Vietnam North to South Express | 11 Days 10 Nights

Vietnam North to South Express

11 days | 10 nights

Price from 3.800$ per person

Prices can vary depending on availability for both flights and hotels

A journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for first-time visitors who want to discover Vietnam's cultural highlights, heritage sites, natural landscapes, traditional villages and the waterways of the Mekong Delta in 11 days.

Daily itinerary

Meals: B = breakfast | L = lunch | D = dinner

Day 01 | Arrival in Hanoi

Welcome to Vietnam. After immigration and customs at Hanoi Airport, meet your private guide and driver and transfer to your hotel. Check-in is from 14:00.

The afternoon programme can be adapted to your energy levels and preferences with your guide. Dinner is at your own expense. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 02 | Hanoi city tour

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Explore Hanoi's Old Quarter on a cyclo tour through its 36 streets, traditionally associated with different trades, from musical instruments to toys and cooking utensils. Discover the blend of Vietnamese heritage and French influences. Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, But Tower, Dai Nghien ink stand, the red The Huc Bridge and a local market.

After lunch, visit the Temple of Literature, known as Vietnam's first university. Continue to West Lake and cycle through its quieter surroundings. Visit Phu Tay Ho on a peninsula in the lake, a shrine dedicated to the Mother Goddess Thanh Mau, one of the four immortals of Vietnamese tradition.

There is an optional stop at a spa and massage boutique at your own expense. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 03 | Hanoi to Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bay

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, allowing approximately three to four hours. Board your cruise and enjoy lunch while sailing into Bai Tu Long Bay, passing islets including Indochina Studio and Am Islet.

Spend the afternoon cruising among limestone pinnacles rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's celebrated natural landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is time to relax, kayak or swim, as you prefer.

Anchor in the Cong Do area and enjoy dinner on board. Overnight in a private, air-conditioned cabin with an en-suite bathroom and hot shower. This is a shared cruise; a private boat may be requested.

Day 04 | Ha Long Bay to Hanoi and Hue

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Begin the morning on Bai Tu Long Bay with tai chi on the sundeck and breakfast with tea, coffee and biscuits while admiring the seascape.

Visit Vung Vieng fishing village by bamboo boat, then enjoy brunch on the return cruise to the harbour. Meet your guide and driver and travel approximately four hours towards Hanoi Airport. En route, visit Con Son Pagoda and Kiep Bac Temple, associated with General Tran Hung Dao.

Fly to Hue, the former imperial capital. Meet your local guide on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Hue.

Floating-village visits may change as local authorities relocate residents ashore for storm safety and environmental protection.

Day 05 | Hue and its imperial heritage

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover Hue's UNESCO-listed Imperial City. Vietnam's capital under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, Hue preserves imperial tombs, pagodas, temples and monuments associated with the country's last feudal dynasty.

Continue to Phu Mong village to see garden houses built during the Nguyen period. Visit Minh Mang's mausoleum, set among pine and frangipani trees.

Stop at workshops producing incense and traditional hats, then finish the day at Dong Ba Market. Overnight in Hue.

Day 06 | Hue to Ba Na Hills and Hoi An

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, travel towards Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass, the Ocean Cloud Pass, stopping for views over Da Nang Bay. The road journey is approximately four hours, excluding visits.

At Ba Na Hills, ride the cable car above jungle and waterfalls to the Golden Bridge, supported by two giant stone hands.

Visit Le Jardin d'Amour flower gardens, Debay Wine Cellar and Linh Ung Pagoda, with its 27-metre white Buddha overlooking the coast.

Take another cable car to the French Village, inspired by a medieval European town, with a cathedral, cobbled squares and cafés. Enjoy an international buffet lunch featuring Vietnamese and Western dishes.

Spend the afternoon at leisure, with options including the Alpine Coaster and Fantasy Park's games, 4D rides and indoor drop tower. Descend by cable car with your guide and continue to Hoi An, arriving towards the end of the day. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 07 | Hoi An and traditional craft villages

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, cycle to Tra Que, a farming village known for the herbs and vegetables used in Hoi An cuisine. Walk through the gardens, learn about cultivation methods and join local farmers in preparing soil, planting herbs or watering with traditional equipment. Enjoy a herbal drink.

Continue to Cam Thanh for a round bamboo basket-boat ride through waterways shaded by water coconut palms. Learn about fishing, river life and everyday uses of bamboo and other natural materials.

Cross the Thu Bon River to Kim Bong, a carpentry village known for wooden sculptures, furniture, traditional boats and architectural details. Continue to Thanh Ha, a pottery village with a history of around 500 years, and watch artisans shaping household and decorative ceramics in family workshops.

Return to central Hoi An. Optional stops for tailor-made shoes or clothing can be arranged at your own expense. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 08 | Hoi An to My Son and a rum distillery

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover Hoi An's historic centre, including the Fujian Assembly Hall, also known as Phuoc Kien and dedicated to the sea goddess Thien Hau, Phuc Thanh Pagoda, founded in 1454, and the Japanese Bridge, built in 1593 between Cam Pho and Minh Huong. Visit Tan Ky's traditional merchant house, whose preserved decoration reflects the town's former prosperity. An optional visit to a photographer's art gallery can also be arranged.

In the afternoon, visit My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Hindu temple towers dating from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Learn about Cham architecture and religious traditions. A short Cham dance performance may be available, depending on the schedule.

Return to Hoi An in the late afternoon and visit Distillerie d'Indochine. Meet the French founder, discover how freshly pressed sugarcane is transformed using traditional French distillation methods, and taste three white rums and two aged rums. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 09 | Hoi An to Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Transfer to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Meet your local guide on arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Explore the city, visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and Reunification Palace. In the afternoon, continue to Cho Lon Market, the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum.

Dinner is at your own expense. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 10 | Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Leave the city for the Mekong Delta, with approximately three hours of return road travel. In My Tho, visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 19th-century temple combining Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer and European influences, with gardens and Buddha statues.

Board a motorboat on the Mekong River, observing fishing boats, floating fish farms and cargo vessels. Pass Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands. Visit Thoi Son, also called Unicorn Island, for a walk through tropical orchards and seasonal fruit tasting. Enjoy honey tea and learn about beekeeping.

Listen to Don Ca Tai Tu, Southern Vietnam's traditional music recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Ride a rowing sampan through narrow palm-lined canals, then continue towards Ben Tre, known for coconut plantations.

Visit a family workshop to see how coconut milk becomes candy, from cooking to cutting and wrapping. Other coconut products may include oil, shell handicrafts and household items. Return to Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the day. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 11 | Departure from Ho Chi Minh City

Included meals: Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and time at leisure until your departure transfer. Transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home. End of the journey.

Suggested hotels and cruise

Accommodation is subject to availability at booking. Similar properties may be substituted. Categories below follow the supplier proposal.

Included services

• Accommodation in a shared double room at the selected hotels or similar.
• Two-day, one-night shared Ha Long Bay cruise, in a private cabin.
• English-speaking local guides in each region, as specified in the programme.
• Two domestic flights in economy class: Hanoi to Hue and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Entrance fees for the sightseeing visits listed in the programme.
• Meals as indicated in the daily itinerary.
• Private vehicle with an experienced driver.
• Local VAT.

Additional services

• Bottled water and fresh towels.
• Masks and hand sanitiser available.
• A personal welcome meeting at your hotel, offered without additional charge if the schedule permits.
• Round-the-clock trip support from the Hanoi office.

Excluded services

• International and regional flights and airport taxes, except the domestic flights explicitly included.
• Vietnam visa, if required.
• Drinks, tips and personal expenses.
• Travel insurance, including any cover required by local authorities.
• Health formalities required by local authorities.
• Any service not explicitly listed as included.

Useful information

• Hotel check-in is from 14:00; check-out is by 12:00.
• Itineraries and activities may change or be cancelled without prior notice due to weather or local regulations.
• Road, train and cruise timings are approximate and subject to the confirmed schedule.
• Private cruise cabins include a bathroom, hot water and twin beds or a double bed. The boat is shared; a private boat may be requested.

Regional map

Regional map from the original programme, for general orientation.