21 Days | Discover Indochina with Flights
Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Luang Prabang - Siem Reap - Ho Chi Minh City
Return International flights, as well as internal Domestic Flights (with baggage)
20 Nights of hand-picked 4-Star Accommodation with breakfast daily
Overnight cruise in Halong Bay and trip up the Mekong Delta
Delve in the Cultural Heritage of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos!
From
$5,699
Typically $6,399
pp twin share
Check Departure Dates
Description
-THIS DEAL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE/SOLD OUT-
Embark on a journey to three countries discovering Indochina heritage & local cultures throughout Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Direct flights on Vietnam Airlines from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth!
Enjoy a performance of fascinating Vietnamese art during a traditional water puppet show together with experiencing real life at the old quarters and tasting the traditional cuisine of the Hanoian. Take a boat trip to Pak Ou caves, home to thousands of Buddha statues on the rocky cliff with faces overlooking the Mekong River. Explore local villages where you learn how they make wine rice and local paper. Venture to Kuangsi waterfalls, a must-see in Luang Prabang.
Walk through Banteay Srei temple, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, one of the few temples around Angkor to be
commissioned not by a king but by a Brahman. Tole Sap Lake is also a worthwhile place to visit with its floating village.
Itinerary Downloadable Itinerary
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21
Australia Ho Chi Minh Danang Hoi An
Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, transit for your Domestic flight to Danang. You will be greeted by our representative and be transferred to Hoi An for check in at the hotel. The remainder of the day & evening is yours at leisure.
Meals: Inflight Menu
Accommodation: Rosemary Hotel or similar
Hoi An
Breakfast will be at your hotel. Visit the ancient town of Hoi An which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is an important trading port from the 16th to 18th century attracting traders from China, Japan and even Europe. You will explore structures and old houses here including Japanese Japanese-covered bridge, the Fujian assembly hall, Trieu Chau assembly hall. Then enjoy free time for your own experiences in Hoi An town. We will then regather and take a boat trip to Thanh Ha pottery village where you can learn and enjoy the daily life of Thanh Ha people. Observe all the steps of making a pottery product: vase, pot, kettle, cooking pot, embark on the boat back to Hoi An town in a romantic sunset on Thu Bon River is unforgettable.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Rosemary Hotel or similar
Hoi An
Breakfast this morning will be at your hotel. Today, you have the whole day free for your own activities or to relax at the hotel.
Optional tour:
- Program: BANA HILLS (Seat in coach)
- Included: Hotel pick-up & drop-off. English-speaking guide. Return cable car. Buffet lunch in Bana. Entrance fee to Fantasy Park and all places in Bana except wax museum.
- Duration: Full day tour
- Itinerary: At around 730AM a car and guide will pick you up at hotel and depart for Sun World Bana hills. A 20-minute cable-cart-ride bring us past the vast forest tree line and offers spectacular views of the lush jungle and Fairy waterfall along the way. Time to experience the pristine ecological system of Ba Na. Enjoy the fresh mountain air, visit Le Jardin, old wineries - remains of French Villas and Linh Ung Pagoda with its 27m height Buddha Statue. Leave Le Jardin for Gare Debay, the second cable car station, to go to the top of Ba Na. Enjoy the panorama view of Da Nang from the top of Ba Na Hills. Visit the golden hand bridge which is listed on the list of must-go places while travelling in Da Nang. Wandering around to explore every corner of the beautiful architecture complex “French Village” with many festival activities. Lunch in a local restaurant at Bana hill. You might be interest in spending time in Fantasy Park-the third largest indoor amusement park in the world. Return to cable car station and transfer back to your hotel.
Optional tour:
- Program: RURAL LIFE AT COCONUT VILLAGE (Seat in coach – MINIMUM 2 Passengers)
- Included: Hotel pick-up & drop-off. English-speaking guide. Bamboo basket boat. Entrance fee. Lunch in a local restaurant.
