Journey through Vietnam​

Depart from the U.S. and Travel to Vietnam. The particulars of your arrival are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, claim your luggage and clear customs. Your VBT representative will be holding a VBT sign and will help you transfer to your Hanoi hotel.

VBT provides you with City Information in your Final Travel Booklet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do in Hanoi during your stay.

Please note: This transfer has been pre-arranged by VBT and does not require direct payment. Please confirm with the driver that this transfer has been pre-paid—if the driver requests funds from you, this is not your scheduled transfer and you should not take it.

VBT No-Air Package guests:  Please plan to arrive at your Hanoi hotel by 2:00 p.m. If you are unable to arrive before 2:00 p.m., please contact VBT during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., ET) at 800-245-3868 to inform us of your arrival time, or contact the hotel on the day the tour begins to let them know when you will arrive. The hotel will pass the message on to your Trip Leaders.

VBT Air Package guests: After breakfast, your morning is free to do as you please. While choosing your activities for the day, you may wish to keep in mind that a guided tour of the city is included later in the program, featuring visits to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, the exterior of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's house and One Pillar Pagoda. You may wish to visit different sites on this day to avoid duplicate activities later in the trip.

VBT Pre-extension guests: Greet the day on deck while the sun rises over Halong Bay. After breakfast on the junk, visit a limestone grotto and then cruise back to Halong city and Halong wharf. Transfer by shuttle back to your hotel in Hanoi (approximately 3 hours), where you join the main tour.

At 2:00 p.m., all guests meet in the lobby for a short walking tour around this historic city of lakes, tree-lined boulevards and French-Colonial architecture. Later, return to your hotel to meet your VBT Trip Leaders, who provide a briefing of the week ahead. Dine with the group at the hotel.

Sleep in today or join an early-morning walk to Hoan Kiem Lake to experience the city as it shakes off its slumber. You may see locals practicing Tai Chi by the lake, families out for a stroll and street vendors setting out their wares. Then return to the hotel for breakfast before embarking on a tour of the city, including visits to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, the exterior of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's house and One Pillar Pagoda.

After lunch at a local restaurant, return to the hotel for a rest or a swim. In the late afternoon, pick up the pace with a cyclo (rickshaw) ride through the Old Quarter. Here, shops sell everything from therapeutic herbs and  prayer flags to shoes and hardware. The next stop is a small theater, where we watch a mesmerizing water puppet performance. Afterward, we dine at a local restaurant.

This morning we shuttle from the hotel to our ride's starting point, Then we’ll cycle along the banks of the Perfume River, where you may see dragon boats, sampans and traditional houseboats with their rooftop shrines. We pedal on quiet country roads through villages to Thien Mu Pagoda. After touring the pagoda, board a local boat to enjoy a relaxing cruise along the river. As we conclude our river idyll, drivers will be waiting to transfer us to the ancient Imperial Citadel. Within the citadel, just past Hien Nhan Gate, lies the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. We’ll leave our bike to take a walking tour of this massive enclosure.

After lunch and a short transfer, continue cycling southeast of the city, through rice fields and past duck and fish farms. In the village of Cau Ngoi Thanh Toan, look for a small covered bridge. Built over two centuries ago, it has weathered many storms, floods and wars, but it has been the soul of the Thanh Toan villagers for generations. While in the village, stop at the market for a truly local experience. Continue riding to the Hue Sport Center before transferring by shuttle back to the hotel.

Tonight, we get another view of the city’s splendid past. Our dinner venue is a garden restaurant comprised of five authentic 19th and early 20th century Hue houses..

