Vietnam Discovery

Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Meet your local guide and driver, then transfer to your hotel for check-in at 2 PM. Spend the rest of the day at your own pace. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Today explore the country's most dynamic city, Ho Chi Minh City. Still called Saigon amongst older generations, this city was renamed as Ho Chi Minh after North Vietnam's President in 1975. A day spent here reveals a bustling lifestyle with an interesting mix of modernity and traditional Vietnamese traits. Modern skyscrapers appear amidst Chinese style pagodas and food vendor stalls and create a truly dynamic urban area.

Start the day with a hotel pickup and head to Cho Lon, the city’s vibrant Chinatown district. Walk through bustling back streets lined with shops, homes, and food stalls. Visit two lesser-known sites tied to the country’s reunification history. Watch fresh sugarcane being pressed and enjoy a cold glass of juice before continuing your tour.

Next, stop at the Reunification Palace. Tour the former South Vietnamese presidential residence, including the war rooms and command bunker, and learn about its role in the events of April 30, 1975.

After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, located about 75 km northwest of the city. Explore an extensive underground network used by guerrilla fighters during the Vietnam War. Walk through preserved areas, including living quarters, meeting rooms, and trapdoor entrances. Crawl through a section of the tunnels to get a sense of the conditions soldiers faced.

Return to Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon. The evening is at leisure.

After breakfast, transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for a flight to Pleiku. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will transfer you 30 miles (50 km) to Kon Tum. Check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore independently.

Meet your guide at the hotel in the morning and begin cycling through Kon Tum and its outskirts. Start with a stop at the local market to pick up ingredients for lunch. Continue to several Bahnar villages located on the town’s edge.

The Bahnar are one of Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups, with distinct language, traditions, and customs. Visit traditional Rong houses—tall, steep-roofed communal structures used for village meetings, festivals, and justice gatherings. Learn about their gong performances, recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, and see the instruments up close. Discover how rice wine is brewed in jars and sipped through long bamboo straws. Depending on the season, take part in a farming or food preparation activity.

Share a home-cooked lunch with a local family. You may assist the guide with preparation.

After lunch, cycle back to town. Visit the Kon Tum Seminary, built in 1935, and explore its small museum on regional cultures. Then head to the nearby wooden Bahnar church before returning to your hotel.

Biking Distance: Approximately 18-25 miles / 30-40 kilometers

Your guide and driver meet you at the hotel. Leave your main luggage behind and pack only essentials in a light backpack for the overnight trek. The day starts with a visit to Kon Tum Market to gather supplies for the next two days. You practice basic Vietnamese bargaining while shopping for ingredients alongside your guide.

You then head east to the Kon Ray area. The trek begins at Kon Du village, home to the Jo Long people, a subgroup of the Bahnar. You stop at their traditional Rong house before hiking toward the base of the mountain. A picnic lunch with regional dishes awaits.

After lunch, you start a steady ascent through dense jungle. The trail winds through towering trees, ferns, and thick undergrowth. You pause along the way for photos and to take in the forest atmosphere. You arrive before dusk at a basic mountain cottage. You freshen up while your guide prepares dinner, feel free to help and learn local highland cooking techniques. After dinner, you gather for stories.

Trekking Distance: 7.5-8.5 miles / 12-14 kilometers
Driving Distance: 24.8 miles / 40 kilometers
Elevation throughout trek: 2950 - 3940 feet / 900 - 1200 meters

Begin your day early, breathing in the fresh mountain air. After breakfast prepared by your guide, start your descent down the mountain. Take your time as you walk through lush forests, surrounded by towering trees and vibrant tropical vegetation. Pause for a picnic before continuing your journey back to Kon Du.
Join the locals in an agricultural activity, depending on the season. This hands-on experience provides an opportunity to connect with the community and learn about their daily life.

Afterward, take a short rest before driving back to Kon Tum. On the way, stop at a striking church, adding a unique touch to your journey. Once in Kon Tum, check into your hotel and enjoy a relaxing hot shower. For a peaceful evening, visit one of the terraces along the Dakbla River, where you can unwind and enjoy the sunset.

Trekking Distance: 7.5-8.5 miles / 12-14 km
Elevation throughout trek: 2950 - 3940 ft / 900 - 1200 m

After breakfast, depart for Hoi An along the historic Ho Chi Minh Road. The first stop is Dak To, where you visit a war memorial commemorating the North Vietnamese forces’ capture in 1972. Continue past an abandoned US airstrip to Dak Seang, a former US Special Forces base. Here, you can walk through rubber plantations and explore the Rong House of the Che minority. Next, visit Dak Krooong, another Rong House, surrounded by dense forests and towering mountains.

Stop at a waterfall near Kham Duc before enjoying a traditional lunch. In the afternoon, pass through vibrant rice fields and picturesque Vietnamese villages, stopping for photos and chatting with locals working in the fields.

