Exploring Vietnam’s Soul: Saigon to Hanoi Adventure
Crossing Vietnam in 17 days to Explore the Authenticity and the Amazing in Vietnam. Check full detail with interesting itinerary and flexible activities
From $1537 / person (private tour, price per person drops as your group grows)
Crossing Vietnam in 17 days to Explore the Authenticity and the Amazing in Vietnam. Check full detail with interesting itinerary and flexible activities Fully private and customizable, with your own guide and driver, honest online pricing, and cabin & pickup confirmed within 1 hour.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Click any day to expand. “Stay” shows the accommodation on this route. Prefer to upgrade a hotel or cruise cabin? We’ll tailor it — and the price — in your free quote.
Day 1 — Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ho Chi Minh City arrival, welcome and transfer to hotel. Upon your arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, our local guide and driver will warmly welcome you at the pickup area. You'll then be transferred to your hotel in the city.
Stay: Sanouva Hotel ★★★ (Premium Deluxe Double Room) *or similar hotel
Day 2 — Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Discovering Saigon city with the best highlights: Independence palace, Binh Tay market, China town, Quan Am pagoda and Fito Museum of traditional medicine. 9:00 AM: Pick up from your hotel to Independence Palace , once used as the home – office of the Presidents of South Vietnam. Our visit includes the North Vietnamese tank which effectively attacked the palace in 1975 to bring the controversial Vietnam War to an end and the five-story palace with its rooms have been preserved in their late 1960s, 1970s style and a bunker basement.
Stay: Sanouva Hotel ★★★ (Premium Deluxe Double Room) *or similar hotel
Day 3 — Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Ben Tre
From Saigon to Mekong discovery: Boat trip & biking in Ben Tre, visiting typical craft village, interact local people, garden tour, overnight in a homestay. 8:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel for your transfer to Ben Tre , a beautiful region in the Mekong Delta River, famous for making coconut candy. Arrive at Hung Vuong pier, take a boat trip on the Ben Tre River to discover the daily local life. Continue your boat trip on a canal to Nhon Thanh Village . This will be an opportunity to taste the fresh fruits. Take a bike ride (or tuk tuk) on a small path through the villages and enjoy views of the coconut ranges, rice fields and vegetable gardens. A lunch with elephant ear fish is served in the village. A short walk will help you to discover the local life in depth. This is followed by a boat ride on the small canal shaded by the wild palm trees. Disembark Ben Tre for a 1-hour transfer to Cai Lay . Upon your arrival, get warmly welcomed by the host of homestay. Take part in making Banh Xeo Nam Bo (a traditional dish in the region) with your host. Have dinner and stay overnight in Cai Lay.
Stay: Hai My's Homestay (Standard Room) *or similar hotel
150km – 3h
Day 4 — Ben Tre – Long Xuyen
Mekong discovery: Enjoying fruit garden tour, Kien An Cung pagoda, Huynh Thuy Le's house. Have breakfast at the homestay and enjoy a bike ride (1-1.5 hours) on the path from Dong Hoa to Tam Binh, passing the durian gardens, sapota gardens, and longan gardens . Encounter with the local people then visit the local village market. Return to the homestay for refreshments. (Extension: Go for a 1 hour walk along the trail with a local and cycle to Ngu Hiep Island where the alluvium of the Mekong River has formed a fertile garden. These are unusual excursions in a luxuriant and authentic place.) For those who do not wish to ride a bike, it is possible to ask our tour guide for a motorbike and ride pillion. Transfer to Long Xuyen via Sa Dec where we can visit Kien An Cung pagoda and Huynh Thuy Le's house from the novel by Marguerite Duras 'L'Amant – the Lover'. Discover the local market in Sa Dec which is rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish. Continue to Long Xuyen and visit Cao Dai temple and a crocodile farm on route. Stay overnight at a hotel in Long Xuyen.
Stay: Hoa Binh 1 Hotel ★★★ (Standard Room) *or similar hotel
90km – 2h
Day 5 — Long Xuyen – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Mekong discovery: Long Xuyen floating village, Cu Lao Ong Ho island. Back to Ho Chi Minh City. In the morning, transfer to the floating market and floating village in Long Xuyen which are animated and authentic on a small tributary of the Mekong River. Discover the daily activities of people living by the river. Enjoy a boat trip to Cu Lao Ong Ho where there is a small museum about our famous president Ton Duc Thang. Take a bike ride on the island and enjoy the beauty of the peaceful landscapes. Take the road back to Saigon and check in your hotel in late afternoon.
