The Highlights of Sai Gon and Mekong Delta – 6 Days / 5 Nights

The guide and driver would welcome you at the airport, then, take you to Sai Gon for check-in (the rooms are at your disposal from 14:00).

Overnight in your hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Having breakfast at your hotel before starting the city tour.

08:00 Am: Our tour expert and driver will pick you up at the hotel, start your day tour of Saigon highlights. This trip features some of the best known relic historical sites of the Old Saigon, including the Reunification Palace that was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. The war remnant museum, formerly known as the museum of American War Crimes. This is a poignant display the futility of war. You also visit some of the best samples of French colonial architecture. They are the Notre Dame Cathedral church and the Saigon Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France.

Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office that is the country’s largest post office was built since 1891. It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam's largest post office.

We have scheduled a special lunch at a popular local eatery in Saigon for your taste of Saigon cuisines.

After lunch, we continue to China town area to visit the most popular secret temple of Chinese Vietnamese community in Saigon, the Thien Hau Buddhist temple. The rest of the time is leisurely on shopping and visiting to the most bustling wholesale market in Saigon, also known as Cho Lon market, a well justified as Vietnam’s largest market. If time permit, you will also visit a famous lacquer ware workshop and enjoy interaction with the local artist, there are much technique to learn and of course it is a great shopping opportunity. Dinner is on your own arrangement.

Overnight in your hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Meet our tour expert and driver at hotel lobby; depart Saigon to Mekong delta by car. Upon arrival we board a local boat and cruise along the Mekong River to observe the local fishing port, where hundreds of fishing boats anchor to unload fresh fish. We continue our exploration with a pleasant rowing trip down small canals and dense palm trees, experiencing the local villages between the islands to a small islet. We disembark on a small island, where we take a short walk through a local village set amongst a peaceful atmosphere and fruit trees, experience how the local people make their living from fruit trees and witness the unusual yet fascinating process of coconut candy in the making. Stroll through a local village to a family home and tantalize our taste buds with a magnificent seafood lunch prepared by the family, with a unique experience of tasting local delicacies including ‘Elephant Ear fish’ and traditional Vietnamese rice wine. A family on the island will serve us local seasonal fruits and honey tea whilst performing traditional southern music, called Tai Tu music after lunch. We continue our journey to Vinh Long where we meet our vehicle for an hour drive and a smooth ferry ride across the Mekong, taking us to Can Tho.

Overnight in your hotel in Can Tho.

Have a breakfast at the hotel.

This morning we make an early rise to be captivated by Vietnam’s most legendary floating markets, 'Cai Rang' & Phong Dien. We board our boat and commence our journey along the Mekong River, observing ‘true life on the river’, the hustle and bustle of families carrying out their morning chores and the locals heading our way to the markets to pick up their daily supplies.

We weave in and out of the masses of floating boats selling all kinds of fascinating wares and produce and side with them to test our skills in bargaining, ‘the local way’, picking up some amazing fresh fruits to snack on whilst we sit and observe. We return to the hotel for freshen up before our return to Saigon. Overnight at your hotel.

Overnight in your hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Breakfast is served at the hotel.

We set out this morning for our 70km spectacular drive to Cu Chi. The famous Cu Chi Tunnel system was created to assist the Vietnamese Revolutionists against the French in 1948. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers etc and in certain areas, housed up to 10,000 people, who virtually lived underground for years.

After a video introduction and a guided tour through the grounds, you will have the opportunity to take part in the unique experience of guerrillas living underground during the war, with a crawl through 20/30/50 meters of the tunnel system.

We then drive 30 km toward Tay Ninh, and visit The Great Temple of Caodaism (a famous local religion).

The Temple was built on nine levels that represent nine steps to heaven at which you will see a prayer session at noon with beautiful music prayer with Vietnamese folk instrument in a very spiritual environment. We return to Ho Chi Minh City afternoon.

Overnight in your hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

After breakfast at hotel, free at your leisure until our drive come to pick you up and transfer to the airport for your onward flight. End of services.