Package overview
Two other six-day versions of this route exist — one drops Ha Long Bay entirely, another keeps the overnight cruise by trimming Hanoi to two nights. This one takes a third path: three full Hanoi nights stay intact, and Ha Long Bay is covered on a single long day cruise rather than an overnight stay, so nothing about the Hanoi schedule needs compressing.
After the day cruise, the group flies from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for two nights covering Cu Chi Tunnels and the city's colonial landmarks. It suits clients who want to see the bay's limestone scenery without sleeping on a boat, and runs well most of the year, with October to April giving the calmest seas for the day cruise.
Trip highlights
- Full-day Hanoi city tour covering Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the Old Quarter
- A single day cruise on Ha Long Bay with lunch served aboard, no overnight cabin
- Domestic flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground network used during the independence struggle
- Half-day tour of colonial Ho Chi Minh City, including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (about a 45-minute, 25 km transfer from the airport)
Hanoi's French colonial streets, lakeside pagodas and dense Old Quarter make an easy first stop for a north–south Vietnam trip. Arrival afternoons are usually left free for a walk through the Old Quarter.
Day 2: Hanoi city tour
The full-day tour covers Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, then Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda beside West Lake. After lunch the group visits the Museum of Ethnology, ending at Hoan Kiem Lake with a walk through the surrounding Old Quarter.
Day 3: Ha Long Bay day cruise, return to Hanoi (about 3 hours / 170 km one way)
An early departure covers the drive through the Red River Delta's rice fields to Ha Long Bay, where the group boards a private junk for a roughly four-hour cruise among the bay's 3,000 limestone islands. A seafood lunch is served on board before the return drive, with the group back at the Hanoi hotel by evening.
Day 4: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
A morning transfer to Noi Bai International Airport connects with a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where a representative meets the group at Tan Son Nhat International Airport for the transfer into the city. The rest of the day is free to settle in.
Day 5: Cu Chi Tunnels excursion (about 1½ hours / 70 km one way)
The day is spent at the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground network built by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence. Guides walk the group through accessible sections of the tunnel system and the surrounding exhibits.
Day 6: Half-day Ho Chi Minh City tour, departure
After checkout, a half-day walking tour covers the former Presidential Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, the Continental Hotel, the Opera House and City Hall, before transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for the onward or homeward flight.
What's included
- INCLUSIONS
- EXCLUSIONS
- ACCOMMODATION
- VISA
- PAYMENT TERMS
- CANCELLATION POLICY
- DO'S IN VIETNAM
- DON'TS IN VIETNAM
- Accommodation with twin/ double/ triple sharing room basis with daily breakfast in the category chosen or similar (subject to availability).
- Meals as mentioned in the Tour Itinerary.
- Sightseeing & Transfers according to the above Tour Itinerary Details only.
- Transportation by vehicle with A/C
- Local English-speaking guide’s assistance.
- All Entrance fees for attractions included in the program
- All activities and cruises clearly mentioned in the program
- Government taxes & service charge
- Air Fare / Train fare.
- Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, porterage, water sports.
- Early check-in, late check-out
- Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
- Room Up gradation Charges.
- Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
- Travel Insurance.
- Bank Charges
- Tip to Driver & Guide (Compulsory)
- Airport Taxes
- Visa and Visa arrangement
- Anything which is not included in the inclusion.
Not included
- Air Fare / Train fare.
- Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, porterage, water sports.
- Early check-in, late check-out
- Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
- Room Up gradation Charges.
- Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
- Travel Insurance.
- Bank Charges
- Tip to Driver & Guide (Compulsory)
- Airport Taxes
- Visa and Visa arrangement
- Anything which is not included in the inclusion.
Book this package
Visa requirements, payment terms and cancellation rules for this destination are set out on our [Vietnam travel information page](vietnam/travel-information).
Rates are quoted on request for your dates, party size and hotel category. Send us the itinerary reference and we will come back with a net B2B quotation.