- Duration: Half day tour
- Itinerary: At about 9AM our guide will pick you up at the hotel lobby and transfer you to the motorboat for travelling to Cam Thanh water coconut village. While the boat cruises along the river, observing beautiful Hoi An rural lives with water coconut forest in the background. Transferring from the main boat to the bamboo basket boat and slowly rowing to the village. During these basket boat tours, you will learn more about the water coconut ecosystem, as well as how the locals of Cam Thanh Village spend their days. Your guide may show you how to paddle the basket boat you are in and may even allow you to paddle for a little bit if you wish. One of the most mesmerizing parts of your Cam Thanh Coconut Village tour will be when you are in the middle of the beautiful water coconut forest. A feeling of calm will be present, and you will appreciate every moment you are there, away from your ordinarily busy life. Together with local fishermen, throwing fish nets, catching fishes, mud-crabs, coconut mussels (an indigenous specie that can only be found here) and turning coconut leaves into fun items. Arrive at the village around 1130AM and enjoy a welcome drink before lunch with a Vietnamese set menu in a local restaurant. Transfer back to your hotel after lunch and finish this tour at around 130PM.
Optional tour:
- Program: MY SON HOLLY LAND (Seat in coach – MINIMUM 2 Passengers)
- Included: Hotel pick-up & drop-off. English-speaking guide. Boat trip. Entrance fee. Lunch in a local restaurant.
- Duration: Half-day tour
- Itinerary: At about 730AM this morning your guide picks you up at your hotel and departs to My Son Sanctuary – The World Cultural Heritage, located 45 km from Hoi An. My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the 4th to 15th centuries. We will spend 2 hours to discover the site by walking through the landscape, learning histories with our local English-speaking guide, and enjoying the Champa’s traditional performances. Get back to the van and move to a local house to learn how to make rice paper, you will enjoy your own hand-making product later on then have lunch in another local house and relax with cold herbal tea while feeling the cool wind & fresh air of the countryside. Take a boat trip on the Hoai River on the way back to Hoi An. From the boat, you will enjoy the beauty of the typical peaceful countryside in Vietnam. Arrive at Hoi An ancient town and finish the tour at the hotel around 2PM.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Rosemary Hotel or similar
Hoi An Hue
After breakfast, check out of the hotel. Your car and guide will take you to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Check-in to your hotel in Hue. The rest of the day and evening is yours at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Rosemary Hotel or similar
Hue
Breakfast will be at your hotel. Start the tour in Hue by taking a dragon boat to visit Thien Mu pagoda located on the northern bank of the Perfume River and was built in 1601 by Lord Nguyen Hoang. Nowadays, it is the oldest and most beautiful pagoda in Hue which has become an iconic symbol of Hue. Continue our trip to visit the Imperial Citadel, famously being one of Vietnam’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Imperial City of Hue has long been a must-see attraction for tourists visiting a hidden charm of Vietnam. The Imperial Citadel was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty for 140 years dating back from 1805 until 1945 and was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. It was built in 1805 by Gia Long and was finally completed under the reign of Minh Mang in 1832. Lunch on your own. Start our afternoon tour by visiting an incense-making village, Thuy Xuan Village. This village is the largest and oldest incense village in Hue, famous for its profession of making incense for hundreds of years. This place is not only a famous traditional craft village of the ancient capital with a series of “blooming” incense facilities in green, red, purple, and yellow but also an impressive Hue tourist destination in the eyes of tourists who love local culture. You will enjoy yourself trying to learn how to make an incense stick; thereby learning more and know more about the profession of the local people and their daily life in this village. Leaving the village, we will visit Minh Mang's tomb, located 12KM away from Hue City on Mount Cam Khe. The tomb of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1841), the 2nd King of the Nguyen Dynasty was constructed between 1940-1943 by his successor, Thieu Tri. The tomb follows Chinese architectural concepts and is one of the most impressive royal tombs. Continue to visit The Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh (1916-1925), the 12th King of the Nguyen Dynasty was constructed in 1920 and lasted 11 years to complete. It is unique among the royal tombs in Hue and the last Hue Imperial tomb with Western and Eastern architecture located about 10 km away from Hue city.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Eldora Hotel or similar
Hue Hanoi
Breakfast will be at your hotel. The morning is free at your leisure until your transfer to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Our local guide will welcome you at Noi Bai International Airport and transfer you to Hanoi City Center. Check in to your hotel then enjoy the rest of the day and evening at your leisure.
Optional tour:
- Program: HANOI EVENING STREET FOOD – Private tour
- Included: English speaking guide, Hanoi Street food & drinks as mentioned.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Itinerary: Your English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, sampling a tasty Hanoian street food from a street cart.
- Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Bun Cha Ta, Nen Ran, Pho... at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1,000 years ago. Now, it's time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed! Your local guide will take you to one of Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a hidden café inside the old quarter. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city center below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits! At the end of our Hanoi Street food tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Q Hotel or similar
Hanoi Ninh Binh Hanoi
Breakfast will be at the hotel. At around 8AM, your guide will pick you up at the hotel lobby to depart to Ninh Binh. The first visit of today's tour is Bai Dinh Pagoda – the most famous & biggest Pagoda in Southeast Asia with many records set such as 500 Stone - Arhat Statues, 36 ton-bronze Bell, 100 ton-Budhha Statue. After lunch at a local restaurant, take a 2.5-hour boat trip to Tràng An which was recognized by UNESCO as A World Heritage Site in 2014. It is also the film studio for the New Version of Kong in 2016 – “Skull Island” because of the beauty of nature and wonderful tunnel cave system. Get back to our transportation to leave Trang An for Mua Cave (Dancing Cave), located about 5 kilometers north of Tam Coc inside Ngoa Long Mountain. Step up almost 500 stone steps to reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & suddenly find the amazing panoramic view of Ngo Dong River and the paddy fields below. Finish today's tour at about 430PM.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: The Q Hotel or similar
Hanoi Halong Bay
Breakfast this morning will be at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at the hotel lobby for a seat in coach tour to Halong. You will take a 4-hour drive on a countryside road through the paddy fields to Ha Long Bay, one of New Seven Natural Wonders. Arrive at La Regina Royal waiting lounge – Bai Chay- Ha Long, enjoy a welcome drink and express check-in before boarding. Check-in on board with a Welcome drink from a crew member while the manager introduces the safety briefing as the boat cruises forward to Halong bay. Let your cruise start with a delicious lunch in the restaurant. Your first excursion is a visit to Luon Cave. This is considered one of the most ideal places in Halong for kayaking or rowing boats. After that, you can visit Titov Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay. Come back to the cruise to relax. Enjoy our special dinner in the restaurant. After dinner, it’s your choice for fun activities such as squid fishing, soaking in the spa, karaoke, or just sit back and relax under the stars.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: La Regina Royal Cruise or similar
Halong Bay Hanoi
Light breakfast is served at the restaurant after greeting the new day on the sundeck with tai chi. Your next excursion is a visit to the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay. Check out of your cabin at around 9AM. Vietnamese cuisine buffet is served at the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor. Disembark at the harbor at 11AM. Your car and guide will pick you up for your transfer back to Hanoi. Check-in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day and evening at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast and Brunch
Accommodation: The Q Hotel or similar
Hanoi
After breakfast at your hotel, take a tour to visit the Ho Chi Minh complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father including Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Stilt House and one pillar pagoda, modeled after a lotus flower. Then proceed to visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university. The Temple of Literature was built in 1070 in honour of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education. Lunch in a local restaurant with Cha Ca La Vong, is a must-not-miss in guidebooks for whoever visiting Hanoi which is definitely unique among the best-known dishes of the capital city. In the afternoon, we will continue to visit Hỏa Lò Prison built in 1896 and used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. After this we will explore the Hanoi Old Quarter by getting on a cyclo. Witnessing the bustle and hustle of local life in this ancient city will be an unforgettable experience for you. Then you are taken to the Thang Long Theater, which is located near Hoan Kiem Lake. Enjoying the traditional water puppet show – the show will bring you exciting fairy tales or historical stories about this country.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Q Hotel or similar
Hanoi Luang Prabang
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang has been claimed by UNESCO to be ‘the best-preserved city in Southeast Asia’. During our time here, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai, we then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River. From there, we explore the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Villa Maydou or similar
Luang Prabang
Breakfast this morning will be at your hotel. Today, we enjoy a short guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside as well time to explore the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. Lunch at a local Restaurant at Pak Ou. On return, we continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for its silk weavings and for its Saa (jute) Papermaking.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Villa Maydou or similar
Luang Prabang
