11 Days Tour Discover Vietnam | See the best of Vietnam | 2026-27

Vietnam is at its best when you move between its regions, and this 11-day route does exactly that. You begin in Ho Chi Minh City, cross the Mekong Delta, fly to central Vietnam, then continue north for Hanoi, Lan Ha Bay, and Ninh Binh. It is a fast-moving introduction to the country rather than a slow, restful holiday.

I like the small maximum group of 12, which should make transfers and sightseeing easier, and I like the practical all-in-one setup: private-room accommodation, domestic flights, most meals, entrance fees, guides, and airport transfers are covered. The main drawback is the pace. Several days start early, and the schedule includes a very late airport transfer after Cu Chi Tunnels before the flight to Da Nang.

Key points at a glance

• Three major regions in 11 days: Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, central Vietnam, and Hanoi with northern day trips.
• A short cycling visit in the Mekong Delta: You see village life from a slower, more personal angle after visiting Cai Be.
• The Golden Bridge and Ba Na Hills: A full day combines a famous photo stop with cable-car rides, gardens, temples, and a French-style village.
• An overnight bay cruise: Lan Ha Bay brings sunrise Tai Chi, meals aboard ship, and island views without changing hotels for one night.
• A useful bundle for first-time visitors: Eight lunches, two dinners, ten breakfasts, domestic flights, accommodation, transport, guides, and entry fees are included.
• A small group with named support staff: Son, Tran, Han, and Tom are specifically associated with trip planning, coordination, and guest assistance.

A north-to-south Vietnam sampler in reverse

At $1,149 per person, this tour offers a lot of movement for the money. You are not simply paying for guided sightseeing. The price also covers domestic flights, private-room accommodation, a long list of meals, ground transport, airport pickups, and admission fees.

That matters in Vietnam, where arranging several flights, drivers, hotels, cruises, and day trips on your own can take time. The package also gives you a single point of contact. Son is noted for offering options and handling arrangements quickly, while Tran is associated with planning and prompt responses. Han and Tom are also named as part of the operating team.

Still, check the final accommodation standard before booking. The information confirms a private room, but it does not provide hotel names. One customer described using the 4-star budget option, so the exact room category is worth confirming if hotel quality matters to you.

Day 1: A soft landing in Ho Chi Minh City

Your trip begins with airport pickup at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and transfer to your accommodation. The first day includes about five hours of scheduled time, but no paid attraction is listed, giving you room to recover from your flight.

That is a sensible start. Ho Chi Minh City can feel noisy and intense after arrival, and an arranged transfer saves you from figuring out transport while tired. You have free time to settle in and begin exploring at your own pace.

The airport pickup is included, as are the later transfers listed through the trip. You should still keep personal spending money available for drinks, snacks, and anything outside the planned meals.

Day 2: Cai Be, village cycling, and the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta outing starts early, with pickup around 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. The drive to Cai Be takes about two and a half hours, with a stop for refreshments and a restroom break.

The day gives you a taste of delta life rather than a full multi-day river expedition. You visit local sites, spend time in a village setting, and take a 30-minute cycling ride around the area. That short ride is one of the more appealing details of the trip because it gets you away from the vehicle and lets you see ordinary surroundings at a human pace.

Lunch is included, and you return to Ho Chi Minh City around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. The excursion is split between morning and afternoon portions, with about eight hours of total activity. Expect a long road day. If you dislike sitting in a vehicle, this will feel tiring, but the village stop and cycling help break up the journey.

Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels, then a difficult overnight transfer

The Cu Chi Tunnels are visited from Ho Chi Minh City, with pickup at 7:30 a.m. The site is a major part of Vietnam’s wartime story, and the tour gives you time to walk through sections of the underground system and see how the tunnels were used by resistance forces.

The scheduled visit lasts about four hours in total. You can try preparing food with smokeless cooking methods, an activity connected to life underground. The experience is physical in a modest way, with walking through narrow spaces. If enclosed areas make you uncomfortable, keep that in mind before booking.

