Best of Vietnam - with Wide Eyed Tours

Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport look for our driver who will be waiting for you with a sign bearing your name. The journey from the airport to your hotel will take approximately one hour and is an entertaining experience full of chaotic traffic, hectic architecture and overloaded motorbikes. 
Hanoi is a window to a world from long ago that has been dragged into the present. Motorbikes whizz around, ladies haggle over the price of bread being sold from a bicycle, business deals are struck over a cup of green tea, whilst sitting on little plastic stools by the side of the road. Prepare to be amazed by this frantic, yet incredibly charming slice of real Asia.

At 7.30am you will be greeted by our guide and driver at your hotel lobby or our meeting point for a safety briefing, we then begin our adventure!

On the first part of our Hanoi Jeep Tours, we’ll expose you to the REAL HANOI and give you a day-in-the-life experience of the city. We’ll take you through parts of the city that other travel companies don’t usually venture into, including maze-like backstreets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets, and black marketplaces. You’ll get to experience where and how locals live, work, and play. At Hanoi Backstreet Tours, we don’t just show you the good side, but also the bad and weird sides of your destination. For us, the popular tourist sites are the tip of the iceberg, and the real destinations are hidden in the parts-unknown.
The second part of our Hanoi Jeep Tours takes you to the MUST-SEE places of Hanoi, including the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the Tran Quoc Buddhist temples, the amazing Hanoi TRAIN-STREET, the enchanting French Quarter, the hustling and bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem and West Lake, Hanoi Opera House, and the famous Long Bien bridge, etc.

Finally, our tour ends with food! We’ll take you to the Hidden Gem Cafe, where you can savour the tastiest, authentic, healthy, and organic dishes of Hanoi. We offer vegan and vegetarian options as well. Join Hanoi Jeep Tours and experience the beauty, culture, and authentic tastes of Hanoi.
 
Then its back to the hotel and relax.

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For your Halong Bay trip, please bring your swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries, a change of clothes, something warm for the winter months, and a book or journal if you like. Don’t forget your camera and passport.

Please check out of your hotel, settle all bills, and bring all your luggage with you.

Our cruise shuttle driver will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter to begin your journey to Halong Bay. Upon arrival at the Ha Long International Cruise Port, you will relax in our waiting lounge and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while our captain completes the registration process. You will then be transferred by tender to the cruise boat.

Once on board, enjoy a welcome drink and a short safety briefing about the boat and included activities before checking in to your cabin. A delicious Vietnamese set-menu lunch will be served as the cruise leisurely sails deeper into Bai Tu Long Bay.

The cruise will arrive at the kayaking area around Cap La Island, where you can enjoy kayaking through the stunning karst formations, swimming, and relaxing in the beautiful natural surroundings.

Later, return to the boat to enjoy a sunset party as the cruise sails to the overnight anchorage. In the evening, a sumptuous set dinner will be served on board.

After dinner, enjoy free time to try Vietnamese puzzle games, play board games with your group or family, try squid fishing, or simply relax with a cocktail and enjoy the peaceful night on the bay.

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Start the day early with a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck. Breakfast will be served featuring a Western selection as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes.

After breakfast, explore the well-hidden Thien Canh Son Cave and enjoy the white sandy beach at Hon Co Island. Our tour guide will share interesting stories about Ha Long Bay and the cave, which was created by Mother Nature.

Return to the boat to pack and check out of your cabin, then prepare to join a traditional Vietnamese cooking demonstration on board. Afterwards, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

Disembark at Ha Long International Cruise Port.

Notes: Due to cruising conditions, the itinerary may change without prior notice. Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant and bar area; however, internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Halong Bay. Thank you for your understanding.

Board the bus for the return journey to Hanoi. Along the way, you will be met by a private driver and transferred directly to Hanoi Airport for a short flight to Hue.

Upon arrival in Hue, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel. Check in and enjoy some time to relax.

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Today starts with an exciting half day of Hue by motorbike.  Your guide will meet you at your hotel and introduce you to our highly skilled and experienced drivers, who are especially attentive to pillion passengers. Riding at a relaxed pace of 40 km/h or less, they ensure a safe and comfortable journey. After a comprehensive safety briefing, your adventure begins.
You will then explore Hue’s Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, learning about Vietnam’s emperors and their fascinating histories. This was once the residence of the emperor, his wife, concubines, eunuchs, and an extensive court of staff. Many of the buildings are currently being carefully restored to their former glory, bringing the complex back to life and sparking the imagination. Highlights include the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, the Nine Dynastic Urns, the Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh).
During the tour, you will ride through narrow laneways, alongside canals, and through local markets. You will also visit the Tomb of Tu Duc, Thien Mu Pagoda, and local handicraft workshops. Lunch is a delicious traditional Buddhist meal served at a pagoda.
This is a truly action-packed day filled with stunning scenery, rich history, vibrant culture, and exceptional cuisine. After the tour, return to your hotel and enjoy some time to relax.
Later, your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel for the journey onward. Travel via Lang Co Beach, stopping to enjoy the coastal views, then cross the spectacular Hai Van Pass. Continue along My Khe Beach and stop at Marble Mountain for a short visit before heading to Hoi An. Upon arrival in Hoi An, check in to your hotel and relax.

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Enjoy two days in Hoi An at your leisure

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This morning enjoy free time at your leisure until our driver meets you at your hotel and transfers you to Da Nang Airport for a short flight to Saigon.

Upon arrival in Saigon, your tour guide and driver will meet you and transfer you directly to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in the Cu Chi area.

After lunch, begin your visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels—an essential stop when visiting Vietnam. This remarkable site showcases the ingenuity and resilience of guerrilla warfare during the war. You will learn about the clever tunnel designs, hidden trapdoors, and strategic defences that allowed fighters to survive and operate underground.

Despite intense bombardment by B-52 bombers, which turned much of the surrounding jungle into a cratered moonscape, more than 30,000 American troops were unable to conquer this area. You will have the opportunity to crawl through a section of the 121-kilometre, multi-layered tunnel system and discover how thousands of guerrillas lived underground for extended periods. You’ll also learn about their ingenious methods for concealing cooking smoke. There is plenty more to explore, including the optional opportunity to fire real AK-47 bullets.

After the visit, transfer back to your hotel, check in, and relax.

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After an early morning pick up from your hotel you will leave the bustling city behind as you begin your journey to Ben Tre, in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival at Ham Luong Pier in Ben Tre town, board a boat to cruise along the Ben Tre River, one of the tributaries of the Mekong River. Along the way, observe the lively river life, including fishing activities and water transportation.

Stop at a traditional brickworks to see how bricks are made by hand using age-old techniques of moulding and baking. Continue to a local coconut processing workshop located along a quiet canal, where you will learn how every part of the coconut is used.

The journey then takes you into narrow, peaceful canals that gradually become smaller as you approach the village. Enjoy a walk through the village to visit a family-run workshop that produces traditional sleeping mats, where you will also be treated to fresh fruit and tea.

Next, take a tuk tuk (Xe Loi) ride along shaded village paths, passing green rice fields and vegetable farms, offering an authentic glimpse into daily rural life and tropical culture from the perspective of local farmers.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, enjoy a peaceful rowing boat ride through a water coconut palm creek before returning by boat to Hung Vuong Pier. Disembark and travel back to Saigon.

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After breakfast at the hotel our driver will transfer you to Saigon airport for your onward flight.

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B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner