A Glimpse of Vietnam in 8 Days

You will be met upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International airport and transferred to your hotel in the city. After checking in at your hotel, you will have free time to enjoy Ha Noi, Vietnam’s 1000 year old capital city, a stylish and gracious city that has retained its unique old world charm and some of Asia’s most striking colonial architecture.

Its many lakes and parks provide a touch of nature and a relaxing atmosphere that is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Free time to explore the city

After breakfast at your hotel, begin your city tour at the Ho Chi Minh Complex including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the iconic One Pillar pagoda and historic Ba Dinh Square. Continue on to Van Mieu, the Temple of Literature, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Vietnam’s first Confucian university established in 1076.

Have lunch in one of Hanoi’s famous restaurants and relax before continuing your tour in the afternoon at the Museum of Ethnology then a traditional cyclo ride through the famous Old Quarter to visit Dong Xuan market. Enjoy the uniquely Vietnamese artistry of a water puppet performance later in the afternoon. Free time to have dinner at one of the city’s many restaurants and perhaps stroll around romantic Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening along with the locals. Overnight in Hanoi.

Invitations from Paradise Travel:

– Try local coffee

– Try local beer (Hanoi fresh beer)

– Visit Paradise Travel office and have dinner with us

Optional activities in the evening in Hanoi:

– Enjoy drinks at nearby café/ bar/ pub

– Wandering around Hanoi down town area (Weekend walking streets from Friday night until Sunday around Hoan Kiem Lake and Old Quarter area)

– Take an evening motorbike/ scooter/ walking tour

08.00 am pick up at hotel and transfer to Ha Long Bay, stop on route to admire the landscape picture; you might take picture of buffalo boy. Arrive in Ha Long at noon time, embark on private Junk, boat screw will greetings you special seafood lunch, boat cruise 4 hours around the bay to pass beautiful islets of Stone Dog, Incense Burner, “Fighting cock”.

Stop at a village of fish-men community to relax and learn about their life. Visit Thien Cung “Heavenly Palace” cave, the most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay. Turn back to harbor in the after noon for private vehicle transfer back to Hanoi for overnight

Take an early morning flight to Da Nang where you will be greeted at the airport and driven a short distance to ancient Hoi An town, originally a seaport in the kingdom of Champa that has been influenced over the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. There is plenty to see in this tranquil UNESCO World Heritage site, such as the famous Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, the 200 year old historic Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda and the bustling market.

We will visit all these sights on a walking tour passing many low tiled-roof houses and assembly halls scattered along the small streets which reflect the town’s multi-cultural past. Overnight in Hoi An.

The next stop on your tour will be Hue, the imperial capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945. During the drive from Hoi An to Hue we will explore the sensational Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc Beach before continuing to the Cham Museum in Da Nang. We travel along the winding road through the spectacular Hai Van Pass, stopping at the top to admire the fantastic views north to Lang Co and Da Nang in the south.

Upon arrival in Hue, you will check into your hotel then enjoy a boat trip on the Perfume River with stopovers at the bustling Dong Ba Market and historic Thien Mu Pagoda. After the boat trip, visit the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City, which was all but destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive, but it is still fascinating to walk among the ruins. Overnight in Hue.

Citadel Hue – Imperial City

No tour to Hue would be complete without seeing the elaborate tomb of Tu Duc, Vietnam’s last emperor, which you will visit in the morning before boarding your flight south to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals today, is a dynamic cosmopolitan metropolis crowded with motorbikes and cars as well as exciting shopping areas and sidewalk Cafés.

Notre Dame Cathedral – Saigon

An afternoon city tour takes you to the Reunification Palace, the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and the nearby French colonial architecture including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Saigon Post Office.

We will also visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum before continuing to the famous Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is on sale. Free time to further explore the city and dine at one of its excellent restaurants in the evening. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at your hotel we head out of town, traveling by car to My Tho in the Mekong Delta, the “rice bowl of Vietnam,” where we board a boat to navigate the intricate canal system.

You can observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch views of the many islands, passing through the lush green forests before arriving at the famous Unicorn Island. Stroll around an orchard tasting the many seasonal tropical fruits and enjoy wonderful traditional music. The next stop is Ben Tre province to visit some of the fascinating local industries.

After feasting on a scrumptious lunch of fresh local foods, we return to Ho Chi Minh City to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda and Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown, which is crammed with sacred temples, many shops and mysterious, winding narrow lanes.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Optional activities in the evening in Ho Chi Minh City:

– Enjoy soft drinks at nearby café/ pub/ bar

– Wandering around night walking street area (Bui Vien, De Tham streets)

– Take an evening motorbike or scooter tour

Free time to relax after breakfast at your hotel or further explore Ho Chi Minh City before transferring to Tan San Nhat International Airport for departure.