Overview
Tour overview
This Vietnam tour takes 8 days to travel the length of the country, starting in Hanoi and ending in Saigon, with no more than 12 people in the group. You sleep one night on a cruise between the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay, spend a morning in the villages outside Hoi An shopping at a food market, riding a basket boat and cooking lunch, and finish with a guided day by sampan and bicycle in the Mekong Delta.
Two short domestic flights save you the long road journeys: one to Da Nang on day 4, and one on to Saigon on day 6. Our team books both in economy, each with a 20 kg checked bag, and their cost is already in the price on this page.
The trip is partly guided. You have an English-speaking local guide for the Hoi An countryside (day 5) and the Mekong Delta (day 7), and the cruise crew looks after you on Ha Long Bay. On the other days a driver handles airport and hotel transfers, and the free afternoons in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City are yours to spend as you like.
Hotels come in three levels, 3-star, 4-star or 5-star, each with a matching cruise. For other routes and lengths, see all our Vietnam tours.
You can also book this tour on our TourRadar page. It is the same small-group tour, run by the same Sondax Travel team in Hanoi.
Itinerary
Day by day itinerary
Day 1Arrival in Hanoi
A driver waits for you in the arrivals hall at Noi Bai International Airport and takes you on the 45-minute private transfer into the city. Check-in is from around 2:00 PM.
The rest of the day is free. Walk the streets near where you stay, stop at a local café, or simply rest after the flight.
Day 2Hanoi to Ha Long Bay: overnight cruise
After breakfast you check out and wait in the hotel lobby for the cruise's shared limousine bus, which collects guests around the Old Quarter between 7:30 and 8:45 AM; we confirm your exact time the evening before. The expressway reaches the coast in about two and a half hours, and you board your Le Journey cruise in time for lunch as the boat heads out among the limestone islands.
The afternoon brings a paddle by kayak and afternoon tea on deck, with the stops decided by the cruise and the weather on the day. Dinner is served on board and you spend the night in your cabin on the bay. Drinks on the boat are paid separately.
Day 3Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
Breakfast is served on board while the boat makes its slow way back towards the harbour, so you get a last look at the karst islands from the deck. An early lunch follows before you leave the ship.
The shared limousine bus brings you back to Hanoi in about two and a half hours, reaching the city around 3:00 to 3:30 PM, and you check in again at the hotel from day 1. The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free: try local food, look for souvenirs or rest after the night on the water.
Day 4Hanoi to Da Nang and Hoi An
Your driver collects you for the 45-minute ride to Noi Bai International Airport and the flight south to Da Nang, which takes under an hour and a half. At the airport another driver is waiting to take you on to Hoi An, roughly 40 minutes away.
Once you have checked in, the afternoon is yours: wander the old streets, browse the shops or walk along the river.
Day 5Hoi An countryside: market, basket boat and cooking class
Your guide meets you at the hotel at about 8:20 AM for a morning in the countryside with a small group of up to 12. You start at a local food market to choose ingredients for lunch, then continue to the Cam Thanh coconut forest, where a round basket boat takes you along the channels between the water palms.
Back in the village you cook a few Vietnamese dishes yourself and sit down to eat what you made. You are back at your hotel by about 12:20 PM, with the afternoon free.
Day 6Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
After a 40-minute ride back to the airport in Da Nang, you fly south to Saigon in under an hour and a half. Another driver meets you on arrival and brings you into the city to check in.
The rest of the day is free to walk the neighbourhoods, try southern Vietnamese food, or rest before the Mekong Delta.
Day 7Mekong Delta: My Tho, sampan ride and Tan Thanh village
You set off with the group and your guide for My Tho in the Mekong Delta. The first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda, then a sampan carries you through narrow waterways between the river islands.
On foot you pass orchards and village lanes, taste tropical fruit, listen to traditional folk music, watch coconut candy being made and stop at a honeybee farm for honey tea. Later in the day there is a bike ride around Tan Thanh village; if cycling is not for you, walk the lanes or rest in a hammock. You are back in Ho Chi Minh City by about 5:30 PM.
Day 8Departure from Ho Chi Minh City
The morning is free until it is time to leave: pick up last souvenirs or take one more walk around the city. Check-out is by 12:00 noon.
At the agreed time your driver collects you and takes you to Tan Son Nhat airport in time for your flight home.
Hotels
Where you sleep
Stays may change to similar ones depending on availability for your dates. We will let you know in advance. You can also upgrade to 4-star or 5-star hotels.
Transport
Transport on this tour
Vehicle type depends on the size of your group.
