Highlights Of Adventure To Discover Vietnam

Start your Highlights of Vietnam 12 Days Tour by arriving at Hanoi Airport.

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival, you will be warmly greeted by your private tour guide and driver for the drive to Hanoi City Center for hotel check-in (Kindly be advised that the standard check-in time is at 14.00 so the early check-in is subject to the hotel availability and attracts a surcharge).

Take your time to freshen up after the long flight. You may wander around Hanoi Old Quarter to catch the first glimpse of the vibrant capital city or simply relax in your hotel room to get energy for the night activities.

Late afternoon, your tour guide will be waiting for you at your hotel lobby to take you to Water Puppet Theatre where you will enjoy the fascinating puppet show on the water stage.

After watching the Water Puppet Show, we will head to one of the best local restaurants in town for a delicious welcome dinner.

Return to your hotel in Hanoi for an overnight stay.

Day 2 of this Vietnam 12 Day Tour you will visit Hanoi City Tour. 

After a refreshing night’s sleep, you will start your story of Hanoi Tour with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday, every afternoons and from beginning of September until the end of November), seeing a long queue of the visitors all around Vietnam coming to express their admiration and gratitude towards the common father of Vietnamese. Beside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the complex comprises the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda which is one of the longest standing cultural relics in Hanoi. Leaving the resting place of President Ho Chi Minh, we continue to visit one of the famous museums in Hanoi such as Vietnam Military History Museum, Museum of Art, Hoa Lo Prison, widely known as “Hanoi Hilton” – a nickname given by US pilots during the war or the Ethnology Museum to see the real exhibitions displayed.   

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then, we proceed to explore the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature (Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam) which was the site of Vietnam’s first university. The picturesque temple nowadays is used as a holy place for students to visit before their examinations or before graduating.   

Hop into your car to drive to Hanoi Old Quarter where you will take the walking tour to explore its 36 interesting streets, each named for the merchandise or business located nearby. Get back to your hotel for another overnight stay in Hanoi. 

Halong Bay 2 day 1 night cruise will be the most highlighted part of your Highlights of Vietnam 12 Day Tour and most of Vietnam Tours.

Set off early in the morning for a scenic ride to the famous World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. The drive will take approximately four hours, giving you the chance to photograph Vietnamese farmers tilling the large green fields. After arrival, you will be welcomed aboard the traditional wooden junk, followed by a stunning local seafood lunch onboard. You will leave the mainland far behind as your boat sails out to the magical bay.

After lunch, you may participate in some onboard activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) like kayaking around the limestone islets, going for a refreshing swim or exploring one of the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay, or you may simply relax on the boat’s top-deck and take in the natural beauty of Halong Bay. Back on board the junk, join in the Vietnamese cooking demonstration from the on-board chefs before enjoying the lavish dinner in the dining room which is the perfect atmosphere for you to socialize with other guests. Afterwards, retire to your cabin for a good sleep on the Halong Bay  cruise. 

Start off your day with a morning Tai Chi session on the sundeck or enjoy the sunrise over the bay. Have the breakfast onboard whilst your junk slowly cruises back in the direction of the mainland; en-route, stop at one of many limestone caves in Halong Bay to learn more about the formation of karst caves. 

Arrive back at the dock in the late morning, you wave goodbye to the crew members for transferring to Hanoi Airport to finish your Northern Vietnam Tour part for the flight to Hue.

Upon reaching Hue Airport, you will be picked up by your tour guide and driver & transferred to the city center for hotel check-in. Stay overnight in Hue.

Start your first day in Central Vietnam Tour with Hue City Tour. 

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a day of discovering Hue’s historical sites, as well as famous royal tombs. Commence your full day tour with cruising along the peaceful Perfume River, make a quick stop en-route, get off the boat to explore the iconic seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda, the unofficial symbol of the city. Leaving the renowned pagoda, we continue on to the city’s outskirts to visit the final resting places of emperors – The so-called King Minh Mang tomb & King Tu Duc tomb.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then, proceed to visit the Imperial City of Hue, one of Vietnam’s Seven UNESCO World Heritage Site, including The Citadel and the Forbidden City to learn about the history of the ancient capital of Vietnam.

Afterwards, hop into your van to get back to your hotel. Enjoy your free evening time at leisure before staying overnight in Hue.

Day 6 of Vietnam 12 Day Tour, you will visit the countryside in Hue before moving to Hoi An.

Early morning transfer through the lush countryside to Thanh Tien Village which is renowned for more than 400 years of crafting paper flowers. On the way, you have the opportunity to see the ancient villages, pagodas and churches, together with the lotus flower - covered rivers (the lotus season subject to weather conditions). You can ask your driver to stop at any time so that you can take photos of the charming hamlets as well as the stunning landscapes such as churches. 

