Impressions of Vietnam - Private Tour

9 Day Private Tour

Vietnam, South East Asia
19 Meals Included
8 Excursions
Intermediate Pace

Please see 'Impressions of Vietnam - June to October 2024 Departures' for departures at other times of the year.

From the ancient waterways of the Mekong Delta to the bustling cities of Hanoi & Saigon, this captivating nine-day tour is a great introduction to this unique and vibrant country. Steeped in its rich traditions and history, yet irrevocably shaped by the major ideas and events of the 20th century, all taking place against the backdrop of stunning landscapes and architecture, Vietnam is a traveller’s dream.

Highlights

  • Explore the vast underground network of the Cu Chi Tunnels, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War
  • City tours of Saigon and Hanoi, including a walking tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter
  • Overnight cruise through the towering limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay
  • Visit Cai Rang floating market and delight in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration
  • Cruise the picturesque waterways of the Mekong River with a daytime cruise
  • Enjoy a boat ride through the winding canals of Can Tho
  • Visit fruit and bee farms on Unicorn Island

Map Key

Train
Coach
Boat
Airplane
Walking
1
Number of nights

Itinerary

Day 1
UK to Saigon

Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Saigon International Airport.

Day 2
Saigon

Dinner

On arrival in Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel. Relax in the afternoon before enjoying a welcome dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant.

Day 3
Saigon

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an impressive network of underground tunnels spanning 75 miles in length, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Pass through a traditional rice paper-making village before lunch, then start your city tour with a visit to the Reunification Palace. Continue to the Notre Dame Cathedral and travel past the grand French-style Saigon Post Office.

Day 4
Saigon to Can Tho

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This morning drive to My Tho, stopping on the way at the Thien Hau Pagoda, an intricately designed temple. On arrival in My Tho, you will board a boat for a cruise down the Mekong River, passing floating markets and local villages. Your boat will dock at Unicorn Island, giving you the chance to visit fruit farms and a coconut sweet workshop where you can sample these local delights. Visit a bee farm to enjoy traditional honey tea, before making your way to Can Tho for the night.

Day 5
Can Tho to Hanoi

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Your morning in Can Tho will begin with a gentle trip through the picturesque canals and waterways in a small boat, taking in the sultry scenery and daily activities of the small boat vendors of the floating markets who live along these Mekong canals, as well as stopping at the spectacular Cai Rang floating market - the largest in the entire Mekong Delta. After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant you will be transferred to the airport in Can Tho for your flight to Hanoi where you will then have the night to settle in.

Day 6
Hanoi

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Your full-day tour of Hanoi begins with the ancient Temple of Literature, then the Presidential Palace and the famous One Pillar Pagoda. A short drive out of the city centre follows where you can take part in a local Vietnamese cooking demonstration and enjoy your delicious creation for lunch. The afternoon continues with a visit to the Vietnam History museum, and a photo opportunity at the Hanoi Opera House, a beautiful colonial building, then a walking tour of the Old Quarter. In the evening sit back and enjoy a thousand-year-old Water Puppet Show.

Day 7
Hanoi to Halong Bay

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This memorable day takes you to the awe-inspiring Halong Bay where you will explore these tranquil islands on a luxury cruise boat, passing local towns and intricate limestone formations on the way. Sail to the narrow arched Luon Cave and embark on a kayak or bamboo boat to get closer to this impressive formation which has a maximum height of 4 metres - depending on the tide! After, enjoy some swimming at Ti Top (Titov) beach. Back on board, enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail party and a cooking demonstration class before savouring a delicious set dinner in the dining room. Evening activities are available including night time squid fishing. Please note some departures will be using the 'Syrena' cruise, the itinerary for the Syrena cruise will differ, please refer to the dossier for more information. Depending on the weather and which beaches can be accessed, there is an opportunity to climb up the side of Titov Mountain and witness an impressive view over Halong Bay. There are roughly 450 steps to reach the top. This is optional and not a guaranteed activity, but if you do wish to do it, then please pack suitable shoes just in case.

