Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
10 days, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Itinerary
Day 1Hanoi
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities today until an evening welcome meeting. After the meeting, opt for dinner out with the group.
Please note, if you would like to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum it is only open from 7:30 - 10:30 AM and closed on Mondays and Fridays.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
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.
Optional Activities - Day 1 HideShow
Tran Quoc Pagoda Visit
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
Free-1USD per personTour 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.
Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) Visit
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.
Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre Performance
200000VND per personWatch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show with beautiful live music and intricate puppets dancing in a water stage.
Day 2Hanoi/Ha Long
Enjoy a Ha Long Bay cruise on a junk boat with visits to a cave and an island lookout. Savour a seafood lunch and dinner.
Drive to Bai Chay harbour, the jumping off point for Ha Long Bay. Thousands of islands with intricate cave systems rise dramatically from the waters. Sail past limestone karst mountains in the junk boat and stop to visit some of the islands and caves.
In the evening, devour a seafood dinner, then opt to enjoy a drink on deck under the stars.
Shared Van
Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.
Junk Boat
Skim across the water aboard this iconic traditional Asian sailboat.
Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
Board a traditional junk boat at Ha Long Bay harbour and cruise out onto serene waters. Marvel at massive limestone karst mountains jutting out of the water, creating unforgettable spectacular scenery. Swim, kayak or go cave exploring on one of the islands, if conditions are right. Indulge in fresh seafood meals with a variety of dishes to sample. Drift to sleep in a cozy cabin on board.
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 | DinnerDay 3Ha Long/Huế
Cruise back to the port and take a private van to Hanoi. Enjoy some time in the city before an overnight train to Hue.
Enjoy breakfast on board before a morning sail back to the port. Drive back to Hanoi for a little more time to enjoy the city before boarding an overnight train.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Spend a few hours exploring this beautiful capital city. Visit some shops, have a bia hoi on a street corner or grab a coffee in a lakeside café.
Overnight Train (beds)
Drive about 15 mins to the station and then board the southbound train for the overnight journey.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 4Huế
Guided tour of the Imperial Citadel, Royal Tomb and Tien Mu Pagoda.
Arrive early to Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam. Start the day with a visit to the Tien Mu Pagoda followed by a visit to the tomb of one of Vietnam’s former emperors.
After, opt for a vegetarian lunch at a local nunnery.
While in the city, 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). Wash it all down with a Hue beer.
Thien Mu Pagoda Visit
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
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
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.
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Motorbike Tour
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. Take advantage of Hoi An's many options over the 2.5 days in town. Opt for a cooking class, riverboat trip, bike ride, beach time, tailor visit or My Son ruins.
Cross the Hai Van Pass (weather permitting), with fantastic views in all directions, before arriving to Hoi An in the afternoon.
With three nights here, there's plenty of time to explore all this charming town has to offer.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Hoi An
Explore all Hoi An has to offer. Dive into the culture, hang out on the beach or get clothes tailor-made in one of the many shops around town. Enjoy a noodle making demonstration and lunch at Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported project.
Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles
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.
Free Time
Explore this charming city.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Bike Rental
Rent a bike from a local shop and head out to explore.
Tailor Shops
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
38USD per personTravel 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.
Hoi An Cooking Class
35USD per personTake 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 | LunchDay 7Hoi An
Spend a free day exploring all Hoi An has to offer.
Free Time
Enjoy free time in this charming town.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City
Fly from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City with free time to explore this hectic and amazing 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
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn more about the Vietnam War. Use free time in the afternoon to explore sprawling Ho Chi Minh City.
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
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
Get out and explore this frenetic city.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Ben Thanh Market
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
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
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.
Giac Vien Pagoda Visit
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.
Reunification Palace Visit
2USD per personWander 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
2USD per personVisit 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:
BreakfastDay 10Ho Chi Minh City
Depart at any time.
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.