The schedule then calls for arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport at about 4 a.m. for the flight to Da Nang. This is the hardest logistical stretch of the itinerary. The information provided does not clearly explain the overnight accommodation or exact flight timing between the Cu Chi visit and the airport departure, so ask the operator how this transition works.

Day 4: Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge

After arriving in Da Nang, a shuttle transfers you to your hotel. You have time to rest and explore Da Nang or Hoi An in the evening, though the very early flight may limit your energy.

The next morning starts at 7:30 with a trip to Ba Na Hills. A cable car carries you uphill, and the ride itself is part of the attraction. The area is promoted as a mountain retreat, with cooler conditions than the city and broad views from the high elevations.

The Golden Bridge, about 1,400 meters above sea level, is the day’s headline stop. Its giant stone-colored hands make it one of Vietnam’s most recognizable modern sights, so expect plenty of photo-taking. You also visit Le Jardin D’Amour, the French Village, and several religious buildings, including Linh Tu Temple, the Temple of Mother Nature, the Belfry, and Phong Tu Tower.

You return by cable car around 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. and reach the hotel around 5:00 to 5:30. This is a full sightseeing day, but it is well organized around one area rather than a chain of distant stops.

Day 5: Marble Mountains, Hue, and imperial monuments

Day 5 begins with a Da Nang city tour and a visit to Marble Mountains. The mountains contain religious sites and caves, with Linh Ung among the named stops. The visit lasts about three hours.

You then continue to the Khai Dinh Tomb, one of Hue’s best-known royal monuments. Its design combines eastern artistic elements with western influences, making it visually different from the more restrained imperial sites elsewhere in Vietnam.

After lunch, you enter Hue Imperial City, the former palace complex of the 13 Nguyen kings. The itinerary names Ngo Mon Gate, the Library, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Nine Dynastic Urns. You also visit Thien Mu Pagoda, a major cultural and religious symbol beside the Perfume River.

This day packs central Vietnam’s most important sites into one route. The drawback is obvious: you return to Da Nang rather than sleeping in Hue. That means extra road time, but it lets you keep one hotel base and avoid another change of room.

Day 6: Cham Island and an evening in Hoi An

The Cham Island excursion starts at 7:30 a.m. with pickup in Da Nang and a transfer to Cua Dai Port near Hoi An. A high-speed boat carries you to the island.

At Long Beach, you visit the seafood market and Hai Tang Pagoda, then have a seafood lunch. The island portion lasts several hours before you return by boat in the afternoon.

After reaching Hoi An around 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., you have free time in the ancient town. This is a welcome change from guided sightseeing. Hoi An was once a trading port, and its old quarter is the sort of place where wandering without a fixed plan can be more rewarding than racing through another list of monuments.

You return to Da Nang around 8:00 p.m. The day combines sea, food, island culture, and Hoi An, but it is another long one. Boat schedules can also depend on weather, so keep your plans flexible.

Day 7: Flying north to Hanoi

You leave Da Nang for the airport at about 8:00 a.m. and arrive at Noi Bai Airport around 12:30 p.m. A shuttle takes you to your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

The afternoon is free for rest or independent exploring. That flexibility matters after several early starts. You can use it to walk the narrow streets, find a café, or simply recover before the evening activity.

At night, the itinerary includes a Hanoi street-food tour. It is designed to show the city after dark through local dishes and smaller streets. The tour lasts about three hours and gives you a more informal introduction to Hanoi than a standard monument visit.

Days 8 and 9: Two days on Lan Ha Bay

You leave Hanoi’s Old Quarter around 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. for Tuan Chau Port. After reaching the port, a transfer boat takes you to your cruise vessel, where you check in and have lunch.

The boat travels through the Gia Luan area and past Thoi Quyt Island, Ke Ga, Finger Island, and other parts of Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay. The bay cruise is the trip’s most scenic pause, with time on the water rather than in a road vehicle.

