Discovering Vietnam in 9 Days from the south to the north

Freeday in Ho Chi Minh city, meals on your own

• Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars. 

• Have lunch at local restaurant.
• Depart for Cu Chi tunnel, the trip will take approximately one and a half hours bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of the war time. Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served. 
• Break time for relax or time for those who want to try the real shooting gun. 
• Return to Saigon. End trip.

Explore the historic Cu Chi Tunnels and delve into Vietnam’s wartime legacy near Ho Chi Minh City: Discover the intricate 250km network underground, once used for weapons storage, military bunkers, and operations. Experience the thrill of crawling through the tunnels and firing various weapons at the shooting range, gaining firsthand insight into this pivotal part of Vietnamese history.

• Pick you up at your hotel and depart for Ben Tre. After arriving at Phong Nẫm Bridge, board the boat & cruise along the Chẹt Sậy River. The cool breeze from the river and lush tropical islands along its banks immediately excite you to explore all the great things ahead.
• Arrive and visit various local workplaces to find many wonderful examples of how local people use ageless techniques to create their crafts, dried coconut, handy coconut husk brooms, and many family businesses using coir, or coconut fiber, to create amazing art.  Drive around the village roads by “Xe Lôi”, the local vehicle, a motorized rickshaw.
• Perfect your day with a delicious and filling lunch at a local host house.
• Break time, treating yourself to a relaxing time to relish the beautiful countryside.
• time relaxing while rowing in a small boat slowly through the natural canals to get a sense of how truly beautiful this area is.
• Proceed to Tra Vinh province. Visit “Con Chim” community tourism site is built according to the naturally favorable rule, based on the cultural values of the community, and operates in the direction of slow tourism. Time for cycling around Con Chim island and meeting the local villagers to experience the local daily life.
• Embark on the boat and return to the dock. Check-in to the hotel and relax.

After breakfast, arrive and visit the mat weaving village with nearly 100 years of development, Tra Vinh's mat industry has developed from production and self-consumption into a well-known quality product. Visit and learn about Kmer culture: Angkorajaborey Pagoda, also called Ang Pagoda, the Tra Vinh Museum of Khmer Ethnic Culture, and Ba Om Pond. It is one of the types in the system of 141 pagodas of the Khmer in Tra Vinh province, and Ba Om Pond is a unique and famous landscape in Tra Vinh Province. The pond is rectangular, 300 m wide, and 500 m long. The pond's surface is clear and blue, covered by lotus flowers and water lilies. A hundred-year-old ancient oily tree whose roots rise from the ground creates strange shapes that attract tourists here, and visit the Tra Vinh Museum of Khmer Ethnic Culture

After that visited the coconut nectar company, a traditional job for local people collecting coconut blossoms from coconut flowers.

Have lunch at a local restaurant and return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Breakfast in hotel 
Freeday in Ho Chi Minh city, Flight to Ha Noi 
 

• 07:30 – 08:00 - Our guide will meet you at your  hotel/stay and start  110km on Bus-journey through verdant landscape of country side. Short-brake en route.
• 10:30 – Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel with Dinh King Temple and Le King Temple dating back to the 17th Century.
• 12:00 – Enjoy lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisine.
• 13:30 – Boarding a small sampan to visit Tam Coc which means literally “three caves” (1.5 hour boat trip). With Halong bay type views of majestic limestone cliffs and mysterious caves, as well as countryside landscape like peaceful streams, rice paddies and deserted green fields, Tam Coc really has it all. You will feel the fresh air and peaceful moments, a very good opportunities for photo lovers, freezing the special moments and scenery.
• 15:30 Leisure  cycling on rural roads alongside the extensive canal network and through small villages with back drop of a maze of limestone mountains.
• 16:00 – Return to our bus and then come back to Ha Noi
• 18:00 – 18:20– Drop you off at your hotel/stay. Trip ends

• 8:00 AM: Our driver will pick you up at the hotel for a 3.5-hour drive to Halong Bay, a World Natural Heritage site recognized twice by UNESCO. Upon arrival, you will embark on the cruise and enjoy a welcome drink while receiving a tour briefing. A sumptuous lunch will be served on board as the ship sails further into the bay, giving you time to admire its dramatic limestone islands.
• You can relax at your leisure on the sundeck or in your cabin. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to swim in the warm, calm waters or go kayaking. Kayaking is easy for all levels and ages, and our expert guide will provide basic paddling instructions before leading you to explore the extraordinary beauty of Halong Bay. After an hour of exploring the bay, you will return to the cruise for some relaxation before attending a cooking class in the late afternoon.
• Enjoy a superb dinner and stay overnight on board.

• We will continue our Halong Bay journey early in the morning. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck is a must-try activity while on the cruise.
• On the upper deck, you can relax, take in the sights, and capture photos of the magnificent rocky islands rising from the emerald waters of the bay.
• After breakfast, we will explore Sung Sot Cave, one of the finest and largest grottoes in Halong Bay. Then, we will keep cruising, passing by a fishing village known for its unique way of life.
• At 10:30 AM, our boat will start cruising back to the jetty. Enjoy your last moments in the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
• You leave the boat around 12:00 at noon, we go ashore and transfer back to Hanoi. 

Freeday in Ha Noi. Come back home