10 Days / 9 Nights from south to north tour  

Day 1: Arrival Ho Chi Minh City (-)

Arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcome and transfer to hotel. Ho Chi Minh City is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This bustling metropolis is a stark contrast with its northern counterpart, Hanoi. It is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, exciting shopping areas and sidewalk cafés. (If time permits we stroll around the downtown to explore the different local ways of life). Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnel (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. The headquarters of the Cao Dai sect is located in Tay Ninh. This religious group was founded in 1923 and now numbers over 2 million members. It is a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and superstition. After breakfast we travel by road to Tay Ninh to see the ornate Cao Dai temple and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing coloured robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the marks of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Afterwards we continue to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which are an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the long struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation, schools and other useful construction. They were used as a military base for the Vietcong in the American War. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta (B/L/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. Heading out of town, we travel by road to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl. On arrival in My Tho we embark on a boat navigating around the intricate small canals in the delta region, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up and catch a view dotted by many islands. The exciting excursion will pass the lush green vegetation before arriving at the famous Unicorn Island. Here we have opportunities to stroll around an orchard, taste many seasonal fruits and enjoy wonderful traditional music. The next stop of our trip is Ben Tre Province to visit some fascinating local industries. After lunch we return to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping off along the way to see the beautiful Ving Trang Pagoda and Cholon, Saigon's Chinatown, which is crammed with sacred temples and mysterious, narrow lanes. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City - Danang - Hoi An (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we spend a half-day seeing some major sights of the city. We pass the now-demolished wartime American Embassy before we visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. Transfer to airport for our flight to Danang, the next stop of our trip by a short flight from Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival you are met and driven to Hoi An, which was originally a Cham seaport but has been influenced down the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 5: Hoi An - Hue (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. The ancient architecture of Hoi An is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional styles with Chinese and Japanese influences. There is plenty to see in this delightful and tranquil town, some of which sights are the famous Japanese covered bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200-year old Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, and the vibrant market. We visit these on our morning walking tour past many low-tiled houses scattered along the small streets where guild halls reflecting the town's multi-cultural past are located. Upon leaving Hoi An, we drive north to Hue, the former imperial capital. Along the way we make stopovers at the sensational Marble Mountains, the China Beach and Danang City for a visit to the Cham Museum – world-class showcase of ancient Cham artefacts. We then follow the road crossing over the scenic Hai Van Pass before arriving in Hue, Vietnam's last imperial city. Overnight in Hue.