After breakfast, we transfer to Thuan An Beach and begin cycling along the beach road and through fishing villages. After crossing the Phu Thu Bridge, we arrive at the American-built Phu Bai Airport, where you re-board a minibus and continue to travel toward Hoi An. We’ll eat lunch in Lang Co. Then, transfer up the Hai Van pass (“Pass of the Ocean Clouds”), stopping at the top to take photos of the breathtaking views of both sides of the 1,600-foot mountain ridge. From here, our shuttle passes through the city of Da Nang to an area known as Marble Mountain. Later, we’ll stop at Non Nuoc village, which is known for its stone works. From here, our route traces Non Nuoc Beach, locally referred to as “New China Beach.” This huge expanse of fine white sand is just south of the original “China Beach.” Along the way you might spot locals making bamboo basket boats. Then, continue to Hoi An, where you check in to your hotel on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Try one of the local restaurants for dinner this evening.

After breakfast, begin cycling with the Thu Bon River on your right, passing many fishing boats and small houses. As we bike through Thuan Tinh Ecological Village, we can stop to observe family temples and Areca-nut gardens. Continue cycling through a water-coconut palm forest and past a fishing farm before our ride takes us back to Hoi An for lunch.

After lunch, take part in a walking tour of Hoi An's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the local market, Tan Ky House, Japanese Bridge and a Chinese temple. Tonight, you are free to enjoy dinner on your own at one of the many open-air restaurants on Bach Dang, the waterfront road in Hoi An.

Enjoy  breakfast and a leisurely start to the day at our resort. In the late morning, transfer to Da Nang and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to the airport for your flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Upon arrival, transfer to the centrally located Majestic Hotel, a comfortable home base for exploring Vietnam's liveliest city.

This morning, shuttle (approximately 1 hour) to Tan An town in the Mekong Delta area. Then, cycle through the lush land, rich with orange, papaya, grapefruit and mango trees. As you ride, note motorists resourcefully transporting pigs and coconuts on their mopeds. Our ride today ends when we stop for lunch in My Tho City. In the afternoon, we’ll transfer back to Saigon (approximately 2 hours) where we’ll visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient southern architectural gem. Built in 1849, the structure is a mixture of Asian and European architecture, which blends elements from the Renaissance period with Romanesque style, French decorative flowers and Japanese enameled tile.

Tonight, try another of Saigon's wonderful restaurants on your own.

After breakfast, shuttle approximately 1 hour north of Saigon to Cu Chi,  the site of the infamous military tunnels. We arrive by bicycle and talk with a local Vietcong before visiting the passageways themselves. The Cu Chi tunnels are a 75-mile-long underground maze where the Vietcong quite literally dug themselves out of harm's way. After our visit, we’ll continue to cycle to Ben Nay for lunch, and then ride on to Hoc Mon, where the van waits to shuttle us back to the hotel. This evening, visit the former home of a U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and meet the current owners during a special farewell dinner.

This morning, set out on a walking tour to visit the former Presidential Palace, the site of the former U.S. Embassy, Notre Dame Cathedral, City Hall (Hotel de Ville), the Historical Museum or the War Remnant Museum, and the Rex Hotel, famous for the regular press briefings that became known as the “five o'clock follies” during the U.S./Vietnam War.  Enjoy a last Vietnamese lunch together in one of the city's great restaurants before spending some free time shopping or exploring on your last day in the country.

VBT No Air Package guests: Your trip ends in the late afternoon at our Saigon hotel. You are responsible for your own transfer to the Saigon airport for your flight home. You can book a taxi (approximately $6-$9 USD, depending on traffic) direct from the hotel. Please confirm the fare with your driver in advance to ensure the most direct route to the airport (approximately 30 minutes, 7.5 miles).

VBT Air Package guests: Your afternoon is at your leisure and dinner is on your own. Then, meet in the hotel lobby 3 hours prior to your flight departure (subject to change per required check-in time at the airport) for transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the Saigon airport for your flight home. Most flights depart just before midnight. You arrive one day later in the U.S.

If you have chosen the Post-Trip Extension to Angkor Wat, meet in the hotel lobby 3 hours prior to your flight departure (subject to change per required check-in time at the airport) for your transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the Saigon airport. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, claim your luggage and clear customs. Then meet your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. He or she will help you transfer (approximately 20-minutes) to your Siem Reap hotel, Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor Resort. VBT provides you with City Information in your Final Travel Booklet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do during your stay.

Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.