Explore this bustling city at your leisure or join the Ben Tre excursion (optional, incurring an extra cost) and visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels before visiting the city's key attractions including the Saigon Opera House, CIA building, and Reunification Palace.

• Free time to explore the city.
• Optional excursions include visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Siagon's Must-See Sights and Cycling off the Beaten Track at the Mekong Delta.

Overnight stay at Silverland Jolie 4* or Le Meridien 5*.

Breakfast included.

Day 11 or 14: DEPARTURE

• Enjoy a final breakfast in Vietnam.
• Departure for the airport via included transfer, replete with marvellous memories of your holiday in Vietnam. 

Further information about your excursion:

Itinerary:

• The day begins with a visit to the complex dedicated to Hô Chi Minh, the nation's founder whom the Vietnamese affectionately call "Uncle Ho". Make your first stop at Hô Chi Minh's historic mausoleum, an imposing monument built to serve as Uncle Ho's final resting place.

• Continue strolling through the magnificent botanical gardens of the Presidential Palace to visit Uncle Ho's humble home, built on the basis of a Vietnamese rural house on stilts with a simple design in a tranquil setting, reflecting his simple, pure and noble lifestyle.

• Visit the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 of wood on a single stone pillar, designed to resemble a lotus flower, a symbol of purity.

• This morning's final visit is to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university. Built in the 11th century, this astonishing temple is a rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture and features on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese dong bill.

• Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

• In the afternoon, you'll have the chance to see Ha Noi from a different angle. Hop on a motorcycle with a professional driver and start exploring the hidden corners of Ha Noi not mentioned in any guidebook.

• Stop at the Opera House for photos while your guide gives you an overview of French architecture, visible in the many colonial monuments scattered around the city centre. Hanoi's urban plan, with its spacious boulevards and beautiful common spaces, was strongly influenced by the French occupation.

• Follow the zigzagging alleyways to Gioi Market, Vietnam's largest used mechanical and electronic parts market, where you can buy everything from mechanical items to the smallest screwdrivers, from kitchen utensils to motorcycle parts - this market has it all!

• Continue your journey by gliding through the Old Collective Quarter for a unique insight into the structure of the city's residential quarters since the socialist period.

• Visit a vintage railway café to enjoy a delicious Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk or green tea while watching the world go by, and enjoying the sights and sounds of a real Ha Noi.

• Stroll through the tiny but lively streets of the Old Quarter, known for its "36 streets of 36 products".Inside the Old Quarter, as they have been since the 15th century, the 36 narrow streets bear names that reflect the trade that once took place there: Silk Street, Rice Street, Paper Street, Lacquer Street and Jewellry Street.

Please note:

• Minimum 2 people.
• The Hô Chi Minh Mausoleum is CLOSED on Mondays, Fridays and every afternoon.
• You'll sit behind experienced drivers who know their bikes and the traffic like the back of their hand.
• Duration of motorcycle tour: 2-3 hours

Further information about your excursion:

Itinerary:

• Departing from your hotel, you'll travel by boat to Buom Island and the islets of May Rut.
• There, you can explore the colourful and diverse marine life with a variety of corals and fish while swimming and snorkeling.
• If you wish, you can also relax with a refreshing cocktail at the beach bar (own expense).
• A barbecue dinner will be served on the islet before returning to port and transferring to your hotel.

Please note:

• Depending on weather conditions, the choice of islands may change.
• Nautical activities require all participants to know how to swim perfectly. They must be comfortable in the water and able to cope with occasional currents.

Practical information:

• Tour type: Shared tour
• Guided: yes
• Languages: English
• Availability: daily
• Accessible to people with reduced mobility: no
• Accessible to pregnant women: yes
• Minimum age: 5 years (max 70 years). Minors are the responsibility of the adults accompanying them
• Duration: approx. 6 hours
• Schedule: 1pm - 7pm
• Number of people: excursion guaranteed from 2 participants
• Transfers included: yes
• Pick-up and drop-off point: at your hotel reception.

The price includes:

• Shared car and speedboat transfers
• Services of an English-speaking guide
• Barbecue lunch on the island
• 1 bottle of water
• Snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel and fins for adults)
• Life jacket 

The price does not include:

• Gratuities and personal expenses
• Meals and drinks
• Anything not mentioned in 'The price includes' section.

Further information abut your excursion:

Your itinerary:

• Departing from your hotel, you'll take a 2-hour drive from downtown Ha Noi to Ninh Binh province, during which you'll admire a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks, valleys and impressive cliffs.

• You'll start with a visit to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu to get a glimpse of Vietnam's first three centralized feudal states: the Dinh dynasty, the Le dynasty and the Ly dynasty. While the ancient citadel has probably disappeared, the temples of the Dinh and Le dynasties still stand, surrounded by rice paddies and mountains.

• You'll continue your journey to Bich Dong, awarded by a king as the "second most beautiful cave in Vietnam". The cave is adorned with magnificent stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and colors. Climbing up Ngu Nhac Son (Buddha Palm Mountain), you'll enjoy panoramic views of mountains, rivers, pagodas and temples.

• Known as "Ha Long Bay on land", Tam Coc ("three caves" in Vietnamese) was formed by the Ngo Dong River flowing through a mountain. You'll set off by boat on a magnificent waterway lined with rice paddies to admire the spectacular view of the karst formation as you explore these caves amid imposing mountains.

