Vietnam Like a Local – Private Tour 14 days

Morning

– Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City which is still called “Saigon” by locals. BestPrice’s tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport and drive you to your hotel.

– The check-in time is usually 2.00 pm. Please note with us if you need an early check-in; however, an additional fee will be applied.

Arrival at Ho Chi Minh city

Optional

– For anyone who keens on exploring Saigon right on the very first day, you can do it on your way or try the below suggestions:

• • Water puppet show: Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition with a history of over 1000 years

• • Art performance: Vietnam is famous for one-of-a-kind artistic stages in the present of the country’s rich history and tradition

• • Saigon street food tour: This tour will take you on a flexible path to savor the best traditional dishes on Vietnam’s streets

Note: To pick you up easier, our tour guide/driver will be waiting for you at Pole No.10 right outside the terminal gate at the airport.

Morning

– For the 2nd day in Ho Chi Minh City, you will have a half-day city tour here to have a general view of this bustling metropolis.

– The 1st stop in your itinerary will be the Reunification Palace – an extremely well-preserved site that witnessed the last day of the Vietnam War. Then, we’ll visit two symbol constructions of the city: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office.

Ho Chi Minh city – Ben Thanh market

– The last stop will be Ben Thanh market where you will have a happy shopping time buying souvenirs and learning to bargain like a local.

Afternoon

– Return to your hotel, and the tour ends. The rest of the day will be your free time.

Morning

– Have a tasty breakfast at the hotel; then at 8:00 am you will be transferred to Cai Be.

– After arriving, you will meet our local guide and enjoy some fresh fruit before exploring the rice floating market in Cai Be which is the largest rice trading area in Vietnam’s Southwest region.

Ho Chi Minh – Tan Phong island

– After that, you will visit an ancient village in Dong Hoa Hiep commune and the famous Cai Be floating market, where you can observe and immerse in the crowded daily trading on the river of locals here.

– Leaving the market, the tour guide will bring you to Tan Phong islet and visit Hai Yen Bee Farm to experience many exciting activities here, such as:

• • Enjoy fresh honey tea: freshly made tea will help you to relax

• • Visit the flower garden only for the bees: see the daily life of local people in the gardens

• • Learn more about bee’s life: listen to explanations and descriptions about the life of the bees here

• • Explore the Lingzhi mushroom area: learn about growing and cultivating mushrooms

• • Challenge yourself bypassing the monkey bridge: an old local game in the rural areas

• • Try to pull fish hooves: challenge yourself with fishing activities

– Leave the bee farm; you will visit Ms. Hang’s orchards to enjoy the unique tropical fruits and try to pick them on your own. Also, here you will have a chance to listen to the live performance of “Don Ca Tai Tu” – a kind of Vietnam folk music.

– A small rowing boat will take you through small canals to get to Mekong Eco-lodge for checking in, and then you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Ecolodge

Morning

– You should wake up early to enjoy the morning fresh air and the lovely sounds of the countryside (of chickens, birds, etc.), wander around the village and observe the busy morning routine of farmers here.

– Get back to your homestay, have breakfast, and then join a cycling tour around Tan Phong Island. During the trip, you will have a chance to visit traditional handicraft workshops and also join interesting activities such as:

• • Make rice papers: a signature cooking material in Vietnamese dishes such as spring rolls and Vietnamese pizza

• • Use nipa leaves to make roofs: see how the locals use natural materials to build their shelter

• • Knit banana hammock: a Vietnamese traditional handcraft

• • Water hyacinth products

• • Make jackfruit leaf cakes: join the cooking class and challenge yourself with leaf-warping while cooking

• • Visit local school: meet the dynamic and bright local children at their school

Cycling around Tan Phong islet

Afternoon

– Return to the homestay, check out and return to the harbor by boat. Our driver will pick you up and drive you directly to the airport for your flight to Danang. You will have lunch at a restaurant on the way traveling back to Ho Chi Minh City.BestPrice Travel’s tour guide will be waiting for you at Danang Airport and then transfer you to your hotel in Hoi An.

– The rest of the day is all yours. You can sleep to recover after a long trip or explore Hoi An by night yourself.

