17 days Exploring Vietnam with a family with kids

Arrival in Noi Bai airport , you will be picked up then transferred to the hotel in city center. The check-in is available at 2 pm. The day is free for your own exploration and shopping. Overnight at hotel.

You will be picked up at the hotel at 8:00am. Starting the day trip will be a visit of the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which compromises Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays), his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum. We will then visit the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. The site also honors 82 Vietnamese doctorates who passed a number of rigid exams in the feudal ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are engraved in 82 headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring luck. Its peaceful green compound with its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat.

Then we begin the street food tour. Hanoi is full of secret places & wonderful stories. With a history going back over 2.000 years, it makes the capital a promising destination for any gastronomic tourist. We decided to make you discover the Old Quarter with a local culinary point of view in an original way among the 36 Corporations. In the course of this tour (more or less 2h45), the traveler will discover North specialties such as Bun cha (noodle & BBQ meat), Bia (local ale),… & above all, a wide vision of handicrafts shops & traditional works.

After breakfast, We will take you to Quang Phu Cau incense village to take beautiful photos. Afterward, we will drive to Tam Coc also known as « Dry Halong Bay». On the way, we will stop to visit Hoa Lu, which used to be Vietnam’s capital during the 10th century. Arrive at Tam Coc, where we will embark a small rowing boat to discover the outstanding karst waterscape on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to « three caves» and is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes shaped like gemstones. When rowing, enjoy the peaceful scenery of rice paddies lining the river bank. After lunch (at your own account) we will visit Mua Cave, with 500 step up to the Top of Mua Mountain. On the Top, you can overview all the nice scene of Hoa Lu. Back to Hanoi for overnight

08:15 – 08:45: Hotel or private address pick up with our shuttle bus. Short break half way.
11:45 – 12:00: Arriving Tuan Chau marina, transferred by tender of La Pandora cruises.

12:45 – 13:00: Welcome aboard the cruise. Refresh with our welcome drink. Meet the captain, crew in the cruise briefing, safety instruction.

13:00 – 13:15: A special lunch in Vietnamese cuisine of fresh seafood and an assortment of appetizing favorites are served while sailing through Islets of Con Vit.
16:00: The Cruise sails through Lan Ha Bay. The area is surrounding of extraordinary limestone karsts landscapes. We progress to Ong Cam Area of Lan Ha Bay- a separate part of Ha Long Bay. This is a quiet tourist paradise in Vietnam, enjoy kayaking and/or enjoy swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the Bay.
17:30: Back to Cruise, drop anchor for staying overnight. Enjoy cooking demonstration (teaching you how to make our speciality, Spring rolls) and the complimentary Sunset Party on the sundeck with local wine and fresh fruit.

19:00: Dinner is served in the restaurant. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. After dinner, retiring to your cabin or join the fishing excursion, watch a movie, have a drink at the bar, wifi access or play exciting games. Overnight on board.

06:00:   Enjoy sunrise and admire the never ending miraculous scenery of the Bay. Practice an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck.

06:30:   Light breakfast, coffee and tea served.

08:00:   Transfer to day boat for visit Viet Hai village. You will take the bicycle trip along the village path and go through rain forests and dark tunnel. Enjoy stunning scenery of rice fields on the way. Stop at the village to relax. Visit an ancient local house, made from straw, mud, bamboo…you will have chance to see the local life on a valley of local people.

12:30:   Back to day boat for visiting Lan Ha Bay. Lunch served on day boat.

13:30: Visit Lan Ha Bay, free kayaking to discover bay by yourself and swimming in the blue water.

Visit the Van Boi area, which is the heart of Lan Ha Bay, there are a lot of white sandy and coral beaches.

16:30: Return to cruise, time for relaxing.

17:30: Enjoy cooking demonstration (teaching you how to make our speciality, Spring rolls) and the complimentary Sunset Party on the sundeck with local wine and fresh fruit.

19:00: Dinner is served in the restaurant. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. After dinner, retiring to your cabin or join the fishing excursion, watch a movie, have a drink at the bar, wifi access or play exciting games.

Overnight on board.

06:00: Enjoy sunrise and admire the never-ending miraculous scenery of the Bay. Practice an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck.
06:30: Light breakfast, coffee and tea served.
07:00: Visit Dark & Bright Cave and islets by local rowing boats which is a wild and mysterious beauty in the middle of the World Heritage.
09:15: Back to our Cruise, relax before checking out.
10:00: Lunch is served on board.

12:00: Disembark at the Tuan Chau marina by tender. Then transfer to the airport for flight to HoiAn. On arrival, pick up to hotel in HoiAn for check in & overnight

07:45 – 8:00: Pick up from the hotel in HoiAn and start transfer to Ba Na Hills

Check in at the Suoi Mo Cable Car Station and transfer to Marseille Station

Explore Golden Bridge (The Hands of The Gods) – majestic and impressive as a scene in “Game of Thrones” or “ The Lords of the Rings”

Drop by Le Jardin D’Amour (the Flower Garden of Love) with 9 gardens of Le Jardin D’Amour are 9 amusing tales in 9 varying architectures, which harmonize so well in a visual sonata of beauty

Continue the trip with Linh Ung Pagoda & Debay Wine Cellar (entrance to the Cellar at your own expense)

Afternoon: Discover and play games at the Fantasy Park – a perfect tourist attraction for an entire family as well as to explore King Peak

Return to the Cable Car Station and back to the Gateway then transfer back to the hotel. Overnight in HoiAn.

