Package overview
The first four days follow the same pattern as our other seven-day Hanoi departures: a full city tour, then an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise with Surprise Cave and a swim stop near Ti Top Island. A domestic flight on day five covers the long north–south distance to Ho Chi Minh City rather than a shorter hop to the central coast.
The final two nights focus on wartime and colonial history rather than beach or mountain scenery — the Cu Chi Tunnels' underground network on day six, then a half-day walk through the former Presidential Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House before departure. This suits agents selling a client's single comprehensive taste of both ends of the country in one week.
Trip highlights
- Full-day Hanoi city tour and overnight Ha Long Bay cruise
- Domestic flight linking Hanoi directly to Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi Tunnels' underground wartime network
- Half-day colonial Ho Chi Minh City tour before departure
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (about a 45-minute, 25 km transfer from the airport)
Hanoi's tree-lined boulevards, French colonial buildings and lakeside pagodas set the pace for the days ahead. Arrival afternoons are usually spent close to the hotel, with time for an optional walk through the Old Quarter's narrow lanes of shophouses and street-food stalls.
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, finishing at Hoan Kiem Lake with a walk through the Old Quarter.
Day 3: Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, board overnight cruise (about 3 hours / 170 km one way)
An 8am pickup starts the drive through the Red River Delta's rice fields and villages to Ha Long Bay. Once aboard the traditional junk, the cruise passes Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Dog and Sail Islands, stops at a pearl-farming site and paddles into Luon Cave, with a swim near Ti Top Island before sunset and dinner served on board.
Day 4: Ha Long Bay to Hanoi, Surprise Cave (about 3 hours / 170 km one way)
A Tai Chi session on the sundeck opens the morning before the cruise visits Surprise Cave, entered by around 100 steps and explored on a roughly hour-long walk. After brunch, the boat passes Ga Choi Island, Binh Phong Mountain and Tortoise Island before disembarking at Tuan Chau port for the road transfer back to Hanoi.
Day 5: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for the flight south to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. A representative meets arriving guests for the transfer into the city, where the pace and skyline both feel noticeably different from Hanoi.
Day 6: Cu Chi Tunnels excursion (about 1½ hours / 70 km one way)
The morning is spent at the Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground network built by Vietnamese resistance fighters during decades of conflict. Visitors can walk sections of the original and widened tunnels, see wartime displays and get a sense of how the network supported guerrilla operations so close to Saigon.
Day 7: Half-day Ho Chi Minh City tour, departure
The morning covers the former Presidential Palace on foot to 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 departure 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.