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Day 1: Arrival and check-in
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and have hotel driver meet you at arrivals hall. Depending on traffic and time of day, a 30-minute drive to your hotel. Check-in and overnight stay.
Day 2 : Saigon
Breakfast Buffet and then meet in lobby with tour guide, for private City Tour of Saigon.
You will get to see Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon's Municipal Theatre, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, the Reunification Palace, and the Central Post Office. There will also be a tour of the War Remnants Museum (War Crimes Museum). Please be advised that there are some disturbing images on display. Swing by some of Saigon's numerous temples whether it is Buddhist, Islam, Cao Dai, Hindu, etc. A brief tour of Saigon's largest market 'Ben Thanh Market', where one can find, clothes, linens, pots and pans, ready cooked food, fresh food, spices, and numerous souvenirs. Mid-day, have time to stop for typical Vietnamese food at 'Ngong'. Popular with both tourists and locals, and good place to be introduced to local cuisine. Housed in an old colonial house, along the perimeter of the restaurant, one can view Vietnamese ladies preparing your meal. The concept was created when the owner decided to take all the 'hawkers' off the street selling their specialties to under one roof. Have a chance to venture to 'Cholon', Saigon's Chinatown district, which is always bustling. The guide will also show you Saigon's most upscale and popular shopping street of Dong Khoi.
Return to hotel an prepare for dinner at the 'Temple Club'. Vietnamese food housed in an old Chinese temple (ca 1900), with original wood and masonry. Visit the lounge in the back for Vietnamese coffee and dessert. So atmospheric and romantic, that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt dined here when they visited Vietnam!
Day 3 : Mekong
Breakfast buffet and meet tour guide in lobby for the Mekong Delta tour. Take a drive into the countryside where you will get to see the numerous rice paddy fields to Cai Be. Take a local boat to cruise through the Cai Be Floating Market and watch locals buy and trade local fruits, vegetables and other products. Stop for lunch at an ancient garden house and enjoy a sumptuous feast of local produce and seafood. After, walk through local villages and view how rice paper, local honey, and ceramics are made, all while taking in the natural setting of the Mekong Delta region. View the orchards of Vietnam's exotic fruits. Option to ride bike through village and handicraft shops. Arrive back to the hotel and shower/change for a lovely dinner at one of Saigon's numerous French restaurants. I recommend Augustine's off Dong Khoi Street for a more casual bistro style, where the menu never changes, but all is cooked fresh everyday on the premises and always consistent. The owner can often be found wandering from table to table; inquiring how your meal is in French (she is Vietnamese, and unfortunately, her husband passed away last year. The first table by the window is often where they use to sit and he would read the paper).
The other French restaurant is called Camargue and is housed in a colonial house, also in District 1. There is also La Fourchette, but it is a little farther away in another district and at least a 15-minute taxi ride away. After dinner, walk to the Municipal Theater and head to side ground level and enjoy a drink at Q Bar, as you watch locals whiz by on their motorbikes. Return to hotel.
Day 4 : Cu Chi Tunnels
Breakfast Buffet and meet tour guide in lobby for half-day tour. Drive 70 kilometers from downtown Saigon to the Hooc Mon District to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel system. It is an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factory, hospital, etc. Up to 10,000 people could live virtually underground at a time for years. Two tunnels have been opened up for tourists, however be warned that crawling through these tunnels is not for the unfit, faint of heart, or fear of enclosed spaces. For those who prefer to stay above ground, you may view numerous displays of booby traps and attempt to find the entrance of the tunnels. For an added fee, you may opt to fire a M-16 rifle. At the end of the tour, feel free to visit the Vietnam Handicapped Handicrafts, where people affected by Agent Orange produce various items for sale. On return to the city, stop at Cao Dai Temple in Ben Luc town.
Return to hotel, shower and have a quick lunch of Pho (famous local soup noodle) at Pho 24 outlet, found all over the city. Cheap and popular with both westerners and locals, under a clean environment. Enjoy your Pho, with a fresh blended fruit shake, or local Vietnamese coffee.
Venture to Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi Street and Dong Khoi Street for some shopping.
At sunset time, go to the Caravelle hotel and take the lift to the top floor to Saigon Saigon Bar for a breathtaking view of the city and some live entertainment (currently a band from Cuba).
Return to hotel and dinner of your choice.
Day 5 : Wellness day
Enjoy a half-day spa at La Maison L'Apothiquaire located in District 3. Housed in an old colonial home, you can choose from a vast array of their award winning services. Open to both men and women. Please be sure to book in advance, as it is popular with both tourists and expats.
Lunch of your choice (can order lunch at spa).
Continue shopping and last minute photo opportunities. Or if staying at the New World Hotel, it is the hotel with largest swimming pool; so take the opportunity to catch some sun. The New World Hotel also houses the best Cantonese restaurant in the city, called Dynasty. A lot of the hotels is Saigon also have casinos, so if you wish to do a bit of gambling, feel free to explore, but be sure to bring your passport, as they are restricted to foreigners only and they will ask for proof of nationality upon entry.
Day 6 : Vietnamese cuisine
A world of wonder as you discover the art of Vietnamese cooking! Enjoy a class at the Vietnam Cookery Center. You can also opt to accompany the chef to the market and watch as the choose the ingredients. Return to Center and learn the art form and enjoy! Digest your food later in the day by the pool and then prepare for the Saigon River Dinner Cruise.
Day 7 : Check-out and Departure
Breakfast. Transfer to the Airport.
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