On the second morning, the day begins at 6:15 with Tai Chi on the sundeck. Breakfast follows from 7:00 to 7:45, with more time to view the islands before the return journey. You arrive back at your Hanoi hotel around 5:00 p.m.

An overnight cruise adds a special rhythm to the itinerary, but the schedule is early and structured. Ask for the exact cruise name and cabin details before paying if those details are important to you. The supplied information confirms accommodation aboard the cruise but does not specify the vessel.

Day 10: Bai Dinh, Trang An, and 500 steps at Mua Cave

The final full sightseeing day takes you south to Ninh Binh. Pickup is around 7:30 to 8:00 a.m., followed by a short break on the road.

Bai Dinh Pagoda is the first major stop. It is described as the largest and most famous pagoda complex in Vietnam, and the visit lasts about three hours. The scale makes this more than a quick photo stop.

After lunch, you take a boat trip through Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized in 2014. The route passes through a network of caves and waterways, and the scenery was used by the production of the newer Kong film. This is one of the gentler activities of the tour, though you should be ready for several hours on the water.

Mua Cave is the day’s physical finale. You climb almost 500 steps to the top of Lying Dragon Mountain for views over Tam Coc. The climb is not suitable for everyone, especially after a full day out, but it is optional in the practical sense that you can choose how far to go. Wear shoes with a firm grip and save some energy for the afternoon.

Day 11: A simple departure

The last morning is free until an airport transfer. No guide accompanies this transfer, so confirm the pickup time and airport details with the operator.

It is a useful low-pressure ending. You are not sent on another early excursion, and you can pack, rest, or enjoy a final walk before leaving Hanoi.

What the $1,149 price really covers

The price includes:

• Private-room accommodation
• Domestic flights
• Air-conditioned transport
• Tour guides
• Entrance fees
• Ten breakfasts
• Eight lunches
• Two dinners
• Airport and hotel transfers listed in the program

That is strong value for a multi-region trip, especially if you would otherwise have to arrange flights between Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi. Group discounts are also available, which may help families or friends traveling together.

Tips, alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and personal expenses are not included. The tour also requires good weather for some activities. If weather forces a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. Standard cancellation allows a full refund when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.

Who should book this Vietnam tour

I would recommend it most to a first-time visitor who wants to see the country’s major regions without building the trip from scratch. It also suits solo visitors and families who value dependable transfers and quick support.

The small group size is a real advantage. A maximum of 12 people is easier to manage than a large coach, especially at airports, ports, and historic sites.

You should think twice if you want long, quiet stays in each place. This is a highlights tour with early departures, flights, road transfers, and several packed days. The Cu Chi to Da Nang transfer deserves special attention because the 4 a.m. airport timing may mean a very short night.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your priority is breadth, convenience, and a reasonable total cost. In 11 days, you see the Mekong Delta, wartime sites, central Vietnam’s temples and royal monuments, Hoi An, Hanoi, Lan Ha Bay, and Ninh Binh.

Before booking, confirm the hotel names, domestic flight times, cruise details, and the overnight arrangement before the Da Nang flight. If those practical points suit you, Authentic Adventures offers a well-priced way to cover Vietnam’s major regions, with a small group and active support from staff such as Son and Tran.

FAQ

How long is the Vietnam tour?

The tour lasts approximately 11 days, from arrival in Ho Chi Minh City to departure from Hanoi.

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in Ho Chi Minh City, with pickup at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Where does the tour finish?

The tour finishes in Hanoi, with transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Are domestic flights included?

Yes. Domestic flights are included in the tour price.

Is accommodation included?

Yes. Private-room accommodation is included, although specific hotel names are not provided in the supplied details.

How many people can join the group?

The maximum group size is 12 travelers.

Are meals included?

Yes. The package includes ten breakfasts, eight lunches, and two dinners.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes. Entrance fees for the included sightseeing destinations are covered.

What is not included?

Tips, alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and personal expenses are not included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.