Highlights
– Discovering delicious Vietnamese food in Hanoi, a city with deep-rooted culture in its veins
– Sailing around the magisterial Halong Bay, ancient land of evocative natural rock sculptures
– Diving into the history of UNESCO-protected Hoi An, a beautiful town with incredible architecture
– Finding a modern city with far-reaching roots at Ho Chi Minh City
– Exploring the ancient Mekong Delta via its luxuriant canals and humble village paths
Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
Our tour guide and driver will wait for you at the airport, ready to welcome your family to our beautiful country! Once you have arrived, they will transfer you to your hotel in the city’s central Old Quarter, after which you can check-in (check-in time is from 14:00) and settle into the pace of the capital however you wish.
At 17.30 pm, our guide will return to your hotel to take your family on a fabulous food tour, discovering the delights and delicacies of the city from its perfectly safe street stalls. A lot of Vietnamese cultures revolves around food, so you and your family will receive a great introduction to our customs while trying some typical dishes such as nem rán (fried spring rolls), nộm đu đủ bò (beef and papaya salad) and the typical Hanoian favorite, bún chả (vermicelli with pork patties). We finish at one of the city’s multitudes of cafes to enjoy a classic egg coffee or Vietnamese coffee before retiring to the hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B, L)
Have breakfast at your hotel this morning and await pick-up from our guide. They will meet you at your hotel at 08:00 and take your family on a comprehensive city tour of Hanoi.
We start at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which provides a fantastic account of the 54 ethnic minorities living around the country, as well as the different traditions that each group subscribes to. Kids will enjoy the full-scale replicas of ethnic groups’ typical stilt houses in the museum’s garden.
We head next to one of Vietnam’s most impressive structures, the ancient Temple of Literature, standing since 1076 and acting as the first university in Vietnam. This highly prestigious establishment taught the philosophies of Confucius and only accepted the very brightest minds from around the country.
Lunch will follow this at about midday, after which we will take the drive to Bat Trang ceramic village, one of the many artisan villages just outside of the capital. We will see how these beautiful bits of ceramic are made, letting the kids have a go at creating their own with a pottery wheel. This will be a great memento to keep off your time in Vietnam.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B, L, D)
Take breakfast at the hotel followed by the transfer across the Red River Delta to the legendary Halong Bay. We will have a few comforts stops along the way and arrive at the pier at about midday when you will meet your beautiful cruise ship in Halong Bay for the first time.
Once you have embarked onto the cruise, we will serve a gorgeous lunch and set sail through the limestone maze that encompasses this stunning corner of Vietnam, where spiraling karst rock formations pierce the calm sea around us. Along with much relaxing on the sundeck and in your cabin, the itinerary today features a few excursions intent on getting you and your family closer to the action of this twice UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. These include a visit to a colorful floating village and an impressive cave, along with the chance to kayak on the still waters, taking in the magnificence around you.
Returning to the boat after all of this, you will be able to share a truly special sunset with your loved ones before a delicious dinner usher in the evening. At this point, you will be able to try squid fishing and relaxing into the nighttime on the top deck or in your cabin.
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Da Nang – Drive to Hoi An (B, L)
Start the day early to enjoy a sunrise on the top deck or opt to sleep-in instead. Breakfast will be served in the dining room as the day’s new light creeps across the limestone mountains. We will have time today to cruise around the bay in the morning while you relax at your leisure, crowned with a delicious lunch before we head back to the harbor to disembark.
The driver will meet you here to drive you to Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport, where you will catch your flight to Da Nang. At Da Nang, a new driver will greet you warmly and transfer your family to Hoi An, where you will, in turn, be greeted by the amazing sight of the town’s gorgeous construction. At your hotel, you can check in and relax into a magical evening in lantern-lit Hoi An.
Day 5: Hoi An – Half Day Tour (B)
Take breakfast in your hotel before preparing for the day.
Our guide will be along in the morning or the afternoon to take you on a half-day tour of Hoi An’s center. The gorgeously rustic walls and low-tiled roofs of Hoi An tell a thousand stories from the port town’s heyday in the 15th century, when it was one of the major stops on the maritime silk road between Europe and China. We will meander through the town’s beautiful streets, finding heritage in abundance at some of the 21 official attractions throughout the center, including a Chinese assembly hall, museum, historic merchant’s house and the town’s iconic Japanese Covered Bridge.
