Exploring Southern Vietnam

pon arrival to Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) you will be picked up and transferred by private car through the city to your hotel for check-in (hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in). The buzzing southern city, formerly known as Saigon, is a tantalizing mix of old and new. 

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

08:00 am you will be picked up from your hotel lobby by our guide and driver for a full day tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Head to Cholon, the city's Chinatown district, discover the markets and shops of the area, and also the Cantonese Thien Hau Pagoda - dedicated to the goddess of the Sea.

Next visit the FITO Museum, Vietnam's first traditional medicine museum, displaying an amazing collection of 3,000 items relevant to the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine, implements used to prepare indigenous herbs, objects commonly found in traditional pharmacies as well as ancient books and documents on traditional Vietnamese medicine.

Head back into the centre of the city to visit Ben Thanh Market where an incredible display of fresh produce is offered. Simply stroll through the market seeing and enjoying the variety of goods for sale.

This afternoon visit the War Remnants or History Museum (choose which one you would most like to see) and the former Presidential Palace, from there stroll (your vehicle will be available at all times) to the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall. At the end of the afternoon head back to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch in a local restaurant. 

This morning, depart at 08h00 from the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City to the area referred locally as "the rice bowl of Vietnam". 

On arrival in Tien Giang Province head towards My Tho where you will board your local boat for a cruise among the aptly named Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix Islands. En-route, visit a small factory producing handicrafts made of coconut. Stop at Turtle Island where you will visit a tropical orchard to taste some exotic fruit. 

After the boat trip, take a ride on a horse driven cart along country roads to the famed garden for a honey tasting session. Continue on a smaller rowing boat for a more adventurous cruise on the Xep Canal which is set amongst a forest of palm trees. 

Embark once more by boat to Turtle Island where a selection of Mekong delicacies will be served for lunch.

In the afternoon return to My Tho City (My Phong Commune) for a visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City where you will arrive late this afternoon.

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch in a local restaurant.

Depart Ho Chi Minh City at 08h00 in the morning for the drive to Tay Ninh. Leaving the city behind, the scenery changes to views of rice paddies, villagers drying noodles by the side of the road and other scenes typical to southern Vietnam.

At Tay Ninh visit the Cao Dai Great Temple, with architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail.

After lunch in a local restaurant visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which consist of an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. Start the visit with the Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc sections of the tunnel. Here you can imagine what it was like to be a guerrilla complete with Russian Carbine rifles and AK 47's on display. In the late afternoon journey back to Ho Chi Minh City. 

Stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel and Lunch in a local restaurant. 

Today is free at your leisure for last minute shopping or sight-seeing before transferring to the airport for your onward flight. Good bye & see you in the next time!