Morning

– In the daytime, you are free to explore the ancient town of Hoi An in your way.

Evening

– Your evening walking Hoi An street food tour will start when the night comes. Our guide will pick you up in the late afternoon and lead you through small streets with local coffee shops, restaurants, food stalls/vendors, and markets.

Hoi An street food tour

– As this is a street food tour, you will have meals mostly at local food stalls and vendors. Foods that you might taste during your food tour include:

• • Banh Mi: Vietnamese Baguette made by Banh Mi Queen

• • Cao Lau: Hoi An signature dry noodles with many different layers created by many toppings in one bowl.

• • Banh Beo: Vietnamese traditional steamed rice cake which is round, small, and thin as a leaf, and only found in Central Vietnam

• • Banh Khot: A traditional street food in Central Vietnam which is a round pancake made from rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk and topped with quail eggs and vegetables.

• • Balut: Listed in the top 10 weird foods in the world. The taste is amazing, and this dish contains a huge amount of proteins. However, the ingredient will dare you to try the dish; it’s a little duck that still stays inside its eggshell.

• • Coffee: Hoi An coffee is made from the best Vietnamese coffee beans and adds sweet condensed milk. This drink will be a perfect ending for your food tour but can make you awake all night long.

Morning

– It’s a farming day! The tour guide will meet you at the hotel at 8:00 am; then your itinerary will start with cycling to Cam Thanh Village – a famous site in the outskirts of Hoi An ancient town.
– Arrive at Cam Thanh; you will be greeted by a local host and then join them in farming activities, mainly on growing wet rice.

Cycling to Cam Thanh village

– The host family will guide you on plowing and raking with buffalo, transplant rice, flood farm, grind and pounding rice. Also, if you are brave enough, you can try riding the water buffalo.
– After farming, you will get to a local fishing village to try fishing with the professional fishermen here. Finally, you will explore the water coconut jungle by basket boat.

Basket boat rowing in coconut palm jungle

– Lunch will be served at a local house before finishing the trip.

Morning

– You will be pick up at 8:00 am and have a long day transferring from Hoi An to Hue by road via the famous Cloudy Pass (Deo Hai Van) (shuttle bus or private car is depend on you).

– On the travel way, our driver may stop at some places for photoshoots or sightseeing (admission fee is not included).

Hoi An – Hue road transfer

Morning

– At 8:00 am, our tour guide meets you at the hotel and brings you to Toa Kham wharf for a Perfume River boat trip. Your boat will stop at Thien Mu Pagoda – an ancient Buddhist temple and Hue’s symbol. Then, you continue your boat trip to see the scenic scenery along the tranquil river before debarking to visit Thuy Bieu Eco-village.
– In Thuy Bieu, you will learn more about the old architecture in Hue called “nha vuon” (garden home) and observe the quiet local daily life while walking or cycling for about 2 hours throughout the village and visiting some handicraft making families.

Tam Giang Lagoon

Afternoon

– After the trip around Thuy Bieu village, a particular cooking class is waiting for you at Hue Eco-lodge. Here you will learn to make some Hue traditional dishes and taste your cooking; after that is the relaxation time when your feet are soaked in medicinal herb water and massaged by locals.

– Tam Giang – Chuon Lagoon is the last stop in your day-tour itinerary in Hue. You will explore this area on a sampan boat. Here, you will see the daily lives of fishers closer and learn more about how locals catch fish in the lagoon and fish on your own.

Thuy Bieu Eco village

– You will have dinner at a nearby restaurant while watching the stunning sunset view at the lagoon.

Evening

– Get back to Hue City at around 7.30 pm.

Morning

– You can explore Hue yourself, or if you are not confident in traveling on your own, you can book one of the suggested day tours below:

Hue – Free day

• • Hue DMZ Full-Day Tour: Discover the story behind battle sites like Hien Luong Bridge, the Vinh Moc Tunnels, and the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

Price from $ US80/ person

• • Explore Hue Countryside by Bicycle: Spend your day exercising and sightseeing at the same time with a cycling tour of Hue’s countryside.

