Real Vietnam
15 Days Starting in Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Hanoi
Visiting: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Mekong Delta - Overnight Train, Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha, Phong Nha – Overnight Train, Hanoi, Pu Luong, Cat Ba Island
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TVYB
Specialist Group:
18-30 Somethings
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
18-35 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
From Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, you’ll experience authentic Vietnam on this epic 15-day adventure from south to north. See how the locals live on the Mekong Delta, discover the rich history in Hoi An and taste some amazing food in Hue. Drift on the emerald waters around Cat Ba Island by boat and go for a snoop through some of Hanoi's many markets. Enjoy unique homestays, explore national parks, eat your weight in fresh street eats and cycle through the countryside. This is the make-em-jealous, full-on, once-in-a-lifetime trip up the coast of Vietnam you've been waiting for.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. Your adventure begins in Ho Chi Minh with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is characterised by a vast array of sights and sounds and is a fascinating blend of old and new, East and West. The huge number of people rushing about their daily lives in Vietnam's largest city gives it a dynamic atmosphere, and the French influence is evident in the excellent baguettes and coffee on offer. Much of city life takes place on the busy streets lined with shops, stalls and vendors, who have their wares spread out on the footpath and sell everything from soup to sophisticated electronics. After your welcome meeting, why not head into the Ben Thanh night market for a serving of pho or bun with your fellow travellers.
Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Mekong Delta
Location: Mekong Delta
Accommodation: Homestay
Meals Included: lunch, dinner
Today, head down to the Mekong Delta and visit Ben Tre. The fertile delta is famous for its abundant harvests of tropical fruits and flowers as well as boating along the canals. When you arrive, board a private boat and cruise along the maze of waterways to visit some cottage industries, where you’ll have the chance to interact with the locals of the area. In the evening, head to a guesthouse along the water and enjoy some time to relax among the soothing sounds of the river.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Mekong Delta - Overnight Train
Location: Mekong Delta - Overnight Train
Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train
Meals Included: breaksfast
Rise early to the sounds of the delta coming alive and tuck into a simple breakfast before catching a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy some free time in Ho Chi Minh City to check out a few more sites or some tasty street food snacks. There will be a leader-led orientation walk around the city, where you might choose to try the iconic cafe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) as your leader shares stories about local life. Late this evening, board an overnight train bound for Hoi An – a historical town on the central coast. Although conditions are basic, overnight trains are all part of the experience and the best way to travel long distances with the locals.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Hotel
Arrive in Danang in the early afternoon and travel by minibus to Hoi An. Recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, Hoi An is beautifully restored and preserved. Today, parts of Hoi An look exactly as they did over a century ago. Among the feeling of decades past, it's also a shopping haven! You can choose from original paintings, hand-crafted woodwork, ceramics, embroidery, lanterns and so much more if you’re after a good deal or some souvenirs. Hoi An has also become famous for its tailoring, with many tailors and fabrics to choose from. Bring your favourite piece of clothing or even just a picture, and you can have it copied. When you arrive, head out on a walking tour of the Old Town. After, you’re free to explore Hoi An at your own pace.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Hotel
There's no better way to explore the peaceful countryside of Hoi An than by bike. For a true insight into country living in Vietnam, join your leader in cycling past green rice paddies, over small creeks and through rural villages. Later in the day, you may like to cycle or catch a local bus to Cua Dai Beach near Hoi An centre for an afternoon on the stunning Eastern Sea. If you would like to see more of the Vietnamese countryside and visit some temples, you could book yourself into a My Son Cham day trip. The afternoon is yours to do as you please – you might like to wander to streets with your camera and discover all the colourful buildings lit up by lanterns as the sun goes down.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 6: Hue
Location: Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: dinner
Departing Hoi An, you’ll cross the dramatic Hai Van Pass this morning, with a quick stop and photo opportunity before continuing to Hue. As the former imperial capital of Vietnam, Hue holds the treasures of Vietnam's royal past and is a curious mix of bustling streets and tranquil settings. Your afternoon is free to go exploring. The Dong Ba market, which sells everything imaginable, is a great place to spend some time. See the Imperial Citadel, including a visit to the Forbidden Purple City, which was almost totally destroyed during the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive. In the evening, sit back, relax and enjoy a traditional dinner in a local home. These experiences off the beaten track are the ones you’ll remember.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 7: Hue
Location: Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
You’ve got the whole day to explore Hue today. Head out with your group on a street food experience in the morning to pick up a delicious market breakfast and pass by all the local traders. Later, you may like to take a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River and visit Thien Mu Pagoda – considered by many to be the unofficial symbol of Hue. It's an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of the most poignant displays is a car belonging to a former monk who in 1963 drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. Otherwise, you’ll have the opportunity to embark on an optional motorbike tour, riding with a local guide around the sights.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 8: Phong Nha
Location: Phong Nha
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Jump on the bus and make your way to Quang Tri. If you’re keen, it’s just a small fee to visit the Hien Luong Bridge and Vinh Moc tunnels. Hien Luong Bridge separated the North from the South during the war. The tunnels at Vinh Moc are an expansive network of limestone tunnels that locals used as shelters from the bombing. Travel on to Phong Nha and spend the afternoon exploring your surroundings. You'll stay just outside Phong Nha Town, near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – an amazing landscape full of caves and underground rivers.
