VIETNAM FAMILY FUN

Welcome to Ha Noi – the capital of Vietnam! 

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International airport terminal 2, please follow the signs to immigration and passport control, collect your luggage and proceed through customs. Your private tour guide and driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with an Active Asia Travel welcome sign with your name on (Please note: this is the standard sign board all your tour guides will have for meet and greet at airports and rail stations on your trip). 

Transfer by private vehicle to your hotel. 
 
Please note that standard hotel check-in time is from 14:00; we will make every effort possible to request an earlier check-in for you depending on your arrival time and if your room is ready. Your tour guide will provide additional details regarding your stay, and answer any questions you may have. 

Meals at your own expense.

Overnight in Hanoi Nostalgia hotel 3 star or similar ones

08:00. Dive in to the sights, sounds and smells of Hanoi.  Your guide and driver will collect you from the hotel lobby to start your trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex on the site where he declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945, and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their “Uncle Ho”. Other sites that we will visit with our local guide include: House 54, Stilt House, Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda.

10:00. Continuing on our journey through Hanoi we drive to the Museum of Ethnology, to learn more about the cultural diversity of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. Established by the Vietnamese government in 1997, the museum provides us with a fascinating insight into the diverse cultures, customs and lifestyles of the 54 ethnic groups that inhabit Vietnam.     

12:30. We will have lunch at a Vietnamese Noodle shop where we will enjoy some "Pho Bo" Beef Noodles. Some of the local people call this world famous Noodle soup “Mac-Noodles" since it is as popular here as MacDonalds is in other parts of the world!  At the restaurant your tour guide will explain the routine during Vietnamese meal times, and also tell you which special ingredients are needed for you.

**Please note: The evening street food tour is one of our highlight activities, please remember to save your stomach for this special tour.

13:30. In the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Literature.  Originally built in honor of Confucius by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or "mandarins". The University remained here until Emperor Gia Long moved the countries administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue in the 18th century.  

15:00. Return your hotel for some rest before starting the evening local food discovery. 
 
17:00-20:30. We start our walking tour at Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. 
 
Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. 
 
Our next stop is a Banh My (French Baguette) shop, a little food stall with a few typical tiny Vietnamese chairs on the sidewalk where we enjoy the delicious and fresh baguettes while observing the neighborhood.
 
Move on to a local restaurant where we sample some Bun Cha consisting of vermicelli, herbs and grilled pork. At this Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden café we will watch the demonstration and then try some egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy.
 
Continue to other food stalls in Hang Bo and Ho Hoan Kiem Street where we try some dishes such Che “Vietnamese style pudding” and Nom “papaya salad with beef”.
 
It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced – this specialty is one not to be missed!

Overnight in Hanoi Nostalgia hotel 3 star or similar ones

**Please note:

1, The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.

2, The food tour is not reserved for Vegetarians.

Please note: The itinerary can be changed by the cruise provider without prior notice

08:00-08:30. You will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter Streets and transfer to Tuan Chau harbor by luxury limousine.

11:30. Arrive at Tuan Chau harbor.

11:30-12:30. Transfer by tender boat to Blue Diamond Cruise.

12:30. The Cruise Manager and crew member welcome you onboard with guiding information and a safety briefing.

Check in your cabin before a fabulous lunch in our restaurant.

During lunch time, our cruise starts to sail through the magnificent Lan Ha Bay, a geological extension of Halong Bay which is less visited, less inhabited and therefore has the extra appeal of being a more peaceful place.

15:30-16:30. Visit Dark & Bright Cave by bamboo boat rowed by the local fishermen, a serene round lake surrounded by lush trees and high stone cliffs.

16:30-17:00. Enjoy swimming in the private emerald water.

17:00. We return to Blue Diamond cruise and join some interesting activities such as cooking demonstration, sunset party and relax on the sundeck to catch the daily spectacular of a gorgeous panorama

Don’t miss the happy hour at our bar as well.

After that, the captain will let the cruise stop at a quite area of the bay.

19:00. A special dinner of fresh seafood and an assortment of appetizing delicacies will be served.

20:45. In the late evening, take your leisure time to chat at the bar, playing games, squid fishing…

Overnight onboard Blue Diamond cruise 5 star

Please note: The itinerary can be changed by the cruise provider without prior notice 
VN 1547 HAN-HUI 19:45-21:00 (Operated by Vietnam Airlines)

06:30. Be an early riser and attend the healthy Tai Chi practice on the sundeck. Sunrise photography is awesome.

07:00-08:00. Enjoy a breakfast in the restaurant.

08:00-09:00. Explore Lan Ha bay by kayak.

09:00-09:30. Back to the main cruise and it’s time to pack your things, do the check-out procedure. Make sure not to forget your belongings. 

Enjoy brunch while cruising back to the mainland.     

11:30. Travel on a tender boat back to Tuan Chau Harbor. Make your farewell to the crew.

