Highlights of Vietnam: 12-Day Private Tour

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you will be greeted by our local guide and transferred to the hotel. After hotel check-in, be free on your own.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Optional Experiences (at additional cost)

Vespa Tour – Saigon After Dark
Discover Ho Chi Minh City like a true local on the back of a classic Vespa scooter. Escorted by an experienced driver, you’ll explore hidden corners of the city rarely seen by tourists. Cruise through the lively Chinatown district, visit a fragrant flower market, stop at a peaceful hidden pagoda, and admire colonial-era architecture like the Saigon Opera House and Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel.

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide and depart for Cu Chi Tunnels, located approximately 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, discover an extensive underground tunnel network stretching over 200 kilometers, once used as shelters, living quarters, and strategic hideouts by Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Drive back to HCM City, then you will take a tour to discover the city by visiting the Reunification palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. This fascinating building is filled with history and evidence of the former Saigon government. The tour also includes the War Remnants Museum, Saigon Central Post Office.

Drive back to your hotel, and then you are free to relax.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, your guide will take you on the trip to Cai Be via Trung Luong Freeway.

Arrive at Cai Be pier, take a boat trip to discover Mekong river delta. Visit the local workshops to see the locals making rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice… it will be so amazing to take a walk or a bike ride on village paths to see the local daily life: orchards, school, church, pagoda, traditional.

Then, take a rowing boat ride to go deeper into the countryside on canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back on the boat to go across the Mekong River, go to An Binh Island to visit a local home, enjoy the traditional music in the ancient house during your lunch.

Visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at Vinh Long city.

Meet our vehicle for a trip to Can Tho.

Overnight in Can Tho.

In the early morning, take a boat trip to visit the famous Cai Rang Floating Market, known for its bustling activity and numerous rowing boats. This is a highlight of any Vietnam tour, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and witness the daily lives of locals living along the Mekong canals.

Later, visit a rice husking mill and a rice noodle-making shop to get a deeper insight into the traditional practices of the Mekong Delta.

Go back to the hotel for breakfast, check out the hotel and drive back to Ho Chi Minh to catch a flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, meet our driver and transfer to Hoi An for check-in.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meet your guide at the hotel and drive to the Co Co River to begin the day’s countryside tour.

Board a local boat and cruise along the peaceful waterways while discovering the daily life of the fishing communities that have lived here for generations. Meet local fishermen, learn about their traditional techniques, and try lifting a large fishing net or casting the unique Ro fishing net, an age-old method still used today.

Continue to the Coconut Forest, where local fishermen welcome you aboard a traditional Vietnamese basket boat. Learn how to paddle this unique round boat through the maze of water coconut palms, enjoy a fun basket boat demonstration, and try catching the small purple crabs that inhabit the mangrove forest.

Enjoy a refreshing break at a traditional bamboo-and-water-coconut house, where you can relax with a cup of Vietnamese tea before continuing to the next experience.

A short drive brings you to the peaceful Tra Que Organic Vegetable Village, a farming community that has supplied fresh herbs and vegetables to Hoi An for more than 400 years. After a refreshing welcome drink, take a guided walk through the gardens to learn about the village’s history and the traditional organic farming methods that have been preserved for generations.

Join local farmers in preparing the soil, planting vegetables, watering the gardens using traditional shoulder yokes, and harvesting fresh herbs. Discover how river seaweed is still used as a natural fertilizer and learn why Tra Que’s produce is renowned throughout central Vietnam.

After your farming experience, relax with a traditional herbal foot soak and massage, a simple yet enjoyable local wellness ritual.

Continue to your host family’s home for a hands-on cooking session. Using the fresh herbs and vegetables you have just harvested, learn to prepare local specialties such as Tam Huu (Hoi An fresh spring rolls) and the famous Vietnamese crispy pancake (Banh Xeo).

Enjoy the meal you have prepared before returning to your hotel in the afternoon.

Overnight in Hoi An.

The whole morning is dedicated to discovering Hoi An, following the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French, and European architecture.

Visiting numerous places of interest: the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the local fish market, visiting numerous art galleries and tailor shops, and getting some made-to-order clothes if you like.

In the evening, enjoy the Hoi An Memories Show, an impressive outdoor performance featuring traditional Ao Dai and reenacting the prosperous past of Hoi An as an ancient trading port. 

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, depart Hoi An for Hue, stop at the famous My Khe Beach and visit Cham Museum, which houses the world’s finest collection of Cham sculpture.