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is unique in Laos, which is the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual (guests can join if interested). Breakfast this morning is at your hotel. Today we will visit the National Museum (Now Open Every day) at the former Royal Palace. It displays a collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. Your tour then takes you to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. Return to the city by late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Villa Maydou or similar
Luang Prabang Siem Reap
Breakfast this morning will be at your hotel. Today there may be some free time before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Cambodia. On arrival, you will be met and dropped off at your hotel in Siem Reap where you can check-in. The rest of the evening is yours at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Somadevi Angkor or similar
Siem Reap
Breakfast this morning will be at your hotel. Today, visit Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia's ancient temple is one of the wonders of the oriental world. Masterpieces of decorative details as well as of architectural style, its awe-inspiring ruins survive as a testament to the spectacular achievements of Southeast Asia's greatest civilization. It is a replica of the universe according to the Hindu mythology. It is composed of Mount Meru, surrounded by the continents and the oceans. Its extraordinary bas-reliefs, describe some Khmer epics and myths. Angkor Wat's five famous towers rise into the sky, a geometrical arrangement of numerous galleries, adorned with beliefs and the stone images of celestial Apsara dancers, as well as portals, chambers, and courtyards. Back to hotel for freshen up. This afternoon, visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom known as Big Angkor, 3KM 2 walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire, the famous Bayon Temple was an architectural muddle, in part because it was constructed in a somewhat piecemeal fashion for over a century. Terrace of the Elephants is an impressive, two-and-a-half-meter tall, 300-meter-long terrace wall adorned with carved elephants and gradual that spans the heart of Angkor Thom in front of Baphuon - a huge temple mountain in the heart of Angkor Thom, Royal Palace Area and Phimeanakas - impressive rite and sandstone pyramid. The Terrace of the Leper King is at the north end of the Terrace of the Elephants, a double terrace wall with deeply carved nag as, demons and other mythological beings. Last visit Ta Prohm temple which is a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty. Giant trees have grown here for centuries.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Somadevi Angkor or similar
Siem Reap
After breakfast, visit Banteay Srei; ‘the Womans Citadel’ - a tiny, enchanting temple, which is one of the jewels in this remarkable city. Built of red sandstone in the tenth century and dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, the carved male and female figures in the niches are exquisitely executed in both style and proportion. This is the most Indian of all the temples in Angkor and in the words of H.W. Ponder, is “a fairy palace in the heart of an immense and mysterious forest.” Continue to visit Banteay Samre, built under Suryavarman II and Yasovarman II in the early 12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Wat style. Named after the Samré, an ancient people of Indochina, the temple uses the same materials as Banteay Srei. Return to the hotel to freshen up. This afternoon, visit Phnom Krom Village, walking through this lovely local village to experience how local people live, visit to a morning local market before transferring to Chong Kneas village to enjoy a boat trip on Tonle Sap Great Lake. You will find the different of Khmer and Vietnamese floating households and the floating markets, clinics, schools and other boatloads of tourists. On the way back, Experience the Monk Blessing at Wat Athvea, which the Khmer people believed cleansed the bad spirits of the past and brought good luck for the coming year.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Somadevi Angkor or similar
Siem Reap Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast this morning is at your hotel. This morning, explore Siem Reap by Remok. Start by visiting the Apopo Visitor Centre. Apopo uses HeroRATs to save lives by detecting landmines and tuberculosis. Experience the realities of humanitarian demining and how we train rats to save lives. You will learn about the mine clearance process from their tour guide, enjoy a series of videos showing their work, and read all about how Cambodia became one of the most mine-affected countries in the world. Then visit Artisans Angkor, a Cambodian organization dedicated to the preservation of traditional Khmer skills and culture since its creation in the late 1990s. After learning about the roots and techniques of Khmer arts and crafts while visiting the main workshop, Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to visit the Artisans Angkor shop for some of the best souvenir shopping in town. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Our local guide will meet you at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Transfer to the city center for check-in at your hotel. The rest of the day and evening is yours at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Alagon D’antique Hotel or similar
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast this morning will be at the hotel. You will have the whole day free at your leisure.
Optional tour:
- Program: VIP CU CHI TUNNELS HALF-DAY TOUR. Seat in coach tour maximum 9 passengers per group
- Included: Pick-up and drop-off at the hotel lobby. Transportation by Limousine D’car. Entrance fees. Experienced English-speaking guide. Vietnamese set menu lunch. Local beer, coke, fruits, cold tissues and mineral water during the car ride.