Leaving the ancient village, we continue to drive the picturesque route over the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass), before reaching the riverside town of Hoi An. The 3-hour drive is totally worthwhile as it provides you the breathtaking landscapes. Make a stop for the break on Hai Van Pass for stretching your legs, enjoying the magnificent views, as well as taking stunning photos. 

Upon arrival in Hoi An, check in your hotel and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. You may wander around to explore the ancient town, go for a refreshing swimming at the beach, or simply relax at your hotel/ resort. Stay overnight in Hoi An. 

Eco Tour is one of the highlights and unforgettable memory for your Vietnam 12 Day Tour.

Today, you will have a unique experience on riding on a water buffalo and a basket boat, giving you the chance to get a real sense of what the local life is like. In the morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel for the transfer to a rice paddy farm where you will be provided some brief information about buffalo which is considered as the B.M.W of Vietnam. Before trying to ride on a water buffalo, there are five words that you should learn by heart and remember in order to communicate with him/ her. They are ĐI: GO, DỜ: STOP, DÍ: TURN LEFT, HÁ: TURN RIGHT and DUN: BACK. After that, you will get an opportunity to climb on the back of a water buffalo for a ride. It promises to be a great adventure for a thrilling ride both in the field and even on the water, with the escort of the buffalo man and your local guide. Say goodbye to your buffalo friend and the buffalo man, hop into your van for the transfer to a nearby local fishing village where you board on your boat. Before trying to ride a basket boat, you will get a quick briefing to be ready for your adventure on the river. Practice your balance on the basket boat, try out your paddling, and set out for the totally different sights. Interestingly, you have the chance to enjoy a unique performance by THUNG CHAI on the river run by local crews. It surely gives you a remarkable experience as the show is with a lot of fun and joy. 

Afterwards, the tour concludes with dropping you off at your hotel. Stay overnight in Hoi An.

Day 8 of your Vietnam 12 Day Tour, you will have free time in Hoi An. Enjoy your free day at leisure in the ancient town of Hoi An. You may spend time for exploring the charming town or relaxing at the beach. Stay overnight in Hoi An. 

Finish your Central Vietnam part, you will head to Ho Chi Minh for Southern Vietnam Tour today.

After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy your free time at leisure in the charming town before being picked up to transfer to Da Nang Airport for taking the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. 

Upon reaching Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your private tour guide and driver for the transfer to the city center for hotel check-in. 

After that, enjoy your free time at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City, still called as “Saigon” by many locals. You may wander around to visit some nearby places and get the feel or this cosmopolitan city. Have a cup of coffee and do some shopping. 

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour will be our destinations of your Vietnam 12 Day Tour. 

After breakfast, we will travel away from the hustle and bustle of the city and set off to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels which is a man-made underground maze of tunnels. The visit gives you the chance to learn more about the Vietnam War and the harsh living condition of locals in the war. If you are interested in, you may try to descend into the tunnels, the great way to gain a unique insight into what underground life must have been like during the time when locals struggle for independence.

On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, stop at a local restaurant for lunch. 

This afternoon, you will visit some of the city’s highlights, starting with the Reunification Hall which is a special national relic, well-known for its historical and architectural value. In addition to the former Presidential Palace, we will also explore some other interesting attractions such as the War Remnants Museum, the Old Post Office, and Ben Thanh Market. 

Late afternoon, hop in your car to return to your hotel. The evening time is yours to explore the city as you please. 

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mekong Boat trip always attracts all the travelers to Vietnam and it is an important part of your Highlights of Vietnam 12 Day Tour. 

In the morning, we depart from the city center and head to Cai Be where you will embark the private long-tail boat and begin the story of the alluring Mekong Delta tour with the fascinating Cai Be Floating Market. Cruise amongst local barges full of food, fruits as well as vegetables. You have the chance to learn about the unique marketing method which wholesalers hang samples of their goods from tall wooden poles so they do not have to cry out what they are selling in the vastness of the river & the noise of boat engines. Leaving the colorful market, we proceed to visit some nearby local workshops where you will be able to observe how rice paste, coconut candies, pop-rice and other specialties are traditionally made. 

Stop en route to explore a handicraft village nearby where you can see the process of producing rice sheets, fish sauce, soya sauce, cooking salt and sew coconut-leaves for cottage proof.

Enjoy lunch which consists of delicious local dishes before taking a rowboat and cruising along the river bank to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves, having chance to make contacts with local farmers when observe their working activities and learn the traditional working technique which locals catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta. Continue to visit nursery garden where the skillful growers of the Mekong Delta use their own way to cultivate young trees of different types of fruits to produce the fruits and vegetables which is globally known. 

Afterwards, hop in your car to transfer back to Saigon, drop you off at your hotel. Stay overnight in HCMC.

Have free time for the last minute shopping in Ho Chi Minh, then transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your onward flight.

This will mark the end of your Highlights of Vietnam 12 Day Tour with the best tour company in Vietnam. 

Hopefully you got a great trip and we will see you again soon!