WanderlynkPlan
Illuminated Ho Chi Minh City skyline and bridge at night

North to the Mekong

An eleven-night introduction from Hanoi's lanes to the southern waterways.

  • 11N / 12D
  • Hanoi · 3N
  • Ha Long Bay · 1N
  • Hoi An · 3N
  • Ho Chi Minh City · 4N
  • Best Feb–Apr · regional variations

Duration

11N / 12D

Places

4 bases

Hotels

4★

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pace

Balanced

Best for

A broad first journey across Vietnam

Trip overview

Travel north to south using two separately priced domestic flights rather than long overland journeys. A Hanoi buffer after the cruise and four southern nights leave space for both city history and a Mekong day trip.

  • Ha Long overnight sailing
  • Hanoi heritage walk
  • Hoi An ancient town
  • My Son sanctuary
  • Saigon history
  • Ben Tre waterways

Route

  1. 1

    Hanoi

    3 nights

  2. 2

    Ha Long Bay

    1 night

  3. 3

    Hoi An

    3 nights

  4. 4

    Ho Chi Minh City

    4 nights

Day by day

12 days · every day can be changed

  1. Meet your driver at Noi Bai Airport and transfer to the city. Keep the remainder of the day light with an independent lakeside stroll.

    • Airport transfer
    • Free lakeside time
    Meals at leisureOvernight Hanoi
  2. Discover the Temple of Literature and the Old Quarter with your guide. Pause at Hoan Kiem Lake before an included water-puppet performance.

    • Temple of Literature
    • Old Quarter walk
    • Water puppets
    BreakfastOvernight Hanoi
  3. Drive approximately 2.5–3.5 hours to the cruise port. Board a shared overnight vessel and join its scheduled island or cave visit.

    • Port transfer
    • Cruise boarding
    • Scheduled excursion
    Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight Ha Long Bay
  4. Follow the cruise's morning programme before disembarking. Travel back to Hanoi and enjoy a free evening in the capital.

    • Morning cruise
    • Return road transfer
    Breakfast, LunchOvernight Hanoi
  5. Take a separately priced Hanoi–Da Nang flight. Your driver continues to Hoi An, around 45–60 minutes away, leaving the evening free.

    • Airport transfers
    • Domestic flight, extra
    • Free evening
    BreakfastOvernight Hoi An
  6. Walk through the ancient town's merchant streets and visit a heritage house and assembly hall. Learn lantern-making in a small workshop before an open evening.

    • Heritage walk
    • Assembly hall
    • Lantern workshop
    BreakfastOvernight Hoi An
  7. Leave early for My Son, roughly 1–1.5 hours away, to explore its Cham temple ruins. Return to Hoi An for an unstructured afternoon.

    • My Son excursion
    • Guided temple visit
    • Free afternoon
    BreakfastOvernight Hoi An
  8. Transfer to Da Nang Airport for a separately priced flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After checking in, take a guided orientation around Dong Khoi and the central post office.

    • Airport transfers
    • Domestic flight, extra
    • Central district walk
    BreakfastOvernight Ho Chi Minh City
  9. Visit the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum with your guide. The museum contains graphic material; you can shorten the visit if preferred.

    • Reunification Palace
    • War Remnants Museum
    • Café stop
    BreakfastOvernight Ho Chi Minh City
  10. Drive around 2–2.5 hours each way to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. Combine a riverboat trip, a short sampan section and a village workshop visit before returning to the city.

    • Ben Tre riverboat
    • Sampan ride
    • Village workshop
    Breakfast, LunchOvernight Ho Chi Minh City
  11. Explore Cholon and Thien Hau Temple during a guided morning. Keep the afternoon free for shopping or an independently booked riverfront dinner.

    • Cholon walk
    • Thien Hau Temple
    • Free afternoon
    BreakfastOvernight Ho Chi Minh City
  12. Enjoy breakfast before your airport transfer. Allow extra road time during the city's peak traffic periods.

    • Breakfast at leisure
    • Airport transfer
    BreakfastDeparture day

Where you'll stay

Hotel names are confirmed in your proposal against your dates and budget.

Hanoi · 3 nights

4★ hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake, split stay

Deluxe room

Ha Long Bay · 1 night

4★-category shared overnight cruise

Private ensuite cabin

Hoi An · 3 nights

4★ boutique hotel near the ancient town

Deluxe room

Ho Chi Minh City · 4 nights

4★ city hotel in District 1

Deluxe room

What's included

Included

  • Eleven nights on twin share
  • Listed meals
  • Private airport and sightseeing transfers
  • Shared cruise transfers and overnight programme
  • English-speaking guides on touring days
  • Listed monument tickets and lantern workshop
  • Ben Tre boat excursion

Not included

  • International flights
  • Both domestic flights and baggage
  • Visa fees and insurance
  • Unlisted meals, drinks and optional visits
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Applicable Indian TCS

Indicative price basis: per person on twin share, land only, before applicable GST and TCS. Final price depends on dates and availability.

Add to your enquiry

Vietnam essentials

Flight time
Around 4–6 hours nonstop from Delhi or Mumbai, depending on the Vietnamese gateway
Visa
Indian passport holders generally need a visa and can apply for an e-visa valid for up to 90 days with single or multiple entry. Rules can change; we confirm before you pay.
Currency
Vietnamese dong (VND)
Time difference
1.5 hours ahead of IST

Questions

Similar holidays

All Vietnam holidays
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