10-Day Tour: Explore South to North Vietnam with Upgrades Available

Soak up the beauty, culture and history of Vietnam on a fantastic ten-day tour incorporating all the key sights from the south to north of the country, from the bustling Ho Chi Minh City to the breathtaking vistas of Ha Long Bay.

What You’ll Love…

The Tour – Ancient towns, stunning scenery, iconic sights and authentic experiences

Your journey begins in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s vibrant urban centre. Delve into Vietnam’s history with a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn more about its underground network of living areas, hospitals and weapon factories.

In Mỹ Tho, visit Vinh Trang Pagoda see stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the banks of the river before having lunch in an orchard garden. Cruise on a hand-rowed sampan under the coconut trees along natural canals before enjoying seasonal fruit and honey tea whilst locals perform folk music.

You will explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hoi An. Think hidden art galleries, narrow laneways lined with parked bicycles (the only way to get around this car-free zone), tailors where you can design a bargain suit or dress, night markets illuminated by glowing lanterns and stylish restaurants and bars where you can enjoy fresh rice paper rolls, seafood and cocktails while overlooking the tranquil Thu Bon River. You will also visit the religious centre of My Son Holy Land with its 70 towers and temples, elaborate carvings and sculptures before stopping at a traditional carpentry village.

Soak up the exquisite natural beauty of Ha Long Bay on an overnight boat cruise. See the beautiful Surprising Cave, home to magnificent limestone rock formations. You will also have the chance to visit Tip Top Island, where you can admire its magnificent mountain peaks and swim in its turquoise blue waters.

Your Package Includes:

• Eight nights’ accommodation in your choice of three, four or five-star hotels
• One nights’ accommodation on board a cruise ship in Ha Long bay
• A tour of the Mekong Delta including My Tho and Ben Tre
• A trip to the fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels
• A visit to the spectacular My Son Holy Land
• A guided tour of Ha Long Bay including the Surprising Cave and Tiptop Island
• Domestic flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, and Da Nang and Hanoi
• Daily breakfast and select additional dining experiences
• Return airport transfers
• Taxes and service charges

Your tour begins in Ho Chi Minh City and ends in Hanoi. Flights depart for Ho Chi Minh City from major Australian airports with a minimum of one stop en route, via carriers including Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific.

Flights depart regularly from major gateways including Singapore (approx. flight time of two hours), Hong Kong (approx. flight time of three hours), Dubai (approx. flight time of eight hours) and Bangkok (approx. flight time of two hours).

Convenient airport transfers are included in your package.

Need Flights? We have a dedicated team who are able to assist with all your flight requirements. If you need a stopover or are looking at travelling to more destinations, our team can help. Contact our flights concierge team using the phone number on our website.

Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh City

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City! Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh City airport, a tour driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Take the time to understand Vietnam’s dazzling northern metropolis and you’ll be rewarded: the streets and thoroughfares run loud and fast and the hustle of the city’s markets is a haggler’s delight. If you’ve got the time, highlights could include a visit to the War Remnants Museum, the incense-smothered and delicately carved Jade Emperor Pagoda, or the colonial-era Fine Arts Museum.

Three-Star Accommodation: Prague Saigon Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Harmony Saigon Hotel

Five-Star Accommodation: Rex Hotel Saigon

Day 2: Mekong Delta – Mỹ Tho – Ben Tre

Meet with your guide and embark on a scenic journey through the green rice fields of the Mekong Delta towards the market town of Mỹ Tho. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Vinh Trang, a beautiful garden temple ringed by giant statues of the Buddha that has operated since the 19th century. After, take a leisurely sampan ride along the winding river. Admire fishing villages along the riverbank as you visit Dragon, Phoenix, Tortoise and Unicorn Islands, stopping at the latter for a tour of the island’s orchid gardens and fruit plantations. Moving onward through the Thoi Son canal, you’ll see buzzing honey farms and be able to experience a coconut candy workshop before having lunch at a local restaurant.

Next, cycle through picturesque Tân Thạch, birthplace of the infamous Coconut Monk, and meet with the villagers to get a taste of local life in the Mekong Delta, or simply relax in a hammock and enjoy the cool breeze. Return to Ho Chi Minh City after a day well spent.

