THIS VIETNAM SMALL GROUP TOUR COMES WITH THE OPTION OF BUDGET OR QUALITY ACCOMMODATION.

This South Vietnam small group tour focuses on history, culture, scenery, beaches, food and relaxation. This exceptional value small group tour starts and ends in Ho Chi Minh city and takes in all the fabulous destinations South Vietnam has to offer. Two seaside destinations and a domestic flight means even more time to relax.

NOTE: After careful consideration we decided it was in your best interest to start and finish this small group tour in Ho Chi Minh City rather than Bangkok and an arrival transfer is included on this tour also.

NOTE: Breakfasts in Vietnam, while filling and tasty, are often limited on choice to bread, eggs, jam etc with the occasional banana pancake or you can always join the locals with noodle soup, (Pho). Buffet breakfasts at the three and four star quality hotels will be the exception. Meals on day trips are provided by third parties and may be limited on choice also.

Group Size: Minimum 1, Maximum 8

Guaranteed to depart

English speaking tour coordinator

Visiting
HO CHI MINH CITY, (SAIGON) - MEKONG DELTA - DANANG - HOI AN - NHA TRANG - NHA TRANG OFFSHORE ISLANDS - MUI NE - CU CHI TUNNELS.

Accommodation

QUALITY:

• Four star hotel, ( 3 nights).
• Three star hotels, (13 nights).

BUDGET:

• Three star hotel, (3 nights).
• One to two star hotels (6 nights)
• Simple guest houses, (7 nights).

Transport
Bus, Train, Boat, Taxi, Plane.

Day Trips

• Ho Chi Minh City tour, (half day).
• Cu Chi Tunnels, (half day)
• Mekong Delta, (full day).
• Nha Trang islands tour, (full day).

Entry Fees

All included when part of the itinerary.

NOTE: An airport day one arrival transfer is also included on this tour.

Meals
20 meals included as per itinerary.
B = Breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner.

Itinerary

Day 1:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; HO CHI MINH CITY -(More often than not still called SAIGON by  the locals). On your arrival at  Tan Son Nhat airport you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. Our South Vietnam small group budget or quality accommodation tour officially starts when you check into your Ho Chi Minh city accommodation. A welcoming dinner will be had in the evening.

Any free time in between could be used to visit the nearby Ben Thanh  market or the Huynh Thuc Khang street market. A taxi ride to Cholon  will see you in either the Binh Tay or An Dong markets with the  latter particularly good for clothing and cheap local eats. D.

Day 2:

 HO CHI MINH CITY - A lazy morning will be followed by a half day  city tour which will include  the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame  Cathedral, Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, the Post Office and a Handicraft  workshop. A great chance to get the feel of this truly Asian city. B.

Day 3:

HO CHI MINH CITY -A full days tour with a local operator by  bus and boats to the Mekong Delta to get a close up view of the  lifestyles of the locals. Firstly by bus to the town of My Tho, 70  kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. Then by boat you will visit Dragon,  Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands. Sights along the way include a  fishing port and stilt houses. Lunch will be had riverside in an  orchard. Then it will be by a small local rowing boat through some smaller  jungle shrouded channels to try some local fruits and honey as well as  be entertained by some island villagers performing Southern Vietnamese  folk music. B. L.

Day 4:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; DANANG - After breakfast our small group tour will transfer to the airport for the short domestic flight to Danang. After checking into your hotel the rest of the day is free. The main tourist attraction in Danang is the Museum of Cham sculpture. The Danang cathedral and Cao Dai Temple are other places you may like to visit after that. Danang also has a nice promenade along the river for a relaxing meander. B.

Day 5:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; HOI AN - A short taxi ride after breakfast will see our small group tour in the UNESCO World Heritage listed  Hoi An.  If ever a Vietnamese town should be called charming or quaint then surely it must be Hoi An. This extremely likeable and laid back town is the perfect place to stroll around and check out the local shops and  sights. B.

Day 6:

 HOI AN - Hoi An is also the place to look out for that tailor  made suit you were thinking about or just relax with a coffee by the  riverside. Hoi An is a favorite with all travellers. For sightseeing  there are numerous attractions on an easy half day meander around  town. Start at the Phac Hat pagoda followed by the Truong family  chapel, the assembly hall of the Fujian Chinese congregation, the Quan  Cong Temple, the Quan Am Pagoda and history museum, the museum of Sa  Huynh Culture, the Hoi An Church, the Japanese covered bridge and  finish with a local coffee or  glass of beer Hoi by the river.  The above sights are only a few of the many available.  Most places are free to visit while a few charge a small entrance  fee or ask for a  donation.  B.

