Classic Vietnam Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - Teenage Adventure

10 days, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Map of the route for Classic Vietnam Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - Teenage Adventure
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6–7 8 9 10
Itinerary Notes

Teenage adventures are designed for groups travelling with teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17. Your group must have a child in order to book a Family tour, and anyone under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. The itinerary has been designed with the needs of the whole family in mind.

Itinerary

Day 1Hanoi

Arrive at any time.

Arrive in bustling Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As passengers will be arriving at various times today, there are no planned activities.

At the welcome meeting, the CEO will ask to see your travel insurance, double check your Vietnam visa, and complete some other paper work. Please note that most nationalities require a visa to enter Vietnam. Please double check this with your travel agent or local Vietnamese Embassy.

Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
18:00

Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

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Optional Activities - Day 1 HideShow

Tran Quoc Pagoda Visit
Hanoi

Visit one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam located on the eastern shore of Tay Ho. Learn about Tran Quoc's history from the 17th-century stela found on site. View it later in the day, if you can – the tall structure is striking against the setting sun.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum Visit
Hanoi
Free-1USD per person

Tour the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum built in the square where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence in 1945. Get in line to tour the grounds; queues of visitors come to pay their respects daily.

Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre Performance
Hanoi
200000VND per person

Watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show with beautiful live music and intricate puppets dancing in a water stage. The price listed above is for a VIP seat.

Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) Visit
Hanoi

Visit this sprawling temple built to honour Confucius, sages, and scholars. Dedicated to learning, it housed the country’s first university in 1076. Explore its five courtyards, containing various gates, altars, sanctuaries, shrines, the stelae of doctors, and the Well of Heavenly Clarity.

Day 2Hanoi/Ha Long

Enjoy a Ha Long Bay cruise on a junk boat, and visit a cave and island lookout. Have a seafood lunch and dinner.

Travel by private transport to Bai Chay harbour, the entry point to Ha Long Bay and the overnight cruise.

Shared Van
Hanoi – Hạ Long Bay4h

Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.

Junk Boat
Ha Long

Skim across the water aboard this iconic traditional Asian sailboat.

Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
Ha Long

Cruise through majestic Ha Long Bay on a traditional wooden junk boat. Enjoy your time afloat eating fresh seafood, exploring Sung Sot cave or opting to kayak. Spend a peaceful night anchored in the bay under the stars.

On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 3Ha Long/Huế

Transfer back to Hanoi to catch an overnight train to Hue.

After an early lunch on board the boat, head back to Hanoi. Enjoy some last minute shopping, before boarding a sleeper train to Hue.

Private Vehicle
Bai Chay – Hanoi3h

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Overnight Train (beds)
Hanoi – Huế13h-14h

Stretch out and get some well-earned rest en route to the next stop.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 4Huế

Guided tour of Imperial Citadel, Royal Tomb, and Tien Mu Pagoda. Optional countryside motorbike tour.

Arrive early on Day 4 into Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam. After checking in to the hotel, start the day with a visit to the wonderful Tien Mu Pagoda. Then visit a tomb of one of Vietnam’s former emperors.

Afterwards, choose to enjoy a vegetarian lunch at a local nunnery. There is also an option to head out by bike to explore the local countryside.

In the evening, take the chance to try some local Hue specialties such as banh khoai (Hue savoury pancakes), and banh bot loc boc tom thit (thin rice paper filled with meat and shrimp). Yum!

Thien Mu Pagoda Visit
Huế

Visit Tien Mu, one of the tallest and, perhaps, most elegant pagodas in Vietnam, at seven storeys high. Take a step back in time touring this historic temple - built more than 400 years ago along the north shore of the Perfume River, it has been the site of many political protests.

Imperial Citadel Tour
Huế

Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China's Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.

Royal Tombs Visit
Huế

Visit the Royal Tombs along the Perfume River in Hue. Embracing the concept of Feng Shui, these tombs are extremely ornate and provide fantastic insight into the lives of the former rulers.

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Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow

Motorbike Tour
Huế

Hop on the back of a motorbike and let your professional driver take you out into the countryside. Explore rice paddy landscapes and see local villagers at work in the fields. Take in temples, shops, a scenic overlook or two, or, perhaps, an ancient covered bridge – routes can vary on these interesting rides.

Day 5Huế/Hoi An

Drive the Hai Van Pass (weather permitting) to Hoi An.

In the morning, start the day touring the wonderful ruins of the Imperial Citadel, from where the whole of Vietnam was once ruled.