Optional Activities:
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Day 9: Phong Nha – Overnight Train
Location: Phong Nha – Overnight Train
Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train
Enjoy a free day to explore Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – at 400 million years old, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the oldest karst mountain range in Asia. You might like to take a boat through Phong Nha Cave or check out the spectacular Paradise Cave. If caves aren’t your thing, chat with your leader about a kayaking adventure in Suoi Mooc. Otherwise, chill out with a coffee and soak in the river views. Later today, you'll head back to Dong Hoi and hop back on a sleeper train – you'll be a pro at this by now.
Optional Activities:
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Day 10: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: lunch
Arrive in Hanoi very early this morning and transfer to your hotel, leaving your luggage and setting out to discover the city. Hanoi is known for its beautiful lakes, shaded boulevards, public parks and thriving Old Quarter – an architectural museum with blocks of ochre buildings retaining the air of a 1930s provincial French town. Take a walking tour of the Old Quarter and the French Quarter with your leader, visiting the Dong Xuan market (the biggest wholesale market in northern Vietnam). Stroll through the ancient '36 streets' where you can discover an amazing selection of shops selling everything from souvenirs to exquisite silk clothing and beautifully embroidered tablecloths. Your leader will point out some of the unique architecture around Hoan Kiem Lake and the myths and legends of the lake, and you’ll sit down for a banh mi lunch.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 11: Pu Luong
Location: Pu Luong
Accommodation: Homestay
Meals Included: lunch, dinner
Leave Hanoi this morning and travel to Pu Luong – one of the most beautiful sites in rural Vietnam with expansive rice paddy fields surrounded by the National Park. When you arrive, you’ll check in to your unique homestay accommodation, with rooms boasting views of the rice fields. Have a quick lunch then head out for a trek in the middle of this natural paradise. You’ll see the impressive water wheel in the village, locals working in the fields, and you’ll visit a few local tribes, giving you the opportunity to learn about their culture and customs firsthand.
Included Activities:
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Day 12: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then make your way back to Hanoi. Today, you’ll visit The Intrepid Foundation partner Vun Art – a local organisation empowering people with disabilities in Vietnam by providing job training and employment opportunities. See how they produce tote bags and art pieces from the discarded silk that comes from Van Phuc Silk Village. Vun Art also aims to reduce climate impact by reusing these scraps and in the process, keeping traditional art alive. First, the fabric is cut into mosaics, then gathered and glued individually and finally, it’s pressed in the heat press machine. Tonight, you’re free to find the perfect spot (or street food) for dinner. After, maybe head out to explore the bars and discover the streets after sundown.
Included Activities:
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Day 13: Cat Ba Island
Location: Cat Ba Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: lunch
Travel by bus and ferry to Cat Ba Island – the largest island in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay area. With thousands of limestone islands and formations scattered around, this is one of the quintessential Vietnamese scenes where bright green water is dotted with traditional junk boats. Take a boat around Lan Ha Bay, then get up close and personal with this other-worldly landscape by kayak. Stay overnight on Cat Ba Island and enjoy a dip at one of the beaches (and maybe a cold beer).
Included Activities:
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Day 14: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Wake up to a natural paradise, and maybe start your morning with a refreshing swim. Ensure you soak up as much sun and sand as possible, as it's back to Hanoi later in the afternoon via ferry and bus. Being such a large city, Hanoi has so much to explore. This afternoon, you could head to the French Quarter to see the European influences on parts of Hanoi’s architecture, or otherwise, get the gang together and stake out a roadside stall for some chargrilled meats or pho cuon (rice noodle rolls).
