trangvietlongtravel: VIETNAM SOUTHERN TOUR WITH HIGHLIGHTS

8 Days / 7 Nights

Hochiminh - Cuchi - Mekong - Dalat - Nhatrang

5 stars, based on 101 reviews

DAY 1: VIETNAM SOUTHERN TOURS WITH HIGHLIGHTS: ARRIVAL – HO CHI MINH CITY SIGHTSEEING TOURS (-/-/-)

On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. The bustling Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This metropolis, contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafes. (If time permits) we stroll around the down town to explore the different local ways of life.

O/N in Hochiminh City

Day 2: HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR & CUCHI TUNNELS (B/-/-)

Morning: After breakfast at hotel, we start a half-day city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Sai Gon Post Office, the Chinatown, the former Presidential Palace.

Afternoon: Transfer about 30km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi town. Cu Chi Stunnels were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels, the tunnels are between 0.5 to 1m wide, just enough for a person to crawl along.

Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

O/N in Hochiminh City.

DAY 3: HO CHI MINH CITY PACKAGE TOURS – MEKONG DELTA CRUISING TRIP (B/L/-)

Heading out of town, we travel by roads to the Mekong Delta. This plain region boasts the largest rice bowl of Vietnam. On arrival in My Tho we board a boat navigating around the intricate small canals, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a Mekong detalview dotted by many islands. The exciting river trip will pass by the lush green vegetation towards the famous Unicorn Island where we have a chance to stroll around an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and see farmers at work. We navigate some narrower canals using small rowing boats to Ben Tre Province for an interesting visit to some local industries. The extra enjoyment is a lunch at one of the famous local eating spots. We drive back to Ho Chi Minh, stopping off en route to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and the Saigon's Chinatown, locally named Cho Lon. This bustling area is crammed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes.

O/N in Hochiminh City.

DAY 4: HO CHI MINH CITY TRAVEL PACKAGES – DA LAT VACATION (B/-/-)

The journey northwards begins as we depart Ho Chi Minh and pass through the many tea and coffee plantations to the hill station of Da Lat, sometimes known as the "City of Eternal Spring". The drive is long but views are fantastic all along the way. Once arriving in Da Lat we can soak up the cool climate as much as we want by spending our time to wander around and catch our first glimpse of this town. The influence of the French is evident in local culture and architecture since Da Lat was founded as a hill retreat for the colonials to escape the oppressive heat in the coastal plains and the chaos of Saigon. This charming town is set around a lake and surrounded by forests, waterfalls and rolling countryside.

O/N in Da Lat.

DAY 5: DA LAT – NHA TRANG BEACH VACATION (B/-/-)

Today we enjoy a drive through the charming pine hill to the summer residence of Vietnam's last Emperor Bao Dai. He was forced to abdicate in 1945, shortly after the end of the World War II. This mansion displays a lovely collection of Vietnam treasures. We follow it with a trip to the sacred Lam Ty Ni Pagoda and the Hang Nga Guesthouse. This construction is well known as the Crazy House because of its bizarre architecture. The lively central market and the old rail station are also visited before we travel by roads passing through the undulating terrains to the picturesque coastal town of Nha Trang. En route we make stopover at the scenic Ngoan Muc Pass and the Po Klong Jarai Cham Towers. These amazing structures represent an interesting culture and a colorful history of the Cham people in central coast areas.

O/N in Nha Trang.

DAY 6: NHA TRANG BEACH TOURS (B/L/-)

The turquoise water surrounding a string of islands and the white sandy beach stretching the whole length of Nha Trang City make it one of Vietnam's premier beach resorts. We board a boat to explore the coastal islands. The aquarium lake is our first stop before we head out to Hon Mun Island. Today we have plenty of time to enjoy swimming and snorkeling on the blue and clear water or simply lazing on a beach. The thrilling boat trip continues towards Hon Tam Island, giving us a choice of various water sports and good restaurant for lunch. By mid afternoon we cruise back to Nha Trang Pier and complete our day with a short city tour. The impressive Ponagar Cham Towers overlooking the colourful fishing port, and the famous Long Son Pagoda with its huge Buddha image are a major part of our sightseeing.

O/N in Nha Trang.

Day 7: NHA TRANG PACKAGE TOURS – HO CHI MINH CITY TRAVEL PACKAGES(B/L/D)

After breakfast at the hotel, around 8h00 back down to sea level and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It is around an 8-hour drive, on the way to Ho Chi Minh we can stop by Bao Loc, the land of tea, coffee and mulberry. Dambri Waterfall is surrounded by hills of mulberry, tea, and palm trees. Visitors can also enjoy a cruise on the clear lake.

Arrival in Ho Chi Minh will be late afternoon.

Transfer and overnight at hotel in Hochiminh City.