Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City tour for a Glimpse of Vietnam in 8 days

When you arrive at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, you will be collected and transported to your accommodation in the capital. After settling into your accommodation, you will have free time to explore Ha Noi, Vietnam’s 1000-year-old capital city, a fashionable and elegant city with a distinct old-world charm and some of Asia’s most magnificent colonial architecture.

Its various lakes and parks offer a touch of nature and a calm ambience that locals and visitors alike love.

Time to explore the city on your own

Begin your city tour after breakfast at your hotel with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the renowned One Pillar Pagoda, and the historic Ba Dinh Square. Continue to Van Mieu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam’s first Confucian institution, founded in 1076.

After lunch, unwind before continuing your trip in the afternoon at the Museum of Ethnology and a traditional cyclo ride through the famed Old Quarter to see Dong Xuan market. Later in the afternoon, enjoy the distinct Vietnamese creativity of a water puppet show. Free time for supper at one of the city’s numerous restaurants and perhaps an evening stroll around lovely Hoan Kiem Lake with the locals. In Hanoi, spend the night.

Invitations from IDC Travel:

– Try some local coffee.

– Try some local beer (Hanoi fresh beer)

– Come to the IDC Travel office and join us for dinner.

Evening optional activities in Hanoi:

– Have a drink at a neighbouring café/bar/pub.

– Exploring the downtown Hanoi area (walking streets on Weekends from Friday night until Sunday around Old Quarter areas and Hoan Kiem Lake)

– Go on a nighttime motorbike/scooter/walking tour.

Pick up from your accommodation at 8 a.m. and transport to Ha Long Bay, stopping along the way to view the scenery and perhaps photograph a buffalo boy. Arrive at Ha Long at lunchtime, board on a private Junk, the boat screw will meet you with a delicious seafood meal, and the boat will sail around the bay for 4 hours, passing scenic islets such as Stone Dog, Incense Burner, and “Fighting Cock.”

Stop in a fishing town to relax and learn about their way of life. Visit the most spectacular cave in Ha Long Bay, Thien Cung “Heavenly Palace.” Return to the port around midday for a private car journey back to Hanoi for the night.

Ha Long Bay

Take an early morning flight to Da Nang, where you will be met and taken a short distance to old Hoi An town, which was once a seaport in the kingdom of Champa and has been affected throughout the years by a plethora of traders from other cultures. This quiet UNESCO World Heritage site has a lot to offer, including the famed Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, the 200-year-old ancient Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, and the busy market.

On a walking tour, we will see numerous modest tiled-roof dwellings and assembly halls strewn around the narrow lanes that represent the town’s multi-cultural heritage. Spend the night at Hoi An.

Hoi An ancient town

The next destination on your journey will be Hue, Vietnam’s imperial capital from 1802 to 1945. We will see the spectacular Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc Beach on the way from Hoi An to Hue before proceeding to the Cham Museum in Da Nang. We drive across the beautiful Hai Van Pass, pausing at the summit to see the stunning views north to Lang Co and south to Da Nang.

After checking into your hotel in Hue, you will take a boat ride along the Perfume River, stopping at the busy Dong Ba Market and the famous Thien Mu Pagoda. After the boat ride, go to the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City, which were almost completely devastated during the 1968 Tet Offensive but are nevertheless interesting to explore among the remains. In Hue, spend the night.

Imperial City of Hue

No visit to Hue would be complete without you saw the ornate mausoleum of Tu Duc, Vietnam’s last emperor, which you will view in the morning before boarding your flight south to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City, still referred to as Saigon by many residents, is a vibrant cosmopolitan metropolis teeming with motorcycles and vehicles, as well as interesting retail districts and sidewalk cafés.

Notre Dame Cathedral

An afternoon city tour includes the Reunification Palace, which served as the home of South Vietnam’s President until the end of April 1975, as well as nearby French colonial landmarks including the Old Saigon Post Office and the famous Notre Dame Cathedral.

We’ll also stop by the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum before heading to the famed Ben Thanh Market, where you can buy anything. Free time to explore the city more and dine at one of the city’s outstanding restaurants in the evening. In Ho Chi Minh City, spend the night.

After breakfast at your accommodation, we travel by vehicle to My Tho, the “rice bowl of Vietnam,” in the Mekong Delta, where we board a boat to negotiate the complicated canal system.

You may get a close look at local life and see vistas of the several islands while going through beautiful green woodlands on your way to the famed Unicorn Island. Enjoy lovely traditional music while strolling through an orchard, eating the numerous seasonal tropical fruits. The next stop is the province of Ben Tre, where we will see some unique local enterprises.

Mekong Floating Market

We return to Ho Chi Minh City after a delicious lunch of fresh local cuisine to see Vinh Trang Pagoda and Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is crowded with sacred temples, countless stores, and mysterious, winding small streets.

In Ho Chi Minh City, spend the night.

Evening optional activities in Ho Chi Minh City:

– Enjoy local café/pub/bar beverages.

– Strolling around the night walking street (Bui Vien, De Tham streets)

– Go on a nighttime scooter or motorcycle trip.

After breakfast, you have free time to unwind at your hotel or continue seeing Ho Chi Minh City before being transferred to Tan San Nhat International Airport for departure.