Day 7:

 HOI AN -  Another free day to soak up the atmosphere of Charming Hoi An. Checking out the local markets along the river is yet another option today. B.

Day 8:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; NHA TRANG - After a lazy morning our small group tour will transfer back to Danang for an afternoon train to Nha Trang. Arriving late in the evening. B.

Day 9:

 NHA TRANG - A free day to relax or explore this large but pleasant city by the sea. Apart from lazing on the nearby scenic beach there are numerous sightseeing options around town. Remember to take off your shoes before entering the Po Nagar Cham  Towers which were built before the 12th century for Hindu worshippers  and are still in use today by Buddhist followers. Then it could be on  to the Long Son Pagoda or the small Khanh Hoa Museum which houses some  of Ho Chi Minh's personal effects among other things. Again there are  too many  sights to list here but those who don't want the beach  will not become bored. B.

Day 10:

 NHA TRANG - This morning a local boat operator will take our small group tour on  a full days tour to some of the many offshore islands. There will be  the chance for a swim and a snorkel as well as seeing some local life on an island or two. B. L.

Day 11:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; MUI NE - An early start today by bus will see our small group tour early afternoon on a spectacular stretch of the Vietnam coast at little Mui Ne. B.

Day 12:

 MUI NE - A more relaxing beach resort would be hard to find.  So with book and beach chair just relax and enjoy. The more energetic  can take lessons in Wind surfing and/or Kite surfing if conditions  prevail. (not included). Mui Ne is the capital of Vietnam when it comes to these two sports. In  the evening sup on seafood with a Tiger beer or glass of the local  Dalat red. B.

Day 13:

MUI NE - Another relaxing day or maybe hire a motor bike taxi  for a dollar or two to take in the nearby fishing village, the famous  sand dunes where local children rent out boards for those wanting to  try sand sleding. Heading the other way towards the larger town of  Phan Thiet  you can visit the small Po Shanu Cham  tower with some great scenery from the hill it occupies. B.

Day 14:

Tonight our Vietnam small group tour will stay in; HO CHI MINH CITY - Today again by bus our small group tour return to Ho Chi  Minh City. Hopefully by now you will have mastered how to cross the  roads so seeing more of the attractions will not hold as much fear of  the teeming traffic chaos.

There is still lots to see and do. The War Remnants Museum is a truely  gruesome look at the utter futility and horrors of war or on a lighter  note the History, Fine Arts or museum of Ho Chi Minh City will keep   you fully occupied. B.

Day 15:

HO CHI MINH CITY - A local operator will take our small group tour on a half day tour of  the Cu Chi Tunnels, 30 minutes away by bus. You will see a  documentary film on the legendary tunnel system which is  over 220  kilometres long. For the slim and brave you may wish to limbo along a short  stretch of tunnel to experience it first hand.  Above the ground you  will see some of the booby traps and other ingenious contraptions used to  survive in this tunnel city. B.

Day 16:

HO CHI  MINH CITY - A last free day for shopping, sightseeing  and trying some more of the great food on offer. More rice paper or fried spring rolls, a bowl of Pho,(rice noodle soup), aromatic curries and numerous  other local specialities often cooked in coconut milk. Vegetarians  wont be short on choice either as most things come in vegie options also. In  the evening a farewell dinner will be had. B. D.

Day 17:

Our Vietnam small group budget or quality accommodation tour is officially over when you check out of your Ho Chi Minh City accommodation. An airport transfer is included as always. B.

Tour Departure Dates

2012
12 May, 26 May, 09 Jun, 23 Jun, 14 Jul, 28 Jul, 11 Aug, 25 Aug, 08 Sep, 22 Sep, 13 Oct, 27 Oct, 10 Nov, 24 Nov, 08 Dec, 22 Dec

2013
12 Jan, 26 Jan, 09 Mar, 13 Apr, 27 Apr, 11 May, 25 May, 08 Jun, 22 Jun, 13 Jul, 27 Jul, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 14 Sep, 28 Sep, 12 Oct, 26 Oct, 09 Nov, 23 Nov, 14 Dec, 28 Dec

Any other date on application. (Minimum two people).

Price

P/P,Land only; (Included is one way flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang).
Budget: USD $1,450
Single Suppliment: USD $590
Quality: USD $1,750
Single Suppliment: USD $950