Cracking holiday to charming Vietnam 11 days

Detailed intinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi (D)

Upon arrival, pick up then transfer to hotel. In the late afternoon you will cyclo visit local markets and Hanoi's Old Quarter, known for its 36 streets and former craft guilds. In the evening you will enjoy a water puppet performance  then enjoy dinner , an overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi cooking class (B/L)

In the morning, have some family fun and join a cooking class at a hospitality school for underprivileged children. Many of them were living on the streets of Hanoi and other cities, and their training will eventually help them work in some of Vietnam’s best hotels and restaurants. Next, explore the old quarter by cyclo, navigating its narrow streets and colourful markets the traditional way. Late in the afternoon, attend a water-puppetry performance - a sure-fire kid pleaser! The tradition dates to the 11th century, and many of the puppets are lacquered using a traditional Vietnamese painting technique. Enjoy the rest of the evening exploring Hanoi’s quaint alleys or head back to the hotel for some rest.
 

Day 3: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)

After pick-up from your hotel, you will leave Hanoi by private car/van at 8:30 am, arriving at the jetty around 12:30 pm. You will be welcomed aboard and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, and then go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you can enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset. Later, you will unwind ata lavish dinner before an overnight stay on the deluxe junk.
 

Day 4: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B)

Greet the day with a morning tai chi session, with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, you willvisit a beautiful limestone grotto and then go back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Checkout is at 11:45 am and the boat arrives at the harbor by noon for the drive directly to Hanoi for overnight.
 

Day 5: Hanoi - Fly to Danang- Hoian (B)

Enjoy breakfast at hotel then transfer you airport to take flight to Danang. Upon arrival, pick up then transfer to hotel in Hoian. In the afternoonyou will enjoy a half day orientation tour of Hoi An, including the Chinese Assembly Halls, the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda and Tan Ky House. Following the tour there will be free time for shopping or relaxing before another overnight stay in Hoi An.
 

Day 6: Farmer & Fishing Tour (B/L)

The very special “Farming & Fishing” tour promises to bring visitors the most beautiful scenery of the countryside around Hoi An Town.

By exploring the typical narrow roads along the countryside by bicycle, and seeing sights such as water buffalo, rice paddy fields, organic vegetables and local farming people, you will be amazed to realize how peaceful the area is and how friendly its people are.

Getting in touch with local fishing life by using the fishing nets, riding funny basket boats, visiting a water palm coconut paradise and learning about the history about the Vietnamese people are great things to experience. The Farmer to Fisherman tour will be the special and unique tour that is committed to providing you a unique cultural window into the Vietnamese way of life.

Accompanied by your tour guide, you will commence the day leisurely cycling along country roads witnessing local Vietnamese rural life first hand, discovering all manner of photo opportunities. You will see a water buffalo working in a rice paddy field, ducks swimming along the rice farm or farmers tending their crops. The photo opportunities are endless. Later you will board our Hoi An Eco-Tour boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fishermen and enjoy the hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. You will also experience paddling the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat while exploring coconut-palm flanked waterways. This tour provides you with a cultural window into the ways of life of both our farming and fishing communities.
 

Day 7: Hoi An cycling tour (B)

Start your adventure by meeting tourguide at your hotel.   We then cycle a short distance to escape from the city and main roads to Tra Que village where we meet the locals working on their herb and vegetable gardens and watch and learn how the Vietnamese farm organically.

We continue our cycle ride through the rice fields, meeting local farmers along the way and seeing how friendly their water buffalo are when we have the chance to take a ride with them. We stop at the beautiful water palm area and visit a local fisherman and his family for snacks and chat to them about their lives.   We then experience a ride on the traditional bamboo basket boat amidst the famous coconut palms where the Viet Cong used to hide during the War. Finally, we enjoy a leisurely cycle back to the centre of Hoi An.
 

Day 8: Free day in Hoi An

Spend the day exploring Hoi An at your own pace and do as much or as little as you choose. If the beach is not your thing then you might like to take part in a cooking class, or become ‘tomb raiders’ as you explore the ancient ruins of My Son on a day-tour. On your last evening in Hoi An, be sure to float lanterns along the river –it’s a local rite of passage that the whole family will be sure to enjoy!
 

Day 9: Fly to Ho Chi Minh city – A O Show (B)

After leaving Hoi An, you will drive to Danang Airport. From Danang, you will take the one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), where you will transfer directly to your centrally located hotel. After freshening up, start at the magnificent Saigon Opera House –one of the city’s most iconic buildings. There you’ll see the unforgettable A O Show, which is a spectacular showcase of Vietnamese culture and performance art combining beautifully precise elements of both old and new. Featuring Vietnam’s most talented performance artists, traditional musicians and circus-like choreography, A O Show explores the lives of the Vietnamese people through its ensemble creations. Using props made of little more than bamboo and wood, performers recreate the peaceful serenity of the Vietnamese countryside, the ebb and flow of the coastal waves or the frenetic traffic in Hanoi and Saigon. It’s one of the most memorable experiences to be had in the city.

After the hour long show, take a short walk through the wide boulevards of central Saigon to Hoa Tuc Restaurant - a real culinary and architectural gem tucked away from the hustle and bustle of District 1. Renowned for its combination of contemporary Vietnamese cuisine and authentic French colonial architecture, Hoa Tuc is the perfect end to a memorable night in Saigon. Eat Al Fresco or within the elegantly white-washed walls of what was once an opium refinery. Afterwards transfer back to your hotel for a well-deserved snooze.
 

Day 10: Cu Chi Tunnel (B)

In the morning your family will visit The Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height, the tunnel system stretched over 250 kilometers, from Saigon to the Cambodian border, and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam War must have been like. You will stay overnight in HCMC.
 

Day 11: Depart Ho Chi Minh city (B)

All things come to an end and, unfortunately, this is the end of your journey! Meet with your guide who will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight.