Vietnam family holiday: culture, cities & islands

Itinerary in brief:

• 2 nights Hanoi
• 2 nights Halong Bay
• 3 nights Hoi An
• 3 nights Ho Chi Minh City
• 3 nights Phu Quoc

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flight

Day 2: Arrive Hanoi

On arrival in Hanoi you will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel, where you will check in for two nights. Your evening is free so why not head into the city to try famously delicious Vietnamese food?

Included: transfer, hotel

Day 3: Hanoi

Today you’ll enjoy a morning tour of Bat Trang, a traditional porcelain and pottery community around 30 minutes from Hanoi – perfect for introducing your family into the local culture of Vietnam. The children will love sinking their hands into the soft clay whilst they create some pottery! As well as learning about the local crafts you’ll also gain some insight into northern Vietnamese food – banh cuon, or rice pancakes, in particular. The master chef will explain the art of these delicacies and is sure to reward whichever family member can prepare the best banh cuon!

In the afternoon you’ll head back to the city and enjoy a tour of Hanoi, visiting the ancient Temple of Literature and walking through the pretty Old Quarter before finishing your day at the water puppet theatre where you children will enjoy watching the uniquely Vietnamese show!

Included: Breakfast, touring, hotel​

Day 4: Hanoi to Halong Bay

After breakfast you’ll be driven to Halong Bay, which takes around 4 hours, with a few stops on the way. When you arrive, you’ll check into the Chinese Junk boat which will be your family’s home for the next 2 nights and enjoy lunch on board as you cruise through the water. This afternoon you’ll either enjoy some activities or just spend some time relaxing on board enjoying the views, depending on the boat’s itinerary. Nearer the end of the day the boat will anchor amongst the karst peaks and go to sleep to the sound of the waves outside.

Included: Breakfast, dinner, touring, transfers, overnight on boat

Day 5: Halong Bay

Today you’ll climb aboard the day boat and head out for day of exploring with the crew – whether your swimming next to quiet beaches, visiting water tunnels, making friends in the fishing villages or kayaking across the emerald green water, the whole family is sure to have a whale of a time discovering beautiful Halong Bay.

You’ll sleep on the main boat, and enjoy your meals on deck as you watch the sun set over the water.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, touring, overnight on boat  

Day 6: Halong Bay to Hoi An

Enjoy the fresh morning in the middle of the bay, watching the sun rise over the water whilst you enjoy breakfast. You’ll cruise through the rock formations back towards the mainland where you will be picked up and driven to the airport for your flight to Danang. On arrival you’ll be taken to your hotel where you will check in for three nights.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, flight, hotel

Days 7 & 8: Hoi An

Hoi An is wonderful little town to explore with a family, full of tiny shops, colonial buildings and friendly locals. On your first morning we’ve included a walking tour, so you can get to know the lay of the land and be shown around the silk workshops and wooden fronted houses around town. The rest of your day is at leisure to enjoy this pretty place where life goes slow.

On your second day we’ve included a trip into the local countryside, where your family will join a larger group to cycle through the country lanes past rice paddies and vegetable farms, seeing Vietnam at its best – quiet and charming. Stopping into a few villages, your family will meet some local fishermen who will take you all for a bamboo boat ride and teach the children how to cast a fishing net. Continuing through the coconut groves you’ll finish the day with a scenic boat trip back to Hoi An, enjoying a seafood lunch on board.

Included: Breakfast, touring, hotel, lunch on day 8

Day 9: Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City

Today you’ll have the morning at leisure to finish off your shopping, before being driven to the airport in the early afternoon for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, you will be taken to your hotel where you will check in for three nights.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, flight, hotel

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City

This morning you’ll be up early to head to the Cu Chi Tunnels before the crowds. Driving away from Ho Chi Minh City you’ll watching the skyscrapers fade away as you go deeper into the countryside where villages and rice paddies abound. You’ll spend the morning exploring the Cu Chi tunnels, an underground network constructed during the French and American wars. It’s a very interactive way to teach your kids about the Vietnam war – imagining living in the tunnels and hearing stories of the food that was eaten and even a baby born under the ground will get them really interested in this era.

In the afternoon you’ll all head back into the city to enjoy a tour of the main highlights of Ho Chi Minh, from the former Presidential Palace to the colonial Opera House.

Included: Breakfast, touring, hotel         

Day 11: Mekong Delta

Today your family will enjoy a day tour into the Mekong Delta, where they can learn about local life in the “rice bowl of Vietnam”. You’ll be driven out of the city and out towards Ben Tre Province and the maze of waterways that make up the delta. Cross the Cai Cam River and you’ll come to the first stop, a coconut pressing workshop where you’ll learn all about the coconuts and see the different uses they have in everyday life. Next, you’ll stroll through the village to Uncle Tam Thu’s house, where his famous fruit orchard has been tended for generations and eat lunch at Mrs Mai’s house, two local legends.

In the afternoon you’ll enjoy kayaking, cycling and another short cruise through the canals before leaving the lush landscape of the delta behind you as you return to the city.

Included: Breakfast, touring, hotel         

Day 12: Fly to Phu Quoc

After breakfast you’ll be driven to the airport to take a short flight to Phu Quoc, a beautiful island off the south coast of Vietnam, near the Cambodian border. On arrival you will take a shuttle to your hotel, where you’ll check in for three nights of beach fun.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, flight, hotel

Days 13 & 14: Phu Quoc

In the final few days of your holiday you’ll be relaxing at the beach with the family, on the idyllic island of Phu Quoc. After a busy itinerary exploring Vietnam you’ll probably spend your time here enjoying the sun, playing on the sand and watching the sunset over a bowl of noodles. If you want to explore further though, you’ll find lots to do on this tiny island – from browsing the night market to snorkelling in the turquoise water.

Included: Breakfast, hotel  

Day 15: Depart Vietnam

After breakfast you’ll be driven to the airport in time for your flight home.

Included: Breakfast, departure transfer, international flight

Day 16: Arrive UK