During your free time, you may want to enjoy your first bit of beach time on your holiday. This can be done at the beautiful Cua Dai and An Bang beaches, two stretches of white sand that lie on the town’s northeastern coast. Alternatively, you could join a half-day tour of My Son Sanctuary, another of Vietnam’s UNESCO-protected sites that reveals the secrets of the lost civilization of Champa.
Day 6: Hoi An – Free Day (B)
There are a wealth of things to do in Hoi An for families. You can plan them over breakfast amid the town’s stunning tropical backdrop.
One such activity involves a full-day tour of the Cham Islands, lying about 16km off the coast of Hoi An and containing some of its most idyllic island scenery, viewable via swimming, snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. Another idea is to let the kids run wild at Tra Que, a village growing 100% organic crops and running eco-tours, where children and adults are taught how to employ traditional Vietnamese farming methods. This is topped off with a water buffalo ride while it plows the field – an immediate favorite with kids.
Day 7: Hoi An – Drive to Da Nang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (B)
Soak up the last of the pleasant aura of Hoi An over breakfast; our driver will be along shortly to transfer you to Da Nang for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once arrived, a driver will collect you and transfer you to your hotel, located in or around District 1.
You will have free time from now in which to discover the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, universally known as Saigon until North Vietnamese troops crashed the gates of the Independence Palace, reuniting the country. On a walking tour here, you can find the War Remnants Museum and Jade Emperor Pagoda, or instead, take the kids to Suoi Tien Amusement Park, a fantastically bizarre Buddhist-themed water park.
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City half-day tour (B)
Have breakfast at your central hotel in Ho Chi Minh City as the family gets ready for the day.
The walking tour shows you some of the ancient sites of Ho Chi Minh City and how the various layers of Vietnam’s history have been built around and on top of them. We start at the Independence Palace where the Vietnam War came to a close, followed by a look around the French colonial Notre Dame Cathedral and neighboring Old Post Office. We finish at Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City’s ancient center of bargaining that still takes prime position in the city today.
You can, of course, spend your free time today in any way you wish, but one suggestion would be to head to the Saigon Skydeck, where views of the city and the Saigon River stretch for miles around. The Skydeck is located close to Nguyen Hue walking street, a 650-meter strip that bursts to life on weekend evenings with live performances and a very inviting atmosphere.
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta full-day tour (B, L)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Our guide and driver will collect you for your transfer to the mystical Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s most ancient inhabited land. Humans first flocked to this area because of its fertile soil, which is evident in our destination, the province of Ben Tre, which is rich in coconut trees and wonderfully wild and tropical foliage.
After we have arrived in Ben Tre, we embark on a long-tail boat to saunter along its river, taking in the panoramic sights of its untamed beauty. We will dock on land and take a tour around the splendid fruit orchards and expansive paddy fields to be found here, visiting some of the traditional trades that have been present here for centuries. A visit to a brickworks, mat-weaving factory, and coconut candy processing plant will provide us with an insight into the livelihoods of the locals.
We continue onto a quaint village where rural Vietnam’s gorgeously tranquil lifestyle becomes ever more apparent. We can try some of the juicy tropical fruits around here and take a motorized rickshaw called a xe lôi, or a short cycle, under the shade of rows of palm trees to a riverside restaurant.
We have lunch and then jump into another sampan boat for a fantastic cruise through verdant canals, flanked on both sides by overarching nipa palm and other tropical foliage. This will be a magical final experience for you and your family on this tour.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)
Savor your final Vietnamese breakfast before the driver arrives. A quick transfer will see you arrive at Ho Chi Minh City’s airport for your flight back home or to your next destination.
We sincerely hope that you enjoyed this tour and we would love the opportunity to see you again!
Inclusion
– All transport as well as airport pick-up and drop-off by vehicles equipped with AC
– Halong Bay cruise
– Mekong Delta boat trip (private boat)
– English-speaking guides
– Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
– Accommodation
– Water (2 bottles per person per tour day)
– Entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary
Exclusion
– Travel insurance
– Visa stamp fees
– Early check-in and late check-out surcharge
– Meals or drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
– Personal expenses
– Tips for the guides and drivers