Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Experience Overview
Sail through limestone karsts aboard a traditional junk boat and walk the streets of imperial capitals. From vibrant Hanoi, the natural beauty of Halong Bay, the atmospheric imperial capital of Huế, and the charms of Hoi An to the modern day life of Saigon, experience the energy of Vietnam in 10 jam-packed days. An experienced Chief Experience Officer will lead you to must-see highlights with time in between to do your own thing.
Highlights
- Experience bustling Hanoi
- Sail on a junk boat through Halong Bay
- Shop in romantic Hoi An
- Squeeze through the Cu Chi tunnels
- Sip Vietnamese iced coffee
- People-watch in hectic Ho Chi Minh City
Trip Details
Product Code: 1630
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Budget
Transport: Train, air-conditioned bus, boat, plane.
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Classic
Tour Operator:
G Adventures
Supplier Code: AVCH
Starts: Hanoi, Vietnam
Finishes: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Light
Includes
Activities
- Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles, Hoi An Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your Discover Moment: Hoi An
- Free time in Hanoi
- Halong Bay caves entrance
- Halong Bay boat cruise with seafood lunch and dinner
- Thien Mu Pagoda Visit
- Imperial Citadel and Royal Tombs
- Free time in Hoi An
- Oodles of Noodles experience
- Cu Chi Tunnels guided tour
- Free time in Ho Chi Minh City
- Internal flight
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Hotels (7 nts), sleeper train (1 nt), junk boat (1 nt).
- 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner
Transport
- Train, air-conditioned bus, boat, plane.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1239 ($124 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities today until an evening welcome meeting. After the meeting, opt for dinner out with the group.
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Accommodation - Chalcedony Hotel
Day 2: Hanoi/Ha Long
Enjoy a Ha Long Bay cruise on a junk boat with visits to a cave and an island lookout. Savour a seafood lunch and dinner.
Drive to Bai Chay harbour, the jumping off point for Ha Long Bay. Thousands of islands with intricate cave systems rise dramatically from the waters. Sail past limestone karst mountains in the junk boat and stop to visit some of the islands and caves.
In the evening, devour a seafood dinner, then opt to enjoy a drink on deck under the stars.
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Climb aboard and make friends with your seatmate en route to the next stop.Transport - Skim across the water aboard this iconic traditional Asian sailboat.Activity - Board a traditional junk boat at Ha Long Bay harbour and cruise out onto serene waters. Marvel at massive limestone karst mountains jutting out of the water, creating unforgettable spectacular scenery. Swim, kayak or go cave exploring on one of the islands, if conditions are right. Indulge in fresh seafood meals with a variety of dishes to sample. Drift to sleep in a cozy cabin on board.
On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.Accommodation - Ha Long Bay Overnight Boat
Day 3: Ha Long/Huế
Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board before sailing back to the port and return to Hanoi. Enjoy some time in the city before an overnight train to Hue.
Interested in local cuisine? Opt to pre-book the "Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour" activity on the checkout page to include this optional on your tour.
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Spend a few hours exploring this beautiful capital city. Visit some shops, have a bia hoi on a street corner or grab a coffee in a lakeside café.Transport - Drive about 15 mins to the station and then board the southbound train for the overnight journey.
Day 4: Huế
Pull into Hue early in the morning and dive right into the city, starting with a guided tour of the Imperial Citadel, Royal Tomb and Tien Mu Pagoda. The rest of the day, you are free to explore the city how you'd like.
Arrive early to Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam. Start the day with a visit to the Tien Mu Pagoda followed by a visit to the tomb of one of Vietnam's former emperors. After, opt for a vegetarian lunch at a local nunnery.
While in the city, try some local Hue specialties such as banh khoai (Hue savoury pancakes), and banh bot loc boc tom thit (thin rice paper filled with meat and shrimp). Wash it all down with a Hue beer.
Opt to pre-book the "Hue Motorbike Tour" activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Visit Tien Mu, one of the tallest and, perhaps, most elegant pagodas in Vietnam, at seven storeys high. Take a step back in time touring this historic temple - built more than 400 years ago along the north shore of the Perfume River, it has been the site of many political protests.Activity - Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China's Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.Activity - Visit the Royal Tombs along the Perfume River in Hue. Embracing the concept of Feng Shui, these tombs are extremely ornate and provide fantastic insight into the lives of the former rulers.Accommodation - Asia Hotel
Day 5: Huế/Hoi An
Drive the Hai Van pass. Take advantage of Hoi An's many options over the 2.5 days in town. Opt for a cooking class, riverboat trip, bike ride, beach time, tailor visit or My Son ruins.
Cross the Hai Van Pass (weather permitting), with fantastic views in all directions, before arriving to Hoi An in the afternoon.
With three nights here, there's plenty of time to explore all this charming town has to offer.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.Accommodation - Uptown Hoi An Hotel
Day 6: Hoi An
Explore all Hoi An has to offer. Dive into the culture, hang out on the beach or get clothes tailor-made in one of the many shops around town. Enjoy a noodle making demonstration and lunch at Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported project.
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.Free_time - Explore this charming city.Accommodation - Uptown Hoi An Hotel
Day 7: Hoi An
Spend a free day exploring all Hoi An has to offer.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Enjoy free time in this charming town.Accommodation - Uptown Hoi An Hotel
Day 8: Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City
Fly from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City with free time to explore this hectic and amazing city.
Drive to Da Nang for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, once the capital of South Vietnam and the country's commercial centre. Start exploring the small alleys and busy streets, keeping an eye out for laquerware shops and delicious local food stalls.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.Accommodation - Amory Hotel
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn more about the Vietnam War. Use free time in the afternoon to explore sprawling Ho Chi Minh City.
With some free time in the city, opt to visit the Thien Hau and Giac Vien pagodas and stroll through the immense Ben Thanh Market. Also well worth a visit are the Reunification Palace (the residence of South Vietnam presidents before 1975), the city's Chinese quarter of Cholon, and the War Remnants Museum.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.
Free_time - Get out and explore this frenetic city.Accommodation - Amory Hotel
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City
Depart at any time.
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Meals included: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Sara G. - Traveled, November 2023
Variety of destinations, tour guide
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/31/2023
Lavinia B. - Traveled, November 2023
Takes the hassle out of Travel
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/31/2023
Taraneh Y. - Traveled, November 2023
I could not fault the experience at all. From my initial communications with G Adventures to the last day Dang calling a taxi for us back to Hanoi. Every bit was wonderful and thoughtful
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/31/2023
Aoibhinn F. - Traveled, November 2023
Good service and good value
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/30/2023
William C. - Traveled, November 2023
Good itinerary
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/30/2023
Volha D. - Traveled, November 2023
The tour was great, and I really loved and enjoyed it! Nevertheless I would see some points, which could be improved by the time spent in different cities.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/29/2023
Lorena L. - Traveled, November 2023
The trip covers all the major site in Vietnam allowing freedom to explore alone or in the group. Like the different transportation method, and experience
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/29/2023
Qaisar S. - Traveled, November 2023
I didn't enjoy the experiences as much as the first G Adventures tour I did hence not sure I will do another 1
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/28/2023
Georgia C. - Traveled, November 2023
This tour was good and we loved every second but I feel there could have been more information given to us around each city
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/28/2023
Juliet G. - Traveled, November 2023
Brilliant CEO, great itinerary, well organized, high standard of accommodation.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/27/2023
Brett G. - Traveled, November 2023
Good balance of travel, experiences and free time in the itinerary.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/26/2023
James G. - Traveled, November 2023
This was so easy to book, and conveniently started everyday of the year!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/26/2023
Maria Carla B. - Traveled, November 2023
Chenda Sor was an amazing CEO and it was all perfectly organize/explain. I think the whole group had an amazing time.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/24/2023
Rajeev D. - Traveled, November 2023
I travelled with my young son and felt that G Adventures provided a structured series of events to help us maximize the time we had on our trip in seeing various attractions. You took the guesswork out of it.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/24/2023
Emily H. - Traveled, November 2023
It is such a brilliant way to travel and we loved the layout and everywhere we stayed
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/23/2023
Darren T. - Traveled, November 2023
Nothing negative to say, only praise.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/23/2023
Catherine H. - Traveled, November 2023
Well organized action packed trip with huge amounts of knowledge and consideration put into every part of the trip. Our tour guide (CEO) was beyond helpful to ensure we had the best experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/23/2023
Ansuya M. - Traveled, November 2023
The quality of trip was excellent Our tour guide made sure everyone was looked after and attended too The transport was not an issue Everything was planed in an orderly fashion
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/22/2023
Robert E. - Traveled, November 2023
As the result of my own experience in Vietnam
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/22/2023
Jackman C. - Traveled, November 2023
Informative local guide, see/visit a lot of places. Lots of great planned and option activities.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/22/2023
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