Three-Star Accommodation: Prague Saigon Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Harmony Saigon Hotel

Five-Star Accommodation: Rex Hotel Saigon

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh – Củ Chi

Rise early and move onwards Củ Chi, located 60 kilometres south of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s considered a powerful symbol of the strife that engulfed Vietnam and has become legendary for the seemingly endless serpentine tunnels that lie beneath the earth. See past the rice paddies, ducks and water buffalos and uncover a city beneath the city, a place of solemn pilgrimage for socialists and schoolkids alike and an extraordinary testament to the Viet Cong’s ingenuity.

Three-Star Accommodation: Prague Saigon Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Harmony Saigon Hotel

Five-Star Accommodation: Rex Hotel Saigon

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Danang – Hội An

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Danang. After a little over an hour in the sky, you’ll be picked up at Danang airport and transferred to your hotel in the charming coastal city of Hội An. Once a bustling Southeast Asian trading port, the city is still a powerful melange of cultures, influences and traditions. Marvellously preserved, ancient Japanese merchant houses, and historic Vietnamese trading warehouses rub shoulders with grand Confucian temples and modern offices to form a colourful tapestry.

Three-Star Accommodation: Kiman Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Lantana Riverside

Five-Star Accommodation: La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Hội An

After breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Every street in the peaceful port town is a gift, but the real treasure is a chance to explore Hội An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district that brilliantly preserves the synthesis of cultures that led the city to flourish.

Other highlights include the ancient Japanese Covered Bridge, first constructed in the 16th century and surviving even the French fascination with the automobile, and masterfully preserved merchant residence Tan Ky House.

Optional Activity: Cooking class and biking tour (A$59 per person)

Three-Star Accommodation: Kiman Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Lantana Riverside

Five-Star Accommodation: La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Hội An

After breakfast, you’ll have another full day to catch the sights and sounds of Hội An at your leisure. If you’re feeling adventurous, book an optional activity with the tour, or visit the Hội An Night Market, the perfect place to pick up a cherished souvenir to commemorate your Vietnamese escape. Alternatively, you could walk the golden sands of An Bang Beach, taking in the moored fishing boats, or catch a glorious cultural performance at the Hội An Lune Center for the Performing Arts.

Optional Activity: Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge Full Day Tour (A$170 per person, min. two people)

Three-Star Accommodation: Kiman Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Lantana Riverside

Five-Star Accommodation: La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7: Hội An – Hanoi

After breakfast, enjoy a little more time to explore Hội An before being transferred to Danang Airport for your flight to Hanoi. On arrival in Hanoi, you will be transferred to your hotel and will enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Vietnam’s electric capital offers folding layers of Chinese and French influence, gaggles of scooters and a wealth of world-class restaurants. Visit the revered Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and the site of the country’s first university, or wander through the notorious Hoa Lo Prison Museum, once filled with American prisoners of war.

Three-Star Accommodation: Carillon Boutique Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Silk Queen Grand Hotel

Five-Star Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Hanoi – Hạ Long Bay

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you will drive through the countryside to the Tuan Chau Marina to begin your overnight cruise. After a brief meet and greet with the captain and crew, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch and cruise through the strikingly emerald waters of Hạ Long Bay. Witness the majesty of the bay’s jungle-topped limestone islands and take the opportunity to explore the stalactite-lined Sung Sot, a secluded grotto the French termed ‘Grotte des surprises’, or Surprise Cave, for its size and beauty. Cruise onward to Tiptop Island and appreciate the views from the summit, before enjoying a sunset party dinner on the cruise.

Three-Star Accommodation: Apricot Cruise

Four-Star Accommodation: Syrena Cruise

Five-Star Accommodation: La Casta Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9: Hạ Long Bay – Hanoi

Enjoy dawn tai chi and a hearty breakfast on the boat before cruising to Hạ Long Bay’s Natural Preservation Zone. Kayak through the serene waters, or visit a floating house and learn about the fishermen who call the bay home. Return to the vessel and experience an onboard cooking class before disembarking at Tuan Chau Marina and returning to Hanoi.

Optional Activity: Hanoi Street Food Tour (A$59 per person)

Three-Star Accommodation: Carillon Boutique Hotel

Four-Star Accommodation: Silk Queen Grand Hotel

Five-Star Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Optional Activity: Hanoi Street Food Tour (A$59 per person)

Day 10: Depart Hanoi

Your Vietnam experience has come to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast