Vietnam Highlights in the North and South | Vietnam Authentic Tour - 09 Days

Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. Enjoy 45-minute driving to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with city's briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine....Arrive in your hotel, check in and have a rest.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

Continue your day by a walking tour. Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da quietly located in a small alley - only few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by French colonialism since the 19th century. Your tour guide also takes you to typical streets of Hanoi such as Lan Ong Street selling traditional medicine, Lo Ren Street where metal items are produced ... Stop to visit the Dong Xuan central market - the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to the famous area for night activities and street food - Ta Hien street, where you can see the vibrant streets with a lot of the amazing local foods and drinks. Trying to taste some for an unforgettable experience.

9:00 AM: Get Pick up by tour guide to the Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly dynasty in 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage "stone steles” which shows the name of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered as the first national university of Vietnam.

Next stop at the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many ethnic groups. To fully explore this interesting museum, it takes you around two hours. 

In the afternoon you visit the French Quarter – it is a “little Paris” in Hanoi with tree-lined boulevards, government head offices and a big square. Visit (outside) Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live and work. Towards the unique One – pillar pagoda which is one of the city’s symbols. It takes us from 1 to 2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of traveler.

Finally enjoying the water puppet shows that is the unique performances, first appeared in the 11th century. In these shows, the daily life, culture and belief of Vietnamese people are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well.

8:00 AM: Transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, driving through the picturesque countryside of the Red River Delta, painted by rice and vegetable fields.

Take a 15km bike ride (optional) or walk through the villages. A journey along the dyke will offer you gorgeous landscapes of rice fields, a river and limestone mountains. There are several stops for you to take beautiful photos or encounter the locals then walk to discover Thung La temple, dating back to the 11th century. Meet Mr Tuong, the temple guardian, and enjoy an authentic conversation as well as a 20 minute drum show.

Later, take a sampan boat trip along the stream and among the limestone mountains to discover the beauty of Van Long nature reserve. If lucky, you might get to see white monkeys and egrets on the cliffs. After the boat trip, visit an embroidery village and take part in an embroidery course under the instruction of local craftswoman, Mrs Lam. She will proudly explain the techniques of her traditional craft. This will be a good opportunity for you to practice on fabric like a real craftsman.

9:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy two and a half hour drive from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on the national highway No5B. Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue driving to the harbor around noon, get warmly welcome at cruise reception.

8:30 – 8:50: Our driver will pick you up at the Shuttle Bus stop (for shared transfers) or directly from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter (for private transfers). From there, we'll make our way to Halong City.

12:00: The Peony Cruises crew will warmly welcome you at their lounge in Tuan Chau. Get ready to board Peony Cruises via their support vessel, and we'll fill you in on the exciting itinerary during this time.

13:00: Welcome aboard with fresh drinks and wet towels, accompanied by a spread of appetizing delicacies. We then set sail for Lan Ha Bay, a member of the World’s Most Beautiful Bays. Relish a delicious lunch of fresh seafood while cruising along Lan Ha Bay with breathtaking scenery.

15:30: Explore the unspoiled and poetic beauty of Tra Bau area, renowned for its attractive seascape. This is the perfect time for kayaking to discover the true beauty of the limestone islands. Take a dip in the emerald green waters or enjoy the Jacuzzi pool on Peony Cruises.

17:30 - 18:30: Join us for a cooking demonstration and master the art of making one of the most famous Vietnamese cuisines, the spring rolls. Alternatively, head to the top deck to admire the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin. It’s Happy Hour – BUY ONE GET ONE FREE at the bar, an ideal moment for photography enthusiasts to capture the greatest sunset over Lan Ha Bay.

19:30: Savor delicious local food prepared by our skillful chef.

21:00 – 22:00: Relax and enjoy exotic cocktails and drinks at the sky bar (with a surcharge). Indulge yourself with a spa service (with a surcharge) or simply unwind on the top deck under the brightly illuminated sky. Alternatively, try your luck at squid fishing on the main deck.

