Vietnam PanoramaEscorted Tour, Vietnam

This all-encompassing tour not only showcases Vietnam's highlights but fully absorbs you in the rich history and culture too. Spend more time interacting with locals and visiting lesser-known places alongside the usual highlights.

Fully Inclusive

Touring with Guides and entrance fees

Included Meals

Breakfasts: 16, Lunches: 15, Dinners: 16

Flights

International flights and current taxes

Accommodation

16 nights in 3+/4 star accommodation

Cruise

Halong Bay Cruise

Group Tour

Max Group Size: 28

Physical Rating 1

Walking, some steps and time on your feet

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Visit Cai Rang floating market

Unwind in stunning Nha Trang

Discover the past of Qui Nhon

Wander charming Hoi An

Marvel at Hue’s Imperial Citadel

Wake to sunrise on Halong Bay

Enjoy the Quintessence of Tonkin show

ITINERARY

Days 1-2: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Fly to Saigon, where you will be met at the by your Local Guide or National Escort. Together with all other group members who may be arriving at a similar time, you will transfer 45 minutes to your hotel and check into your room or store any luggage if your room is not ready yet. There is no sightseeing today.

Dinner

Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels

Confront the reality of guerrilla warfare at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The cramped tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive, and they did not escape damage. American B52 bombers dropped hundreds of missiles leaving huge tell-tale craters behind. The Cu Chi experience can be emotional for some visitors, but it offers a fascinating window into the hardship and traumas of war. This afternoon, explore modern day Saigon with its heady mix of local culture and colonial influences. You’ll pass the Notre Dame Cathedral, visit the Central Post Office, the Reunification Palace and the chilling War Remnants Museum.

Please note: The Notre Dame Cathedral will be under renovation until 2023. During this time, we are unable to enter the Cathedral; however, we can view it from the outside.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Saigon – Can Tho

Drive 2 and a half hours down to the picturesque province of Ben Tre, situated along the mighty Mekong. This area is known as the ‘Rice Basket of Vietnam’, because its rich and fertile lands produce large amounts of rice, coconuts, vegetables and tropical fruit. Spend the day cruising and exploring these waterways before travelling to Can Tho for an overnight stay. You will travel by motorised, wooden boats between the islands and then change to smaller, paddleboats in the palm fringed canals; sightseeing involves hopping on and off these boats, often on unsteady and slippery surfaces, sometimes without handrails or assistance. Remember to take insect repellent and sun protection for your overnight trip to Can Tho, as it can get very hot and humid in the Mekong.

You will need to pack a smaller overnight bag for your trip to Can Tho. Main luggage will be left in safe storage at the hotel in Saigon and picked up your return.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Can Tho – Saigon

Can Tho is the largest city along the Mekong Delta and central for trade, continue sightseeing around the canals and in the city of Can Tho, stepping in and out of boats again today. Stop at the Cai Rang floating markets and soak up its vibrant atmosphere. Later, visit a local rice husking mill and a factory that produces vermicelli rice noodles before returning to Saigon, stopping for lunch en route.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6: Saigon – Dalat

Depart the bustling city of Saigon for the cooler climate and picturesque scenery of Dalat. Stop en route to sample some locally grown tea from one of the many plantations in the region of Bao Loc. The journey is around 6 to 7 hours. Arrive into Dalat in the late afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Dalat, The City of Flowers

A full day of sightseeing in Dalat today, beginning with a visit to Domain de Marie Church (built in 1943) and followed by a visit to Dalat’s Flower Gardens. Next stop is an embroidery workshop. Here, you will gain an understanding of this special handicraft, kept alive for generations in Dalat. After lunch, visit the former railway station, where you will enjoy an open-air train ride to Trai Mat hamlet (one way only). Disembark the train and drive to the colourful Dalat market, where you can stroll through and witness the daily life of the locals. End your day at a local coffee shop overlooking Xuan Huong Lake; the perfect position from which to watch the world go by.

Please note the train only operates with 20 passengers or more. If the train is not operating on the day of your visit, alternative transport will be arranged

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Dalat – Nha Trang

This morning, leave the highlands of Dalat behind and drive 3 hoursto the coastal city of Nha Trang. Upon arrival at the port, board a boat for an afternoon cruise on the turquoise waters. Boarding your boat may involve navigating your way over and through other boats, moored between it and the dock, sometimes without handrails, ladders or assistance from staff. These are ex fishing boats which have had benches and seats fitted for groups. They are quite basic but have ample room for the group to sit and relax while cruising. The deck has a roof providing shade. You will have the opportunity to stop at one of the many islands, where you can enjoy a swim in the balmy waters before returning to Nha Trang.

