Ho Chi Minh City: From Urban Pulse to River Life – 10 Days

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s energetic southern metropolis. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will meet our local representative and transfer by private vehicle to the hotel.

The remainder of the day is free for relaxation or independent exploration. Depending on your arrival time, you will stroll along Nguyen Hue Walking Street, admire the illuminated colonial buildings around the city center. Or sampling your first bowl of southern-style Vietnamese noodles at a local restaurant.

Meals: Not included
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

After having breakfast, you will begin exploring at the Reunification Palace, the former presidential residence and an important landmark associated with the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975.

Next, you will continue to visit the War Remnants Museum, where photographs, military equipment and personal accounts provide a powerful perspective on the country’s modern history. Afterward, you will visit the exterior of Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon before stepping inside the historic Saigon Central Post Office, designed in an elegant European architectural style.

After your lunch, you will discover the city’s commercial and spiritual character. Walking through the atmospheric streets of Chinatown, visit Thien Hau Temple and explore the colorful stalls of a traditional market. Concluding the day with a guided walk through local alleys, where family businesses, street-food vendors. As well as hidden cafés reveal everyday Saigon beyond its famous boulevards.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Following breakfast, you will travel northwest through the changing suburban and rural landscapes to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This vast underground network once contained living quarters, kitchens, storage areas, meeting rooms and defensive structures.

Besides, our guide will explain how the tunnels were constructed and used during wartime. Viewing concealed entrances and ingenious ventilation systems, and, if comfortable, enter a widened section of the tunnel network. The visit offers an illuminating account of the resourcefulness and endurance of the local population.

End of day, you will return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon. The evening is free, or you may choose an optional street-food excursion by scooter or a dinner cruise along the Saigon River.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
 Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

In the morning, you will enjoy breakfast at hotel, then leaving the city and travel south toward Ben Tre, one of the Mekong Delta’s most fertile coconut-growing provinces.

Next, you will board a local motorboat and cruise along the river, observing cargo vessels, fishing boats and homes built close to the water. In addition, you will stop at small workshops to see how residents transform coconuts into sweets, oil and handcrafted products.

Then, you will continue traveling by traditional sampan through narrow canals shaded by water coconut palms. After a regional lunch, you will cycle or travel by local vehicle along quiet country lanes, passing orchards, family gardens and village houses. Or enjoying the unhurried atmosphere before checking into your riverside accommodation.

In the evening, you’ll savor a home-style dinner prepared with local ingredients.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Lodge or homestay in Ben Tre

In the morning, you will wake to the peaceful sounds of the delta and enjoy breakfast before continuing your rural exploration. Depending on local conditions, you will visit a village market or family workshop to learn about small-scale agriculture and traditional food production.

Next, you will travel onward to Tra Vinh, a culturally diverse province known for its large Khmer community and distinctive Buddhist heritage. Following lunch, you will visit one of the region’s important Khmer pagodas. Where ornate roofs, colorful murals and peaceful gardens reflect the spiritual traditions of Southern Vietnam’s Khmer people.

Then, cycling or walking through surrounding villages, passing rice fields, palms and traditional houses. Moreover, our guide will introduce aspects of local customs, religious life and the coexistence of Vietnamese, Khmer and Chinese communities.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Tra Vinh

After enjoying breakfast, you will depart for Can Tho, the Mekong Delta’s largest urban center. The route passes through agricultural landscapes shaped by rice cultivation, fruit farming and an extensive network of waterways.

Upon arrival, you will visit Binh Thuy Ancient House, an elegant residence combining Southern Vietnamese and French architectural influences. Its interiors, antique furnishings and garden offer insight into the lifestyle of a prosperous delta family.

Then, you will continue to visit Ong Pagoda, a colorful Chinese temple near the riverfront. As well as walking along Ninh Kieu Wharf, where local boats move continuously across the Hau River. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy a gentle river cruise as the sun sets over the waterways.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho

In the morning, you will wake up early and board a boat for Cai Rang Floating Market. Although the market continues to evolve alongside the modernization of the delta. But it remains an evocative symbol of the region’s river-based trading traditions. Watch boats display fruits and vegetables on tall poles while smaller vessels serve breakfast and drinks on the water.

Next, you will continue traveling through nearby canals and visit a local noodle workshop or fruit orchard, subject to seasonal and operating conditions. Returning to the hotel for breakfast and check-out.

Then, you will travel overland to Chau Doc, a border city where Vietnamese, Cham, Khmer and Chinese cultural influences meet. In the afternoon, you will visit a Cham community by boat to learn about local weaving traditions, religious practices and daily life beside the river.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Chau Doc

After your breakfast, you will explore the spiritual and cultural landscape surrounding Sam Mountain. Visiting significant local sites such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda or the Tomb of Thoai Ngoc Hau. Of course, it depends on opening conditions and the group’s interests.

Then, you will continue to visit Tra Su Cajuput Forest, an important wetland habitat characterized by cajuput trees, floating vegetation and abundant birdlife. Traveling by motorboat and then by small rowing boat through serene green waterways. From the observation area, you will enjoy panoramic views across the forest canopy and surrounding wetlands.

Next, you will return to Chau Doc in the afternoon. The remainder of the day is free to explore the riverside market or relax at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Chau Doc

In the morning, you will enjoy breakfast at hotel before beginning the return journey to Ho Chi Minh City. Along the way, you will stop for lunch and take short breaks to observe the changing landscape from the agricultural delta to the expanding metropolitan area.

You will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon and check into your hotel. The evening is free for shopping, exploring local cafés or enjoying a farewell dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

After having breakfast, you will enjoy your free time until your scheduled transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Depending on your flight time, browse for souvenirs, revisit a favorite neighborhood or relax at the hotel.

So, your 10-day journey concludes with memorable contrasts: the fast-moving streets and historic landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City, the hidden world of Cu Chi and the timeless waterways, communities and wetlands of the Mekong Delta.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Not included