Vietnam, From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

The best of Vietnam with Phu Quoc extension 4^*

Welcome to Vietnam!

Arrival at Hanoi (Noi Bai) international airport.

Once you have completed all customs formalities, please proceed to the exit gate. Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby, holding a sign with your name on it. Your guide will meet you and transfer you to the hotel.

Dinner on your own. Night in Hanoi.

Note: Your room is available from 2:00 pm. Early check-in is not possible.

Breakfast at the hotel.

The capital of Vietnam, Ha Noi is a perfect blend of old and new, Asian and European, a dynamic unification of tradition and progressive 21st-century thinking. Despite its rapid development, the city has retained much of its traditional identity.

Visit the complex dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, the nation's founder, affectionately known to the Vietnamese as "Uncle Ho".

Make your first stop at Ho Chi Minh's historic mausoleum. Continue your stroll through the magnificent Botanical Garden of the Presidential Palace to visit Uncle Ho's humble home, built on the basis of a rural Vietnamese house on stilts, reflecting his simple, pure and noble lifestyle.

Visit the one-pillar pagoda, built in 1049 of wood on a single stone pillar, designed to resemble a lotus flower, a symbol of purity. Continue on to the Tran Quoc pagoda, Hanoi's oldest pagoda, located on a small island in West Lake. Visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, built in the 11th century.

Ride a cyclo - pousse (45 min.) through the best-known streets in the heart of the old quarter, then cross the dark, narrow alleys of a width suited to a single Vietnamese of average height. Tasting of Hanoi's specialty, egg coffee.

In the evening, you'll attend a puppet show on water** in the municipal theater.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Note: The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays, Fridays and every afternoon.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure without guide by non privative bus to the baie d'Ha Long which counts nearly 3000 islets. You'll board a beautiful junk to enjoy a welcome lunch and begin your cruise on Ha Long Bay, where you'll pass by islands and islets with an English-speaking guide. In the evening, a fishing session.

Dinner and overnight on the boat in a cabin.

Note: This itinerary is subject to change according to weather conditions and boat availability.

Breakfast on board. You'll sail across the bay while enjoying brunch.

Disembarkation around 11am - 12pm.

Unguided transfer to Noi Bai airport for the flight to Danang. Welcomed by your driver, you will then be taken to your hotel in Hoi An

Dinner on your own.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today, drive 40 km south-west of Hoi An to the My Son sanctuary, considered one of the greatest archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The towers were built between the 9th and 13th centuries. Most of the temples were dedicated to the Champa kings and also served as burial places for Cham monarchs.

Stroll through the temple complex, rediscovered in the late 19th century, where you'll have the opportunity to learn more about Cham culture, architecture and civilization. The guide will also explain the links with Hindu deities, notably Shiva, known as the founder and protector of the Champa dynasties.

In the afternoon, return to downtown Hoi An for a stroll through the charming alleyways of this small port and visit the Japanese Covered Bridge. Stop off at a sewing workshop where you can purchase express made-to-measure garments.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Danang airport (without guide) for the flight to Phu Quoc

On arrival at the airport, a shuttle bus will take you to your hotel.

Start your beach holiday in Phu Quoc! Phu Quoc is known as the island of pearls, thanks to the richness of its natural environment. It's a paradise for nature and sea lovers looking for a place to relax. The island is considered "off the beaten track" because it remains remarkably undeveloped. Phu Quoc's forests and pristine white-sand beaches make it ideal for trekking, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Day and dinner at leisure, overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Enjoy a free day to relax by the beach or explore the surrounding area. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure.

Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time by the beach, then departure from the hotel by shuttle bus to the airport for a flight from Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City (or formerly known as "Saigon"). Located on the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's major port and largest city.

On arrival at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport, our local guide will welcome you and transfer you to your downtown hotel.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today, leave Ho Chi Minh City for an hour-and-a-half drive northwest to the famous Cu Chi tunnels, passing through urbanized areas and lush countryside typical of southern Vietnam. Visit the vast network of underground passages to get a glimpse of the history and life in the tunnels, as well as the tenacity and ingenuity of the Vietnamese during the fighting. In the afternoon, explore colonial Saigon on foot: the Reunification Palace, the Municipal Theater, the City Hall, the Cathedral, the Post Office.

Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, then free time until transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport for your return flight. See you soon for new discoveries!

Please note: The room is available until noon.

Formalities:

For those booking the “hotel-only” package (without international flight), please let us know your flight details as soon as possible using the contact form located in the “Help and Contact” section at the bottom of the page so that we can organise your transfers.

Passport/visa: The visa exemption for French nationals is valid for stays of fewer than 45 days. Please note that this exemption cannot be extended or renewed on location. For stays of more than 45 days, you can apply for a visa online via Vietnam's national immigration portal. This "e-visa" is limited to a maximum period of 90 days with a single entry. Visitors awarded this visa should collect their visa from a dedicated counter on arrival at the airport in Vietnam. The e-visa is not renewable on location.

Your tour itinerary may be subject to change with a view to satisfying local requirements.

Transfers and transport:

On arrival at the airport, a tour guide/driver will be waiting for passengers in the exit hall with a sign bearing their name.

Transfers are by private air-conditioned car, with the exception of the Hanoi - Ha Long return transfer, which is by shared shuttle, and the Phu Quoc airport - hotel - Phu Quoc airport return transfer by non-private shuttle.

The tour includes 3 economy-class domestic flights Hanoi - Danang; Danang - Phu Quoc; Phu Quoc - Ho Chi Minh. Baggage allowance: one item of hold baggage (maximum 20 kg) and one item of hand baggage (maximum 7 kg).

Guides:

Private English-speaking local guides for each stage (except Halong) as mentioned in the itinerary. For Ha Long Bay: English-speaking guide to be shared on the boat only. No guide on free days, during the seaside holiday in Phu Quoc, or other activities not mentioned in the itinerary.

Accommodation:

As indicated, the hotels are classified as four or five-star, according to local standards. The services provided may not be equivalent to European standards.