Vietnam family travel - Southbound

After breakfast, start your day with a visit to the Memorial Complex dedicated to the Father of modern Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh, including the Mausoleum (view from outside), Presidential palace, the Uncle Ho’s house on stilts and the nearby One Pillar Pagoda that is a little iconic symbol of Hanoi thousand years history.
Following is the Temple of Literature which is the first University of Vietnam dating back from 1076, where remains nearly a hundred of huge stone stele standing on turtle back bearing names of countrymen who received Doctor Laureate through Royal examination through the school’s history of more than seven hundred years. 

In the afternoon you will visit home of a local artist where your children will enjoy time learning and practicing traditional craft of making paper masks from how to use paper and glue, shaping, using brushes to paint and make colorful masks.  
Continue to a wooden stamp carving workshop where you will try to learn about this interesting craft and get for you your own beautiful private stamp with your name on it. 
Later of the day you enjoy a water puppet show which is a colorful and lively performance of unique traditional folk art in the Red River delta, depicting scenes of rural life and national history.
Evening is at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Hanoi sightseeing

Traditional arts practice

Breakfast

Hotel in Hanoi

Check out hotel after breakfast and get a transfer on the highway through the land of fertile Red River Delta to Hon Gai pier where you board the boat for cruise on spectacular Halong Bay & Bai Tu Long Bay. 

Said to be one of the most beautiful nature wonders in the World, Halong Bay consists of thousands of limestone islands soaring up from the emerald water of the bay. The different shape of islands here is the result of the work of wind and water through millions of year. With dotted pristine beaches, floating villages, amazing natural caves and fascinating scenes, Halong and its surroundings is the must-see for travelers to Vietnam.

Check in on board upon arrival at noon time.
Have lunch while leisurely cruising to the core of the bay amongst thousands of dramatic lime stone islands.
In the afternoon you will enjoy kayaking through the karsts of Halong Bay and breathtaking nature or swimming on one of the beaches
Enjoy sunset party while your cruise is sailing to the overnight anchorage.
Dinner and overnight on board amongst islands and under star live sky.

Note: The cruise itinerary can be different depending on tide condition, boat and route assigned.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Halong Bay cruise

Halong kayaking

Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Private en-suite cabin on board

Early risers will have chance to catch stunning sunrise over the Bay’s spectacular landscape and take part in a Taichi class on the rooftop ground.   
After breakfast, take a rowing boat tour around to visit to a floating village and natural tunnel, lagoon. Back to the mother boat and cruise to visit another part of the Halong Bay.
Lunch is served on your way cruising back to the harbor.

Disembark the boat at early noon (11.00AM – 11.30AM depending on boat and tide). Drive back to Hanoi and get a private transfer to the airport for afternoon flight to Hue, the former Royal capital of Vietnam.
Pick up from the airport and transfer to hotel to check in.

Evening is at your leisure. Overnight in hotel in Hue.

Summary of inclusions

Halong Bay cruise

Boat rowing & largoon visit

Private vehicle

Internal flight

Breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Hue

In the morning you will take a cyclo ride experience to the old quarter to visit the Hue Citadel & Imperial City. Built between 1804 and 1833, the fortress-like citadel encompasses three courts covering the total area of more than 6 square km that surrounded by massive brick walls and protected by a moat system. There were hundreds of buildings that built in a perfect harmony with strict principles of Fengshui, most destroyed by consecutive wars in the mid 20th century. Though underwent through many vicissitudes, the citadel still retains a sense of majesty, reflecting the pomp and circumstances of the last feudal dynasty in the country.

In the afternoon you will get to visit a traditional village that is famous with traditional handicraft of making paper flowers where your family will get interesting introduction about the village, the job, traditional practice of using paper decoration for home and ceremonial offering as well as learning the way to play with paper, colors and making something by yourself.

An optional of Royal Banquet style dinner with traditional music, royal dresses and decorative food servings is available at your disposal for this evening.

Summary of inclusions

Cyclo ride

Imperial citadel sightseeing

Traditional village visit

Breakfast

Hotel in Hue

Breakfast is at the hotel and this morning we will enjoy a vegetable and fruit carving class to learn something about art of food decoration in Hue.
With the connection to royalty in the recent past when Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty for nearly 150 years, Hue cuisine bears a great influence of Royal style in which food decoration is a very prominent aspect and is still carried strong in Hue till date.
Your instructor help you to get familiar with tools, choose the right materials and instruct you how to make from simple objects to something more elaborate depending how skillful you are.
The course is kind of fund activity for children and also to help you all to learn something interesting about Vietnamese cooking and to see how Vietnamese royalty feasted their eyes on the food that was served.

Check out hotel and get transfer to a beautiful pagoda where your family will take part in preparing and cooking a meal of Hue Buddhist vegetarian style with helps of Buddhist nuns.
Enjoy a vegetarian lunch then drive toward Da Nang with stop at Lang Co Beach where of white sand and blue water for a swim if you wish then drive up to the top of Hai Van Pass for a spectacular view of the land, mountains and sea.
Check in hotel in Hoi An late afternoon and evening is free at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Fruit carving class

Vegetarian cooking at pagoda

Breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Hoi an

After breakfast, meet up with your guide and start your exciting tour of Hoi An countryside by bicycle. (We have tandem bicycle for parent to ride with children).
First, you will spend time to visit an orphanage center in Hoi An that is home to hundreds of orphanages, disable and disadvantaged children. There your children will have chance to interact with local children, playing with them, learning something about the project. 
Following, visit a lantern making workshop where children will learn how to make lanterns from bamboo, papers and silk.
From here you will ride your way along the little paths through peaceful villages where you will see buffalos, local working with traditional tools and friendly children waving at you along the way.
Visiting Tra Que organic vegetable village, meeting local farmers and joining into farming activities to learn and to practice the traditional farming ways in preparing the land like hoeing soil, making beds, fertilizing the land with seaweed which is exploited from the nearby river, transplanting and watering vegetable…
After farming experience, visit a farmer’s house and enjoy welcome drink before taking part in preparing and cooking some of the famous local dishes with the instruction of the local chef.
It is then time to enjoy lunch of your own creation and check how wonderful cook you are.

After lunch and a break, you continue to make your way along undulating rice paddies, shrimp farm, duck farms, getting into hidden country paths to the water coconut forest where you will take bamboo basket boats ride along small channels deep into the forest of coconut.
During this activity you will be taught to control round boat, fishing, catching the river snails (and/or crabs), observe local fisherman fishing in the water and experience amazing performance with basket boat dancing and so on…
Back to the hotel in the mid afternoon and remainder of the day is free at your leisure.
Overnight in hotel in Hoi An.

Summary of inclusions

Country cycling

Farming experience

Breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Hoian

Breakfast is at the hotel.
Today you have a free day to relax, enjoying swimming on the beach nearby or taking a walk around Hoi An and exploring the lovely ancient town at your own pace.

As Hoi An is a paradise for shopping lovers, it is the chance for you to indulge yourself with some fantastic shopping of tailor made clothes and souvenirs.
Optional visit to the Hoi An Impression Theme Park or/and Vinpearl Hoi An Safari are available at your request.
Overnight in hotel in Hoi An.

Summary of inclusions

Breakfast

Hotel in Hoian

This morning you are free at leisure until getting a private transfer to Da Nang airport for a short flight to Nha Trang.

Known for its long and white sandy beach, consistency of good weather, beautiful emerald water and colorful coral reefs, Nha Trang is one of the most famous and popular beach towns in the country. This place is also boasted as the best site for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Get transfer from the airport to hotel for check in.
Rest of the day is free for your relax with sea, sun and sand.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Internal flight

Beach relax

Breakfast

Hotel in Nha trang

After breakfast, g et transfer to the pier for your full day boat trip on Nha Trang bay to visit some of the nearby islands, swimming and snorkeling.
Start with a visit to an island fishing village where you will walk through a local market, interact with local people and enjoy a round bamboo basket boat rowing.
Following, visit a Nha Trang aquarium for sightseeing and learning about the marine life of the area with many kinds of sea creatures from tiny colorful fishes to giant clams and big sea turtles.  Continue to a marine protected area where you enjoy swimming in the clear warm water and enjoy snorkeling to discover the colorful coral reefs.
Later, get to an island beach for sun and sand.  

Back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Evening is free at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Boat cruise nha trang bay

Snorkeling marine park

Breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Nha trang

This morning, after breakfast, you will get transferred to the cable car station for a cable car ride over Nha Trang Bay to Vinpearl Amusement Park. This amusement park located on a beautiful island near the shore, covers an area of 200.000 m² and offering a great variety of outdoor and indoor games, water activities, underwater world and food village.

Outdoor Game: there are thrilling games here like Swing Carousel, Roller Coaster, and Evolution… best to be found in Vietnam

Indoor Game: Located in a man-made mountain, through 3D and 4D movies, it will take you back to the past to explore the human beings’ history and wild nature. You can get yourselves close to and play with gigantic dinosaurs with the help of 4D movies. There are also various interesting games such as bumper cars, crazy bull, children Paradise…, and Kid Garden where your kids can play games, fold pictures…

Transfer back to hotel in the late afternoon. Evening free at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Cable car ride over nha trang bay

Vinpearl amusement park

Breakfast

Hotel in Nha trang

Breakfast is at the hotel then get transfer to the airport for a short flight to Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City.

This afternoon you take a cyclo tour riding around to some main highlights of the city including War Remnants Museum (or History Museum), Reunification Palace - formerly known as the Independence Palace which was the Presidential Palace of the South Vietnam before North Vietnamese tanks seized on the morning of April 30 1975, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office and Dong Khoi Street - formerly Rue Catinat – that made famous by Graham Greene in his best-selling book The quiet American.
End your day with a visit to the Ben Thanh Market - the central market with plenty of local products for fun shopping and sightseeing.
Evening is at your leisure and it is good to visit the Saigon Landmark 81 for dinner and great bird eye view over the city from high floor.   
Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Internal flight

Cyclo ride & Saigon sightseeing

Breakfast

Hotel in Saigon - HCMC

Breakfast at the hotel then depart Saigon centre for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the most famous war relics in Vietnam and the World. The system was dug and used as a stronghold of Viet Minh and Viet Cong from 1948 to 1975 during the first and second Indochina War.
This underground city consists of more than 200km of narrow underground tunnels that connecting half or total covered hideouts, shelters, fighting bunkers, hospital, school, living rooms and so on with air filters, airtight covers, booby traps and sentries were all part of the system.

Watch a documentary film introducing the war time then walk along sinuous paths run under tropical foliage to explore the tunnel system, discovering secret entrance, booby traps, visiting workshops, clinics and so on...
It is the chance for you to creep into a tunnel to experience how the Vietcong lived and fought during that time and learn more about Vietnam War as well as how strong people’s determination can be.

This afternoon, we will spend your time at the Water park where your family enjoy swimming, water games and many facilities there.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Cu Chi tunnels explore

Saigon waterpark

Breakfast

Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast is at the hotel.
Today is departure day so no itinerary is planned. Room available until 12.00.
Free time at leisure until getting transferred to the airport for your departure flight home.
Safe travel and see you again!

Summary of inclusions

Private airport transfer

Breakfast