Day 15: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
There are no activities planned for today, and you can depart the accommodation at any time. With so much to see and do in Hanoi, why not book an Urban Adventure. Hanoi Street Food Experience is a good pick – a 3-hour tour where you’ll get to sample some amazing eats from markets, street cafes, food carts and other secret spots. If you would like to spend some more time in Hanoi, just speak to your booking agent.
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Guesthouse (1 nights), Homestay (2 nights), Hotel (9 nights), Overnight sleeper train (2 nights) -
Mekong Delta - Homestay and Boat Cruise
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Ho Chi Minh City - Orientation Walk
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Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
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Hoi An - Countryside bicycle tour
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Hue - Home cooked dinner
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Hue - Street food breakfast
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Hanoi - Old Quarter & French Quarter Walking Tour
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Hanoi - Banh Mi Lunch
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Pu Luong - Homestay and Village Walk
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Hanoi - Vun Art Visit
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Transport
- OVERNIGHT SLEEPER TRAINS IN VIETNAM:
- Compartments will be 4 berth to 6 berth depending on seasonal variations and the group configuration. We aim to secure 4 berth compartments where possible. A sheet, pillow and blanket are provided, although some travellers prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Passengers of different genders may be required to share a compartment and there will be occasions where you'll be sharing with local travellers or travellers who are not part of your group. On occasion the group may be split between several carriages, however your leader will coordinate and give further information on the trip.
Included Activities
- Mekong Delta - Boat cruise with visits to local producers
- Mekong Delta - Homestay
- Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Phe Bet with locals
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
- Hoi An - Banh mi lunch
- Hoi An - Countryside bicycle tour
- Hue - Home cooked dinner
- Hue - Street food breakfast
- Hanoi - Vietnamese coffee
- Hanoi - Old Quarter walking tour with local student guides
- Da Bac - Homestay and activities
- Da Bac - Sung Cave hike
- Da Bac - Sung village to Da Bia hike
- Da Bac - Hoa Binh Reservoir Cruise
- Cat Ba Island - Kayaking
- Cat Ba Island - Boat trip on Lan Ha Bay
- Cat Ba Island - Rice paper roll class
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- HOTELS:
- Most of the accommodation on this trip is in hotels (mostly 2 to 3-star). Facilities are often basic, with some properties not having a continuous supply of hot water on occasion. All rooms are either fan cooled or with air conditioning and twin share with private facilities unless stated otherwise in the daily itinerary. Double beds are not widely available in South East Asia.
- WINDOWLESS ROOMS:
- Some hotels in South East Asia have windowless rooms, or windows that don't necessarily have a view. This is often due to high population density in large cities, however local building standards also do not require rooms to have windows. We do request rooms with windows, however they aren't always available.
- DAY ROOMS & EARLY CHECK IN:
- Please note in some destinations we will provide use of day rooms. These rooms are provided for shared group use before or after overnight train journeys. We have some days where we arrive at our destination before check in time and a day room is not included. If you have booked a Single Supplement for your trip, it will not apply to these day rooms. Your leader may be able to assist you in booking a room for your sole use (depending on availability) until our regular trip rooms become available for an additional charge. Please talk to your leader at the Welcome Meeting if this is a service you would like to request.
Important Information
- 1. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport), for internal train tickets. Ticketing fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
- 2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 and 11 (homestays), Days 3 and 9 (overnight trains) and Day 8 (guesthouse) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Mode of Transport
- OVERNIGHT SLEEPER TRAINS IN VIETNAM:
- Compartments will be 4 berth to 6 berth depending on seasonal variations and the group configuration. We aim to secure 4 berth compartments where possible. A sheet, pillow and blanket are provided, although some travellers prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Passengers of different genders may be required to share a compartment and there will be occasions where you'll be sharing with local travellers or travellers who are not part of your group. On occasion the group may be split between several carriages, however your leader will coordinate and give further information on the trip.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
You’ll cover a lot of distance on this trip, including on overnight trains. You'll also be spending two nights with local families. While the accommodation is shared and basic, this is a great opportunity to connect with the local people (and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals!). Many travellers list these homestay experiences as the highlight of their Vietnam adventure and ease into the night very quickly.
Vietnamese roads can be hectic and intimidating to cross. Never fear – your leader will show you how to do it like a local in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
This trip is for travellers who appreciate a bit of independence. You'll get plenty of free time in each location to make your own choices and do your own activities. Your leader will always be there to give you tips and suggestions. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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