Vietnam Private Tour
Local Time
Why You Should Go
Vietnam is truly a land of contrasts: wonderfully chaotic city markets, lush green rice fields, verdant jungles, charming historical Hanoi – representing Vietnam’s past – and bustling Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – epitomizing Vietnam’s high energy quest for economic development. When Bev and I think of Vietnam, we think of wonderful food, its most interesting contemporary history, and beautiful French-colonial architecture. You will love engaging with the genuinely friendly and kindhearted Vietnamese!
*All of our comprehensive private tour itineraries are inclusive of all luxury accommodations, private guide/driver throughout, daily meals as specified, INTERNAL flights/rail /private transfers as needed, & all taxes/service fees.
Sample Itinerary
9 Days
Each private luxury tour is custom to the wishes of each client. This itinerary is a sample. Partnering with our long-established relationship with United Airlines, our sister company, TRAVNET, may provide competitive Polaris/Business Class international airfare, along with mileage points conversion.
Day 1
Fly to Saigon
Through our sister company, premium air provider TRAVNET, we may assist with your international airfare, as well as with mileage points conversion.
Day 2
Arrive Saigon
Upon arrival in Saigon, you will be privately driven to the Park Hyatt Saigon. Saigon, with more than 8 million inhabitants, is the country’s commercial center. This is a gritty, entrepreneurial city where it seems ambition is all pervasive.
Meals: —
Accommodations: Park Hyatt Saigon
Day 3
Saigon Private Tour
After breakfast, you will be met your private guide and driver for a full-day of private Saigon touring including the following stopover activities: Rue Catinat of Graham Green’s The Quiet American, the Opera House, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Central Post Office. Other remarkable stopovers include the War Remnants Museums, showcasing graphic displays of the “American War”. Following lunch at a local restaurant, you will have discretionary use of your guide for further exploration.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodations: Park Hyatt Saigon
Day 4
Fly Saigon/Da Nang
Upon arrival in Da Nang, you will be privately transferred to Hoi An for check-in at the Nam Hai Hotel, where the remainder of your day will be free at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Nam Hai Resort
Day 5
Hoi An Private Tour
After breakfast at the Nam Hai Resort, you will be met by your guide for a full-day of Hoi An private touring. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient town boasts well-preserved buildings, pedestrianized streets, and unique cuisine, allowing visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past. In the afternoon, you will venture to an ancient town in rural Hoi An for an immersive experience where you will meet with a host family illustrating their way of life. An optional cooking class with Mr. Duc Mango may also be offered.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Nam Hai Resort
Day 6
Fly Da Nang/Hanoi
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be privately transferred to the Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Hanoi represents all that is most compelling about Vietnam: the resourceful and entrepreneurial spirit of its people (do not miss “36 Streets”), its rich French traditions as reflected in its charming French-colonial architecture (think Sofitel Metropole), and French-influenced Vietnamese cuisine (“Seasons” and so many other wonderful restaurants), and, of course, its symbol as Vietnam’s cultural and political capital.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Sofitel Metropole Hotel
Day 7
Hanoi Private Tour
After breakfast at the Metropole, you will be met by your private guide and driver for a full-day of private touring. Historic Hanoi offers a variety of sites including the imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s house, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. Upon visiting these sites, you will stop to have lunch at one of our favorite high-end, authentic Vietnamese restaurants. Following a refuel, you may stop at the national renowned coffee shop (with a satirical Communist era theme!), go for a cyclo tour, and visit Thong Nhat Park (Lenin Park).
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Sofitel Metropole Hotel
Day 8
Private Transfer Hanoi/Halong Bay
Although a three-hour drive, this is perhaps the nicest stretch of highway in all of Vietnam! You may also have the option of traveling from Hanoi to Halong Bay by seaplane via the Cessna Caravan 2018, which we very much enjoy.
Though in the past we have used various quality junk boats for sailing on the very popular Halong Bay, this area has become increasingly overcrowded, observing over 80 boats per day during our last visit, just two years ago! In contrast to the mass tourism of Halong Bay, we feel the sailing experience along the more isolated and remote Lan Ha Bay to be a much more authentic nautical sailing environment. Upon arrival in Lan Ha, you will board the Ginger Junk Boat.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Ginger Junk Boat
Day 9
Fly Lan Ha Bay/Hanoi/Home
Meals: Breakfast
Hotels
We feel this is the finest luxury hotel in Saigon. The relatively new Park Hyatt Saigon has a nice, old world French/Vietnamese charm. The 224-room 5-star property was designed in a French-colonial aesthetic, with large rooms. The rooms with French doors and wooden shutters are our favorites. The morning buffet breakfast is among the most lavish in all of Southeast Asia, featuring both Western and Asian options. If you have time you may enjoy the outdoor 60-foot pool set amidst lavish tropical gardens (also a nice spa!). This is a great location in District 1 overlooking the Opera House.
