Exploring Vietnam: 9 Days of Adventures

When you arrive at the Noi Bai International Airport, you’ll be met at the baggage claim by our friendly driver. Just look for the sign with our Sun Getaways Travel logo and your name. We’ll get you to your hotel and see that you’re comfortable, plus we’ll give you an introduction to the city at the same time. Then the rest of the day is yours to settle in, relax, and explore the area.

Night 1: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Following breakfast at the hotel, Sun Getaways Travel will come to pick you up around 08h00 am with our shuttle bus to start the 3-hour-and-a-half drive to Halong Bay through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.

Arrive at Tuan Chau Island – Take a break and a Welcome drink at the Cruise Lounge.

Welcome drink – receive cruise briefing, safety instructions and check-in. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Enjoy a buffet lunch with Vietnamese dishes served while cruising through the bay, passing the most beautiful and quiet areas, such as Incense Burner, Dog Stone Islet, Fighting Cock, Soi Sim Beach, and Coconut Three Island.

Visiting the Tung Gau area is covered by leaping rocks and cultured pearl fishery. You can watch the process of the jewel, from culturing to harvesting and sculpting, Moreover, you have a chance to do kayaking based on your preference. Enjoy a busy space with a pearl maker, you can experience the completion of a pearl.

Visiting the beautiful Ti Top beach for swimming (if the weather permits), Ti Top Beach is especially famous for its fresh atmosphere, clean water, and smooth white sand that create a great ambiance for tourists to relax or passengers can take steps to reach on the top of  Ti Top beach to have a whole panorama view of Halong Bay. Back to the boat and free time while sailing to the Luon Bo area, and anchor overnight.

Attend the Cooking class on sundeck – How to make Vietnamese spring rolls – traditional Vietnamese food. Then enjoy Happy Hour (Buy one drink-get one free). It is time for relaxing. Watch the magnificent sunset over Halong Bay. 

Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese BBQ Set Menu Dinner

Evening activities include Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar, watching movies and many sorts of Vietnam cultural films, relaxing and spending a romantic night on Pelican Halong Cruise’s music, playing cards, chess are available, reading magazines in the room and dining room. You may also try your luck at squid fishing & fishing from the boat. End of Program for Day One. 

Night 2: Overnight on board

The day starts early onboard with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Tai chi also called Tai chi chuan, combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements. Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast are served in the dining room with a morning view of the bay’s landscape.

Transfer by tender to Sung Sot Cave. Walk up about 100 steps to the cave entrance. It takes approximately 45 minutes for cave visiting. Visit Sung Sot Cave, one of the most biggest cave in Halong Bay with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Return to the boat by tender. Proper shoes are highly recommended.

Back to Cruise. Check out and have a buffet brunch while cruising back to the Tuan Chau Wharf. Relaxing on the sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery while approaching the wharf.

Disembark to Tuan Chau Wharf. Say goodbye to the crew.

Return to Hanoi by minivan. Stop over the middle to visit a traditional workshop and refreshment about 30 minutes.

Night 3: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

After breakfast at your hotel, our driver and tour guide will come to pick you up at about 8:00 am for a city tour. You will visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov), – the final resting place of the beloved national hero, Uncle Ho – and President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived off and on from 1958 to 1969. 

9.30: You’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which is a group of structures that collectively make up a pagoda built over the water in the middle of a square lake. After that, you’ll have a chance to explore the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shore of West Lake. From there, it’s onto the Temple of Literature, which was Vietnam’s first university and is dedicated to Confucius. 

12.30: You have lunch at the restaurant in the Old Quarter. Afterward, you’ll visit Hoan Kiem Lake – the heart and soul of Hanoi.

Option 1: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

You’ll stop in at MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays and dioramas are labelled in Vietnamese, French and English.

Displays portray a typical village market, the making of comical hats and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There’s also a centre for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures

Option 2: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 km away from Ha Noi, this is a pottery village with a half-millenary historic development.

You will have some free time until our driver transports you to Noi Bai Airport to take a flight to Danang. Arrive in Danang and check in hotel in Hoi An.

Night 4: Overnight in Hoi An

Breakfast at your hotel, the local guide pick you up at your hotel and then ride bicycles to Tra Que Village (10km). Arrive in Tra Que vegetable village and join in the daily activities with local farmers there. Continue to take bicycles along the De Vong River to Hoi An Beach wharf. Embark on the boat to Cua Dai dune, enjoy the casting net show and learn how to cast a net by a local fisherman. 

Continue to Cam Thanh Water coconut village, and have a brief introduction to the history there. Take on the basket boat along the water coconut river, Fisherman will teach you how to catch the crabs (2 paxs/boat). Divide group into 2 teams for basketboat racing and catching crabs. There will be a lovely present for the winner.

12:20 Embark on the boat, enjoy the folk songs, shown by local people there. 12:30 Enjoy special local food such as pancake, Tam Huu spring rolls, fried fish …

After lunch, learn how to make funny tools by watering coconut leaves. 14:00 Continue to the ancient town, experience the daily life of fisher man along Thu Bon River. a walking tour of Hoi An’s ancient town centre will take you back in time to when it was a major trading port in Asia. Visit old shophouses, the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and the colorful market in this well-preserved town. Then free time for relaxing on Cua Dai Beach.

Night 5: Overnight in hotel in Hoi An.

You’ll have the morning for a leisurely breakfast before we come to collect you and take you to Danang to catch a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After you arrive we’ll get you to the hotel and then you can spend the evening exploring the bustling city of Saigon.

Night 6: Overnight hotel in Ho Chi Minh

We’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a major part of the Vietnam-American War and a fascinating day trip– explore the mysterious tunnels, find hidden doors and once-deadly traps. 

After lunch, we’ll go back to HCMC and spend the afternoon either visiting the War Remnants Museum or the Presidential Palace, whichever you prefer. Then stroll around the city’s colonial streets in the evening to the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall. 

Night 7: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh

On arrival in Hàm Luông pier. Cruse  on Bến Tre river  exploring  the  lively activities along river as fishing, water transferring…….see  brick making in  handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family workshop making sleepmats and enjoying some fruits and tea. Riding a motor cart (xe lôi) or bike  on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on really life and find out  about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at Hai Hồ house.

Afternoon –  riding a sampan  along canal, before boat back to Ham Luông pier.  End your touring, going back to HCM city

Drop you off at your hotel.

Night 8: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrive to take you to the airport for your flight to your next destination. 

Finish an unforgettable tour with Sun Getaways Travel. Goodbye & see you the next time!

Note: Check-in time- 2.00 pm and check-out time- 12.00 pm