Overview
For this classic combination of city, countryside and beach we concentrate on three very different areas of South Vietnam. Perfect if you want to get a taste of Vietnam and keep the flying to the minimum.
On arrival in Saigon you’ll feel the energy and drive of this city and we’ve included a couple of tours that show you the highlights and get under its skin. The pace then drops as you cruise by sampan through the Mekong Delta towards Chau Doc, a less visited town on the Cambodia border.
The following morning explore further by boat and then spend a final night in the delta at an elegant colonial style hotel right on the river. From here you can fly straight to Phu Quoc, a beautiful island ringed by beaches and still relatively undeveloped for a few nights (or more) on the beach.
Day 1: Depart on your choice of overnight flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Day 2: Arrive Saigon for 3 nights, private transfer to your choice of hotel
Day 3: Afternoon Saigon City tour, visiting the many highlights of this exciting city
Day 4: Morning tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the Vietnam War
Day 5: Mekong Delta cruise by Sampan. 2 nights Chau Doc on Mekong River border with Cambodia
Day 6: Morning boat tour to market, farm, town & temples
Day 7: Transfer to Can Tho, the Mekong’s Capital. 1 night riverside Victoria Can Tho Resort.
Day 8: Morning boat tour to Floating Market. Fly to Phu Quoc Island for 5 nights on the beach
Days 9-12: Relax on the beach, enjoy the hotel facilities and explore the island
Day 13: Depart your island paradise. Fly home via Saigon
Day 14: Arrive home
Full Itinerary
Day 1: UK Airport / Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Depart on a choice of overnight flights to Saigon.
Day 2: Arrive Saigon
On arrival you will be met by your private guide and transferred to your choice of hotel for 3 nights in sensational Saigon. The rest of the day is yours to relax, stretch your legs or perhaps have a post flight massage. Tonight you may just feel like eating in the hotel, but if you would like to venture out and about your guide will be happy to recommend a local restaurant and book a table.
Day 3: Saigon (B) - City Tour
Morning free then meet in the hotel lobby at 2pm for the small group (2 – 12 people) afternoon Saigon City tour.
Saigon is Vietnam’s largest city; it’s a fast-paced metropolis full of contrasts, with street vendors selling fruit and vegetables next to glitzy modern boutiques. Amazingly the city’s history dates back only 300 years. In 1859 it was captured by the French and became the capital of Cochin China. From 1956 until April 1975 it was the capital of the Republic of Vietnam.
Today, Ho Chi Minh City is very much the heart of Vietnamese business and entrepreneurial activity. City centre highlights include the colonial Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Post Office & Opera House, as well as the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum.
Move out of the city centre and you get a sense of how the city used to be, as you discover the ancient canals. This area is home to many Saigonese whose livelihoods still depend on the Saigon River and in the midst of this vibrant megacity you’ll be surprised to see river banks lined with houses on stilts.
Cruise the Saigon River by speedboat as the sun sets on this fascinating city. Back at the hotel around 6pm.
Day 4: Saigon (B) - Cu Chi Tunnels Tour
Early departure to escape city traffic and get ahead of the crowds on a half day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the legendary remnants of the Vietnam War that offer an evocative insight into the horrors that were faced by those involved. During the guided tour it’s possible to descend into the layers of tunnels that although widened, still create a feeling of creeping claustrophobia.
Few other places encapsulate the sheer will-power that the American military was up against, and the lengths that the Viet Cong were prepared to go to in order to evict them. Back in the hotel in time for lunch and afternoon free to explore further.
Extra: If you would like us to arrange something extra today perhaps you could consider the following. Half day cooking course offering a light hearted introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnam has a burgeoning art scene, tour the Fine Arts Museum and some of the leading galleries with a local expert. Lacquer work may not spring to mind when you think of Vietnam, but a tour of a laquer works is an eye opener, a long way from the dark examples we see here. We’d be happy to discuss these and other options when you call.
Day 5: Saigon - Mekong Delta Tour (B / L) - Overnight Chau Doc
Early this morning you’ll be picked up and transferred to My Thuan Bridge where you board the Song Xanh sampan and set off for a leisurely cruise on the busy waterways. Welcome drinks are served.
Cruise down to Sa Dec where you go ashore to visit the Buddhist Nuns Monastery of Phuoc Hue, a wonderfully peaceful provincial monastery where young girls learn the teachings of Buddhism.
After a stroll around the flower gardens (Sa Dec is famous for its flower nursery gardens) get back on board where Vietnamese lunch is served. Turn into a narrow canal to discover unspoilt landscapes, luxuriant gardens and the daily life of river people. Stop half-way along the canal to visit a small local village. Meet the villagers and get a glimpse of their daily life.
Disembark at Vam Cong Jetty in Long Xuyen. A 1.5 hour drive will take you through the countryside to the country town of Chau Doc. Here check-in to the Victoria Nui Sam Lodge for 2 nights, a charming mountain retreat nestled on Sam Mountain.
Day 6: Chau Doc - Morning Boat Tour to Market, Farm, Town & Temples (B / L)
The Mekong Delta is a land of winding waterways, lush paddy fields and floating markets where life is governed by the ebb and flow of Vietnam’s most iconic river. Today’s an early start to cruise aboard a small boat with your guide to Chau Doc’s famous floating market. Drawing traders and farmers from the surrounding countryside, watch as fruits, vegetables and fish are bought and sold en masse.
Continue past the floating fish farms on your way to a local Cham Village, where you'll hear the story of one of Vietnam’s most fascinating peoples. Return to the boat and continue cruising towards the iconic Sam Mountain, passing along the fascinating Vinh Te Canal built from 1819 to 1823 by Emperors Gia Long and Minh Mang from the Nguyen Dynasty.
Arrive at the banks of Sam Mountain and visit two of the iconic temples that draw pilgrims from miles around. Finish with lunch back at the lodge enjoying the spectacular panoramic views of the countryside below.
The afternoon is free to relax by the pool, enjoy the spa, revisit Chau Doc or explore the beautiful countryside on foot or by bike.
Day 7: Chau Doc (B) - Transfer to Can Tho
This morning you’ll be transferred to Can Tho, the Mekong Delta’s capital where you check-in to the Victoria Can Tho Resort for 1 night, a beautiful colonial hotel on the banks of the river. This afternoon enjoy the hotel’s facilities or borrow some bikes and explore the surrounding countryside and town. This evening you can enjoy a sunset cruise before taking dinner in the riverside garden.
Day 8: Can Tho (B) - Floating Market - flight to Phu Quoc Island
Up early this morning and board a small boat with your guide for 1 hour to cruise through the Cai Rang floating market. Cai Rang is a shop floor for hundreds of small boats loaded down with local produce, darting around until everything is sold.
Start the day with a local coffee or perhaps a piece of fresh pineapple. Back to the hotel for breakfast and then airport transfer and flight over to Phu Quoc.
On arrival met and transferred to your choice of hotel for 5 nights or more.
Days 9-12: Phu Quoc (B) - Beach Days
4 days to enjoy your beachside setting and explore this idyllic island. There are a range of options you can book locally including diving, snorkelling and fishing. You can perhaps rent a car & driver to explore the lush interior, fishing villages and undeveloped areas / beaches of this beautiful island.
Day 13: Fly Phu Quoc / Saigon (B) / UK Airport
Morning free then airport transfer and fly home via Saigon. Arrive back in UK the following morning.
Hotels in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Hotels in Chau Doc
Hotels in Phu Quoc