Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Airport Pick-up
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest city in Vietnam. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by your professional guide and experienced driver at the airport and then be transferred to a downtown hotel. The rest of the day is free for you.
► Free-time Activities Recommended Upon Arrival
If you are still energetic after arriving, there is a hell of a lot of fun you can explore on your own. Maybe appreciate the nearby French-style building complex that tells about Vietnam's colonial past. Send postcards to friends in Central Post Office, a work of the designer of Eiffel Tower. Then move to the city's Catholic center - Notre Dame Cathedral, which is modeled after Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and also called “Red Church”. The magnificent Opera House and City Hall next to the church are also so renowned that they both are well worth visiting. If you’re a bookworm, enjoy a wander through the Book Street northeast from the church. Take your time to look for a discounted book in English, let a street artist draw a portrait of you, have a cup of Vietnamese egg coffee and sample Vietnamese baguette, which has a finer texture than its French counterpart. During your exploring, you may also try a specially-designed Vietnamese cyclo, on which you sit in the front while the driver pedals in the back - this offers you a wide view and saves your efforts; nowadays, this kind of tricycle is rarely for locals’ daily use, but mostly for sightseeing.
► Tips on Taxis
Grab, a taxi hailing app, is widely used in Vietnam and you can either book a taxi on it or hail a taxi on the road. Vinasun, which owns cars in white, and Mailinh with cars in green are two most popular taxi companies. Taxi fare starts at VND 12,000 (USD 0.45) and increases by VND 13,000 (USD 0.5) with every kilometer. Before getting on a taxi, you need to confirm the destination with the driver and make sure taxi fare’s being charged according to the meter.
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Saigon-Deluxe Room (5 stars) or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar
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Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong River Cruise - Can Tho
After breakfast, we’ll drive for around 2 hours to Ben Tre for a fancy cruise on Mekong River, which is a must-do in Ho Chi Minh City. Along the scenic Ben Tre River, a tributary, you can catch sight of rural idyll, lush tropical islands and calm waters. As there are too many tributaries in the Mekong Delta, some canals cannot be entered by large ships. We’ve arranged for you a smaller private boat to have an in-depth exploration, away from the noisy areas commercially polluted. We’ll paddle along the river lined with water coconuts and widely covered with thriving water hyacinths, pass by stilted houses interspersed with churches on both sides, and see locals being busy with old occupations like fishing and fruit or rice farming, earning only about VND 37,000 or USD 150 a month. En route, disembark and travel through fruit orchards to visit a coconut candy factory and brick workshops. Then pay a visit to a local family to delve into the local life, see how they make sedge mats, and be treated to homemade tea and local fruits. You’ll also have a tour via Xe Loi rickshaw or a bicycle to admire the rural pastoral scenery with endless farmlands and village life. Today's lunch will be arranged at a riverside restaurant, which will be a special experience. You'll have fried elephant ear fish, a local favorite, served upright over vegetables; tear off a slice, wrap it in rice paper, then dip in some sauce and have a feast for the tongue! By the way, you can try fruits sprinkled with salt or pepper, just as a Vietnamese traditionally does. Then board a sampan to reach the dock and take a boat back to Ben Tre, and your driver will escort you on a 2-hour ride to Can Tho. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and stay for one night. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Victoria Can Tho Resort-Superior Room (4 stars) or Victoria Can Tho Resort-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar
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Day 3: Can Tho: Explore Cai Rang Floating Market, Fly to Phu Quoc Island
There's no better place to represent the lively local life along waterways in the Mekong Delta than the Cai Rang Floating Market. To catch its peak time of around 07:00-08:00, we've arranged a private motorboat for you to leave at 06:00 to kick off your market exploration, unlike many other travel agencies that arrange public shuttle boats to leave at 04:00. You can choose to pack a breakfast box and check out of the hotel with the help of your guide, or go to the market to savor a local breakfast! After arrival, you'll be dazzled by variegated boats selling everything from fruits and vegetables, like jackfruit, pitahaya, and cabbages, to such traditional Vietnamese food as spring rolls, coffee, and tropical fruit smoothies. Amid gentle lapping of waves, tender sun rays and boatmen hawking their wares around, sip a cup of Vietnamese coffee at your own expense if you like and have some laid-back moments. Although the floating market has scaled down since nearby land markets started to develop, you can still picture the glory of its past. After disembarking at the pier, you’ll be directly escorted to the airport for your 1-hour flight to Phu Quoc Island. Upon arrival, you will check into the hotel. Meal: Breakfast Accommodation: Salinda Resort Phu Quoc Island-Deluxe Hill View (5 stars) or Anja Beach Resort-Premier Deluxe (4 stars) or similar Cai Rang Floating Market Phu Quoc Island
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Day 4: A Free Leisure Day on Phu Quoc Island
Today is a free day for you to explore the island at your own pace. You may stretch out in the morning in a yoga class held by the hotel. Then you can play beach volleyball, snorkel, swim, or grab your beach gear and take a half-hour taxi ride to the famous Sao Beach, to soak up the sun on its white sands or take water activities like jet boating and paragliding. Some boatmen may invite you to take a canoe trip to nearby pristine islands and fish for a seafood lunch - why not give it a try? But be sure to haggle over the price.
