10-Day Vietnam Highlights Tour from Hanoi to Mekong Delta

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, where you will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel in the downtown area.

Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Begin this city tour of Hanoi from your hotel lobby at 08:30 a.m., taking in the capital's essential sites.

Visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex in the morning, including the Mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, dating back to 1070.

Enjoy lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant.

Continue to the Museum of Ethnology, widely acknowledged as the best in the country, with an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic minority peoples.

Enjoy a 1-hour cyclo ride through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi.

Finish the day with a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets.

Get picked up at 08:00 a.m. from your hotel and begin the scenic 3.5-hour drive to Bai Tu Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world's largest marine limestone karst landscape.

Enjoy the scenery of the Red River Delta countryside and take a short break en route.

Meet the crew upon boarding the traditional wooden junk for a cruise briefing, then relax and enjoy lunch while the boat heads towards the secluded islands.

Visit less-visited ancient limestone caves and go sea kayaking and swimming if the weather permits.

Return to the junk refreshed and relax on deck with a drink while watching the sunset.

Enjoy a freshly prepared seafood dinner under the stars.

Enjoy an early morning swim, if the weather permits, followed by breakfast.

Visit a fishing village by rustic rowing boat, meet the local people, and pass through the floating school and pearl farms before cruising back to the main harbour for the 4-hour drive straight to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi for a late afternoon flight to Danang.

Arrive in Danang, where you will be met and transferred to your selected hotel in Hoi An.

Meet your guide at 9:00 a.m. sharp in your hotel lobby for a proper introduction to the old town.

Start a walking tour covering the lion's share of the main places of interest: the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the museum, and the colourful local market. Following the narrow lanes, you will meander through tiny streets lined with houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French, and European architecture.

Wrap up the tour, then enjoy free time to wander around at your own pace or indulge in some retail therapy. The afternoon is yours to enjoy.

Drive north in the morning to the Royal City of Hue, with an en-route stop to visit either the Cham Museum in the city centre or the famous Marble Mountain, which represents the five essential elements that establish nature.

Continue to Hue for a guided city tour, beginning with the ancient walled Citadel, including the former Imperial Palace.

Visit Dong Ba Market to learn about the local produce and specialties of Hue. You may also find some great bargains at the market.

Have lunch at a local restaurant.

See the majestic Royal Tomb of King Ming Mang or King Khai Dinh in the afternoon.

Return to your hotel just before sunset.

Have breakfast, and then enjoy free time at your leisure.

Drive in the afternoon to Phu Bai Airport in Hue for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, where you will be met by another local expert guide and transferred to your chosen hotel.

Drive after breakfast to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you will visit the amazing network of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War by the Viet Cong. This huge construction served as a habitation for villagers in wartime. With three levels of depth, it was never discovered by the US during the Vietnam War despite its proximity to Saigon.

Visit the fighting tunnel system with your local guide.

Return after lunch to Ho Chi Minh City for a guided city tour, starting with the War Remnants Museum - a real eye-opening part of Vietnam's proud history - followed by the Reunification Palace, the former South Vietnam Presidential Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Old Post Office, as you get your camera working overtime while peeking into the past of Vietnam's biggest and most energetically progressive city.

Return to your hotel at around 18:00.

Spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Head south in the morning to Ben Tre province, famous for its coconut production and quiet, peaceful waterways.

Take a xe loi ride upon arrival through a local village to enjoy the green fields and gardens.

Embark on a boat trip through small canals while enjoying a welcome cocktail and tropical fruits.

Visit a brickwork where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods.

Continue with a sampan ride through narrow canals and enjoy the peacefulness of the region, with a stop en route to visit a local family who live from fishing, shrimp, and fruit orchards, and learn about their daily life.

Enjoy fresh fruits and tea before heading to a rice noodle factory that produces Hu Tieu noodles, one of the most popular breakfast dishes in the region.

Switch to a bicycle and ride along village roads past green gardens and local houses, stopping at another local home where the family continues its traditional sampan boat-building business.

Continue the cycling trip to visit a former Vietcong soldier who now makes rice paper, the village's most famous specialty. Have a chat with him, enjoy the crispy rice paper made by his wife, and see how it is produced.

Return to the village road and continue the bike ride to a local riverside restaurant.

Relax and enjoy a 5-course lunch of local specialties.

After lunch, relax and stroll around the garden, then visit the nearby home of another family who are famous sticky rice makers in the village. You can also feed their catfish and walk through the fruit garden.

Take the boat back to Ben Tre City, where your private car will be ready to drive you back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Enjoy free time until you are picked up and transferred to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in good time for your departure flight.