• Disembarking from the boat, you'll follow a village path between rice paddies to reach the Thai Vi temple located in a cave...

• You'll return to Ha Noi in the late afternoon.

Practical information

• Tour type: Private tour
• Guided: yes
• Languages: French, English, Spanish, Italian, German
• Availability: daily
• Accessible to people with reduced mobility: no
• Accessible to pregnant women: yes
• Minimum age: 1 year. Minors are the responsibility of the adults accompanying them.
• Duration: approx. 9 hours
• Schedule: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Number of people: from 2 to 10
• Transfers included: yes
• Pick-up and drop-off point: at your hotel reception

The price includes:

• Transfers by private car
• Guide services
• Local boat trip
• Entrance fees to sites visited
• Lunch from set menu
• 2 bottles of water
• Refreshing towels during car journey

 The price does not include :

• Meals and drinks not mentioned in "Price includes".
• Gratuities and personal expenses
• Anything not mentioned in 'The price includes' section.

Further information about your excursion:

This ingenious and incredible underground network was designed to protect Viet Cong guerrillas from French air and ground raids. Today, there are more than 200 kilometres of underground complexes containing warehouses, kitchens, hospitals, dormitories and even schools, once occupied by more than 10,000 people.

Itinerary:

• You will leave Ho Chi Minh City for a 1h30 drive north-west to the famous Cu Chi tunnels, passing through urbanised areas and lush countryside typical of southern Vietnam.

• There, you will visit the vast network of underground passages to gain an insight into the history of the tunnels, life in the tunnels and the tenacity and ingenuity of the Vietnamese during the fighting.
• In the afternoon, you will explore the city on foot, passing its famous monuments: City Hall, Saigon Opera House, Catinat Street "Dong Khoi Street", CIA building, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and Reunification Palace.
• On the way, you can take a break at a local street café where Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau used to go. Another interesting stop is Maison Marou, where you can taste the best Vietnamese chocolate (at an extra cost) and learn about the history of this artisan chocolate maker in Vietnam.
• After a visit to the outside of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, a magnificent French building constructed in the late 1920s, you will make your way to an ancient street near the Ben Thanh market. To round off your day, you can stop off at one of the following bars (consumption on site at your own expense):

• Pasteur Street Brewing Company - where you can enjoy a specialty craft beer using the highest quality ingredients from Vietnam.
• Sky Deck on the Bitexco Tower - enjoy a panoramic view of the cityscape, followed by a traditional tea at the Villa Downtown Royal Antique.
• SH Garden Restaurant - a hidden restaurant at the top of an old flat for lunching on local specialities.

Please note: the Cu Chi tunnels have been widened in places for Western visitors, but they can still be dark, hot and claustrophobic inside, so please take this into account if you don't like enclosed spaces. If you want to stay above ground, many rooms are easily accessible with excavated areas to visit.

Practical information:

• Type of excursion: Private excursion
• Guided: yes
• Languages: French, English, Spanish, Italian, German
• Availability: daily
• Accessible to people with reduced mobility: no
• Accessible to pregnant women: yes
• Minimum age: 2 years. Minors are the responsibility of the adults accompanying them.
• Duration: approx. 9 hours
• Timetable: 8am - 5.30pm
• Number of people: from 2 to 10
• Transfers included: yes
• Pick-up and drop-off point: at your hotel reception

The price includes:

• Transfers by private car
• Services of a guide
• Entrance fees to places visited
• Lunch from a set menu
• 2 bottles of water
• Refreshing towels during the car journey

The price does not include:

• Meals and drinks not mentioned in the "Price includes" section
• Any tips and personal expenses
• Anything not mentioned in 'The price includes' section.

Further information about your excursion:

Itinerary:

• On arrival, you'll hop on your bike for a 1.5-2 hour (4.5 mile) ride along quiet lanes around the beautiful, remote village of Hoa Loc.
• You'll have the chance to see traditional houses made of wood and palm leaves, learn how local farmers catch fish, or pick fruit using the ancient methods of the Mekong Delta.
• You'll stop at a local family's home, nestled in an orchard, to get an insight into the way of life in this region.
• You will continue your cruise to the islet of An Binh, in Vinh Long province, while enjoying a lunch of Mekong specialities. Later, you'll board a rowing boat and head off into the maze of small, tranquil canals.
• As you wander through the peaceful villages of the islet, you'll visit local workshops making coconut sweets or puffed rice...
• You'll return to the mainland where your car will be waiting for you for a 3-hour drive back to Ho-Chi-Minh City.

Practical information:

• Type of excursion: Private excursion
• Guided: yes
• Languages: French, English, Spanish, Italian, German
• Availability: daily
• Accessible to people with reduced mobility: no
• Accessible to pregnant women: yes
• Minimum age: 7 years. Minors are the responsibility of the adults accompanying them.
• Duration: approx. 9 hours
• Timetable: 8am - 5.30pm
• Number of people: from 2 to 10
• Transfers included: yes
• Pick-up and drop-off point: at your hotel reception

The price includes:

• Transfers by private car
• Services of a guide
• Local boat trip
• Rowing boat
• Bicycles
• Entrance fees to places visited
• Lunch from set menu
• 2 bottles of water
• Refreshing towels during the car journey

The price does not include:

• Meals and drinks not mentioned in the "Price includes" section
• Any tips and personal expenses
• Anything not mentioned in 'The price includes' section.