Otherwise you can get an awe-inspiring experience of Phu Quoc Cable Car, the world's longest sea-crossing cable car, and explore the Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park, a water park. Sitting in the cable car, marvel at the panoramic view of the turquoise sea, coastline and fishing villages all around this 8-kilometer (5-mile) trip offers you. After around 20 minutes, disembark the cable car, arrive at Hon Thom Island and hail a taxi to get to the nature park. It’s recommended that you bring water socks. When dusk arrives, return to the main island and sip Lunam Coffee in Sunset Town that shines with the rays of the setting sun. Hang out here until it gets 21:30 to see a spectacular fireworks show, which takes place every day.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Salinda Resort Phu Quoc Island-Deluxe Hill View (5 stars) or Anja Beach Resort-Premier Deluxe (4 stars) or similar
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Day 5: Another Free Day on Phu Quoc Island
Today, continue to explore this picturesque island freely. You may stroll along the beach to take in the wonderful seascape while enjoying the sea breeze, or rent a motorcycle to explore the nearby attractions. Car charter service on Grab costs about VND 1,400,000-4,000,000 (USD 28-160) for 10 hours, while renting a motorcycle is cheaper at about VND 175,000 (USD 7) a day. Always be sure that you wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle or you’ll be fined. A translation app will be necessary as most locals can hardly communicate in English.
You may want to take advantage of this cool morning to see animals when they are full of vitality at Vinpearl Safari Park, Vietnam's largest wildlife park. Take a bus in the safari park to see roaming Bengal tigers, white lions and rhinos, visit special areas for primates, birds and amphibians, and feed giraffes and pet lemurs in person. After that, head to central area of the island to visit Dinh Cau Rock Temple where the sea goddess Mazu is worshipped. After watching a stunning sunset over the sea, mingle in local life in Phu Quoc Night Market, the largest night market on the island, to sample local seafood.
If you're a history buff, travel to the south corner of the island to learn about Vietnamese modern tragic history at the Phu Quoc Prison History Museum, which once held prisoners of the Vietnam War. Get an insight into the life of prisoners recreated by life-size mannequins and an escape tunnel.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Salinda Resort Phu Quoc Island-Deluxe Hill View (5 stars) or Anja Beach Resort-Premier Deluxe (4 stars) or similar
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Day 6: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City from Phu Quoc Island
This morning is still free for you to enjoy a relaxing time at the beach. In the afternoon, your driver will escort you to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, your local driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. ► Free Morning Activities Recommended on Phu Quoc Island Soaking up fresh sea breezes, enjoy the last hours lying on the fine white sands of Long Beach just outside your hotel. Around noon, head to nearby Vietnamese restaurant Ban Xeo Cuai 3 for some delectable dishes like crispy banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) and Bun cha (Vietnamese barbecued rice noodle), and a cool passion fruit smoothie; it costs VND 200,000-300,000 (USD 8-12) per person to get full. ► Activities Recommended upon Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City If you're still energetic after check-in, book a one-hour Water Puppet Show to enjoy Vietnam's 900-year-old national treasure. Puppets in pool are manipulated by puppeteers behind a curtain to act out the aquatic life of Vietnamese rice farmers or legends. After the show, experience the bustling nightlife in Bui Vien Walking Street, Ho Chi Minh City's famous bar street. Meal: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Saigon-Deluxe Room (5 stars) or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel-Deluxe Room (4 stars) or similar
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Day 7: See-off at the Ho Chi Minh City Airport
Say farewell to your 7 days Vietnam holiday tour today. According to your flight schedule, your driver will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight to the next destination.
► Activities Recommended for Later Departure
Take a 10-minute walk or taxi ride, depending on your chosen hotel, to the bustling Chinatown to explore Vietnam's 70-year-old wholesale market - An Dong Market. Fish some good stuff out of an array of Vietnamese specialties, including Vietnamese coffee beans, cashews, and the Vietnamese national dress, Ao Dai. Then grab your chance to have a last taste of Vietnamese street food in the food court here.
After southern Vietnam, if you want to extend your trip to other cities in northern and central Vietnam, such as Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, or other Asian countries, please contact us to customize this private itinerary for you.
Meal: Breakfast
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