Stay: Sanouva Hotel ★★★ (Premium Deluxe Double Room) *or similar hotel
190km – 4h
Day 6 — Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Tay Ninh – Hoi An
Special excursion to Cu Chi tunnels and then visiting Cao Dai temple, flying to Danang, Hoi An. 7:00 AM: Leave from your hotel to visit the most striking place in the history of the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi is a real underground city made up of a large network of tunnels covering an area of over 250km long where the Viet Cong conducted the war of resistance against American troops. All of the tunnels were dug over a period of twenty years using only pickaxes and shovels. The tour includes special entering some part of tunnels. Option: At the Cu Chi shooting range, guests can enhance their experience by trying real gun firing. This service allows visitors to test their aim with a variety of firearms under supervision. It's a thrilling option for those seeking a bit of adventure. This is an optional service not included in the tour price, and guests will need to pay on the spot.
Stay: Delicacy Hotel & Spa ★★★ (Deluxe City View Room) *or similar hotel
Day 7 — Hoi An
Discovering Hoi An rural by cycling and city walking tour. 8:00 AM: Pick up from hotel to Hoi An town center. Our first stop is Cam Pho – one of the oldest communal houses in Hoi An. It was built in the shape of Chinese character means the country for worshipping and trading business and cultural exchange between locality and Chinese, Japanese traders.
Stay: Delicacy Hotel & Spa ★★★ (Deluxe City View Room) *or similar hotel
Day 8 — Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An
Exploring My Son Sanctuary, Champa culture, unique architecture. 8:00 AM: Pick up by tour guide and driver from your hotel. Spend a half-day exploring the sacred valley of the Champa Kingdom. Located 40km from Hoi An Town, My Son Sanctuary was once the most important intellectual and religious center of the ancient kingdom, and a revered burial place for Cham monarchs. Recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, this sanctuary preserves around 70 ruined brick and stone architectural works built between the 7th and 13th centuries. During the visit, the rich cultural, historical, and architectural values of each relic will be fully unveiled as you leisurely wander through the ancient complex . The experience is further enriched by attending a traditional Champa dance performance before leaving the sanctuary.
Stay: Delicacy Hotel & Spa ★★★ (Deluxe City View Room) *or similar hotel
40km – 1h
Day 9 — Hoi An – Hue
Travelling to Hue, visiting Cham sculpture museum, Hai Van Pass, Thien Mu Pagoda and Hue citadel. 8:00 AM: Pick up from hotel then travel to Hue by passing Da Nang along the sea road. Once you arrive in Da Nang, stop to visit the Cham Museum which preserves the most important Cham culture collections in the world. Then, walk to My Khe beach where you can enjoy the view of giant Goodness of Mercy statues in the Linh Ung Pagoda. Take photos of fishermen by the beach then continue driving along the coastline to Hue ancient capital. Make a stop at top of the Hai Van pass to enjoy the breathtaking view of the ocean.
Stay: Rosaleen Boutique Hotel ★★★ (Deluxe Double Room) *or similar hotel
125km – 3h
Day 10 — Hue – Hanoi
An amazing day tour to explore Perfume River by boat trip, excursion to Tien Non, Thanh Tien, Sinh village, Khai Dinh King's Tomb. Take a flight to Hanoi. 8:00 AM: Firstly, transfer to the Huong River (or Perfume River) to embark a Royal boat trip to the villages in the East of the city. This is an opportunity to discover the local life on the both sides of this poetic river. Upon arrival in Tien Non village, disembark for a bike ride in the countryside through three villages: Tien Non, Thanh Tien and Sinh village. During the trip, you will be immersed into the daily rhythm of life in the villages. In Tien Non village , meet the villagers working on the fields and vegetable gardens. Then, visit a family worship house in the village. Next, reach Thanh Tien village , an artificial paper flower village dating back 400 years . Besides the rural works, they make paper flowers for the New Year festival to offer their ancestors the best wishes. Visit Mr. Hieu's family , one of the well-known artisans in the village to learn how to make paper flowers under his instruction. Keep going to Sinh village , a cradle of 400 year folklore prints in Hue. Meet Mr. Phuoc who will explain the techniques of traditional prints. You will find beautiful souvenirs on this trip.
Stay: La Nueva Boutique Hotel ★★★ (Premium Room) *or similar hotel
Day 11 — Hanoi
Exploring the center of culture & education Van Mieu, outstanding museum of ethnology, visiting French Quarter and discovering Old town. 9:00 AM: Get Pick up by tour guide to Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly dynasty in 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city's symbol Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage "s tone steles " which shows the name of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered as the first national university of Vietnam.
Stay: La Nueva Boutique Hotel ★★★ (Premium Room) *or similar hotel
Day 12 — Hanoi – Mai Chau
Travelling to Muong hamlet & scenic views at Thung Khe, Authentic life of Thai in Mai Hich, Sam Khoe, Buoc villages. 8:00 AM: Meet tour guide and driver then depart to Mai Chau . On the way, visit a Muong village. Continue to Thung Khe pass where you can view magnificent panoramic views of the valley before arriving in Mai Chau town. Mai Chau is a beautiful valley located 145 km away from Hanoi. It is great place with harmonious landscapes, green mountain ranges, rice terraces and White Thai ethnic villages.
