Day 1 - Beijing - Saigon

Arrive in Saigon in the evening, your guide and driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Hotel: Hoang Hai Long 1

Day 2 - Saigon (B,L)

Depart your hotel this morning on full day city tour of Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals. This dynamic city has a unique life of its own. Visit the city’s bustling Chinatown (Cholon) which begins with a stop at Thien Hau & Cholon, literally meaning ‘big market’. The ride takes you to the lively Binh Tay Market before visiting Vietnam's first traditional medicine museum, the FITO Museum, then you will visit an amazing collection of 3,000 items relevant to the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine. Enjoy a lunch at Pho Xua restaurant before continuing your tour to the War Museum and the former Presidential Palace. From the palace you will go on foot (your car will be available at all times) to visit the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), the Continental Hotel, Opera House, and City Hall. After this historical visit, enjoy a scoop of wonderful ice cream at Fanny’s, a quaint little parlour with French atmosphere, before exploring the trendy boutiques and shops on Ton That Thiep Street.

Hotel: Hoang Hai Long 1

Day 3 - Saigon – Mekong – Saigon (B,L)

An early morning departure from your hotel takes you to Cai Be, deep in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Embark on your private deluxe junk boat, the Mekong Queen, and cruise to the colourful Cai Be floating market. Your tour continues with a visit to local home factory which produces rice paste, rice pop corn and coconut candies. Continue cruising to the evergreen islands, located in the Mekong River, through large networks of meandering rivers which are crisscrossed with countless canals. Enjoy an included relaxing lunch in a local restaurant before boarding the junk again and slowly cruise to Vinh Long as you take in the beautiful landscapes and observe typical rural life on the Mekong Delta. Return to Saigon early this evening.

Hotel: Hoang Hai Long 1

Day 4 - Saigon – Danang – Hoi An (B)

Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight VN326 departing at 11:30 to Danang. On arrival, pick up & transfer to Hoi An. Late this afternoon, half day tour through Hoi An which was once a major Asian trading port in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Hoi An’s architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed a little over the years. Take a leisurely walking tour of the ancient town center and visit the sites of former merchants’ homes, a 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and a Chinese Communal Hall. Before returning to your hotel enjoy shopping in one of the most colourful local marketplaces in all of SE Asia.

Hotel: Hoi An Trails

Day 5 - Hoi An – Hue (B)

You will depart Hoi An for Hue, the guide and driver will take you over the beautiful Hai Van Pass (one of the highest passes in Vietnam to Hue). You will visit the former imperial capital of Vietnam. A boat trip on the Perfume River takes you by tranquil settings of gardens and lakes where Hue’s best-known religious sites the Thien Mu Pagoda and the mausoleum of former Emperor Minh Mang are located. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before you continue your tour to the mausoleums of Emperors Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and the Imperial Citadel, from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945.

Hotel: Park View

Day 6 - Hue – Hanoi (B)

Your morning is free until transfer to the airport for your flight VN248 departing at 08:55 to Hanoi. On arrival, pick up & transfer to your hotel for check in.

Hotel: Boss hotel

Day 7 - Hanoi (B)

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, with ochre-collared colonial style buildings, tree-lined avenues and numerous lakes. This morning meet your guide at your hotel and depart on your tour after breakfast. Your first stop will be Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed Mondays and Fridays), as well as his private residence from 1954 until 1969. The wooden ethnic minority style house, which was built on stilts, is surrounded by lovely peaceful gardens. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.

Hotel: Boss Hotel

Day 8 - Hanoi – Halong (B,L,D)

This morning departure from your hotel to Halong Bay, it will take you on a journey through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta. Observe everyday life of Vietnamese Villages as you see the villagers work the local rice fields, take live pigs to market on bicycles and plough the fields with their large water buffaloes. Arrive in Halong and board a traditional sailing junk. While cruising the emerald green waters sample the regions fresh seafood. Your cruise takes you to the recently discovered Surprise Grotto with its great views, then onto the island with the yawning mouth of Bo Nau Cave. An alternative journey could be to Dau Go Cave to see the famous stalagmites and stalactites of Thien Cung Cave. Enjoy a swim in the emerald waters of Halong Bay at any of islands you visit. As the sun sets over the bay, dinner is served on board with fresh seafood, salads and fruits.

Hotel: Bai tho

Day 9 - Halong – Hanoi (B)

On your return to Halong city enjoy a full breakfast (or brunch) as your boat weaves its way back to the dock. Upon disembarkation your driver will meet you to bring you back to Hanoi.

Hotel: Boss hotel

Day 10 - Hanoi - Beijing (B)

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up at the hotel and will transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Beijing.