This 8-day package is specially designed for schools/universities that want to experience the whole Vietnam from North to South in such a short time, something that we normally call ‘super quick’ tour. However, students and teachers still have enough time to explore the landscape, culture, history of Vietnam as well as many joyful activities like all other school tours.
General Information
Tour Code: VSTVN 01
Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Start/End: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City
Tour Route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels – Mekong Delta
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
Day 2: Hanoi Food Tour & Orientation (B, L, D)
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Cruise – Fun time at the sea (B, L, D)
Day 4: Halong – Hanoi – Fly to Danang – Transfer to Hoi An (B, L, D)
Day 5: Hoi An Farming and Fishing Eco Tour (B, L, G)
Day 6: Hoi An – Danang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L, D)
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, D)
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City Tour then Departure (B, L)
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
On arrival at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, students and teachers will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to our hotel. After a short rest, we enjoy a 1-hour cyclo tour of the French inspired "old quarter". We will then sit down to enjoy a performance of the city’s famous Water Puppets. After the show, we will have welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant in town. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi Food Tour & Orientation (B, L, D)
Today we will venture out to explore Hanoi and enjoy the local food. Firstly, our guide will meet us at the hotel and we then walk down to Pho restaurant for our light breakfast. Walking down to the Hang Be street for visiting the local market, we are guided all the ingredients as well as inhabit of local people here. After the street market, we continue our trip along different streets, try to taste many kinds of local food such as oil-fried pastry, tofu, egg coffee, rice pancake, pillow cake, sweet soup, stuff pancake with pork, draught beer… and one of our best surprised is a stop at Dong Xuan whole sales market where we know many kinds of ingredients being sold. Last but not least is our happy ending at the Rue Lamblot restaurant. From here, we enjoy our light lunch with Spring rolls, grilled pork with noodle, fried rice cake, banana flower salad.
In the afternoon, we will drive to visit the excellent Museum of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam's 54 Ethnic minority peoples. We then visit the Temple of Literature, which originally built as a temple to Confucius and the infamous Hoa Loa Prison Museum. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in Hanoi.
Note: For this day, you should skip or have light breakfast at hotel, as we will try many different dishes
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Cruise – Fun time at the sea (B, L, D)
Pick up at our hotel after breakfast, we will take 4-hour drive to the World Heritage Site Halong Bay, also, one of ‘The New 7 Wonders of Nature’ voted in 2011. On arrival in Halong, we will embark on our cruise followed by a short cruise briefing. We will then savor a delectable lunch while our cruises among the limestone islands.
In the mid-afternoon, we will kayak among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Bo Nau Cave area before going back to our cruise and continue cruising to Soi Sim Island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Soi Sim or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay. In the evening, we will cruise back to the main boat for a shower before having dinner and spend the night onboard.
Day 4: Halong – Hanoi – Fly to Danang – Transfer to Hoi An (B, L, D)
Wake up early in the morning and start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt before having breakfast. After that, we will explore the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the nicest cave in Halong Bay. After that, we will return to the boat, freshen up and check out of your cabin. Continue your cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more. While heading back to the harbor, watch the cooking demonstration before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
We will disembark at round noon and find your car is waiting and take you to Noi Bai airport in Hanoi for an evening flight to Danang. On arrival, we will be welcomed by our local guides and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in Hoi An.
Day 5: Hoi An Farming and Fishing Eco Tour (B, L, G)
After breakfast at hotel, we will start our Farming & Fishing Life Eco Tour. Starting at Tra Que Village, we will get a personal insight into the local farming communities. We will join the farmers in preparing their land for sowing, helping to fertilize the garden using seaweed from the local river and watering it in using huge tin cans strapped to our backs. Following this, we will begin our leisurely cycling tour through the countryside witnessing local Vietnamese rural life first hand. Late morning we will board our Hoi An Eco-tour boat for a river cruise. Here we will meet and witness local fishermen working their craft, before enjoying a hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. We then transfer to a Vietnamese bamboo basket boat for a quick race and ride down a coconut palm lined waterway. Lunch today, is on board our boat, which is prepared using vegetables picked earlier at Tra Que Village.
After lunch, we will start our walking tour around the ancient town to visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, the temples and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Dinner and overnight in Hoi An.
Day 6: Hoi An – Danang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L, D)
Today, we will take a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, we will be met and driven to visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height, the tunnel system stretched over 250km. 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 American must have been like.
Returning to the city centre in the afternoon, we will check in our hotel, we will have the rest of the day free to wander around the lively streets or Ben Thanh Night Market. Dinner and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, D)
After breakfast at hotel, we will transfer to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta. The program will start with a visit of Vinh Long market in the town. This is the best choice for us to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegetable...
After that, we will travel by boat to visit the brick kilns where we can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. Then, come to visit the orchard & traditional house. We will enjoy some kinds of fruits and tea when listening to the traditional music at local home. The rowing boat takes us deeper into the countryside on smaller canals so we can enjoy the peaceful time. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta. We will also explore the village roads in a bike and ride through local farms, houses, passing some ‘monkey bridge’, meet and talk with the local people. In the mid-afternoon, we will return to Ho Chi Minh City where we will spend the night.
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, D)
This morning, we visit all the highlights in Ho Chi Minh city such as the Reunification Palace, a palace of old President in South of Vietnam during the American war; the War Remnants Museum where is poignant display of the futility of war; Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, the two sites that we can ignore when we visit the city. We then finish our morning with a visit to the lively Ben Thanh Market, this bustling and well-organized market is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk Ao Dai. After lunch in a local restaurant, we will transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.
Note: Late afternoon departure flight is advised
