Relax Vietnam Family Trip
TOUR OVERVIEW
- 12 days
- Max people: 25
- Wifi available
- Jan 01 - Dec 31
- Min age:
- Pickup: Airpot
Relax Vietnam: 12-Day Family Trip | Jem Travel
Immerse yourselves in a journey through Vietnam perfect for your family vacation! From the vibrant cities to the breathtaking natural landscapes, this tour will offer you unique and unforgettable experiences.
You will explore the fascinating capitals of Hanoi and Saigon, discovering the rich culture and delicious local cuisine. You will participate in a creative workshop to make traditional toys and an exciting cooking class, where you will learn to prepare typical Vietnamese dishes.
You will admire the most beautiful historical sites and natural landscapes, such as Ha Long Bay and the town of Hoi An. You will also have the opportunity to relax on the splendid beaches, creating unforgettable memories with your family.
Be enchanted by the magic of Vietnam in this tailor-made journey for you and your loved ones. Get ready to live an unforgettable adventure!
ITINERARY
Day 1Hanoi Arrival
Upon exiting the airport (look for the driver holding a sign with your name), you will be greeted by the driver (without a guide) after collecting your luggage and completing customs procedures. The driver will then transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
Rooms will be available from 2:00 PM. Early check-in is not included but can be requested for an additional fee.
The rest of the day will be at your leisure (guide, transport, and tours not included).
Day 2Hanoi City Tour
Breakfast included at the hotel.
Meet with our guide at the hotel reception at 08:30 am. Your guide will take you on a tour of the Museum of Ethnography, which offers a unique opportunity to explore the cultural richness of the many ethnic groups in Vietnam. After visiting the museum, you will head to the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam), considered Vietnam’s first national university. It was built under the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century and served as a place of worship for Confucius and a school for the education of royal children.
You will have free lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from the outside only, as it is closed on Mondays and Fridays) and take a leisurely stroll through the botanical gardens. You will also visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, where he lived and worked. Then we will reach Ba Dinh Square, the place where Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam’s declaration of independence from the French in 1945. Afterwards, you will visit the single-pillar pagoda, considered one of the city’s most important symbols.
Finally, you will visit the Tran Quoc pagoda, which dates back to the 6th century during the dynasty of Emperor Ly Nam De. Finally, you will take a cyclo (xich lo) ride for about 40 minutes around Hoan Kiem Lake, known as the Lake of the Returned Sword, which brings to life the legend of a giant turtle and a magic sword used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. You will also explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter with its famous lively streets full of life.
The day will end with an exclusive lesson in Hanoi’s city-famous Egg Cafe. The tour will end around 6-6:30 pm.
Dinner will be free and you will spend the night in a hotel in Hanoi.
Day 3Hanoi - Ninh Binh
Breakfast at the Hotel.
Meeting with our guide at the hotel reception at 08:30. Transfer to Ninh Binh, a place rich in historical, cultural, religious, and natural wonders. During the journey, you will cross the Red River Delta, where you will have the opportunity to make a brief stop to admire the beauty of the area.
Upon arrival in Hoa Lu, the former capital of Vietnam from the 9th to the 10th century, you will visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh dynasty (968-980) and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le dynasty (980-1009), who played a fundamental role in obtaining the country’s independence after a thousand years of Chinese rule.
Lunch will be at your leisure at a local restaurant.
The next stop will be Tam Coc, also known as “Halong on land,” which appeared in the famous French film “Indochina.” Upon arrival at the pier, you will board a private rowing boat for a ninety-minute cruise along the Ngo Dong River. You will pass through three caves and admire a beautiful landscape dotted with small villages, rice fields, cemeteries, and temples.
The tour will then continue to Bich Dong (closed around 4:30-5:00 PM), a typical pagoda located in the Red River Delta countryside, built in the 15th century. Upon arrival, you will cross a stone bridge to reach Chua Ha and from there, more than 100 steps will lead you to Chua Trung – the cave pagoda housing unique clay statues. Subsequently, you will walk up to Chua Thuong. In this place, you will not only have the opportunity to learn about Buddhism but also enjoy an incredible panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
Dinner will be at your leisure, and you will spend the night at a hotel in Ninh Binh.
Day 4Ninh Binh - Halong
Breakfast at the Hotel.
The scheduled meeting is at 07:30 at the hotel reception with the driver for the private transfer to Halong Bay or the shared transfer via the cruise company’s bus to Halong (about 4 hours with a short intermediate break).
Halong Bay, known as “where the dragon descends into the sea” in Vietnamese, is a charming bay with thousands of limestone islands, karst caves, cliffs, and islets that make it a picturesque and fascinating place. Wonderful, mysterious, and majestic, Halong Bay was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 and is considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. Arrival at the port will be around 12:00-12:30. The cruise company’s program will follow.
Please note:
- Lunch and dinner with a selection of seafood served on board the junk (beverages not included).
- Overnight stay in a private deluxe cabin on board the junk (equipped with air conditioning and shower).
- The cruise program may be subject to change without notice due to weather conditions or decisions of local authorities.
- There is only one English-speaking guide provided by the cruise company on board.
Day 5Halong - Hanoi - Flight to Hue
06:30: You can join the sunrise Tai-chi session on the sun terrace or simply enjoy the beautiful view of the bay while sipping a cup of tea or coffee.
07:00: Breakfast will be served Western style. Time for relaxation.
10:00: Brunch will be served on board as the junker slowly sails through the emerald-colored waters and through the many karst formations toward the harbor. You will check out from the cruise. Remember to bring all your luggage with you.
11:30-12:00 a.m.: Return to port and disembark at the Ha Long cruise port.
