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10-Day Best of Vietnam with Mekong Delta

By Nora OuUpdated Feb. 23, 2024
Hanoi - Hoi An - Ho Chi Ming City - Mekong Delta

An overall plan for first time to Vietnam, this trip covers the best of its landscapes, cultures and lifestyles. Halong Bay cruise, Hanoi city with a street food discovery, Hoi An ancient town and a pottery village, an early morning to see floating market in the Mekong Delta. Return home and you can say you have done it all, yet authentic experience is nothing to be copied.

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Highlights

  • Hanoi Old Quarter street eats with a local insider
  • View Halong Bay on your private balcony of a spacious cabin
  • Meander through the bustling streets and quiet narrow lanes of Hoi An Ancient Town
  • Take it slow with a cyclo (rickshaw) ride in Ho Chi Minh City
  • Sight of the busiest moments of a floating market and get inside the dense mangrove swamps by a small sampan

Journey Route

Vietnam tour map

Itinerary in Detail

Day 1
Hanoi Arrival, Vietnam
Hanoi Pearl Hotel / Apricot Hotel Hanoi

You will meet your private tour guide upon arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport.
Transfer to your hotel. Free time to adjust yourself from jetlag or explore the city on your own.

Day 2
Hanoi | Half-Day Authentic City Tour & Water Puppet Show

The first chapter of your journey in Vietnam will begin with an introduction to the country's fascinating history and culture. We will take you to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and the One Pillar Pagoda.
A visit to the Old Quarter to experience the daily life of the Hanoians, and where your taste buds will tingle with local cuisine - Vietnamese sandwich, egg coffee, rice cakes and of course pho!
After the authentic city tour, sit back and enjoy Vietnam's traditional water puppet show in late afternoon.

The Old Quarter of Hanoi
Old Quarter, Hanoi
Day 3
Hanoi - Halong Bay | Overnight Cruising in Halong Bay
Bhaya Classic Cruise (4 star) / Au Co Cruise (5 star)

After a fresh coffee and breakfast, you will be on the way to Halong Bay. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the bay has all it takes for a relaxing journey: a stunning natural landscape, catering services onboard, an outlook over a waterfront lifestyle, and interesting activities, such as kayaking, swimming, and diving. Itineraries differ for each cruise, but you will probably visit: Cua Van Fishing Village, Vung Vieng Fishing Village, Me Cung Caves, Virgin Cave, and Surprise Cave, as well as passing some small islets, such as Flight Cock Islet, Human Head Islet, and Toad Islet and etc. Some cruises also include a cooking class at night and a taichi lesson in the morning.

Relaxing time on Halong Bay
Day 4
Halong Bay - Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An
Essence Hoi An Hotel & Spa / Almanity Hoi An Resort and Spa

Your cruising journey comes to a perfect ending and the cruise company will have a shuttle transfer taking you back to Hanoi. Meet your tour guide again and transfer to the airport. Onward flight to Danang and 40-minute car drive to Hoi An.

Day 5
Hoi An | Ancient Town Walking & Pottery Village Set Just for You

Immerse yourself in the cultural ancient town of Hoi An, your tour guide will lead you to some key sites including Japanese Covered Bridge, Fujian Assembly Hall and Old House of Tan Ky.
Situated on the maritime Silk Road, some exquisite traditional skills dated between 15th and 16th century has survived in the small single-craft villages that surround present-day Hoi An. Among them there is a pottery village. Enjoy a 40-minute scenic boat ride on the Thu Bon River to the pottery village. Here you will explore its zigzagging alleyways, chat with the villagers and make your own handicraft.

Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An
Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An
Day 6
Hoi An - Danang - Ho Chi Minh
Liberty Central Saigon City Point

Transfer to Danang for an onward flight in the morning to Ho Chi Minh City. The private transfer with tour guide are included in both cities. Check-in upon arrival and spend the leisure time as you wish.

Day 7
A Half-Day Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Despite its modernity, Ho Chi Minh City (once known as Saigon) oozes with nostalgic charm among its colonial-era buildings, street-side caf's and shady boulevards. Take a stroll downtown, where you will see the General Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the former Presidential Palace.
Continue on to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. The museum provides an audio device as your tour guide will not accompany you inside. (This part of the history may trigger some emotions due to the sensitivity and nature of that period.).
Experience Saigon's famed coffee street culture, a brief language lesson with your guide, as well insights into the daily life of a Saigonese before returning to your hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City
Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City
Day 8
Vinh Long - Can Tho | Charms of Vinh Long & Transfer to Can Tho
Iris Can Tho Hotel / Victoria Can Tho Resort & Spa

Depart in the morning for a two-hour drive to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta. Visit the vibrant Vinh Long Market to see the Delta's bounty including river fish from the waterways, the rice fields, and various produce from local farmers.
Board a local boat and cruise to a home restaurant for lunch on An Binh Island. In the afternoon, visit a local pottery kiln where clay is used for both pottery and bricks.
Explore the narrow waterways of the Delta by row boat, past traditional wooden houses with thatched palm roofs and see how locals farm and fish as they have for centuries. Transfer to Can Tho.

A Boat Ride in Mekong Delta
Boat trip in Vinh Long, Mekong Delta
Day 9
Can Tho - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City | Floating Market & City Tour of Can Tho
Liberty Central Saigon City Point

Enjoy an early morning local motorboat trip to the Cai Rang floating market where dozens of boats are laden with local vegetables, fruit, and fish from all over the Delta. Some small boats sell meals and refreshments.
Return to shore for a city tour of Can Tho, beginning with a visit to the Can Tho Museum. The museum showcases the agriculture and river life of the Mekong Delta as well as how the Vietnamese, Chinese and Khmer ethnic groups came to peacefully co-exist. Afterwards drive to Binh Thuy Ancient House, originally a place to worship their ancestors.

Chaotic floating market of Cai Be
Day 10
Ho Chi Minh City Departure

After breakfast, enjoy some free time at your leisure before your private tour guide picks you up and takes you to the airport. Have a safe flight home, and we hope to see you again soon!

Hand-picked Hotels

We have selected hotels with different styles and for different budgets. Let us know your preferences and we will help you find the right one.

standard room at hanoi pearl hotel
Hanoi
Hanoi Pearl Hotel
Silk Sense Hoi An River
Hoi An
Silk Sense Hoi An River
Iris Hotel Can Tho
Can Tho
Iris Hotel Can Tho
Liberty Central Saigon City Point
Ho Chi Minh City
Liberty Central Saigon City Point

Our Service Includes:

10 days from
US$ 2,109
per person (based on 2 persons and 4-star hotels)
  • Private transfers and English-speaking tour guide
  • All guided sightseeing as detailed in the itinerary
  • Hotel accommodation mentioned in the itinerary
  • Flights between cities mentioned in the itinerary
  • Breakfasts at hotels and lunches for every guided day
  • Governmental taxes

Tour code: ah-1

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