Unique Flavors of South Vietnam 6 days

DETAILED INTINERARY

Day 1: Arrive HCMC (D)
You will be greeted by your guide upon arrival at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International airport. You will then be escorted to your hotel in town for a two-night stay. You’ll enjoy a welcome dinner at a restaurant recommended by your guide.  You’ll then have a relaxing overnight stay in HCMC.

Day 2: HCMC (B/L)
You will begin your experience in bustling HCMC (formerly Saigon), the country's commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and the Hotel de Ville. If desired, you can also visit the moving War Remnants Museum.

You’ll also be able to explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. There is also the modern Ho Chi Minh City with its numerous shopping malls, cinemas, discotheques and a bewildering number of bars. This evening, you’ll see what the fuss is all about as you are guided out on the town before an overnight in HCMC.

Day 3: Mekong Delta Excursion (B/L)
The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of Vietnam and is often referred to as the country’s “rice bowl”, producing three crops of rice per year. The fertile Mekong Delta is also famous for its tropical fruits and flowers. The Delta area marks the end of a 4,500 km journey made by the Mekong River after having traveled through six countries. Traditional transportation in the Delta is by boat, along a vast network of canals and channels. Boating along these canals and visiting the floating markets always proves to be a fascinating and rewarding experience for all visitors.

You will leave HCMC and head to lush My Tho, where you’ll cruise on a private boat through the green vegetation of the canals to an orchard.  There, you will be treated to a delicious lunch in a local restaurant in the heart of the Mekong, complete with tropical fruits.  You will also visit the snake farm, Dong Tam, which breeds snakes for, among other things, snake wine.  You’ll also visit a bonsai garden in Trung Luong before heading back to HCMC for an overnight stay.

Day 4: Cao Dai Temples & Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L)
Next up is an excursion to the Cao Dai Temples, home of the Divine Eye - official symbol of Caodaism. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. You will be able to observe the midday service, followed by lunch and then a drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels.  This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. 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 you a unique experience and a feel of what underground life must have been like during the U.S.-Vietnam War. Then it’s back to HCMC for an overnight stay.

Day 5: Vung Tau Beach Break (B/L)
Today is a relaxing day with a day trip to Vung Tau Beach. Vung Tau was known as Cap Saint-Jacques under French occupation and is just 125 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Once, this seaside city was a popular beach destination for French and American servicemen. Vung Tau is one of the most popular seaside resorts of Vietnam, with sandy beaches and transparent warm blue water all the year round.

After a 7:30 am pick- up from the hotel in HCMC, you will be driven Vung Tau, traveling through immense rubber, cashew nut plantations and scenic rice fields. You’ll be able to visit Niet Ban Tinh Xa, Nirvana Meditation Retreat and Thich Ca Phat Dai (a Buddhist Shrine) and a French-built light house. You will have lunch at a local sea food restaurant, then visit Giant Jesus and have swim at Vung Tau’s main beach. Later, you will drive back to HCMC where you will arrive at around 6 pm and relax before retiring for the evening in HCMC.

Day 6: Departure (B)
There are no activities planned for today, so you’ll have free time for shopping or relaxing until you transfer to the airport for your onward flight.