10 Days Classic Vietnam Tour for First Timers

Welcome to Hanoi!

Upon arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport. You will be escorted to the hotel and check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure for recovery.

Note: if your arrival time is early, and you prefer to explore the city instead of taking a nap, please kindly tell our travel consultant, and we’ll recommend one of our suggested activities like enjoying the Hanoi food tour by motorbike at night, or having a half-day cooking class, or walking around the Hanoi food street.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: NA

Enjoy your breakfast. In the morning at 8:00-8:30, you will be met by our tour guide at your hotel, and start to explore the city of Hanoi. The morning’s activities include:

1. Tran Quoc Pagoda: located on the shores of West Lake, this pagoda is full of amazing Buddhist symbolism, a must-see for any of Hanoi city tour.
2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: one of the most famous works in Vietnam. With great cultural and historical value, it will expand your understanding of the country.
3. One Pillar Pagoda: Hanoi’s iconic landmark not to be missed, famous for its extraordinary architecture. This Pagoda is not only a famous tourist attraction but also a religious stop for local pilgrims.
4. Temple of Literature: one of the top historical attractions in Hanoi, is the first university in Vietnam. The temple represents Vietnamese ancient architecture and traditional fondness for learning.

End of the sightseeing, you will have lunch at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, then take a rest.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the following activities:

1.Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple: famous for its peaceful beauty, cultural as well as historical values.
2. Taking a traditional cyclo tour through the Old Quarter: the fascinating experience of rickshaws driving around the Old Quarter and experience the daily life of the local.
3. Savor the best street food in the world: Never miss out the Vietnam food

Enjoying local Vietnamese dinner, you will be escorted to watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. The show lasts 50 minutes. It's a unique Vietnam performance to display the daily life in Northern Vietnam villages.

After the tour, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Hanoi. The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, our driver will pick you up at about 8:00, then head to the cruise port of Halong Bay. It takes about 3 hours to arrive. Upon arrival, the cruise staff will help you with the check-in at around 12:00.

Welcome onboard in Halong Bay! You will be greeted with a welcome drink and the introduction and guidelines. Then, you will enjoy the lunch onboard in the elegant dining room.

In the afternoon, you will have some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking, or swimming according to each cruise's itinerary.

While onboard, you can take advantage of the leisure time of the Spa, Beauty, and Massage services surrounded by the stunning scenery around you. Besides, you can also join in the chef’s cooking class and learn the art of traditional Vietnamese cooking.

In the evening, an elegant dinner is ready with a fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine, accompanied by a wide selection of wines and beverages from around the world.

After dinner, enjoy a leisurely evening onboard, such as joining in board games, squid fishing, a night movie, or bars & karaoke. 

Accommodation: Overnight at the Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Your second day of Halong Bay Cruise will start with a Tai Chi class for 20 minutes to breathe the fresh air and brighten the day.

After breakfast, continue with the exploration of the tourist sites on Halong Bay. At around 10:00, it’s time to pack your luggage for checkout.

At about 11:30, your cruise boat will sail back to the port and you will enjoy an early lunch on the way. Then, our driver will pick you up at the port, heading to the airport of Hanoi for your flight to Hue for 80 minutes.

Welcome to Hue! With a rich imperial heritage, Hue is a must-visit place to know Vietnam’s past. Your tour guide will take you to the hotel in Hue for Check-in. You can have the rest of the day to yourself.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hue

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your local tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 8:00 am and start Hue full-day tour.

Hue, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam from 1802 - 1945, was known for its royal mausoleums, traditional imperial cuisine, and pagodas. During this day tour, you’ll visit:

1. Hue Capital Citadel: a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520-ha fortress-like grand complex
2. Tu Duc Tomb: resting place of the fourth King of the Nguyen dynasty.
3. Dong Ba market: biggest commercial center of Hue province and the adjacent regions.

After lunch, you’ll continue your Hue tour at around 1:30 p.m.

1. Thien Mu Pagoda: unofficial symbol of Hue City with its origins dating back to 1601.
2. Minh Mang Tomb: the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried.
3. Perfume River: take a dragon boat cruise to enjoy the open view of the river and the peaceful landscape along the river banks.

Admiring the beautiful scenery and the sunset of Hue, you can enjoy Vietnamese traditional folk songs on the boat cruise.

At 7:00 pm, head to Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Ben Xuan is like a special place where East meets West, offering a unique experience that celebrates Hue's heritage through music, beautiful buildings, culture, art, and food.

Explore the stunning royal architecture, like the Garden House Theatre and Painting Exhibition, and enjoy a delicious meal. Then go back to the hotel for the rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hue

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, after breakfast, you will enjoy your free time until your tour guide picks you up to Hoi An. The drive takes around 3 hours. On the way there, you'll get through Hai Van Pass & Tunnel.

Welcome to Hoi An, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and famous for the old town. Your tour guide will take you to the hotel in Hoi An for Check-in.

In the afternoon, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel around 13:00 and bring you to the edge of the old town for a half day of exploration. During the tour, you will visit:

1. 200-year-old Tan Ky House: a beautiful home that has been lovingly preserved over seven generations.
2. Museum of Trade Ceramics: with fascinating pottery artifacts from all over Asia and the Middle East
3. Chua Ong Pagoda: the neighborhood around it has distinctly Chinese-inspired buildings and is lovely to explore at a relaxed pace.
4. Hoi An Market: reputed to be one of Vietnam’s best.

After the sightseeing tour, we'll take you back to the hotel, and then you can have the rest of the day to yourself for city exploration.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, after breakfast, you will start your half-day excursion to Cam Thanh village. Your tour guide will pick you up around 8:00 am - 8:30 am. Cam Thanh village is a fisherman at Cam Thanh Water coconut village. During this half-hour, you will experience:

1. Fishing, catching the crabs & coconut mussels: enjoying experiences from learning traditional fishing techniques and exploring tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war.
2. Vietnamese bamboo basket boat ride: made of bamboo with the shape of baskets to make you have the very Vietnamese experience.

After the tour, you will be driven to Da Nang and take the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for 85 minutes.

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest financial center and the main hub of the southern Region in Vietnam. Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, our tour guide will escort you to the hotel and have a short rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, at about 8:30 am, we will drive about 1.5 hours to Cu Chi Tunnels, where you discover these amazing systems developed by the guerrillas fighting in the Vietnam War. You will see various weapons used in the war on display. It will take the whole morning to explore and enjoy.

After lunch at a local restaurant, back to Saigon city to explore the iconic highlights, including:

1. Notre Dame Cathedral: honored as one of the world's 19 most majestic cathedrals, the only representative from Southeast Asia, seen as the architectural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City
2. Old Saigon Post Office: Vietnam’s largest post office and oldest colonial structure, is one of the must-sees, attracting visitors with its aesthetic and historical values
3. Cholon: the largest Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh with many traditional shops, markets, and local food stalls.
4. Emperor Jade Pagoda: a sacred place of Saigon, built by a Chinese merchant named Liu Daoyuan, where people pray and seek blessings.

End of the sightseeing tour, you will be escorted to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and prepare to enjoy a full-day Mekong Delta discovery. Your tour guide will meet you around 8:00 am - 8:30 am.

You will arrive at Cai Be Jetty at 10:00 am. Your crew welcomes you with cold towels and a refreshing drink while your Cai Be Princess sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways. On the river, boat traffic is endless and the activity never ceases.

You will experience the following today:

1. Floating Market: observe from the comfort of your sampan life as it plays out on the riverbanks.
2. Visit Ancient House: built in the 19th century.
3. Local Cottage Industries: coconut candy and puffed rice products that provide a living for the river people.
4. Le Longanier Restaurant: a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times.

After lunch, at around 2:30 pm, you’ll take a short walk along a small canal towards the Ba Bon Bridge, where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.

Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast and free time in the morning until your tour guide picks you up heading to the airport.

Hope you enjoyed a great trip with us and we look forward to seeing you next time.

Tour service ends here.

Note: If you’re planning to continue exploring Indochina region, like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, please never hesitate to tell us, we’re tour experts for all of these destinations.

Accommodation: NA

Meals: Breakfast