Vietnam Exploration & Mekong River Cruise

Day 1/ Arrival in Hanoi
Arrive in Hanoi, greeting at the airport with driver and transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Day 2/ Hanoi street food & full day city tour (B,L)
The street food tour begins with a visit to a traditional house in the old quarter to learn about the old trade and its unique architecture.  Then we stop at Hang Be market to learn about the fresh Vietnamese ingredients. We will visit on the the best Pho restaurant where people have to get in line to get seated at peak hours. Continue walking along the streets to taste street foods and learn about “local cuisine culture”, such as cha que (sausage with cinnamon), banh cuon (Vietnamese rolling cakes), bun cha (rice noodles served with cha que), and che (a popular dessert soup with many varieties kinds of beans). Our last stop is at the Bach Ma temple. Our tour ends at a local café where you can enjoy sips of café dripping from the filter.

Afternoon, continue visiting the Presidential Palace (façade only), the one-thousand-year old One Pillar pagoda and the Temple of Literature – the oldest university of Vietnam and Hoan Kiem Lake. The tour ends with the traditional cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 3/ Hanoi – Halong (B,L,D)
Morning we depart to Halong Bay (with driver only). Enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta country side.

On arrival, enjoy welcome drink on board, receive cruise brief programs and safety instructions. Then check-in and enjoy lunch while the cruise starts cruising into quiet area of Halong Bay, passing small islets. Visit caves, grottos by bamboo boat and stop at Ti Top beach for swimming or enjoy kayaking (optional). You can enjoy cruise activities such as cooking class, Happy Hour time, watching movies, or squid fishing at night. Enjoy dinner and relaxing time on board.

Day 4/ Halong Bay – Hanoi – Danang – Hoi An (B)
The day starts early onboard with Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast are served in the dining room with morning view of bay’s landscape.

Visit one of the biggest cave in Halong bay with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Return to the boat, check-out and cruising back to the Wharf. Disembark and say farewell to the crew.

Our driver will transfer you to Hanoi airport for flight to Danang.

Upon arrival in Danang, welcome by tour guide and transfer to the hotel in Hoi An check-in. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 5/ Hoi An city tour and street food (B,L)
We have the walking tour Phung Hung Ancient House, Museum of Hoi An, Kwan Kung Temple, Japanese Covered Bridge and Workshop of Traditional Handicrafts.

Then visiting the colorful local Hoi An Market where we meet and chat with stall holders about their food. Our walk then continues along both high streets and back streets, discovering out-of-the-way producers and street vendors making and selling a wide variety of exotic foods. And reach to The Ancient House where we will enjoy refreshments and taste a wide selection of these local delicacies bought directly from the vendors – most of whom we saw or met on the tour. Take a boat on Thu Bon River riding through a rural area of Hoi An. The rest of day is at leisure. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 6/ Hoi An Tra Que and Cam Thanh Village (B,L)
You commence the day by leisurely cycling along country roads witnessing local Vietnamese rural life. Then visit the organic vegetable village, join in the farmer’s daily activities, such as watering and planting vegetables. Then experience riding a water buffalo in a rice paddy field. Next, you will board the boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fishermen and enjoy a hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. You will also experience paddling the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat in the waterways of coconut palm paradise. This tour provides you with a cultural window into the ways of life of both our farming and fishing communities. Have lunch at the house of a local people.

In the afternoon, we have a walking tour through old Hoi An, visit Phung Hung Ancient House, Museum of Hoi An, Kwan Kung Temple, Japanese Covered Bridge and Workshop of Traditional Handicrafts.

Day 7/ Hoi An – Danang – Saigon (B)
We have a leisure morning until normal check-out. Transfer to Danang airport for flight to Saigon.

Upon arrival, meet your tour guide and transfer to hotel check-in. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 8/ Saigon – Mekong River Cruise to Cai Be – Can Tho (B,L,D)
Morning, Mekong River Cruise‘s shuttle bus picks you up at hotel in Saigon and transfer to Cai Be. Get on board the Mekong River Cruise and check-in. As lunch is served, the boat starts cruising.  Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.

In the afternoon you can disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.

Get back on board and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong river. The cruise boat will anchor for the night. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.

Day 9/ Mekong River Cruise – Life on the water and floating markets (B,L,D)
Early birds can wake up for the sunrise. We will watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.

After breakfast, board a sampan boat to Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most lively markets. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making factories or boat through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards.

Later in the morning your can boat through the green water landscape on a little rowing sampan to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards. Alternatively you can discover the nearby town by foot or explore the small side canals of the Mekong river on a bicycle.

The cruise boat then resumes its journey as lunch is served. In the afternoon there is the option of a land excursion either by bicycle or on foot and visit of a small village, a stroll through orchards, or a cooking class.

Day 10/ Mekong Delta – Disembarkation – Back to Saigon (B,L,)
After breakfast and an early start through the glorious morning atmosphere on the Mekong river. Explore the delta on foot or with a small sampan. Be sure not to miss the great photo opportunities for authentic snapshots of the Mekong people and their life. Then it’s time to pack up and return to the pier from which we started. Enjoy lunch on the way back to Saigon. Check-in your hotel in Saigon and the rest of day is at leisure.

Notes:

• Route and excursions may be subjects to changes without prior notice.
• Mekong River Cruise starts from Can Tho on odd dates and from Cai Be on even dates. The detailed program will be confirmed with specific travel dates at time of booking.

Day 11/ Saigon city tour and Cu Chi Tunnels (B,L)
8:00AM have an excursion to Cu Chi, 70km north of Saigon, famed for its over 200-kilometre-longtunnels was used by guerrilla during the Viet Nam War and understand how they managed to prolong the war in such difficulties. Stop at the Ben Duoc War Memorial (over 40,000 people have fallen) before testing your marksmanship with an AK rifle at local rifle range (optional).

In the afternoon, city tour includes the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral built by the French in 1880 and City Post office building. Drop by Ben Thanh Market for viewing local people doing their transaction at busiest time. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 12/ Saigon Departure (B)
Spend your last minutes in Saigon for relaxing or shopping until transfer to the airport for your departure flight (normal check out).

Contact us at sales@uniqpartners.com.au to customize your journey!

LAND PRICE FOR PRIVATE GROUP OF 2 PERSON IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS

LOW SEASON (MAY – SEP 2017 & 2018)

Standard Class: 1,799.00 per person

Superior Class: 2,139.00 per person

HIGH SEASON (OCT – DEC 2017, JAN – APR 2018)

Standard Class: 1,919.00 per person

Superior Class: 2,219.00 per person

*Price is valid until September 30, 2018. Excluding surcharge for holidays and compulsory meals (if any).

ADD-ON AIRFARES (Excluding in package tour prices) :  HAN/DAD/SGN

ACCOMMODATION: as below described hotels or equivalent

TOUR PRICES INCLUDE:

• Private transportation as in program
• Transfer Saigon – Mekong River Cruise – Saigon by shuttle bus
• Accommodation on Double/Twin sharing room with breakfast
• 3 days 2 nights Mekong River Cruise
• Meals as indicated in program (excluded drinks)
• All sight seeing and boat fees as in program
• Local English speaking guide as described
• Complimentary 01 bottle of mineral water per person per day tour

TOUR PRICES EXCLUDE:

• Drinks – private expenses
• Travel insurance of all types
• Tips
• All airfares and visa
• All types of bank fees for payment
• Other services not mentioned