Leave Hanoi for Halong Bay where you arrive around noon. Board a traditional wooden junk and begin your exploration of magical Halong Bay, one of Southeast Asia’s premier tourist destinations. Kayaking on the bay is interesting. An excellent, fresh seafood lunch and dinner will be served on the boat. Spend your overnight onboard.

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After breakfast and early swim, the junk continue to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations of Halong bay. Enjoy this more isolated bay’s spectacular and unique islands of the bay. Disembank after lunch on board. Return to Hanoi at the end of the day. This evening is at leisure in Hanoi before enjoying the Water Puppets Show, a unique Vietnamese traditional art performance.

After breakfast at hotel, we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, traditional stilt house, Ho Chi Minh Museum and the reserved One-pillar Pagoda. Transfer to Noi Bai airport for a flight to Hue. Upon arrival visit The Imperial Citadel and the Royal Mausoleum of Tu Duc.

After breakfast at hotel, enjoy a boat trip on the Perfumes River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. Stroll in Dong Ba market (if time permits). Then travel to Hoian through Da Nang. The scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van Pass offers spectacular views of mountains, the sea, idyllic beaches and villages (or we can choose the shorter way by driving through the tunnel). Visit the Cham Museum and Marble Mountains with beautiful grottoes and temples before arriving in Hoi An.

Take a morning visit to Hoi An which was originally one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century. Visit Hoi An Town with its low tiled houses of Chinese appearance, Japanese covered bridge, brightly painted temples and pagodas making it one of Vietnam’s most delightful places. This afternoon is at leisure.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport of Da Nang for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Pick up on arrival and transfer to city center. An afternoon city tour of Ho Chi Minh City includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, a lacquer-ware factory, and the bustling Chinatown with Binh Tay Market. Thien Hau Pagoda is not to be missed as well.

In the morning, depart for Tay Ninh - the headquarters of Cao Dai region founded on 1926. Upon arrival we attend the fantastic Mid-day Mass when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity and Buddhism. In the afternoon, travel about 30km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi town. Cu Chi Tunnels were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi tunnels consist of morn than 200 kilometers of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1 meter wide, just enough for a person to crawl along. Return back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) after tour. Today’s dinner is on your own to explore local cuisines.

In the morning, travel to My Tho. Take a boat tour downstream to Ben Tre, where you have the opportunity to discover the local people’s life in Mekong Delta with popcorn and pop-rice workshop, rice paper mill, coconut candy mill and fruit gardens. Bike riding or transfer by horse carnage on village road. Lunch will be at the local restaurant followed by taste testing of the local products. 

After breakfast, transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight back home or a stopover at Hong Kong to extend your journey.