08:00 Guide pick guests up at hotel, drive along De Vong River to Cam An wharf.

Embark on the boat to Cua Dai sand dune, enjoy casting net show and learn how to cast net by local fisher man. Continue to Cam Thanh Water coconut village, have a brief introduction to the history there.

Take on the basket boat along the water coconut river.

Embark on the boat, then get on board to Cam An wharf, continue to drive to Tra Que village. Have lunch and join in the daily activities with local farmer there.

After that, depart for Thanh Ha Pottery Village by car where you can learn about and take part in the daily life of Thanh Ha people. Here, we will observe the necessary steps used for producing pottery products such as vases, pots and kettles. After learning about pottery making, we visit Thanh Ha Terra Cotta Park museum.

Afternoon, arrive at My Son Sanctuary, this “Valley of Kings” as described by French historians, was once the capital of the Cham Pa Kingdom for 11 centuries since the 4th

Follow a traditional dance performance and walk to the Cham with a short ascent along a jungle-bordered track

Gain knowledge about the ancient Cham royal burial ground and the religion that was maintained there

Transfer back to Central Hoi An

Overnight at hotel.

Freely enjoy the peaceful atmosphere in HoiAn, walk, enjoy a cup of coffee in the old town or lie on Anbang beach reading a book, regenerating energy.

Morning, take flight from Danang to Phuquoc. Upon arrival, pick up and return to Phuquoc hotel to check in.

Free to swim and enjoy the beauty of white sand beaches, clear blue water, and quiet on PhuQuoc island.

• 08:30 Pick up from your hotel at lobby
• Arrive at the harbor – board on speed boat
• Visit 4 islands in the south
• Gam Ghi Island: Snorkeling at coral reef – Enjoy the beach
• Buom Island (or Mong Tay Island): Snorkeling at coral reef
• May Rut Island: white sand lagoon – unique chillout
• Having Lunch on the Island
• Sea walker (pay by yourself): a new type of service, walk under the ocean, there are the fish flocks swimming & colorful corals reef of Phu Quoc
• Speed boat arrive Thom Island: Enjoy water park – more than 20 modern games from the world’s leading manufactures.
• Back on cable car (around 25 mins): Enjoy sunset & rides with a panoramic overall view of islands
• 17:00 Return to your hotel

Free time taking transfer ahead to airport for your flight to Saigon.

Upon arrive, a transfer will be waiting and take you to hotel.

Around 6PM, our talented guide with the motorbike picks you up at your hotel (or any location requested by you). After a short riding instruction and program introduction of Night Saigon Food Tour by Motorbike, we hop on the motorbike.

1st stop: Popular local eatery in alley

• Vietnamese pancake (Banh xeo)
• Khot cake

2nd stop: Try good Vietnamese noodle soup

Beef noodle soup or Crab noodle soup

3rd stop: Ho Thi Ky flower & Cambodian market

Vietnamese pizza (Grilled rice paper with toppings)

4th stop: Ngo Gia Tu old apartment building & street food area & a dessert shop since 1975

Coconut ice cream or Vietnamese beef stew dish with bread

5th stop: Former mafia hotspot but a hustle street food area in the recent & Xom Chieu night food market & Vinh Khanh snail street

• Steamed clam with lemongrass
• Grilled scallop with green onion oil
• Grilled Shrimp with chili (or Stir-fried noodles with beef)
• Fertilized duck egg if you dare enough
• Local beer
• Non-seafood dishes are available like BBQ meat if you can’t eat seafood and snails

Bonus hidden places

• Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment buildings
• Through lots of hidden alleys

Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars.

Then, drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, situated 70km from Saigon. The Cu Chi Tunnel system was created around 1948 to assist the Viet Minh in their combat against French occupiers.  Construction and enlargement continued during American bombings and they were turned into an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapon factories and field hospitals. The Cu Chi Tunnels could house up to 10,000 people who lived underground for years, getting married and raising children. During the Vietnam – American War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated as a fire free zone yet was heavily bombarded. Since 1988, two sections of the tunnels are open for visitors

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City and start your trip to depart for My Tho, the town lies on the left side of the Mekong River. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19^th century. Then boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking around country lane and seeing orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, folk song music which performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation.

Riding a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal and treat yourself in the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business, visit honey-bee farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.

Have lunch at local restaurant. Break time.

Cruise back to the pier and disembark. Drive back to HCM

After breakfast, free time for relaxation until being transferred to take your departure flight from Saigon. The hotel is available until noon only.