6:00: Start the day with a Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun rising up beyond the horizon.

6:45 - 7:15: Breakfast is served while cruising back to Gia Luan jetty (Breakfast time may be adjusted to follow the real itinerary).

7:30 - 9:00: It takes 30 minutes to travel from Gia Luan to Trung Trang cave – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

9:30: Return to the main boat, check-out, and place your luggage outside the cabin. Early lunch is served at the restaurant. Settle the bar bill at the desk (if any).

10:30 - 11:00: Disembark Peony Cruises and transfer back to Tuan Chau Port. Our driver will pick you up again for the journey back to Hanoi.

Welcome by driver at the harbor then enjoy 2 and a half hour travel back to Hanoi on the new highway No5B crossing the Red River Delta and villages. Drop off at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter).

Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby (Hanoi Old Quarter) for about 45 minutes to Noi Bai airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.

Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and domestic is 2 hours before departure time.

Landing at the Tan Son Nhat airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. On the 30-minute driving from the airport to the city center, your tour guide will introduce you about the highlights of the city, and share the experiences of eating and drinking, traffic, culture....

On arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

9:00 AM: Pick up from your hotel to the Independence Palace, once used as the home - office of the Presidents of South Vietnam. Our visit includes the North Vietnamese tank which effectively attacked the palace in 1975 to bring the controversial Vietnam War to an end and the five-story palace with its rooms have been preserved in their late 1960s, 1970s style and a bunker basement.

Continue by a leisurely waking tour. Head to the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, originally built between 1863 and 1880, evidently reflects the French colonist influences. It’s a picturesque spot in the city.

Toward to Nguyen Hue walking street, you take a few walks to the unmissable city's famous landmark. The Saigon Central Post Office is a stunning building, designed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel. It is an actually working post office with beautiful indoor decorations.

Pick up by car then short drive to have a visit to Binh Tay Market, located in Saigon’s Chinatown area with hundreds of stalls, the biggest market in city actually contributes a hub for many of Saigon’s demands including clothing, souvenir and food items. There is also a food court where visitors can sample local delicacies and street food.

Continue visit Quan Am Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in city and dedicated to Guan Yin, elements of Taoism, and the folk worship of the "Queen of Heaven".

Finally visit the Traditional Medicine Museum (FITO) where the medicinal herb recipes, magic potions and special antique tools are preserved.

8:00 AM: Leave from your hotel to visit the most striking place in the history of the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Cu Chi is a real underground city made up of a large network of tunnels covering an area of over 250km long where the Viet Cong conducted the war of resistance against American troops. All of the tunnels were dug over a period of twenty years using only pickaxes and shovels. The tour includes special entering some part of tunnels. You will also have a chance to visit Ben Duoc memorial temple nearby but far less touristic built in 1993 in memory of the Vietnamese killed at Cu Chi.

Continue to visit one of the most sacred attractions in Vietnam - the Cao Dai Temple. Caodaism is a uniquely Vietnamese religion that is influenced by elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and even Roman Catholicism. On a visit, you can attend the midday mass.

8:00 AM: Tour guide and driver welcome you at your hotel for your transfer to Ben Tre, a beautiful region in the Mekong Delta River, famous for making coconut candy. Arrive at Hung Vuong pier, take a boat trip on Ben Tre River to discover the daily local life. Continue your boat trip on a canal to Nhon Thanh Village. This will be an opportunity to taste the fresh fruits.

Take a bike ride (or Tuk tuk) on a small path through the villages and enjoy views of the coconut ranges, rice fields and vegetable gardens. A lunch of elephant ear fish is served in the village. A short walk will help you to discover the local life in depth. This is followed by a boat ride on the small canal shaded by the wild palm trees.

Transfer back to Saigon in the late afternoon.

Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby for about 30 minutes to Tan Son Nhat airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.

Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and domestic is 2 hours before departure time.

In the rush hour (07:00 – 08:30 AM and 16:30 – 18:30 PM), it takes around 1 hour from city center to Tan Son Nhat airport.