145km – 3.5h
Day 13 — Mai Chau – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh
Excursion to Muong community in Eo Ken & Ban Hang villages. 8:00 AM: Depart from Mai Hich and travel directly to Eo Ken , located 30 km away and home to the Muong ethnic group . Walk downhill through a stunning landscape overlooking the Pu Luong Nature Reserve , terraced rice fields, and surrounding mountains. Visit a local Muong family in Eo Ken Village and discover their authentic daily life. Continue walking through the beautiful countryside until meeting your driver again in Hang Village , then transfer to Pu Luong . Walking distance : approx. 4-5 km
Stay: Nep House (Double Room) *or similar hotel
140km – 4h
Day 14 — Ninh Binh – Hanoi
Biking to Thung La temple and then a boat trip in Van Long Nature Reserve, embroidering experience. 8:00 AM: you can choose to embark on a 10 km bike ride (one way) or a 20 km ride (round trip) along the dyke, offering stunning views of rice fields, a river, and limestone mountains. Take optional stops along the way for picturesque photos and interactions with locals. Continue your exploration by visiting Thung La Temple , which dates back to the 11th century. Don't miss the opportunity to experience traditional musical instruments that are integral to the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Note : Travellers who prefer not to ride a bicycle can either ride as a passenger on a scooter or reach the temple by car.
Stay: La Nueva Boutique Hotel ★★★ (Premium Room) *or similar hotel
100km – 2h
Day 15 — Hanoi – Bai Tu Long Bay
Cruising in Bai Tu Long bay, exploring Cap La Island, cooking class and overnight on boat. 8:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy three hour drive from Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay . Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta . Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue your driving, arrive at the harbor around noon, get warmly welcomed at cruise reception.
Cruise: Swan Cruise – 2D1N
160km – 3h
Day 16 — Bai Tu Long Bay – Hanoi
Visiting the charm of Thien Canh Son cave, stunning cruising and back to Hanoi Thien Canh Son cave, stunning cruise.. 06:00 : Sunrise Tai Chi session on the sundeck or catch a morning view of the bay with a cup of tea or coffee. 06:30 : Breakfast is served in Western style to fulfill energy for another exploring day. 07:15 : Explore Thien Canh Son Cave . 08:30 : Upon return to the boat, have about 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing. 09:30 : Check out. Please take all personal belongings out of the cabin, heavy luggage can be left outside the cabin door (staff will transfer it directly to the port). 09:45 : Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch on the boat. 10:30 : Back to the harbor. 11:00 – 11:15 : Disembark at Ha Long cruise port .
Stay: La Nueva Boutique Hotel ★★★ (Premium Room) *or similar hotel
160km – 3h
Day 17 — Hanoi
Transferring to airport for flights to next destinations. Our driver will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel in Hanoi and take you to Noi Bai Airport . The drive takes approximately 45 minutes.
35km – 0.75h
What’s Included
Included
- Accommodation as listed, with daily breakfast
- Halong Bay cruise: Swan Cruise – 2D1N
- Private English-speaking guide throughout
- Private air-conditioned car & driver
- Entrance fees & permits in the itinerary
- Meals: Breakfast: 16, Lunch: 11, Dinner: 04
- 02 bottles of water per person per day on tour
- 24/7 WhatsApp · cabin & pickup confirmed within 1 hour
Not Included
- International flights
- Vietnam e-visa (~$25)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Drinks, tips & personal expenses
- Optional activities not listed
- Meals not specified
Pricing
Private tour, price per person — it drops as your group grows (your own guide & car are shared). Pick your group and room type for an indicative from-price; your exact price for specific dates (seasonal, only ~7% either way) is confirmed within 1 hour on WhatsApp.
| Group size | Sharing twin/double | Private single |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller (solo) | — | $3,933 |
| 2 travellers | $2,243 | $2,821 |
| 3 travellers | $1,959 | $2,538 |
| 4 travellers | $1,777 | $2,355 |
| 5 travellers | $1,663 | $2,241 |
| 6 travellers | $1,590 | $2,168 |
| 7 travellers | $1,537 | $2,116 |
| 8 travellers | $1,596 | $2,174 |
Indicative from-prices (season varies ~7%). Single traveller = private single room. Child (2–11, sharing): reduced rate · Infant (<2): free — confirmed in your quote.
Good to Know
Is 17 days enough to enjoy this route?
Yes — this 17-day private itinerary is paced so you see Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and more without rushing. We can shorten or extend any part to fit your dates.
Best time to travel?
March–April and October–November are the most reliable nationwide. Northern Vietnam is cool and dry December–February. We’ll advise the best dates for your route.
Can I customize it?
Fully — change hotels, upgrade your cruise cabin, add or remove stops. It’s a private tour built around you.
How do I pay?
After we agree your itinerary we send a secure online payment link. Cabin & pickup confirmed within 1 hour, honest local pricing.
Get your free, no-obligation quote
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