SOUTHERN VIETNAM CULTURE & BEACHES
Trip Overview
7 days / 6 nights
Dive headfirst into Vietnam’s modern culture by hitting the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, the country’s biggest city. Next head to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s iconic waterway destination before finally enjoying some relaxation at an idyllic beach resort in Phu Quoc.
Active
Moderate
Standard
Tour Price
Contact us for more infomation
Highlights
- Staying at the world-renowned Topas Ecolodge high in the hills of Sapa
- Hiking through terraced rice fields, mountains and jungles deep in northern Vietnam and seeing minority villages
- Discovering the capital of Hanoi and beautiful Halong Bay
This Tour is Perfect for
- Exploring Northern Vietnam’s highlights and lesser visited mountain areas
- Relaxing after the travel restrictions due to Covid 19!
- Diving into the local culture of the Vietnamese as well as ethnic minorities
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Saigon
Day 2: Saigon city – Night Vespa tour
Day 3: Saigon – Mekong Delta
Day 4: Mekong – Saigon. Flight to Phu Quoc Island
Day 5: Phu Quoc beach relaxation.
Day 6: Phu Quoc beach relaxation.
Day 7: Phu Quoc – Saigon. Departure
Day 1: Arrival in Saigon
Xin Chao and welcome to Saigon, an intoxicating, vibrant city known officially as Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, our driver will greet you before heading into the heart of the city to settle into your accommodation for the next few days.
Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure getting acquainted with this fascinating metropolis.
Included meals: N/A
Overnight at Blue Diamond hotel
Day 2: Saigon city tour – Street food by Vespa
Kick off your day with a morning sightseeing tour, beginning at the Reunification Palace and stopping at the old Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, two colonial masterpieces that are still operating today. Next, browse the exhibits at the War Remnants Museum, paying respect to the sobering recent tragedies and the fighting spirit of the Vietnamese to rebuild their society.
You’ll stop for lunch at Bloom Saigon, a vocational training restaurant working to empower disadvantaged youth in the city by providing culinary training. The tasty food is a mix of traditional Vietnamese and Asian fusion, served in an attractive French Colonial Villa.
The afternoon can be spent at your leisure exploring the city until sunset, when it’s time to do as the locals do, and jump on the back of a scooter. Your trusty driver will zip you down tiny alleyways and along wide boulevards flanked by skyscrapers to show you the Saigon few travelers get to see. Sample delicious street food dishes as you pass major tourist attractions, getting to know Vietnam in style.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Distance and activities: 3h sightseeing tour; 4h motorbike food tour
Overnight at the Blue Diamond hotel
Day 3: Saigon – Mekong Delta – Coco Riverside Lodge
8am: Transfer to Coco Riverside Lodge, Vung Liem; 3-hour drive.
Upon arrival, a representative will lead you to the lodge along a countryside path. Here, you will be treated to a welcome drink while you check-in and make yourself comfortable, before enjoying lunch at the lodge’s restaurant.
After a short rest, a cycle tour along village paths will lead you to the home of Mr. Cong, who will show you how he makes popped rice using a blend of traditional and modern agricultural methods. Mr. Cong will reveal the secret of making rice pop and creating the product that sustains the village. Your guide will also explain how the villagers raise their animals and collect ‘biogas’ to make free and sustainable cooking fuel.
You’ll then continue riding along a quiet village road, passing by a duck farm, green rice paddies, agricultural fields and small villages. Stopping off at one of the dragon fruit or orange plantations, you can pluck some juicy fruit straight from the tree and enjoy it at its freshest. There will be plenty of opportunities to stop and capture the picturesque rural village scenes with the backdrop of the setting sun, before cycling back to the lodge.
In the evening, you’ll have the chance to try your hand at cooking some local dishes in a traditional cooking class, before relaxing over dinner at the lodge’s restaurant.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight at Coco Riverside Lodge
Day 4: Mekong – Saigon Airport. Flight to Phu Quoc Island
After breakfast, a small ferry will take you across the river to visit the splendid Cao Dai temple. En route, you can take in the sight of loaded boats heading to the local market and transporting goods such as coconuts from one factory to another. Lining the banks of the river, these small coconut-processing operations are hives of activity. Once the coconuts have been shelled, the fibers are removed from the husks to make rope, which in turn is used to weave rugs. In just a short time you can observe the whole manufacturing process. Most of the work is done by hand by skilled workers and the products are mainly sold to foreign companies.
Heading back to the lodge, time permitting there will be a chance to try some activities such as harvesting and weaving water coconut leaves. The leaves are a key building material in the Mekong Delta, used to build the walls and roofs of houses. The local people will show you how they use these leaves and how to make the ‘poon sticks’ that are used to light the paths at night.
After checking out, you’ll transfer to Tam Son Nhat Airport for your flight to Phu Quoc, where you will head to Mango Bay Resort to relax and unwind for the remainder of the day.
Included meals: Breakfast
Overnight at Mango Bay Resort
Day 5: Relaxation Day in Phu Quoc
The day can be spent at your leisure, relaxing at the resort or exploring the town, alternatively activities can be organized upon request.
Included meals: Breakfast
Overnight at Mango Bay Resort
Optional activities: safari visit, cable car experience, snorkeling trip, island tour. Please speak to one of our travel experts for more information and costs.
Day 6: Relaxation Day in Phu Quoc
You will have another day to spend at your leisure, or you can select from one of the available activities.
Included meals: Breakfast
Overnight at Mango Bay Resort
Optional activities: safari visit, cable car experience, snorkeling trip, island tour. Please speak to one of our travel experts for more information and costs.
Day 7: Phu Quoc- Flight to Saigon – Departure
Relax and savor your last few moments of tranquility at the resort until your transfer to the airport for your flight back to Saigon for your onward travel.
Included meals: Breakfast
Tour Includes
Tour Excludes
- Local English-speaking guide(s) on excursion days
- All indicated accommodation (Double/twin room)
- All private airport and land transfers as indicated
- Flight Saigon – Phu Quoc – Saigon (Vietnam Airlines/ Bamboo Airway, e-ticket, Economy class)
- Indicated meals as mentioned in the itinerary
- All entrance fees to indicated sites
- Government tax
- Service charge
- Drinks and alcohol
- Vietnam visa – Please refer to the Passport and Visa section in our Terms and Conditions
- Travel insurance – compulsory. Please refer to the travel insurance and risks section in our Terms and Conditions
- Upgrades to higher standard rooms or single supplements.
- Early check in or late check out at all hotels/boat (Standard check-in time: 2pm, check-out time: 12pm) Personal travel items
- Other services not mentioned in itinerary & optional extra activities
- Tips, Personal travel items
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Sapa: 15 Le Van Tam Street
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