Inclusions
What is included
- 7 nights: 2 in Hanoi, 1 in a Deluxe cabin on a Le Journey cruise on Ha Long Bay, 2 in Hoi An and 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, in the hotel class you choose
- Both domestic flights in economy, Hanoi to Da Nang on day 4 and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on day 6, each with a 20 kg checked bag
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 1 dinner
- An English-speaking local guide for the two guided days: the Hoi An countryside (day 5) and the Mekong Delta (day 7)
- Every airport and hotel transfer by private car with a driver, in all four cities on the route
- Shared limousine bus between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, and a shared vehicle on the two guided days
- On Ha Long Bay: kayaking, afternoon tea and the bay entrance fees
- Near Hoi An: the food market, a basket boat through the Cam Thanh coconut forest (life jackets provided) and the cooking class
- In the Mekong Delta: Vinh Trang Pagoda, the sampan ride, a folk music performance, a coconut candy workshop, a honeybee farm and the village bike ride
- Drinking water on the guided days
- International flights to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam e-visa
- Travel insurance
- Drinks, including on the cruise
- Tips and personal expenses
- Meals not listed in the itinerary, and entrance fees during free time
- Early check-in and late check-out
- Public holiday surcharge, if any
This tour is also listed on TourRadar. If you would rather book through them, or you want to read what other travellers wrote, the listing is public.
View on TourRadarGood to know
Good to know
Before you go
- The tour starts at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and ends at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, so book your international flights into the north and out of the south.
- Prices per person, both domestic flights included: with 3-star hotels US$709 sharing a double room, US$781 in a triple and US$1,029 in a single; with 4-star hotels US$742, US$826 and US$1,096; with 5-star hotels US$1,123, US$1,327 and US$1,838.
- Hotels by class, or similar: 3-star is Golden Rooster Hotel in Hanoi, Serene Nature Hotel & Spa in Hoi An and Queen Ann Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, with a Deluxe cabin on Le Journey Premium Cruise; 4-star is Golden Legend Palace Hotel, Silk River Hoi An Retreat and Alagon City Hotel & Spa, on the same cruise; 5-star is Grand Vista Hanoi, Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa and The Myst Dong Khoi Hotel, with a Junior Suite on Le Journey Elegance Cruise.
- Check-in is from 2:00 PM and check-out by 12:00 noon. Early check-in and late check-out are on request and paid separately.
- Pack a small overnight bag for the cruise night, with comfortable clothes, swimwear and sun cream. Each domestic flight includes 20 kg of checked luggage, so keep your main bag under that weight.
- Kayaking and the stops on Ha Long Bay depend on the cruise route and the weather on the day.
- Vegetarian, vegan and halal meals are available on request: tell us when you book.
- A Vietnam e-visa is not included: check whether you need one and apply before you fly.
- The activity level is low. On the Mekong Delta day the bike ride is optional: you can walk around the village or rest in a hammock instead.
Cancellation policy
If you cancel, we refund what you have paid minus a cancellation fee. The fee depends on how long before your arrival date you cancel:
- More than 60 days before: 10%
- 30 to 59 days before: 20%
- 15 to 29 days before: 40%
- 8 to 14 days before: 80%
- 7 days or less before, or no-show: 100%
The two domestic flight tickets are booked in your name once the tour is confirmed, and any airline charge for cancelling them is added to the fee above.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is this 8-day Vietnam tour guided every day?
No, it is partly guided. A local guide who speaks English is with you for the Hoi An countryside morning and the Mekong Delta day, and the cruise crew takes care of you on Ha Long Bay. The remaining days have a driver for each transfer and plenty of free time.
Are the domestic flights included in the price?
Yes. The price on this page covers both economy flights: into Da Nang on day 4 and on to Saigon on day 6, each with a 20 kg checked bag. Our team books them for you. International flights to and from Vietnam are not included.
Can I choose 4-star or 5-star hotels?
Yes. Per person sharing a double room, the tour costs US$709 with 3-star hotels, US$742 with 4-star and US$1,123 with 5-star, both flights included. The 4-star class uses Golden Legend Palace Hotel, Silk River Hoi An Retreat and Alagon City Hotel & Spa; the 5-star class uses Grand Vista Hanoi, Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa, The Myst Dong Khoi and a Junior Suite on Le Journey Elegance Cruise.
How big is the group?
Small: up to 12 travellers. You share the vehicle to Ha Long Bay and to the Mekong Delta with the rest of the group, while every airport and hotel transfer is by private car with a driver, so you are never waiting for other flights.
Is this tour suitable for children or less active travellers?
Yes. The activity level is low and all ages are welcome. The busiest days are short walks, a basket boat ride and an optional bike ride in the Mekong Delta, where you can walk or rest in a hammock instead. Swimming and kayaking on the cruise are optional too.
Can you arrange vegetarian, vegan or halal meals?
Yes. Vegetarian, vegan and halal options are available on request for every meal included in this tour. Tell us your choice when you book, and our team arranges it in advance with each place where you eat.
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