Overview

The Grandeur of South Vietnam is a 12 days/11 nights complete exploration tour of southern Vietnam. The tour offers a complete picture of South Vietnam from Sai Gon to the Mekong Delta, from the mysterious Central Highlands to the pristine beach of Phan Thiet Mui Ne. The tour has an easy pace and suitable for family travel with activities such as war-site touring, cultural discovery, elephant riding, sightseeing and beach vacationing.

The highlights of the trip include the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, the elephant ride at the Lak Lake, the mysterious culture of the hill tribes in the Central Highlands, the romantic scenery of Da Lat, and the white powdery sand beaches of Phan Thiet Mui Ne.

Accommodations for the tour include 3 and 4-star hotels & beach resorts. Some meals are included for the convenient of touring, while others are for the travelers to explore the local cuisine their own way.


Day 1    Arrive in Sai Gon/Free at leisure (no meal)
Day 2    Sai Gon – Cu Chi – Sai Gon/Sai Gon City Tour (B/L)
Day 3    Sai Gon – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho (B/L)
Day 4    Can Tho – Sai Gon – Pleiku (VN 342: 1540-1655) (B/L/D)
Day 5    Pleiku – Kon Tum – Pleiku (B/L/D)
Day 6    Pleiku Tour/Pleiku – Lak Lake (B/L/D)
Day 7    Lak Lake Elephant Ride/Lak Lake – Da Lat (B/L)
Day 8    Da Lat Tour (B/L)
Day 9    Da Lat – Mui Ne Beach/Free at leisure (B)
Day 10 Mui Ne Beach at leisure (B)
Day 11 Mui Ne Beach at leisure (B)
Day 12 Mui Ne – Sai Gon/Depart Sai Gon (B)

Hotels

• Sai Gon: 3*
• Can Tho: 3*
• Pleiku: 4*
• Da Lat: 4*
• Phan Thiet Mui Ne: 4*

Inclusions

• English-speaking guide as per itinerary: no guide for free-at-leisure days;
• Twin/Double-shared accommodation as indicated in the program;
• Private car for all airport transfers and tours as indicated in the program;
• Airfare for the flights within Vietnam as per itinerary;
• Private boat cruise on the Mekong River (at Can Tho and between Vinh Long – Cai Be) as in the program;
• Meals as indicated in the program ( B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner);
• All admission fees during guided times in the program;

Exclusions

• Insurance of any types;
• Visa arrangements;
• Early check-ins and late check-outs: check-in time: 14:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00 A.M unless otherwise indicated by each hotel;
• International airfares and airport taxes other than those mentioned as included above;
• Drinks, laundry, bar or other personal expenses;
• Others not clearly specified clearly in the inclusions;

Itinerary

Day 1    Arrive in Sai Gon/Free at leisure (no meal)
Arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcomed by Private Vietnam Tours tour guide and driver and transferred to the city. Have free time for the remainder of the day.
Overnight in Sai Gon.

Day 2    Sai Gon – Cu Chi – Sai Gon/Sai Gon City Tour (B/L)
08:00 A.M Leaving the city, we'll travel our way through the meandering countryside roads and rubber plantations to the area that once attracted the attention from the whole World: The Tunnels of Cu Chi.

At Cu Chi, we'll have an opportunity to learn about the war through the documentary film and through creeping in the claustrophobic tunnels that once were home to the local fighters for some 20 years in the Second Indochina War. Then we'll travel back to Sai Gon for lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we'll have a tour of the biggest and busiest city of Vietnam. We'll start with a visit to the War Remnants Museum and the Re-unification Palace where you'll have time to learn further about the war and the history of Vietnam. Then we'll travel further to China Town and visit the hectic Binh Tay Market and the Thien Hau Temple. Traveling back to the center of Sai Gon, we'll visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the General Post Office, the Municipal Theater and the busy Ben Thanh Market. Dinner is on our own.
Overnight in Sai Gon.

Day 3    Sai Gon – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho (B/L)
08:00 A.M We check out of our hotel and travel through the green countryside to the Mekong Delta, the rice bowl of Vietnam. Arriving at Cai Be, we'll leave the vehicle and get on a boat for the discovery of the exotic life on the water of the Mekong River: the Cai Be floating market, the vanishing occupations such as making bean-curd, pop-corn, candies, ceramics...We'll also visit an ancient house with samples of old agricultural tools. Then there's time for you to explore a village on one of the island by bicycle or on foot to learn more about how people live their daily life.

We'll disembark our boat at Vinh Long Town and proceed further to Can Tho. Arriving at Can Tho, check into the hotel and have free time for the remainder of the day.
Overnight at Can Tho.