Arrive in Hoi An and check into your hotel.

Driving Distance: 340 km
Duration: 7 hours driving, 2 hours for visits

After being picked up from your hotel, head to Hoi An Central Market to begin your walking tour. Arriving early lets you experience the best of the market’s fresh produce, avoid the crowds, and watch vendors prepare for the day. Wander through the maze of alleyways, visit local workshops, cultural landmarks, and observe how locals spend their day. Be ready to engage with the friendly residents, proud of their businesses in the narrow lanes.

Take a drinks break on a veranda overlooking the river, watching fishing and tour boats glide by while sipping a refreshing beverage. Continue through the old town as your guide shares stories, local customs, and interesting facts about life in Hoi An. Cross the famous Japanese Covered Bridge, the final stop of the morning. Next, visit a local family who will teach you the art of crafting your own handmade lantern.

Conclude your tour at a local restaurant, where you can savor cao lau, a traditional noodle dish, the perfect way to wrap up your exploration of Hoi An’s sights.

Meet your guide early in the morning at your hotel and cycle from Hoi An’s Old Town into the countryside to visit a local vegetable farm. Tour the farm and participate in daily gardening activities alongside local workers. After your hands-on farming experience, continue cycling to a fishing village where you’ll meet a local family and learn about their life in this tight-knit community.

Board a boat and travel to the mouth of the Thu Bon River, where it meets the Cua Dai Sea. Here, engage with local fishermen and experience net fishing firsthand. Try your hand at paddling the traditional Vietnamese bamboo basket boat and take part in a fun basket boat race.

Cycle to another village and enjoy a warm welcome at a local family’s home with a glass of passion fruit juice. Learn how to cook rice the traditional way before participating in a rice-pancake cooking class. Sit down to enjoy a delicious lunch, savoring the results of your culinary efforts.

At the end of the tour, transfer back to your hotel in Hoi An.

After breakfast, check out and meet your guide and driver for the drive to Hue. Travel along National Highway 1, passing through dramatic landscapes, including the Hai Van Pass. Stop for photos along the pass and capture stunning views of Lang Co Beach and the peaceful fishing village.

Upon arrival in Hue, check into your hotel and rest before exploring the city. In the afternoon, visit the Forbidden Purple City, the 19th-century imperial palace that once served as the heart of Vietnam’s Nguyen dynasty. Explore the Citadel, which was heavily damaged during the Tet Offensive of 1968, and delve into the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Continue with a boat ride on the Perfume River to visit the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, a key symbol of Hue’s spiritual heritage. Then, visit the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, Vietnam’s fourth emperor, and learn about his reign and the fascinating history behind his 104 concubines.

Driving Distance: 130 km / 3 – 4 hours

After breakfast, enjoy free time until your driver and guide arrive to take you to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and spend the evening at your leisure.

Start your day early with a visit to Hoan Kiem Lake, where you join locals practicing tai chi and aerobics, a popular morning ritual. After exploring Ngoc Son Temple on the lake, head to a traditional café to try Vietnam’s iconic iced coffee, ca phe sua da, and, for the adventurous, sample the famous ‘egg coffee.’ Next, enjoy a banh mi from a street food stall—Vietnam’s beloved baguette filled with a variety of fresh ingredients. Wander through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, taking in the charm of French colonial architecture, including the stunning St. Joseph’s Cathedral, a French Gothic gem from 1886. Continue to the Hoa Lo Prison, once home to Vietnamese, American, and French prisoners of war, before heading to Huu Tiep Lake, also known as ‘B-52 Lake,’ where you see the wreckage of a US B-52 bomber, a striking reminder of the past.

At noon, enjoy Hanoi’s traditional bun cha—grilled pork and rice noodles. In the afternoon, explore the Temple of Literature, built in 1076, where Vietnam’s first university was established to educate royalty, mandarins, and the elite, offering a glimpse into the country’s intellectual history.

Finish the day with a walk along a street where the railway tracks pass just meters from people's doorsteps. Capture photos of this unique sight before concluding with a refreshing glass of draft beer at a local bia hoi spot, where you’ll mingle with the locals.

*Note: As you'll be trying various street foods, we recommend skipping breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, depart from your hotel for Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest marine limestone karst landscape. Upon arrival, board your boat, a traditional wooden junk modeled after old Vietnamese court vessels, complete with sails, a wide stern, and a rectangular superstructure. The boat will take you through the stunning World Heritage area, where you can participate in various activities, weather permitting. All meals are provided on board.

Take in the breathtaking views of the bay and surrounding islands as you cruise through the serene waters. While enjoying brunch, the vessel continues its leisurely journey back to the harbor for disembarkation. In the afternoon, you'll be transferred to Hanoi Airport for your flight home.