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Vietnam Express Southbound
Operated by Intrepid Travel
Tripcode: TVSF
Overview
Destination:
Vietnam,
Start:Hanoi, Vietnam
Finish:Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Finish:Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration:10 days
Type:Group tour (max 16)
Travel Period
February 2025 - December 2028
EOFY Sale: Save up to 15%^Discover the essence of captivating Vietnam on this ten-day tour through backstreets, villages, cities and waterways. Trace the east coast on this fast-paced adventure and take in World Heritage-listed landscapes and towns, feel the buzz of bustling cities and fuel yourself with banh mi and condensed milk coffee. As lively as it is lovely, Vietnam can seem an intimidating place to travel, but your local leaders will guide you to the best street food (and tell you how to order it), introduce you to fishermen on the Mekong Delta and give you the inside scoop on the best tailors in Hoi An. This is an adventure full of life, colour and flavour that introduces you to the highlights of this fascinating nation.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 (Overnight boat) and Day 3 (Sleeper train) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. Day use rooms are also excluded.
2. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport) for train and flight tickets. Fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.
3. This trip includes a domestic flight. Checked luggage allowance is a maximum of 20 kilograms, plus up to 7 kilograms carry on luggage. Any excess luggage charges will need to be paid directly to the airline at check-in.
2. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport) for train and flight tickets. Fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.
3. This trip includes a domestic flight. Checked luggage allowance is a maximum of 20 kilograms, plus up to 7 kilograms carry on luggage. Any excess luggage charges will need to be paid directly to the airline at check-in.
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Standard inclusions
- Meals: Meals: 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners.
- Transport: Boat, Motorbike, Overnight sleeper train, Plane, Private Minibus, Taxi, Sampan, Tuk-tuk.
- Accommodation: Hotel (7 nights), Overnight boat (1 night), Overnight sleeper train (1 night).
- Hanoi - KOTO dinner.
- Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise.
- Halong Bay - Cave entry.
- Halong Bay - The Green Life Visit.
- Hue - Imperial City entrance and guided visit.
- Hue - Royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc.
- Hue - Highlights & back streets tour by motorbike.
- Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda.
- Hue - Vegetarian Lunch at Pagoda.
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour.
- Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum.
- Ho Chi Minh City - City tour.
- Mekong Delta - Mekong Delta Day Trip & Village Tuk-Tuk Tour.
- Mekong Delta - Lunch.
Itinerary
Expand all 
Collapse all
Collapse allDay 1: Hanoi
Xin chao! Welcome to Hanoi! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at the hotel and is followed by a group dinner at KOTO restaurant. This organisation is dedicated to developing the hospitality careers of disadvantaged youth. If you arrive early, there’s plenty to see and do. Consider booking the Hanoi Street Food Experience at 9 am (see urbanadventures.com/en for details). You'll get to sample delicious Vietnamese cuisine like a true local, stroll through the hidden alleyways and bustling markets and take in a spectacular view of Hoan Kiem lake from a secret café. Or maybe take it at your own pace and wander the Old Quarter to admire the city’s French-colonial architecture. Thinking of arriving a few days early to explore the majestic Northern Vietnam? Then check out our Ninh Binh Mini Adventure (TVAN) -for an off-the-beaten path discovery of Pu Long and Ninh Binh. Or you can try our Hiking In Sapa (TVAG) - for a big doze of dramatic mountain landscapes, crisp fresh air and colorful hilltribes.
Day 2: Halong Bay
Travel by private minibus to World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay, which is dotted with sandy coves, grottoes and 1600 limestone islands formed over millennia by wind and water erosion. Board a private boat and cruise the bay, exploring Surprise Cave and perhaps even enjoying a swim from Ti Top Island Beach during the warmer months. Access to Surprise Cave is via staircases. Once inside the cave the pathways are a little uneven and slippery. To end the day, spend an evening aboard the boat beneath the night sky. What better way to get to know your fellow travellers than an old school sleepover in an unforgettable location?
Day 3: Hanoi – Overnight train
Wake up on the waters of Ha Long Bay, and before you leave the memorable scenery behind, it’s time for one last stop. The Green Life Centre is committed to turning Halong Bay’s trash into treasure by collecting discarded items and skillfully turning them into beautiful handicrafts. Meet the team behind this important cause and learn how to transform rubbish into a useful and reusable bag. After your visit, return by bus to Hanoi. Arrive late this afternoon and enjoy free time until tonight’s train voyage. Be sure to grab a bowl of pho while you’re in town and slurp down this local specialty made from broth, noodles and meat. Maybe chill by Hoan Kiem Lake until you board an overnight train to Hue this evening.