Park Hyatt Saigon
We feel this is the finest luxury hotel in Saigon. The relatively new Park Hyatt Saigon has a nice, old world French/Vietnamese charm. The 224-room 5-star property was designed in a French-colonial aesthetic, with large rooms. The rooms with French doors and wooden shutters are our favorites. The morning buffet breakfast is among the most lavish in all of Southeast Asia, featuring both Western and Asian options. If you have time you may enjoy the outdoor 60-foot pool set amidst lavish tropical gardens (also a nice spa!). This is a great location in District 1 overlooking the Opera House.
We believe the Nam Hai to be the finest 5-star beach property in the Hoi An area. Our favorite villa is the 861 sq. foot, one-bedroom beach villa – among 100 villas/suites that encompass Nam Hai’s spacious grounds. The three separate pools here are quite spectacular and great spas! We feel the stretch of beach along the property is perhaps the finest stretch of beach in all of Vietnam. As of December 2016, the Nam Hai reopened as Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai. This re-opening brought additions of an all-new beach bar, kids club, and world-class spa featuring eight private pavilions surrounded by the glass-like waters of a lotus pond.
Nam Hai Resort
We believe the Nam Hai to be the finest 5-star beach property in the Hoi An area. Our favorite villa is the 861 sq. foot, one-bedroom beach villa – among 100 villas/suites that encompass Nam Hai’s spacious grounds. The three separate pools here are quite spectacular and great spas! We feel the stretch of beach along the property is perhaps the finest stretch of beach in all of Vietnam. As of December 2016, the Nam Hai reopened as Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai. This re-opening brought additions of an all-new beach bar, kids club, and world-class spa featuring eight private pavilions surrounded by the glass-like waters of a lotus pond.
Our favorite hotel in all of Vietnam, the early 20th-century built French-colonial Sofitel Metropole is a truly a national treasure. When you stay here, you feel the grandeur and grace of a by-gone era, coupled with the comforts and amenities of a contemporary 5-star luxury hotel. We love the display of contemporary Vietnamese modern art adorning the lobby area, as well as the very special personal service. The Bamboo Bar and LeClub are places to be seen by the local Hanoi elite, with a nice small pool and spa! Kudos to G.M. Franck Lafourcade for the hotel’s service and his newly-planted garden!
Sofitel Metropole Hotel
Our favorite hotel in all of Vietnam, the early 20th-century built French-colonial Sofitel Metropole is a truly a national treasure. When you stay here, you feel the grandeur and grace of a by-gone era, coupled with the comforts and amenities of a contemporary 5-star luxury hotel. We love the display of contemporary Vietnamese modern art adorning the lobby area, as well as the very special personal service. The Bamboo Bar and LeClub are places to be seen by the local Hanoi elite, with a nice small pool and spa! Kudos to G.M. Franck Lafourcade for the hotel’s service and his newly-planted garden!
We will use the newest Indochinese/Vietnamese designed 12-suite junk, Ginger, for your Lan Ha Bay overnight sailing. The Ginger sailing includes a brief visit to Viet Hai Village on Cát Bà Island, where you may bike along a small paved road to see a beautiful village valley. Spacious by junk boat standards, all rooms include updated bathroom amenities and small balconies. We particularly like the Ginger’s 360 degree light-flooded restaurant on the terrace with great local seafood and a very nice spa. The foot massage we had here was the best we had in all of Vietnam. Be sure not to miss the boat’s interactive cooking class in the restaurant’s open kitchen!
Ginger Junk Boat
We will use the newest Indochinese/Vietnamese designed 12-suite junk, Ginger, for your Lan Ha Bay overnight sailing. The Ginger sailing includes a brief visit to Viet Hai Village on Cát Bà Island, where you may bike along a small paved road to see a beautiful village valley. Spacious by junk boat standards, all rooms include updated bathroom amenities and small balconies. We particularly like the Ginger’s 360 degree light-flooded restaurant on the terrace with great local seafood and a very nice spa. The foot massage we had here was the best we had in all of Vietnam. Be sure not to miss the boat’s interactive cooking class in the restaurant’s open kitchen!
Request Custom Itinerary
Location
Overview
Temperature |
---|
Highs: Low 90’s |
Lows: High 70’s |
Area |
---|
329,247 SQ KM |
127,123 SQ MILES |
Capital |
---|
Hanoi |
Population |
---|
97 Million |
Language |
---|
Vietnamese |
Currency |
---|
Vietnamese Dong |
Temperature |
---|
Highs: Mid 90’s |
Lows: Low 80’s |
Area |
---|
181,035 SQ KM |
69,898 SQ MI |
Capital |
---|
Phnom Penh |
Population |
---|
14.5 Million |
Language |
---|
Kmer |
Currency |
---|
Riel |