12:00. Meet the luxury limousine for a return to Hanoi.

15:00. Drop off at your hotel in Hanoi. Enjoy a free time for relaxation or do some shopping. 

17:00. Your private car with driver will take you to Noi Bai airport terminal 1 (without tour guide) for your evening flight to Phu Bai airport, Hue.

19:45. Flight takes off from Hanoi

21:30. On arrival at Hue you will be met by your local tour guide and driver in Phu Bai airport arrivals hall. After a short drive to the city center, check-in to your hotel. 

Dinner at Noi Bai airport or in Hue at your own cost

Overnight in Mondial Hue hotel 4 star or similar ones

08:00. After breakfast meet your local guide and motoribike drivers (you will ride pillion). Start the day with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village to see the lively morning market. This is where the locals buy their daily food. Visit the nearby 300 year old Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge and the local cultural museum.  

Continue on to the Forbidden Purple City, the former home of the Nguyen Dynasty (the last dynasty of Vietnam) from 1802-1945. 

12:00 noon. Enjoy lunch at a local Buddhist Monastery, prepared and served by the nuns.

In the afternoon, visit one of the impressive imperial tombs (the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc), Thien Mu Pagoda and the Tiger Arena. 

The next stop is An Hien garden house, one of the most typical examples of a garden house in Hue that still retains its original features.      

Back in Hue city spend time visiting Dong Ba market, a famous local market which gives many photographic opportunities with its bustling vegetable stalls and local crafts. 

Return to your hotel. Overnight in Hue.

**Please note: All the above mentioned destinations will be included. However, the order of visits  may need to be rearranged depending on  the routes the motorbike driver takes.

Estimated train time: 11:08-13:36 

After breakfast, check out of the hotel.

10:00. Transfer from the hotel to Hue rail station for the train to Danang (the nearest station to Hoi An). Admire the beautiful landscape on route. 

Welcome to Danang! Your local tour guide and driver will meet you at the train station. Transfer to Hoi An and check-in to your hotel.

Freetime in the afternoon and evening. 

Overnight in Lasenta Hoi An Boutique hotel 4 star or similar ones

**Please note: The local train schedules may change depending on your confirmation time.  

Breakfast at the hotel. Freetime to explore Hoi An independently.

Overnight in Lasenta Hoi An Boutique hotel 4 star or similar ones

Breakfast at the hotel. Freetime to explore Hoi An independently.

Overnight in Lasenta Hoi An Boutique hotel 4 star or similar ones

VN 1947 DAD-CXR 12:40-13:45 (Operated by Vietnam Airlines)

Have breakfast at hotel.  

10:30. Meet your private driver at the hotel lobby and be transferred to the airport (without tour guide) for a flight to Cam Ranh airport, Nha Trang. 

12:40. Flight departs from Danang.

Welcome to Nha Trang - one of the most beautiful beach cities in Vietnam! 

You will be met by your local tour guide and driver at Cam Ranh airport arrivals hall. Transfer to your hotel. Store your luggage, free time at your leisure until hotel check-in time. 

The rest of the day and evening is at your leisure.

Overnight in Liberty Central Nha Trang hotel 4 star. 

08:00. After breakfast, meet your local guide at the hotel lobby and start your day with a visit to the Oceanographic Institute nearby the Nhatrang Port, where you can see the full collection of sea creatures of Nhatrang bay before embarking to the islands.

Continue our trip by leaving to the docks to embark on a boat cruise heading out to Hon Mun Island - the best island for snorkeling where you can see lots of lives colorful corals and fish.

From Mun Island, we will proceed to at a local fishing village on Mieu Island. From here we go for a walk, meet the locals and learn about their everyday life. We will have lunch on the other side of the Island before our boat brings us back to the docks.     

Meet your private vehicle and be taken back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax at the beach.

Overnight in Liberty Central Nha Trang hotel 4 star. 

VN1343 CXR-SGN 12:15-13:25 (Operated by Vietnam Airlines)

09:00. Check out of the hotel after breakfast. Transfer to Cam Ranh airport (without tour guide) for your the flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Welcome you to Ho Chi Minh City - the largest city in Vietnam! 

You will be met by your local tour guide and driver at Tan Son Nhat airport (domestic terminal) arrivals hall. Transfer to your hotel. 

Afternoon free time at your leisure. 

Overnight in Avanti Saigon hotel 3 star or similar ones.

07:00. Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby and head out for a discovery tour of this City.

The first stop is ‘Tao Dan Park’ where locals practice their morning exercises – Tai Chi, aerobics and badminton. Stroll around the park to a small pagoda where you are likely to see locals performing daily prayers. Buddhism in Vietnam has had a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality as well as aspects of indigenous Vietnamese religion. You will also have the unique opportunity to enjoy a café sua da "White Coffee" at the birds’ club located at the end of the park. Local people gather here with their birds to relax, talk, enjoy a morning coffee and compare their birds.  