- Duration: half-day tour
- Itinerary: 830AM your tour guide will pick you up at the hotel lobby. Start your tour with a visit to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. Located 60KM from HCMC, Cu Chi is now a popular spot for both Vietnamese & foreign tourists - the network of over 200km of tunnels became legendary when they played a vital role in the War. In their day, the tunnels were functioning underground cities including numerous trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens. Today, ducks and water buffalos happily co-exist in the rivers along the side of the road. However, the peaceful rural rice paddy scenery belies the area’s violent history. Visitors will find it hard to imagine the destruction, damage & defoliation over this whole area, caused by bombing and mines. There is plenty of evidence of the fierce battle that took place here during the 1960s when Cu Chi was a "Free Target Zone". Start our tour in the morning, before entering the tunnels visitors can watch a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed. You will spend the next hour exploring the tunnels. Afterwards, enjoy tea, and cassava (guerrilla’s food during the war). Lunch in a local restaurant. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. The tour ends at around 330PM.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Alagon D’antique Hotel or similar
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast this morning will be at the hotel. You will have the whole day free at your leisure.
Optional tour:
- Program: VIP MEKONG DELTA DAY TOUR. Seat in coach tour maximum 9 passengers per group.
- Included: Pick-up and drop-off at the hotel lobby. Transportation by Limousine D’car. Entrance fees. Experienced English-speaking guide. Vietnamese set menu lunch. Local beer, coke, fruits, cold tissues and mineral water during the car ride. Motorboat trip. Small rowboat. Fresh fruit, honey tea. Vietnamese traditional folk music.
- Duration: Full-day tour
- Itinerary: 8AM Your tour guide will pick you up at your hotel, and then transfer you to the City of My Tho by bus (1.5 hours). On the way, we will visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, the biggest pagoda in the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival in My Tho, we will take a boat trip along the Mekong River, where you can see fish cages and floating houses on the river. The boat takes you to a small canal, where you can totally escape from the busy town. The boat cruise in the coconut trees canal takes you to a coconut island in Ben Tre. We disembark and have a walk around the village. Stop at a local family home to enjoy tropical fruit, taste the honey tea, and honey wine and listen to Vietnamese traditional music, performed by the villagers.
- Stop by the village coconut candy shop, learn how to make candy, and see some handicrafts made out of coconut trees. Take a walk through the village and admire the fruits, flowers, trees, local houses, children and people. Then, we head to the local restaurant. Lunch is set with special Vietnamese food here. After lunch, relax, go for a walk, or bicycle around the area. We’ll then travel back to the river ferry and head back to Saigon by bus, arriving at around 430PM.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Alagon D’antique Hotel or similar
Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast this morning will be at the hotel. You will have the whole day free at your leisure.
Optional tour
- Program: WATER PUPPETRY & DINNER CRUISE (Private tour)
- Included: Pick-up hotel to water puppet theatre by Cyclo. Water puppets show entrance tickets.
- Transportation: Water puppet theater to Saigon port & Saigon port to hotel. English-speaking guide. The most luxurious dinner cruise in Saigon with 5 dishes menu of choice (Asian seafood/ Fusion/ European)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Itinerary: Early in the evening, at around 6PM, your guide will pick you up at the hotel for the tour which begins with a cyclo trip from your hotel to the water-puppet theatre. Water puppetry is an ancient puppet tradition and an important part of Vietnamese culture. In water puppetry, puppets are played on the surface of a pool of water, while a Vietnamese orchestra of professional musicians accompanied by an array of talented singers provides background music for the performance. Enjoy watching the puppet show and learning more about Vietnamese rural life and folklore. Many of the programs, especially those involving the tales of day-to-day living, often have a humorous twist. After the show, we’ll take you to Saigon River to board a junk for a cruise. Take the time here to admire the lights of Saigon City from the river. Dinner will be served on the cruise, which you can enjoy while cruising along the Saigon River. The tour ends around 930PM, when we’ll return you to your hotel.
Optional tour:
- Program: SAIGON SIGHTSEEING AND FOOD TOUR BY SCOOTER (Private tour)
- Included: Hotel pick-up & drop-off. Traditional Vietnam Street food & drinks during the tour. Motorbike & high-quality open-faced helmet. Friendly English-speaking guide (driver). Rain poncho. Pictures from your tour sent to your E-mail.