Upon arrival in Hue, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then explore Hue Imperial Citadel, historic heart of the Nguyen Dynasty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through the ancient palaces, courtyards, and gates of the Forbidden Purple City, once reserved exclusively for the emperor and royal family.

Discover the rich history, culture, and architectural heritage that made Hue the political and cultural center of Vietnam for more than a century.

After the tour, drive to your hotel. The evening is free for you to relax or explore the charming city.

Overnight in Hue.

In the morning, head to Hue’s outskirts to visit the Tombs of King Minh Mang and King Khai Dinh, two of the most impressive examples of the Nguyen Dynasty royal architecture.

King Minh Mang Tomb, located about 12km from the city center on the west bank of the Perfume River, was started in 1840 by the king himself and completed by his son. It is considered the most majestic of all Nguyen Dynasty tombs, admired for its architecture and natural landscape.

King Khai Dinh Tomb, although the smallest of the royal tombs, is also the most elaborate and costly. Construction began in 1920 and took 11 years. This tomb is notable for its fusion of oriental and Occidental styles, featuring Roman, Gothic, ancient, and modern influences.

Lunch at a local restaurant and transfer to Phu Bai Airport for your flight to Hanoi.

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you’ll be picked up and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Ranked among the world’s best destinations, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam with over 1,000 years of history and culture. It’s known for its lakes, tree-lined boulevards, flower bicycles, and delicious street food.

05:30 Wake up early and begin your morning experience around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter , the iconic heart of Hanoi. Witness locals performing morning exercises and Tai Chi by the lake, a truly local and energetic scene. Stroll through the peaceful Old Quarter, one of the few times of day it feels quiet and serene. Go back to the hotel for breakfast.

08:00 Pick-up and transfer to the Museum of Ethnology, which offers insight into Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups through detailed exhibits, artifacts, and full-scale replica houses in the outdoor area.

Keep driving to visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, built in 1070. Originally a place to honor Confucius, it later celebrated Vietnam’s top scholars and intellectuals.

Lunch will be at a local restaurant.

Head to the famous Train Street, this narrow street with homes, cafes, and shops on either side of an active railway line offers a photo opportunity and a chance to observe local life up close. Enjoy a Vietnamese coffee at a train track coffee shop as the trains pass just meters away.

Next, visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex with a stop at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside) at Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945. Then continue with a short walk to the Presidential Palace and Uncle Ho’s House on Stilts.

Wrap up the day with a visit to the One Pillar Pagoda, known for its unique lotus-flower-shaped architecture, and one of the must-see landmarks of Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meet your guide and driver, then depart for Halong Bay, renowned for its UNESCO-listed limestone seascape. Upon arrival, embark on the cruise and enjoy a welcome drink and seafood lunch on board while the ship sails out to the Bay, with time to admire its dramatic karst formations.

In the afternoon, decide whether to swim in the warm, calm water or get on kayaks to discover the wonders. Our expert and experienced guides will surely instruct you on the basics of paddling before leading you to explore the extraordinary beauty of Halong Bay. Embark on the cruise again before attending a cooking class in the late afternoon.

Enjoy dinner and stay overnight on board.

Note: The detailed itinerary of the cruise will be provided upon confirmation. The program may be subject to change depending on the weather or management.

Begin the morning with Tai Chi on the sundeck, followed by breakfast as the cruise continues through Halong Bay. Then relax on the upper deck, enjoy the sightseeing, and take photos of the magnificent beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water.

After breakfast, you will explore Sung Sot cave – one of the finest and widest grottoes in Halong Bay.  Get back on board and keep cruising through the fishing village, and witness its unique way of life.

10:30: The boat cruises back to the jetty. Enjoy your last time on the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

11: 30: Disembark the cruise, get ashore, meet your guide and driver, and transfer to Hanoi.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, do 3 hour Hanoi street food tour, begin by visiting a local market where you’ll explore a variety of foods that make up the everyday meals of the Vietnamese people. Learn about their cooking ingredients and daily food traditions.

Next, we take a walking tour through the bustling streets of Hanoi to try some of the city’s most beloved and distinctive dishes:

1. Bánh Rán – Sticky rice pancakes
2. Fried Tofu and Vermicelli Shrimp Sauce
3. Bún Chả – Hanoi-style vermicelli with grilled pork
4. Hanoi Grilled Pork on Sticks
5. Bia Hơi – Draught beer
6. Trứng Vịt Lộn – Fertilized duck eggs
7. Egg Coffee
8. Mixed Fruits

Go back to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Enjoy free time until your private transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for your departure flight.

Thank you for travelling with LuxeTravel Asia. We hope to welcome you back to Vietnam in the future.