Vietnam “For Families” 12 Days

Drive 70kms from Ho Chi Minh City, stopping en route to visit a rice paper making village, and you will reach Cu Chi Tunnels. After an introductory video, viewing various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters, you will spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels to see how the Viet Cong survived in this underground network.

On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City you can (on request) visit Wildlife at Risk (WAR) rescue station, a wildlife hospital aiming to help stop the endangered wildlife trade in Vietnam.

An extra fun family activity awaits you at Vin-Space called the “family art blast”.  Vin Space is a boutique art studio that provides a variety of art workshops for adults and children. Family Art Blast invites children of all ages and their adult companions to participate together in collaborative hands-on art making activities. This is great quality time for your family – make art and be merry!

Overnight in Saigon

Depart from Saigon around 8am and head south to Ben Tre province. On arrival, take a xeloi ride through the local village of Huu Dinh to enjoy the green fields and gardens. Continue and board your boat and begin your trip through small canals with beautiful tropical scenery.

The cruise will stop first at a brick making shop and on An Hoa River you will take a sampan trip through narrow canals and enjoy the peacefulness of the region. The sampan will take you to Mrs Huong orchards where you enjoy fresh fruits and tea before heading on.

Then switch to bicycle and ride on village roads past green gardens and local houses, and stop at another local house where they live on their traditional family business, sampan boat building. Continue your cycling trip to My Long to visit Mr.Sau Tuong, have a chat with him and enjoy the crispy rice paper made by his wife.   

Enjoy a 5 course lunch of local specialties.

Relax and walk around the garden after lunch, and then visit the nearby house of Mr Hung, who is a famous sticky rice maker in the village. Continue back to your homestay to catch fish in the pond & pick your own vegetables, and then in the early evening prepare to join the cooking demonstration with the family. 

Overnight in homestay.

Breakfast will be served at the homestay, then take a boat trip to Tai Phu canal and stop to visit a coconut processing workshop before taking a bicycle to the busy local market of My Long. After that, cycle to Cau Hoa to visit the local Phuoc Long Tu temple and war memorials.

Then cycle to Phong Nam village and your boat will take you to Ben Tre city where your driver takes you back to Saigon.

After a short flight from Saigon to Da Nang, your driver meets you at Da Nang Airport and drives you to your hotel in Hoi An Ancient town.

Overnight in Hoi An

Walk the ancient streets of Hoi An, lined with Chinese traders’ homes and wooden houses reincarnated as restaurants, cafés, and outlets for local artists, craftsmen and tailors. Explore the beautiful 16th century Japanese Bridge. Hoi An's unique fusion of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture is well displayed here, in what is arguably Vietnam's most tourist-friendly town.

Next you will enjoy a cooking class. After enjoying your welcome drink, you'll be transferred to Tra Que Organic Village to select fresh herbs for your cooking lesson. You'll stop by the local village market for other ingredients, then arrive at Red Bridge Cooking School and begin your class. Working with the Red Bridge Chef, you'll prepare 4 famous dishes, including ‘Pho’. After the class you'll sit down and savour the dishes you have prepared, then enjoy a leisurely 25 minute cruise along the Hoi An River back to central Hoi An. Bring your swimsuit, after the cooking tour has finished you can enjoy free use of our 20 metre swimming pool.

In the late afternoon, you will sit down and learn how to make traditional lantern out of bamboo and silk.

Overnight in Hoi An

You will start the day cycling along back roads witnessing Vietnamese rural life first hand, working the ground with a farmer in an organic vegetable village and riding a water buffalo in a rice paddy field.

Later, you will board a boat to join local fishermen doing traditional net fishing. You will also experience paddling the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat, rounding out your experience with the local farming and fishing communities.

Overnight in Hoi An

You will take a boat from Hoi An to Cham Island. Arriving at Lang Village, you'll stroll around the village and learn about the island's history. After visiting the Marine Protected Area and other sites, you'll continue to Chong Village and enjoy the winding road and amazing sea views - be sure to bring camera, sometimes you'll see monkeys along the way.

You'll then have time to enjoy swimming before lunch of fresh seafood.

Come back to Hoi An in the afternoon, free time at your leisure

Overnight in Hoi An

Take a short flight from Da Nang to Hanoi, one of Asia’s most enchanting cities, full of culture and history. You are met at Noi Bai airport by your local guide and learn a bit about this fascinating city on the way to your hotel.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Vietnam History museum. Established in the 1920s as the Musée Louis Finot, the Vietnam History Museum is housed in an ‘Indochinese style’ structure and traces the history of the Vietnamese people from the earliest times to the present day.

Then leisurely walk to nearby Hanoi Opera House for photos of the most beautiful French architectural buildings left in Hanoi. 

Drop by a local coffee and ice cream shop to relax and enjoy the atmosphere while observing the local life. 

Explore the Old Quarter at a casual pace on golf cart style buggies, so you can enjoy the scenery and take photos. This is a place you must see to experience Hanoi, where you will find shopping and cultural/historical sites all wrapped into one.

Overnight in Hanoi

In the morning you will take a walk on the Ba Dinh Square and visit the Ho Chi Minh complex. This complex features the mausoleum of the founder of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. If it is open, you can walk through the mausoleum to view his body. You can also see the Presidential Palace and Uncle Ho's house on stilts in the park-like complex.

Continue with the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius, was built in the 11th century. It was the first university in Vietnam and students still come here to burn incense. You will find a peaceful atmosphere tinged with incense smoke, and sunken lotus ponds populated by fish and turtles. Enjoy lunch at KOTO restaurant.

Located on the outskirts of Hanoi by the banks of the Red River, Bat Trang is a traditional handicraft village specializing in ceramics. Discover the small, hidden alleys of this village and visit a local workshop to interact with the craftsmen and observe the complete production cycle, from preparing the clay to shaping the products, painting them and firing them in the kiln.

Overnight in Hanoi

Breakfast at hotel before heading out to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Ha Long you will board your luxury boat for an overnight cruise amongst the more than 3,000 limestone islands rising majestically out of the turquoise bay. You pass grand rock formations and quaint fishing towns, and sample a delicious lunch of freshly caught fish and seafood.

In the afternoon you will visit the picturesque floating fishing village of VungVieng and can choose from several interesting activities: a cooking demonstration with chef on board, an optional traditional massage, or a refreshing swim.

End the day with a spectacular set-menu gastronomic dinner

Overnight on board.

Start the day with calming Tai Chi, often accompanied by an amazing sunrise and the quiet breath-taking beauty of the bay’s landscape. The cruise passes beautiful spots such as Trong, Trinh Nu and the Me Cung Caves, and you will have a chance to explore Surprise Cave before having buffet brunch on board.

Back at the dock, where you will be met and transferred to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

Free at your leisure until your driver meet up and take you to the airport for your flight. End of service.