Day 4: Hue
Arrive in Hue this morning and transfer to the hotel. Once the imperial capital of Vietnam, Hue holds the treasures of the country’s royal past. Enjoy free time in the morning to rest or explore. If you choose the latter (and who can blame you) the bustling Dong Ba Market is a great place to sample some of the specialties that once graced the Nguyen emperors' tables like banh khoai (royal rice cake). Reunite with the group to visit the war-damaged ruins of the Imperial Citadel, a sprawling city-within-a-city which contains the remains of temples, state houses and the emperor’s palace.
Day 5: Hue
See Hue like a local – from the back of a motorbike! Straddle the saddle and whiz around town with a local guide, taking in historic and contemporary sights along the way. Stop at Thanh Toan to see the 18th-century covered bridge and villagers shopping at their local market. Visit the 17th-century active Buddhist monastery of Thien Mu Pagoda and see the car that belonged to Thich Quang Duc, the monk who self-immolated in 1963 in protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. For lunch, savour a vegetarian feast in a nunnery. Finish at the lakeside royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc before heading back to town.
Day 6: Hoi An
This morning travel by bus through coastal rice paddies and the spectacular Hai Van Pass. After a photo stop on the way, arrive into Hoi An. Recently declared a World Heritage site, Hoi An was a major international trading port during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Today, parts of the beautifully-preserved town retain the feel of centuries past. It's also a shopping mecca, famous for its plethora of tailors. When you arrive, your leader will take you on a sightseeing walk through the Old Town to visit a handful of the city's major attractions. You’ll also be given a sightseeing pass so you can further explore select attractions at your leisure.
Day 7: Hoi An
Today is a free day to explore Hoi An. Maybe browse the cobbled streets and art galleries or hire a bike and cycle through rice paddies out to Cua Dai Beach. Maybe browse for paintings, ceramics and colourful cloth lanterns in the town’s markets and preserved Chinese shophouses. If you’re craving a new look, you could pay a visit to one of the hundreds of tailors and get something special made. Hoi An is also known for its delicious regional food, so be sure to enjoy a meal at a riverside restaurant or perhaps partake in a cooking class.
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City
Today take a short, early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City has a fascinating history and is arguably Vietnam’s capital of commerce and culture. After landing, take a sightseeing tour around the city by bus. Pass the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House, then stop in at the War Remnants Museum to discover some of the sobering stories of the 20-year-long Vietnam/American War.
Day 9: Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City
This morning head out on a day trip to explore the Mekong Delta. Board a private boat to Ben Tre to visit the coconut gardens and stop at a local home to sample tropical fruits and coconut jams. After, paddle in sampans (small rowing boats) past coconut trees along the Mekong Delta. Take a tuk-tuk tour around the villages and learn about rural life and the industry created around coconut products like brooms and coconut fibre mats. Eat lunch at a restaurant in the heart of the Delta, sampling regional specialties such as the famous elephant ear fish. Cruise the major waterways to Ben Tre boat pier, then return by bus to Ho Chi Minh City. This evening, perhaps head out to sample some local specialties as a final farewell with your fellow travellers and leader.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City
There are no activities included and you’re free to depart your accommodation at any time as long as you comply with check out time. If you would like to spend some more time in Ho Chi Minh City, just speak to your booking agent.
Departure dates
Select your preferred date or enquire
Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid is a small group tour travel company with humble beginnings that now sends over 100,000 travellers a year on grassroots and responsible travel tours.
Important Information
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
For more information, please see Terms of Use
^EOFY Sale Terms & Conditions
Terms & Conditions
1. 15% discount applies to new bookings made and deposited with RACV Travel between 12:00am AEDT 17 June 2024 and 11.59pm AEDT 28 June 2024.
2. 15% discount can only be applied toward Intrepid Travel small group adventures that originate in Asia and depart between 17 June 2024 – 15 December 2024.This promotion excludes the following:
i) Short-Break Adventures;
ii) Tailor-Made Experiences;
iii) Urban Adventures trips;
iv) All expedition trips (including Women's Expeditions);
v) Adventure Cruise trips
3. This offer is combinable with RACV 5% members’ discount. Proof of membership is required at time of booking.
4. Credit Holders can use any valid discounts or promotions, except where we are honoring their original price. For more information about how to redeem your credit visit our Credit Redemption page.
5. Offer applies to land element of trip only and cannot be redeemed against flights, additional accommodation, transfers, travel insurance or local payments/kittys.
6. This sale is applicable to residents of Australia only and must be booked in AUD.
7. Our trips are subject to availability and confirmation by Intrepid Travel at time of booking.
8. If you wish to cancel and rebook your trip or change dates outside the promotional period, you will be required to pay the full cost towards the new trip.
9. Except as set out expressly above, Intrepid Travel’s Booking Conditions apply.
10. Travel documents & vaccination requirements are the responsibility of the individual traveller.
11. Promo code 692284 must be quoted at time of booking.
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Price from
$1,636
$1,555
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Member price from
$1,555*
per person
9 nights
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