- Duration: 3.5 – 4 hours
- Itinerary: The starting time is at your discretion but we recommend from 5PM to 7PM to avoid the heat & tropical hard sunlight. Our motorbike guide will pick you up at your hotel for the 4-hour motorbike tour. After a short riding instruction and program introduction, we hop on the motorbike. The first stop is at the tourist attractions in District 1 including Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, and Saigon Central Post Office where you admire the beauty of old French architectural works, learn more about history and culture, and take the most beautiful photos in the city. A lovely book street next to the post office is worth wandering. We will visit the Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument. We will tell you some less-known history and story about the monk and his unburned heart. Head to District 3 and a Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment building which was built in the 1960s and has been home to lots of Saigon citizens. There you can see the real Saigon local life. Before reaching the coffee shop, we stop at one of Saigon’s Top 3 Banh mi shops and see how they make a great Vietnamese sandwich with crispy crust and amazing fillings. Drive to a small street food stall that is over 20 years old to learn how they wrap and grill one of the top Saigon Street foods – Grilled banana & sticky rice in banana leaves. It is a big chance to stop at Cheo Leo Cafe – an 80-year-old coffee shop hidden in an alley and famous for its distinct “Vot” coffee. There you sit around a table, take a rest, enjoy a drink, eat Vietnamese bread, Grilled banana in sticky rice, and chat leisurely with the guide as a friend like locals. You also learn how to make a cup of “Vot” coffee and interact with the nice owner of the coffee shop. Then we head to District 10 and stop at Ho Thi Ky flower market – a huge wholesale flower market where you have a chance to see thousands of colorful flowers, fresh vegetables, live animals, and many strange things. After that, we drive around hidden parts including fashion street, painting street, medicine street, electronic market, fabric market, lantern market, fruit market, and bird market gives you an insider view of the hidden city which is missed on normal city tours by car/bus. Escaping from the noisy and busy streets, we head to Thien Hau Temple to listen to mysterious stories and learn more about the unique architecture and religious life. On the way to District 1, we stop to eat again at an over-20-year-old restaurant known as one of the Top 5 Places to eat Vietnamese pancakes in Saigon. The guide shows you how the cook makes thin, large, and crispy pancakes skillfully, and how to wrap the cake in vegetables and eat. There we also enjoy Rice noodles with grilled pork/fried roll – a specialty food of the city. Your guide will return you back to your hotel after passing by Ben Thanh Market. It is time to say goodbye, the Private Saigon Sightseeing & Food Tour by Motorbike ends but memories last forever.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Alagon D’antique Hotel or similar
Ho Chi Minh City Australia
Breakfast this morning will be at the hotel. You will have free time for your own activities until your transfer to the airport for your flight home. Please note you will need to check out of the hotel at 12PM but can leave your luggage in storage for the day.
Meals: Breakfast and Inflight Menu
Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions
- International and domestic airfare from Australia to Vietnam – Laos – Cambodia with Vietnam Airlines
-
20 nights of 4-star Accommodation in a twin/double room with daily breakfast
- Overnight cruise in Halong Bay
-
All transfers and transportation with air-con vehicles (types of vehicles depending on the number of
pax) - Seat in coach to Halong by limousine of the cruise line
- Local ENGLISH-speaking guides
- All entrance fees as per the program
- Boat trip as mentioned (boat in Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Luang Prabang, Siemreap)
- Seat in coach tours
- Meals as indicated in the program.
- 2 bottles of mineral water per person per day on bus on days of transfer and sightseeing only
Exclusions
- Meals (other than those mentioned in the program)
- Drinks
- Visas to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
- Mineral water beyond that supplied
- Tips for tour guides and drivers
- Early check-in or late check-out.
- Travel Insurance
- Optional excursions and activities
- Additional transfers required
- Items of a personal nature (Phone calls, laundry etc)
- Peak season surcharges if any
Important information:
Child Policy: Want to bring the family? Get in touch with us for a quote!
Solo supplement: Contact our Customer Service Team for a quote on a single supplement for this program.
Travel Insurance: We highly suggest that all guests on this itinerary have full comprehensive travel insurance. We recommend Covermore travel insurance. To get a quote and book, please click HERE.
Visa: Visas are required for travellers on Australian passports to enter Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Please check the Australian government travel advisory website here for more information. Travelers on other passports are advised to check the relevant requirements with their own embassy or government website.
Travelling on your own? Why not join the Traveldream Solo Travellers Facebook group where you can interact with other travellers.
