Vietnam Discovery Holiday for Family – 10 Days

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival (D)

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, we will be welcomed by our guide and driver. We then transfer to hotel in city center. Relax after a long flight journey we then enjoy our welcome dinner on Saigon River cruise. Tonight, parents and children can explore the Ben Thanh night market for the first idea of beautiful Saigon or just relax at the hotel. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 2: Saigon City Tour – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)

Pick up at the hotel after breakfast, we will take the 70-Km drive to Cu Chi Tunnels. This is a tunnel system that heroic Southern Vietnamese people built during the French and American war to protect and fight against enemies. After more than one hour driving, we get there and enjoy a half of hour seeing the video about its history and how to explore this famous area. With an expert tour guide, we will follow some part of tunnels which tourists permitted to enter; enjoy some special food that cooked for old soldiers and people during wars. They are cassava, tea…. We can also take photos with many history models in the Cu Chi Tunnel system. The way out, we may pass by the shooting range to experience to fire real bullets (costs US$1/bullet) or just free for shopping at the souvenir shops.

After lunch in a restaurant overlooking the river, we will be back to Saigon. In the afternoon, we will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office to catch our beautiful and memorable photos of our trip. The rest of the day will be free time for shopping at the lively Ben Thanh. This bustling and the well-organized market is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk Ao Dai.

Overnight in Saigon.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta (B, L)

After breakfast, we will travel to the heart of Mekong Delta to visit Cai Be floating market. This is a wholesale floating market in Mekong Delta where the big boats selling and the smaller boats buying. The products will be carried to all the villages in Mekong Delta on the smaller boats. The local people here sell and buy in peace, very friendly and close. The boat will cruise us among local barges of fruits and vegetables. We can buy anything we like with the help of a tour guide or just “eye” shopping around. There a hundred opportunities for photos.

After the market, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the small canals where we come closer to local life. We have seasonal fruits while enjoying traditional music performance, lunch at local home and bike along the village paths. Bid farewell with villages, we cruise back to Vinh Long city where our friendly driver brings us back to Ho Chi Minh City. Tonight, the family is free for favorite activities.

Day 4: Saigon – Fly to Nha Trang (B)

Time will be free until our driver arrives to take us to the airport for a noon flight to Nha Trang. Nha Trang with Cam Ranh Bay is one of the best bays in the world with sunshine for most of the years, crystal water, and soft white sand.

Arriving in Nha Trang after one hour flight, we are welcome on arrival by local tour guide and driver then transfer to the city. We spend the last time of the day for swimming at the beach. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 5: Nha Trang – Island & Snorkeling Tour (B, L)

This morning, we take our private wooden boat to some islands where we do water activities such as snorkeling, swimming…. We firstly stop at Mieu Island to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium to see the small ocean with various sea species. Later, we boat to Mun Island to do snorkeling with the expert. Children can keep stay at the beach if they can’t join. There are some water sports that family can join at Mot Island, Tranh Beach Island or others smaller.

We enjoy a fresh seafood lunch and visit a fishing village on the way back. Tour ends at 4h00pm. Back to the hotel, we relax and overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 6: Nha Trang – Mud Bath – Fly to Hanoi (B)

In the morning, we will drive to Thap Ba Hot Sring where parents and children can wallow in mud in an outdoor bath, shower in spring water, and bathe for as long as you like in a large hot mineral water swimming pool set in beautiful gardens.

After that, we will be driven to the airport to board the mid-afternoon flight to Hanoi. On arrival, we will be met and driven to your hotel where we spend the night.

Day 7: Hanoi City Tour (B, L)

After breakfast, we will have a full day exploring Hanoi. We visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum first where is only open in the morning and other sites around such as Ba Dinh Square, The Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, His house on stilt, Ho Chi Minh’s fishing pond and Ho Chi Minh museum. We can skip the museum if we are not really interested in. After this place, we take a short drive to next vestige of Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam which is now a temple.

After our lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the most interesting museums in Hanoi, the Ethnology museum where we can see all 54 ethnic minorities of Vietnam. The museum arrangement will lead us from this minority to another, from Delta to mountain; and we will have the idea for people, culture, and character of this country.

Back to the city, we experience Hanoi daily life on the cyclo tour. Each cyclo driver will take one member of the family, one follows one along the old streets. Then they stop us in front of the Water Puppet Theater for our one hour watching the traditional art performance.

Tonight, the family can find the favorite food at various restaurants in the Hanoi Old Quarter and walk to the night market if time is weekend. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we set off to the ‘Jewel in the Crown of Vietnam – Halong Bay. Arriving before lunch we will board our boat and then set sail, cruising amongst thousands of extraordinary limestone karst formations. Halong Bay was voted one of ‘The New 7 Wonders of Nature’ in 2011, and once here you will know why it was included in this group.

On arrival in Halong, we will embark our cruise followed by a short cruise briefing. We will then savor a delectable lunch while our cruise sails among the limestone islands. In the mid-afternoon, we will kayak among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Bo Nau Cave area before going back to the cruise and continue cruising to Soi Sim Island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Soi Sim or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay.

In the evening, we will cruise back to the main boat for a shower before having dinner and spend the night onboard.

Day 9: Halong – Hanoi (B, L)

Wake up early in the morning and start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt before having breakfast. After that, we will explore the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the nicest cave in Halong Bay.

After that, we will return to the boat, freshen up and check out of your cabin. Continue your cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more. While heading back to the harbor, watch the cooking demonstration before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. We will disembark at around noon and find your car is waiting and take you back to Hanoi.

Day 10: Hanoi – Departure (B)

Today we will depart to the airport as appointed time with tour guide before then take the flight to home. Trip ends.