Our next stop is the Reunification Palace before visiting a twin set of neighboring landmarks: the Post Office, noting the architecture and in particular the map of Saigon that shows where this modern city has come from, followed by Cathedral of Notre Dame (“Our Lady”).

Travel down Dong Khoi Street, known for its elegant shops, the name actually means “people’s revolution”. Pass by the Opera House, popular backdrop for wedding photos, now used as a Municipal Theatre. This area is rich with history from the times of the French invasion to the filming of Phil Noyce’s “The Quiet American.”

The next stop is the monument of Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death on June 11, 1963 to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam’s Ngo Dinh Diem administration. 

Roll through Chinatown to Nhi Phu temple built in the end of 17th century by Chinese immigrants from Fujian Province. Although the exact construction date is unknown, an inscription on the pagoda's ancient bell dates the pagoda to pre-1765. Nhi Phu Temple is built in a unique architectural style with an open yard in the center. Its roof is covered with tubular tiles lined with bas-relief mosaics made from broken ceramics, depicting the eight immortals of Taoism including apricot trees, orchids, bamboo and of course dragons and phoenix. 

On the way stop at a Chinese Medicine shops for an explanation about “Thuoc Bac - medicine from herbs” or “Thuoc tau – medicine from China” End the tour at the hotel at midday.

Have lunch at a local restaurant. 

13:30. After lunch we continue to discover the remains of Saigon including the Jade Emperor Pagoda and Ben Thanh Market and perhaps the War Remnants Museum if you are interested in war’s figures and facts. Kindly note that our tour guide can always assist you to discover other hidden parts of the City that normal tours do not go to.

17:00. Get back to the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Avanti Saigon hotel 3 star or similar ones.
    
Please note: The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.

08:00. After breakfast visit Ben Tre Town, the heart of the Mekong Delta. Travel by private car along some pretty country roads. This area is popularly known as the “rice bowl” of Vietnam, famous for its vast rice fields, orchard farms, coconut trees, and numerous waterways..

10:00. After approximately 2 hours driving through lush farm land arrive at Ben Tre Town. From here, board a motorized boat and sail down the Ben Tre River, meandering through the mangrove trees, watching the daily life along the river bank, and the activity of fishing and coconut cargo boats on the waterway.

Stop at a traditional brickworks to see how bricks are made by hand. Turn into the Cai Son canal winding through the coconut jungle. Visit a coconut workshop to see the stages of coconut processing including removing the husks, and prizing out the coconut flesh by hand. Continue cruising the waterways, before stopping at a coconut candy workshop. Watch how the coconut confectionary is made by hand, enjoy some candy and fruit and listen to local music. Return to the boat and visit a local farming family who make sleeping mats.

Hop on tuktuk which will take you through the coconut groves followed by lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch travel by rowing boat along the canal shaded by palm trees. 

Meet your private vehicle and return to Saigon and to your hotel. 

16:30. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight in Avanti Saigon hotel 3 star or similar ones.

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Free time until your driver and vehicle arrives to take you to the Tan Son Nhat International airport for your departure flight. End of services.

**Please note: Standard hotel check-out time is 11:00 am.

Yes. A single supplement is available with a surcharge fee. If you're a solo traveller, please contact us for more information. 

Yes, all visitors to Vietnam must be covered by a minimum of travel medical insurance with a liability of US$10,000 or more for COVID-19 treatment. A more robust travel insurance policy for a trip to Vietnam is optional, but highly recommended due to the unpredictable nature of international travel.

Although the only travel insurance legally required to visit Vietnam is the medical coverage related to COVID-19, there are many other aspects of a trip overseas that can quickly become costly if things go awry. Travel insurance for Vietnam can be a great asset in unexpected situations, lessening the financial burden on a traveler in an emergency or otherwise difficult situation.

Vietnam trip insurance can include a variety of coverages designed to assist travelers in unforeseen situations. Travelers may choose between plans that offer specific coverage for their unique concerns, which may include airline delays or disruptions, sudden illness or injury while abroad, trip cancellation, and much more. These coverages do vary by plan, so be sure to review your policy carefully before purchasing.

Yes. Travel Health Insurance covering Covid-19 is mandatory. To enter Vietnam, you must show evidence of health or travel insurance that covers COVID-related medical care up to a minimum of US$10,000 for the duration of your visit. Failure to produce this may result in being refused entry to the country.

The price of Vietnam travel protection can vary depending on the age, health status, and number of travelers being covered, as well as the duration of the trip and type of coverage.
As risk involved with the trip increases, prices may also increase. For example, a trip to Vietnam that lasts one week may cost less than a two-week trip, even if the type of coverage is the same, due to the extended length of the trip. Additionally, a traveler with pre-existing health conditions can usually expect to pay higher rates than a traveler who does not have any diagnosed pre-existing conditions.