Departing from Hanoi, we leave the city life behind as we head to Ha Long Bay which is 160 km from Vietnam’s capital and takes about two and a half hours to reach. Here we board a traditional wooden junk as a mode of transport to enjoy this magical place. Cruising through the Gulf of Tonkin in style and into Vietnam’s enchanting frontier, we reach Ha Long Bay. This destination is renowned for its sublime scenery. We set sail into the Bay for our four hours unforgettable cruise in a stunning setting of limestone islands, clad in jungle and scattered across the emerald waters. There is the possibility to swim and kayak around the area’s tiny beaches depending on the weather.

Lunch is served on board.

Dinner and overnight are in Hanoi

After breakfast at the hotel, we spend the morning continuing our exploration of more of the capital’s sites that makes Hanoi such a historical and cultural hub.

We visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Mondays, Fridays and throughout October and November for maintenance) and his former residence to discover more about this much admired revolutionary leader.

We then continue to the One Pillar Pagoda to learn about Vietnam’s Buddhist origins, before visiting the Vietnam Military History Museum, also known as the Army Museum.

We then transfer to Hanoi Airport to head south for our domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival at this cosmopolitan city we transfer to the hotel.

Lunch and Dinner are at a local restaurant.

Overnight is in Ho Chi Minh City.

We depart after breakfast and drive 70 km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City passing picturesque rice fields and rubber plantations to the peaceful countryside to visit the labyrinth of the war-era Cu Chi Tunnels. This amazing complex of underground tunnels were created by the Vietcong during

the American War and if we are feeling brave enough, we can try to crawl through a section of them.

Afterwards we head back to Ho Chi Minh City and spend the afternoon on a sightseeing tour. Our expedition takes us to the History Museum (closed on Mondays. If Day 4 falls on a Monday, visit the War Remnants Museum); the former Presidential Palace; the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace; the beautifully preserved French colonial Central Post Office and stunning Notre Dame Cathedral.

Lunch and dinner are at a local restaurant.

Overnight is in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at the hotel we depart from the hustle of Ho Chi Minh City, and head to the tranquil and rustic escape of the Mekong Delta aptly named as ‘Vietnam’s rice basket’. Taking about two hours to reach My Tho, we stop on the way to visit the Buddhist Vinh Trang Pagoda. My Tho is a prosperous town of 170,000 inhabitants in the Mekong Delta and it is famous for its extensive orchards and immense rice paddies. Here we hop on a boat to explore this picturesque setting and cruise along the Mekong River passing lush vegetation and snaking canals. We also visit a local orchard on one of the islands and once our rural adventure is complete, we head back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Lunch and dinner are at a local restaurant.

Overnight is in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast at the hotel, we have free time to spend at our leisure until we transfer to Ho Chi Minh City International Airport for our departure flight

• Tours and transfers with licenced English-speaking guiding services/ assistance. Other languages are on request and are subject to availability;
• Accommodation in sharing twin/ double;
• Transportation for tour and transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, unless otherwise stated;
• All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the program;
• All applicable taxes and service charges;
• All meals as indicated in the program (food only);

• Voluntary Carbon Offset Compensation: USD1.50 per person per day;
• Vietnamese visa approval letter and Visa stamping fee;
• Any domestic / international airline tickets, airport taxes, specific camera / video fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general pick-up / drop-off regions (such as airports, out-of-town resorts, ports, harbours and accommodation in surrounding towns);
• Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours/ visits, unless otherwise stated;
• Any accommodation expenses of a personal nature. This includes (compulsory festive) meals and drinks, mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program;
• International travel and medical insurance coverage for customers;
• Asian Trails reserves the right to charge a supplement to all guests if Tourism Authorities eventually decide to increase the fees applied to cruises in Ha Long Bay;