Day 8
Halong Bay to Hanoi

Brunch & Dinner

Awake to the rising sun's glistening reflection from the centre of Halong Bay and begin your day with some calming Tai Chi. After breakfast, explore Sung Sot cave - one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. The cave has some unique rock formations which couldn't be found anywhere else. Return on board and sail towards Tuan Chau Marina where you will disembark and head back to the capital of Hanoi. Please note: the Halong Bay cruise itinerary may change depending on the boat used.

Day 9
Hanoi to UK

Breakfast

Following breakfast the day is left at leisure before transferring to the airport for your evening flight back to London.

View Full Itinerary

Accommodation

The hotels listed below are provided for guidance only and final confirmation of your accommodation will be sent to you approximately 10 days before you travel
Paragon Hotel
2 nights
Saigon, Vietnam
More details
Muong Thanh Luxury Can Tho Hotel
1 nights
Can Tho, Vietnam
More details
View More

Tour Testimonials

Zaitoon Suleiman

18 Jun 24

The warmth of the Vietnamese people was exceptional and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip from start to end. Excellent trip and we would like to go back to Vietnam with Mercury as good value for money. Thank you, we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Christopher Martin

11 Jun 24

The tour guides made this all a great highlight for us very hard to pick one from another their knowledge was excellent.

Sheona Ford

22 May 23

Thank you to Mercury for a fabulous holiday! We loved every second of it - does exactly what it says in the brochure and some!! The guides were brilliant (Tian and Ding) and the group we were in made it even more enjoyable! Looking forward to booking something in the future!

Extend Your Tour

Impressions of Vietnam with Temples of Cambodia 5 Night Extension

6 Day Extension
from

£2,783

pp

Impressions of Vietnam with Temples of Cambodia 6 Night Extension

7 Day Extension
from

£2,920

pp

Impressions of Vietnam with Hoi An 4 Night Beach Stay

5 Day Extension
from

£2,693

pp

Important Information

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa is not required for stays up to 45 days for British Passport holders entering Vietnam. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. Passports must have at least 6 months validity from your date of entry and a minimum of 2 blank pages. However, we strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Impressions of Vietnam is rated as Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong, known as VND. You can exchange your currency in Vietnam, however, US Dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency. Money can be exchanged at the airport or branches of government banks. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory and is at your discretion. However, Should you wish to tip in Vietnam we recommend you tip your guide approx. USD $4 per person per day and your driver approx. USD $2 per person per day. Please note tips on the cruise ships are not included either and would recommend USD $2 per person per day. Additionally, If you want to tip your Bell boy, porter, Boat Crew etc this is up to your discretion.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Boats

During this tour you will be boarding various vessels. Cabins come with en suite facilities and air conditioning. However room size can be restrictive, If you would like to take a smaller overnight bag on to the ships this can be arranged by leaving your larger luggage on your tour bus overnight at your own risk.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Vietnam. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. Due to your flights landing early in the morning on arrival day we have arranged an early check in for you so you can freshen up before your tour commences.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. 2 bottles of water are supplied per day.

Tet is the most important event in the Vietnamese calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones and celebrate the Luna New Year. During this time many shops and business close for the celebrations which generally run for up to a week. Tet Holiday is between January and February, International Labour Day is on 1st May every year, Reunification Day is on 30th April every year and National Independence Day is on 2nd September every year.

During visits to Churches/Temples please note both men and women need to wear long trousers or skirts to cover knees, tops with sleeves should be worn to cover shoulders.

On your arrival in Saigon you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Lac Viet (LV) Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury holidays”. The Mercury holidays/Vietnam Travel Service representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.

Please find below the emergency contact details for LV Travel head office, Hanoi.

Contact Telephone number: Anna Hanh Office: 0084 983 096 032, Mr Len Office: 0084 989 200 116, Emergency cases: 0084 888713289

24 hour e-mail: operation@lvtravel.vn or len@lvtravel.vn