Price from $ US85/ person

Morning

– Pack your luggage and enjoy your last time in Hue before our driver comes and transfers you to the airport for your flight to Hanoi.
– At Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), a driver picks you up and drives you to your hotel.
– Freely explore the city yourself.

Hue – flight to Hanoi

Morning

– Meet your tour guide at the hotel at 8:00 am and start your motorbike tour to explore Hanoi.

– To say good morning to the city, your trip starts with a cup of Egg coffee – a specialty of Hanoi – at Cafe Giang, where this excellent drink was born.

– Come to visit a number of famous sites in the city. Start with Long Bien Bridge – a witness of Hanoi’s history, built from 1899 to 1902. This is a typical construction for French colonial architecture in the city and an amazing place for taking nostalgic photos.

– After that, our tour guide will take you to the nearby Chuong Duong Bridge – a modern bridge with four lanes and was built by Vietnamese workers without any international assistance.

– After getting some famous Trang Tien ice creams, you will be at the Hanoi Opera House, a 20th-century well-preserved colonial architecture construction and also a landmark in Hanoi. Today, there are still many art performances taking place here (get in touch with us to buy a ticket if you are interested).

– Called “the heart of Hanoi”, Sword Lake is located right in the middle of the city center. The site hides a magical historical legend about one of the greatest kings in Vietnam – Emperor Le Loi. yyou will find the nearby Ly Thai To Monument, which was built to honor the King who was found in Thang Long Capital (Hanoi today).

– Walk 5 minutes from Sword Lake, Saint Joseph Cathedral was built in 1886 with neo-gothic architecture and inspired by Notre Dame de Paris. The cathedral is still in use now and is also the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Vietnam.

Hanoi half day city tour by motorbike

– Visit Hoa Lo Prison or Maison Central – an elegant name for a colonial prison built from French colony that was a nightmare for every prisoner here.

– Travel to West Lake & Tran Quoc Pagoda, West Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi and is also called as “lungs of the city”. Lying on a small island in the West Lake is Tran Quoc Pagoda – a Buddist temple built in the 6th century and is the oldest one in Hanoi.

Hanoi city tour by motorbike

– Have a quick visit to the Huu Tiep lake – B52 crash site, which marks Vietnamese soldiers’ victory in the Vietnam war. From this site, our tour guide will also take you to a nearby market and observe the locals’ daily life.

– The last stop in your itinerary for Hanoi full-day city tour is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the greatest leader of the Vietnamese people rests in peace. You can admire the mausoleum from the outside and take pictures.

– Before bringing you back to the hotel, the tour guide will take you to a nearby vendor/restaurant to enjoy tasty Vietnamese foods.

Note: The above itinerary is subject to change, based on the day’s weather and traffic conditions.

Morning

– You should wake up soon to enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before BestPrice’s driver picks you up at 8:00 am and depart for Halong.

– After 2.5 hours of traveling on the road, you will arrive at the port and get ready to board the cruise for your voyage to explore Halong Bay.

Hanoi – Halong Bay overnight on cruise

– After checking in, lunch will be served while the boat is sailing to the bay.

Afternoon

– In the afternoon, you will follow your cruise’s itinerary, which may include some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking, or swimming.

– Return to the boat when it’s twilight; you may enjoy the sunset party or “happy hours” program for “buy-1-get-1-free” cocktails while admiring the magnificent dusk in the bay.

– Dinner is served on board, and then you are free to enjoy the nightlife in Halong.

Morning

– Wake up early and say hello to a new day with a simple Tai-chi exercise on deck, or you may sleep until breakfast time.

– Then, you will continue with the cruise itinerary to explore and experience more in Halong Bay.

Last day of Halong Bay

– Brunch is usually served while the cruise return to the port.

Afternoon

– Drivers will bring you back to Hanoi.

– The night in Hanoi is all yours; you can explore the city by night freely on your own.

Morning

– Enjoy your last time in Hanoi before our driver meets you at the hotel and takes you to the airport for the departure flight.

– Have leisure time before your departure.

Note: Hotel check-out time is 12.00 pm. A late check-out can be arranged due to your order with a surcharge.