9 Day South Vietnam Family Adventure Tour

Upon arrival to Ho Chi Minh City, your guide and driver will greet you at the airport and provide transport to the hotel for check in. After checking in, enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to relax at the hotel or explore the city independently. Overnight in Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City is a destination rich in activities that will keep all members of the family entertained. Begin the 9-day tour with a 1.5 hour drive to Cu Chi for exploration of its infamous tunnels (as an optional extra the return journey can be taken by speedboat along the Saigon River). The famous Cu Chi Tunnels consist of an incredible underground network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. Visitors can crawl through the tunnels, learning about how the soldiers and their families lived during wartime periods. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a special tour of Cholon, the city’s Chinatown district. Travel by xe lam, local trucks with long benches in the back perfect for zipping around the city. During the tour, discover the markets and shops of the area, and also the Cantonese Thien Hau Pagoda. Here children can light some incense coils that can burn up to 10 days and make a wish at the same time. At the end of the day, watch a traditional music show in a private home… participation is always welcomed! Return to the hotel late this afternoon for a chance to relax. This evening have dinner at a popular BBQ restaurant for a ‘grill your own meal’. The whole family will join in, preparing their own food in the lively atmosphere. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

This morning, leave bustling Ho Chi Minh for the 2.5-hour drive to the delta town of Cai Be. The brilliant colors and bustling markets of the Mekong Delta will delight kids as well as adults. Arrive in Cai Be at noon, then board the boat. The excursion starts from Cai Be town pier at 10:00. Upon embarkation on your sampan-hotel, you will be welcomed with fresh cotton towels. After your installation, the cruise will begin with the visit of Cai Be colorful floating market cruising among local barges full of fruits and vegetables. Visits will be made at an ancient mandarin house dating from 1890 where you will we welcomed by the owner. Further, another stop at some local home factories will allow you to observe how rice paste, coconut candies and other specialties are traditionally made. We will proceed to Phu An hamlet, an untouched beautiful area reflecting some of the best sights the Mekong Delta can offer. A delicious lunch will await you at "Le Longanier", a superb Indochinese villa located by the river, in a lush tropical garden surrounded by fruit plantations. After lunch, your sampan will proceed to Sa Dec cruising the Tien Giang river, one of the two large arms of the Mekong. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River bring about large networks of meandering rivers, criss-crossed with countless arroyos, and remaining unknown to many people. We will then cruise on a small beautiful canal through water jacinth plantations… You will take a small rowing boat for a cruise along a narrow canal passing by a local tiny village and fruit plantations. Further on the banks, some dark smokes in the sky will lead us to one of the largest artisanal bricks and tiles factory where you will have an interesting visit. Sa Dec town will appear like a little “Venice” with numerous narrow canals. You will disembark for a guided visit of this charming and peaceful town, walking along its narrow streets where beautiful French old houses, Chinese temples and Vietnamese. Dinh are dating from the last century. You will visit the Trung Vuong primary school where famous novelist Marguerite Duras spent her childhood (turned into the movie “The Lover”), then you will have your last visit of the day at the beautiful ancient house of Ong Huynh Thuy Le who was the former “lover” of M. Duras. A delicious dinner will be catered for you on board.

The breakfast will be served on board at 07.30. You will then go on land for the visit of Sa Dec local market, one of the most exotic and authentic in Vietnam. Back on board your sampan, cruising down to Can Tho along a beautiful narrow canal, passing under several wooden “monkey bridges” and by tiny typical villages. Your lunch will be served on board. Some stops on the banks will be arranged for you to establish contacts with the local population or discover some interesting villages on the way. A visit will be done at a Cao Dai Temple, overlooking the river. A bicycle ride will also be organized in the country side. Before sunset, we will have our last stop on the banks arranged at a splendid ancient house or “Nha Co” dating from the early 19th century. After being greeted by the owners, we will cater a candlelight dinner for you, an unforgettable experience in a unique atmosphere. After dinner, we will proceed the cruise for approximately one hour until Can Tho. We will moor for the night in a quiet place. Your bed will be ready for your second night on the Mekong River.

At around 06:00, your sampan will slowly start cruising. Your breakfast will be served on board at 07:00 while approaching Cai Rang Floating Market actually stills the largest in the whole Mekong delta. We will pass by countless sampan boats carrying sand, rice, fruits and vegetables, fish, flowers… showing an intense activity on the river. Your cruise journey will end at around 10:00 at Ninh Kieu pier after a visit at Can Tho local market. After that resume the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City (the journey takes about 4-hours) and check in your hotel. The remainder of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dalat was a popular hill station retreat during French Colonial times and since then has been a popular destination for domestic tourists. Dalat is known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ for its cool climate and rich variety of agricultural produce (including coffee, vegetables and flowers.) The surrounding region is flush with mountains, waterfalls and pine forests. Begin the morning with an early flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat. Upon arrival, our guide and driver will provide transport to the hotel for a check in and a short rest. Today you will enjoy discovering the fresh air and countryside of Dalat on foot. Start hiking along locally cut trails meandering along pine trees. The trail ultimately leads to the stunning Tiger Waterfall. Continue on to the Phoenix Waterfall flowing slowly through colossal old trees. The river that feeds the falls is the main source for water supplying the coffee and vegetable farms of the area. After crossing the hill, stop to visit Lieng Tro, a local minority village, for a first hand-look at their daily activities. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the top of the hill with fantastic views of the river rushing along the beautiful valley. After lunch, follow trails down the hill and enjoy the adventurous feeling of crossing hanging bridges. Kindly note that the trekking route and distance may be adjusted depending on weather conditions as well as the age of the children and fitness and energy levels. Return to the hotel. Dinner and the remainder of this evening are at leisure. Overnight in Dalat

This morning enjoy a cycling excursion to discover more of the scenic Dalat countryside. After breakfast, our private vehicle and guide will provide pick up around 09:00 for the transfer to the biking starting point. Begin cycling for a stretch of approximately 7 km with fantastic views of Xuan Huong Lake and Victory Lake. Continue to cycle through the hilly pine forest to the top of the mountain to catch the endless green forest near the Valley of Love. Enjoy a picnic lunch here with breads, typical fresh fruits and vegetables of Dalat. Kindly note that the cycling distance and route can be adjusted depending on weather conditions as well as the age of the children and fitness and energy levels. After lunch, bike back to the starting point and then transfer approximately 3 hours by road to Nha Trang city, located on the coast. The remainder of today and this evening are at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Enjoy the morning at leisure and in the afternoon (around 16:00) embark on a ‘streets and eats’ tour of Nha Trang via cyclo. Our guide and local cyclo drivers will provide pick up at the hotel and will follow up with a unique photo opportunity at the beach square. Now that the hottest portion of the day has passed, enjoy the refreshing cyclo ride through the city. Stops will be made at the outside of the Nha Trang cathedral and the Ponagar temple as well as at the main harbour. As the sun sets, walk across the bridge over the Cai River with the colourful fishing boats below. As we explore by cyclo, different stops will be made to sample some of the renowned Nha Trang street food and local specialties, including ‘banh can’ (a grilled round rice cake), nem nuong (Nha Trang style Fresh Spring Rolls), grilled sea shells, and a long time popular local BBQ eatery. We finish by enjoying a Vietnamese coffee or fruit dessert sitting on the sidewalk with the locals, while watching the world and time passing by. Return to the hotel by cyclo and the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

This morning our guide and driver will provide transport to Nha Trang’s airport for the flight south to Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh’s Tan Son Nhat, catch the international flights or a domestic extension. Thank you for your choosing Travelshop Vietnam and wish to see you again in our next tours.