Today’s boat trip is weather dependent. Your national escort or local guide will do their best to inform the group of any changes to the itinerary as early as possible.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Nha Trang – Qui Nhon

Today drive 5 to 6 hours to the coastal city of Qui Nhon. Along the way visit the Dam Market and the Po Nagar Cham Towers, a complex of granite temples. There will also be time to stop for lunch, rest and photo opportunities along the way.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10: Qui Nhon – Hoi An

Leave Qui Nhon and travel approximately 4 hours to Son My, where you can pay homage to the victims of the My Lai massacre, known for the most notorious massacre during the Vietnam/American conflict. The memorial and museum are simple; most people find this quite confronting and emotional so you will be given time to explore on your own. In the afternoon, drive a further 4 hours arriving into Hoi An, where the remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Hoi An

Enjoy a morning walking tour of this laid back and wilfully traditional town to see the elaborate Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese temple, and a traditional house occupied by the same family for over 200 years. Stop to visit the Reaching Out Arts and Crafts Workshop, a social enterprise providing employment and training to local people with disabilities. After lunch, the rest of the day is at leisure to explore Hoi An’s ancient, lantern-lined streets, or perhaps head to the beach independently.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 12: Hoi An – Hue

This morning, drive approximately 4 hours to Hue, this journey will take you over the scenic Hai Van Pass. Hue is the epitome of Vietnam’s dynamic past, and considered a scholarly city. Upon arrival, explore the Royal Tomb of Minh Mang. The complex comprises of almost 40 monuments and is surrounded by gardens and pools, making it one of the more beautiful tombs.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13: Hue

After breakfast, visit the Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City which is still being restored many years after the destruction caused by street fighting and bombing during the American War in Vietnam. Afterwards, drive to the outskirts of Hue to visit An Hien House, the original residence of Emperor Tu Duc’s 18th daughter. This afternoon, enjoy an hour-long cruise along the Perfume River to Hue's oldest and most beautiful pagoda, Thien Mu, built on a hillock overlooking the river. Boarding your cruise could involve navigating your way over other boats, moored between it and the dock, sometimes without handrails, ladders or assistance from staff.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14: Hue – Hanoi

This morning, fly 1 hour and 20 minutes to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will visit the Fine Arts Museum for an overview of art and its development in Vietnam. After lunch, experience an exhilarating cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Each cyclo takes one passenger and is operated by a cycle driver behind the carriage. Wrap up your cyclo ride with a strong Vietnamese coffee at a café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake - an important site in Vietnamese folklore.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 15: Hanoi

Discover the sights of Hanoi today. First stop will be the Ho Chi Minh Quarter and pass Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, followed by the Humble House on Stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda. Next, drive to the serene Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university. Your afternoon is at leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 16: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Drive around 2 and a half hours today from Hanoi to Halong, where you will take an overnight cruise to the far-most corners of the bay by boat. Boarding your boat could involve navigating your way over and through other boats, moored between it and the dock, sometimes without handrails, ladders or assistance from staff.

Enjoy lunch onboard as you cruise out into the bay, stopping to anchor for an afternoon of activities (which are subject to change due to cruise selection and weather conditions). Sightseeing includes visiting underground caves on the islands, which require climbing up and down steps inside and outside of the caves. End the day on deck with a drink in hand to watch the sunset over the bay followed by a freshly prepared dinner, before retiring to your cabin for the night.

You will need to pack a smaller overnight bag for your trip to Halong Bay. Main luggage will be left in safe storage at the hotel in Hanoi and picked up your return.

Please note: Weather conditions such as mist, fog, wind, rain and storms may delay the departure time of your cruise, or in some cases your cruise may be cancelled. Notifications of any delays or cancellations may not be known until your group’s arrival in Halong Bay. If your cruise is cancelled after your arrival in Halong Bay, you will have lunch in Halong City and return to Hanoi. If notification of the cruise cancellation is given prior to your departure for Halong Bay an alternative day trip will be arranged to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc or ‘Halong Bay on Land’, an area located approximately 2 hours from Hanoi. Your guides will make every effort to inform the group at the earliest possible moment should there be any itinerary changes.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 17: Halong Bay – Hanoi

Spend the morning sailing through Halong Bay. After an early lunch (or brunch meal), disembark your cruise and return to Hanoi. This evening, attend The Quintessence of Tonkin show, an artistic open-air performance celebrating the rich history of northern Vietnam.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 18: Depart Hanoi

Fly home to the UK.

Breakfast

Vietnam Panorama is located in Escorted Tour, Vietnam. Accommodation rating is the operators own rating and may not be the official rating. Hotel details correct at 01/02/2021