Day 4    Can Tho – Sai Gon – Pleiku (VN 342: 1540-1655) (B/L/D)
Have an early breakfast at the hotel.
07:00 A.M we'll check out and visit the floating market of Cai Rang – the most colorful floating market on the Mekong River in Vietnam. Merchants and farmers from nearby regions travel by boat to Cai Rang and start their trading very early in the morning.

At Cai Rang, you'll find all kinds of agricultural produce from rice to pumpkins, potatoes ...and other vegetables. The market is so busy that there are even traffic jams on the river. You can take part in the trade for some agricultural products or for some fresh seasonal fruits here. If taking photos and witnessing the live activities get too much out of you, then there are boats that sell you all kinds of cold and fresh drinks right on the water for you to relax and enjoy the scene from a different angle. When the sun starts getting bright around 9A.M-11 A.M, people would wrap up their daily trading session and take the boat trip back home.

Leaving Cai Rang, we'll travel our way back to Sai Gon and arrive at the city in time for lunch. After lunch we'll be transferred to the airport for the flight bound for Pleiku in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Arriving at Pleiku Airport in late afternoon, we'll be welcomed by our local tour guide and driver and transferred to the hotel. Free time at leisure.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at Pleiku.

Day 5    Pleiku – Kon Tum – Pleiku (B/L/D)
08:30 A.M Travel through the heart of the Central Highlands of Vietnam to Kon Tum Town, the capital town of Kon Tum Province. We'll visit the Pleiphun Village en route to learn about the Jarai People and their unique tombs. At Kon Tum Town, we'll visit the Wooden Church, the Seminary School, Vinh Son Orphanage Village which is home to over 200 orphans from the local ethnic groups.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Then we'll have time for a stroll along the Dakbla River, the Konklor Suspension Bridge and the Bahnar communities who inhabit nearby. Travel back to Pleiku and have free time at leisure.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at Pleiku.

Day 6    Pleiku Tour/Pleiku – Lak Lake (B/L/D)
08:30 A.M Enjoy an easy trekking tour of 6km to visit 04 Bahnar Villages: Dektu - Deron – Dedoa – Dekop. Share the traditional dance of the Bahnar and the special wine-drinking ceremony with villagers, then travel back to town for lunch.
In the afternoon, travel through the green coffee and rubber plantations via Buon Ma Thuot and to the Lak Lake. Have free time at leisure.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at the Lak Lake.

Day 7    Lak Lake Elephant Ride/Lak Lake – Da Lat (B/L)
08:30 Have a piroque trip on the serene Lak Lake and enjoy an elephant ride around the Mnong Communities at M'Lieng Village and Jun Village.
Lunch at Lak Lake.
In the afternoon, continue our journey to Da Lat, a city of romances. We'll visit the Elephant Waterfall before getting to the hotel.
Free time in the evening. Dinner is on our own.
Overnight at Da Lat.

Day 8    Da Lat Tour (B/L)
08:30 A.M We drive out of the city through the stunning countryside to the foot of the Lang Biang Mountain. We’ll have a rocky jeep drive to the top of 2169m above sea level. From the top of Lang Biang Mountain, we can get the whole breathtaking view of Da Lat and the fresh surroundings. Descending back to the city, we'll enjoy a tour by cable car above the romantic pine forests to the Thien Vien Truc Lam (Truc Lam Meditation Pagoda) & Tuyen Lam Lake.
               
In the afternoon, we’ll have more exploration of Da Lat. We’ll visit the Valley of Love, Bao Dai Summer Palace, Hang Nga “Crazy House”, Central Market, the Old Railway Station with a steamer-locomotive train ride to Trai Mat and the Linh Phuoc Pagoda. We'll arrive back to the hotel in late afternoon.
Overnight at Da Lat.

Day 9    Da Lat – Mui Ne Beach/Free at leisure (B)
08:30 A.M We check out of the hotel and travel downhill to the coastal area of southern Vietnam. The area is well-known for its white sand, blue sea and the sand deserts which stretch for a few hundred kilometers. Our resort at Phan Thiet Mui Ne is nestled in a shady coconut forest with private fine white sand beach and blue sea water. Arriving at mid day, we check into the resort and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.
Overnight at Phan Thiet Mui Ne.

Day 10 Mui Ne Beach at leisure (B)
Full day relaxing at Phan Thiet Mui Ne.
Overnight at Phan Thiet Mui Ne.

Day 11 Mui Ne Beach at leisure (B)
Full day relaxing at Phan Thiet Mui Ne.
Overnight at Phan Thiet Mui Ne.

Day 12 Mui Ne – Sai Gon/Depart Sai Gon (without tour guide) (B)
Have free time until our driver (without tour guide) calls at your resort and transfers you to Sai Gon Airport for your departure flight. We trust you had a wonderful trip to South Vietnam with Private Vietnam Tours.