Intensive 9-Day Vietnam Discovery from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta

Points of Interest : Hanoi

Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, you are greeted and transferred to your hotel in the city for check-in. Rooms are available from 2:00 p.m., allowing you time to rest after your flight or start exploring the surroundings independently. No meals or guided activities are planned for this first day, so you can settle in at your own pace.

• Meals included : No meals included
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Hanoi

Points of Interest : Hanoi

In the morning you begin a full-day discovery of Vietnam’s capital. You visit the imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex before continuing to the Museum of Ethnology, which offers fascinating insights into the country’s many ethnic groups. In the afternoon you explore the Temple of Literature, founded on the site of Vietnam’s first university. Later, you attend a traditional water puppet show – an art form created over a thousand years ago by Red River Delta farmers and later performed at the royal court during the Ly and Tran dynasties. Overnight at your hotel in Hanoi.

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Hanoi

Points of Interest : Ha Long

After breakfast you leave Hanoi and drive through rural landscapes towards Halong Bay, arriving around midday. You board a modern wooden junk built in traditional style to begin your cruise among one of Southeast Asia’s most spectacular seascapes. As you glide between towering limestone karsts and islets, you enjoy freshly prepared local seafood for lunch and dinner on board. You spend the night on the junk, soaking up the tranquil atmosphere of the bay. A non-private, English-speaking guide is available on the boat.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Overnight on a non-private wooden junk in Halong Bay

Points of Interest : Hội An

Early risers are rewarded with the best views of Halong Bay as the morning light reflects off the calm waters. After breakfast, your junk continues past dramatic sandstone formations and secluded islands in a quieter part of the bay. Around 10:30 a.m. you check out and return to Halong harbor. From there you drive back to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Danang. On arrival you are welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel in nearby Hoi An, where you spend the night.

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Hoi An

Points of Interest : Hội An

In the morning you cycle through a lagoon landscape to the small village of Tra Que, famous for its aromatic herbs and lush vegetable gardens. Long before you arrive, you can smell the mint, basil and other fragrant plants grown here. Join local farmers in harvesting fresh ingredients that you then use during an introduction to the distinctive Tra Que cuisine. Of course, you sample the dishes you have helped prepare. In the afternoon you explore the historic center of Hoi An, whose well-preserved alleys and merchant houses have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. You return to your hotel for the night.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Hoi An

Points of Interest : Huế

After breakfast you continue your journey north towards Hue. The scenic drive leads over the Hai Van Pass, offering sweeping views of Vietnam’s dramatic coastline. Upon arrival in Hue, you first visit the serene tomb of Emperor Minh Mang and the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River. In the late afternoon you explore the imposing Citadel, once the seat of the Nguyen emperors. You spend the night in Hue in a comfortable 4-star hotel.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 4-star hotel in Hue

Points of Interest : Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt

In the morning you are transferred to Hue airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After landing you are met and driven into the city center. You then visit some of the metropolis’s most important historical landmarks, including the elegant Central Post Office, the red-brick Notre-Dame Cathedral, the War Remnants Museum and lively Dong Khoi Street. Afterwards you have some free time to explore on your own before returning to your hotel for the night.

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Accommodation : Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Points of Interest : Cái Bè

Today you travel southwest into the fertile Mekong Delta. On arrival you check in at Mekong Lodge, set amid lush tropical greenery – an ideal base for exploring the surroundings in an eco-friendly way. After lunch you cycle to Tan Phong Island, where you visit a local fruit garden and experience the rural lifestyle of the delta. In the evening you take part in a cooking demonstration, learning how to prepare flavorful Vietnamese dishes under the guidance of the lodge’s chefs. You then enjoy your creations for dinner before spending the night at Mekong Lodge.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Overnight in the 3-star Mekong Lodge in the Mekong Delta

Points of Interest : Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt

In the morning you board a boat to further explore the waterways of the Mekong. You visit small handicraft workshops in Cai Be and then continue to nearby villages to gain more insight into local life. Around 11:00 a.m. you check out of Mekong Lodge and return by road to Ho Chi Minh City, where your journey through Vietnam comes to an end and you connect with your onward flight.

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Last day : Return by road to Ho Chi Minh City and transfer for your departure flight