In the late morning, begin the drive to Hoi An. After crossing over the Hai Van Pass, with fantastic views in all directions, stop at Lang Co beach, arriving in Hoi An in the afternoon for a 3-night stay.

Private Vehicle
Huế – Hoi An4h

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Free Time
Hoi An

Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Days 6–7Hoi An

Spend 2 full days exploring all Hoi An has to offer. Dive into the culture, hang out on the beach, get clothes tailor-made in one of the many shops around town or visit one of the local G Adventures-supported projects bringing employment to the city.

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Optional Activities - Days 6–7 HideShow

Bike Rental

Rent a bike from a local shop and head out to explore.

Tailor Shops
Hoi An

Go home with some new (handmade!) clothes from one of Hoi An’s famous tailor shops. Walk the streets lined with hundreds of local shops that turn out gorgeous suits, dresses, winter coats, shoes, purses – almost anything – in a day's time to create next season's wardrobe.

Mỹ Sơn Excursion
Mỹ Sơn
38USD per person

Travel approximately one hour from Hoi An to arrive at My Son. Tour these Hindu temples built between the fourth and 14th centuries; the site is widely accepted as one of the most important Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia. Learn about the architectural style and history of a site that’s often compared to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Burma. Please note this optional activity is a half-day and includes a guide, transportation, and the entrance fee.

Oodles of Noodles
Hoi An2h-3h

Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.

Hoi An Cooking Class
Hoi An
35USD per person

Take a cooking class to learn more about Vietnamese food and its distinct flavours. Tour the local market to buy fresh ingredients before preparing some popular regional dishes. Enjoy your creations when you're done!

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City

Fly from Da Nang (Hoi An) to Ho Chi Minh City.

Drive to Da Nang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, once the capital of South Vietnam and the country’s commercial centre. Start exploring the small alleys and busy streets keeping an eye out for laquerware shops and delicious local food stalls.

Plane
Da Nang International Airport – Tan Son Nhat International Airport1h

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 9Ho Chi Minh City

Guided tour of the Cu Chi tunnels. Option to visit the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market or take a cyclo tour of the colonial district.

With some free time in the city, opt to visit the Thien Hau and Giac Vien pagodas and stroll through the immense Ben Thanh Market. Also well worth a visit are the Reunification Palace (the residence of South Vietnam presidents before 1975), the city's Chinese quarter of Cholon, and the War Remnants Museum.

Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Tour
Củ Chi

Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.

Free Time
Ho Chi Minh City Afternoon

Get out and explore this frenetic city.

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Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow

Giac Vien Pagoda Visit
Ho Chi Minh City

Find this hidden pagoda behind some small alleyways – it’s a rare treat of a monument that has been spared the over-restoration that has been done to so many temples. Tour the inside of this 18th-century pagoda to see nearly 100 carvings of divine beings.

Ben Thanh Market
Ho Chi Minh City

Wander this bustling market for more insight into Ho Chi Minh City. Pick up souvenirs, sample local cuisine, and experience local living. Learn a little history along the way; Ben Thanh started as a cluster of street vendors selling wares by the Saigon River, and was formalized into a true market in 1859.

Cholon Visit
Ho Chi Minh City

Take in the busy rhythm of daily life in Cholon, the Chinatown of Ho Chi Minh City. Tour the area full of teahouses, pagodas, and people, and learn a little more about the unique culture within the city.

Thien Hau Pagoda Visit
Ho Chi Minh City

Visit the Thien Hau Pagoda, a beautiful temple in the Chinatown district of Ho Chi Minh City. Learn more about the customs associated with this 19th-century monument – it is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau (the 'Lady of the Sea') who is worshipped in Chinese communities throughout Asia by those who depend on the sea for their livelihoods.

Reunification Palace Visit
Ho Chi Minh City
2USD per person

Wander the historic halls of the Reunification Palace (Independence Palace), a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. This former home of the South Vietnamese president during the Vietnam War became the location of the end of the war when a North Vietnamese tank pushed through the palace gates on April 30, 1975.

War Remnants Museum Visit
Ho Chi Minh City
2USD per person

Visit the War Remnants Museum, a gut-wrenching but worthwhile experience that includes three storeys of exhibits and military hardware. Learn about the devastation that occurred in Saigon during the Vietnam War, a period that greatly contrasts the joy and liveliness of the Vietnamese people today.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 10Ho Chi Minh City

Depart at any time.

After breakfast, the tour ends and you are free to depart at any time.

Departure Day

Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Classic Vietnam Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City - Teenage Adventure

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