visit the imperial Citadel of Hue and enjoy a private boat ride across the Perfume River to Thien Mu (or Fairy Lady) Pagoda. After lunch a short drive through rural Hue Province into Chau Chu mountain takes us to the elaborate tomb of Emperor Khanh Dinh with it’s unique imperial audience court.
Day 7: Da Nang
After check-out, we spend a good half day exploring the ‘highlights’ of Da Nang. Our third city is the opposite of Hoi An but is very much the future of our amazing country. It’s where many Vietnamese aspire to live!
Amongst the city bustle and rapid expansion can be found much of interest, including the magic of Marble Mountains, Son Tra Peninsula with its towering ‘Lady Buddha’ & Ling Ung Pagoda overlooking Da Nang Bay and Cham Islands, Da Nang’s unique Dragon Bridge and much more! After your speciality lunch we transfer to Da Nang International Airport for our short afternoon flight south to Saigon (HCMC). You will be transferred the 6km to your Saigon hotel for check-in.
Day 8: Saigon (HCMC)
Saigon dates to the 4th century. It became the capital of French Cochin-China and from 1955-1975 the independent republic of South Vietnam. In 1976 it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) after our leader and president. Whilst the greater city is ‘Ho Chi Minh City’, Sài Gòn remains the official name of its centre and is the name most locals use.
Saigon is the business and financial hub of modern Vietnam. Its skyscrapers tower over classical western-style buildings, villas and wide boulevards. Today’s Full-Day Saigon City Tour includes: The Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, China Town, Chợ Lớn & Thien Hau Pagoda. We include an authentic South Vietnamese lunch. And if time permits we stop at Graham Greene’s famous Đừong Đồng Khởi – THE Saigon street for shopping, a cocktail or just people watching!
Day 9: Củ Chi Tunnels & Saigon
You will have already seen it impossible to travel anywhere in Vietnam without mention of ‘The War’. So today we drive a short distance to the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to visit the tunnels of Củ Chi. This is an immense network of interconnecting tunnels, part of a larger network that underlies much of our country. They were the location of several Vietnam War military campaigns and preserved by our government as a war memorial park.
We return to your hotel mid-afternoon before heading out again in the evening for our final taster: ‘Taste of Southern Vietnam‘. Our Saigon City Food Tour when most of the street vendors open for business (food included). We visit the most popular street stalls and hidden alleyways, showing you where and what our locals love to eat!
Day 10: Departure
Hotel Pick-Up and transfer to Saigon’s Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport for your onwards flight