12:00 p.m: You will be escorted back to Hanoi by private car and taken directly to Noi Bai Airport to catch a flight to Hue. Once you land at Phu Bai Airport, you will be met by a driver at the pick-up lobby. You will be provided with a transfer and hotel accommodation in Hue.
Please note: for flights that have a foreign country as their destination, you must be at the airport 3 hours in advance, while for domestic flights, you only need to be there 2 hours before takeoff. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6Hue City Tour
Start the morning with breakfast at the hotel.
Then depart by car or motorbike to the old quarter of Bao Vinh, located about 5 km northeast of Hue. Upon arrival, you will receive an informative introduction about the history of the merchant city and its craft villages. Then, take a stroll through the characteristic alleyways with ancient wooden houses and cultural heritage temples. Bao Vinh seems like the old town of Hoi An without the crowds of tourists.
After visiting some workshops like the blacksmith and mother-of-pearl inlay, it’s time to admire, smell, and taste some local products, and have a snack at the central market.
Enjoy a included lunch at a local restaurant featuring “Banh Hue” dishes.
Then head to Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. It is the spiritual highlight of the city, known for its majestic octagonal tower and the beautiful view over the Perfume River.
The Hue sightseeing tour ends with a pleasant cyclo ride across Truong Tien Bridge and in front of the Imperial City.
Day 7Hue - Danang - Hoi An Visit
After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for the Hue train station where the entire family will board the train to travel to Da Nang. This is described as a very nice and authentic experience.
Arrive in Da Nang. Meet and transfer to Hoi An.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the ancient town of Hoi An. This includes seeing the famous Japanese Covered Bridge dating back to the 17th century, the Fukien Assembly Hall founded by a Chinese community devoted to the Sea Goddess, and the historic Phung Hung House.
You will then check in to your hotel for the night in Hoi An.
Arrive in Da Nang. Meet and transfer to Hoi An.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the ancient town of Hoi An. This includes seeing the famous Japanese Covered Bridge dating back to the 17th century, the Fukien Assembly Hall founded by a Chinese community devoted to the Sea Goddess, and the historic Phung Hung House.
You will then check in to your hotel for the night in Hoi An.
Day 8Hoi An Cooking Class
Breakfast at the hotel.
Pick up at the hotel lobby in Hoi An between 8:15 and 8:30 in the morning. They will then cycle to the colorful local market in Hoi An. Here, you will have the opportunity to interact with local vendors and learn about the ingredients you will use in the cooking lesson. Make sure to have your camera handy! They will then cycle back to the Tra Que herb village. Enjoy a moment of rest and a special welcome drink upon arrival. You will be taken to the herb gardens where local farmers work on their crops using traditional methods dating back 300 years. Learn the traditional methods of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. Learn to make vegetable flowers and animals as decoration. After the lesson, enjoy what you have cooked. (Ingredients can be substituted to meet dietary needs or allergies). Return to the hotel.
Dinner will be at your leisure, and you will spend the night at the hotel.
Day 9Hoi An Relax on Beach
To enjoy free time in Hoi An (without a guide, without transfers).
Day 10Hoi An - Flight to Saigon City tour
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Da Nang Airport in a private car for the flight to Saigon. Meeting with our guide at the airport. The day is dedicated to visiting the Independence Palace, which once housed the Presidents of South Vietnam. During the visit, we will have the opportunity to admire the North Vietnamese tank that crossed the threshold of the presidential palace in 1975, marking the end of the controversial Vietnam War. The palace, which spans five floors, offers rooms with original furnishings reflecting the style of the 1960s and 1970s, and also has a basement transformed into a bunker. A must-see in Ho Chi Minh City is the War Remnants Museum. The permanent exhibitions provide a comprehensive view of the Vietnam War, which may offer surprises compared to what we are used to hearing and seeing.
Lunch will be at your leisure at a local restaurant.
Continue your pleasant tour to Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, walking until you reach an iconic attraction of the city: the Central Post Office of Saigon, a magnificent building designed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel. The rest of the day will be at your disposal to visit the city’s most famous market, Ben Thanh Market, which has been open since 1870. The tour will end around 3:00 pm/3:30 pm. You will then have the rest of the free time at your disposal (without a guide or driver included). Dinner will be at your leisure, and you will spend the night at the hotel.
Day 11Saigon - Ben Tre - Saigon
Breakfast is served at the hotel.
You will meet our guide at the hotel reception at 08:30. In the morning, you will head to Ben Tre, a beautiful region located in the Mekong Delta, famous for the production of coconut sweets. Once you arrive at Phong Nam Bridge, you will take a boat trip along the Ben Tre River to discover local daily life. Along the canal, you will visit a brick kiln to observe how bricks are produced according to traditions, as well as one of the numerous workshops dedicated to processing coconuts, where you will have the opportunity to taste fresh coconut and observe how every part of this fruit is transformed into derivative products. You will continue the boat trip to the village of Nhon Thanh. Here, you will have the chance to taste fresh fruit. Afterwards, you will take a bike ride (or Tuk tuk) along a trail that passes through villages, enjoying the view of coconut plantations, rice fields, and surrounding gardens.
Lunch will be at your leisure at a small local restaurant. A short walk will allow us to immerse ourselves more deeply in local life. Later, you can take a boat ride along the narrow canal, shaded by wild palms. Return to Saigon.
You will have the opportunity to dine freely and to spend time exploring the city or simply relaxing.
Day 12Saigon Departure
Breakfast at the hotel.
You will have free time in Saigon until the transfer to the airport without the presence of a guide. Please note that the room will be available until 12:00. Please inform us in advance if you wish to extend your stay in the room beyond the departure time. We wish you a good return journey!
