Southern Vietnam is jam packed with lots to see and do, from history and culture to great natural scenery. You’ll begin by exploring Ho Chi Minh City’s iconic landmarks and travel out to the countryside to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Then head to the Mekong Delta, where you will cruise the waterways on a converted rice barge. If you are short on time, this is the tour for you!
With this tour you can:
- Choose your own departure date
- Select the comfort level of accommodation
- Adjust activities to cater to special interests
- Modify any aspect of the tour as needed
Highlights
- Feeling the metropolitan pulse of Ho Chi Minh City and visiting its highlights
- Wandering through the world’s oldest Chinatown
- Squeezing through the famous Vietnam War-era tunnels at Cu Chi
- Learning about the role of the Cu Chi Tunnels during the Vietnam War
- Exploring the Mekong River Delta by romantic riverboat
What's Included:
- Carefully selected accommodation with breakfast
- Other meals listed in the itinerary
- Expert English-speaking local guide
- Tours as mentioned and air-conditioned transfers
- Sightseeing and permit fees during guided times
- Boat cruises and rides while on tour
- Service charges and government VAT tax
Detailed itinerary ideas
-
1
Your guide will meet you at your hotel around 8am and driven to the city’s Central Post Office, which was designed by the renowned French architect Gustav Eiffel, and Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic landmark built between 1863 and 1880. Admired for its neo-Romanesque architecture, the cathedral is a popular backdrop for local wedding photographers.
Next, stroll toward the Saigon River along Dong Khoi Street, which figured prominently in Graham Greene’s famous Vietnam novel, The Quiet American, to the Saigon Opera House, a commanding building completed in 1901. Shelled during World War II, it was used to shelter French citizens fleeing North Vietnam in 1954, the year Vietnam earned its independence from France.
The tour continues with a stop at the Reunification Palace, where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates in 1975 to end a war that killed an estimated 58,000 Americans and three million Vietnamese. You will also visit the War Remnants Museum, where Vietnam’s government has assembled presentations – some of them graphic – of wartime hardships and atrocities.
You will then visit Chinatown and the Thien Hau Pagoda before hopping on a cyclo and whizzing through the narrow streets to Binh Tay Market. Wander through stalls selling everything from dried squid to party hats.
-
2
Depart in the early morning for the Cu Chi Tunnels, which once sheltered thousands of Viet Cong soldiers and included living quarters, supply routes and even hospitals. Many died there from malaria and other diseases, and a few were also born or married.
The cramped tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive, and they didn’t escape damage: Note the craters left by American B52 bombers. The tunnels also have “mantraps” – large pits that ensnared enemy soldiers by sharpened bamboo stakes, but don’t worry— you won’t fall in!
-
3
Leave Ho Chi Minh City at around 7:30am for a relaxing cruise in the Mekong Delta, a swampy landscape of rivers and farms that produces the bulk of Vietnam’s huge annual rice export. In the small delta town of Ben Tre, hop aboard a small boat to cruise the canals and visit a small homemade coconut processing factory that produces oils, candy and matting. Back on land, take a short walking tour in a riverside village and observe traditional mat weaving in a local farmer’s house. Then travel by tuk tuk down the country roads to the pier where you will board Mekong, a converted rice barge for lunch and a cruise down the river. Enjoy a demonstration of traditional Vietnamese cooking, followed by a three-course lunch. Arriving back in Ben Tre, you will make the return trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
Accommodation options
The price in the itinerary includes the suggested accommodation, but Vietnam Private Tours can be customized to fit your preferences and budget. A specialist can help you choose the best accommodation option for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
We'll help plan your trip based on you like and want to do. We know a lot about the place you're gomg. so we can give you good advice. WIIether you're into history, food, or culture, ue'll make sure your trip is just right for you. With us. your travel will be easy and fun!
We'll help plan your trip based on you like and want to do. We know a lot about the place you're gomg. so we can give you good advice. WIIether you're into history, food, or culture, ue'll make sure your trip is just right for you. With us. your travel will be easy and fun!
We'll help plan your trip based on you like and want to do. We know a lot about the place you're gomg. so we can give you good advice. WIIether you're into history, food, or culture, ue'll make sure your trip is just right for you. With us. your travel will be easy and fun!
Still looking for the right tour? Customize your Vietnam adventure to match your preferences!
What our clients say about us
John
2 May 2024 ★★★★★What a great way to see more of Vietnam! Our tour guide Linh looked after us well and knew a lot about Vietnam. The bike ride was tough for us beginners but we managed to finish it. The team was always patient and made sure we were safe. Big thanks to Linh and the team for going the extra mile! If you get to go with this team ask them for food recommendations!
Jeremy
28 April 2024 ★★★★★We had a fabulous time on the cycling tour from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket with Amazing Bike Tours company. Our tour guides TOM in Bangkok and Chiang Mai were fantastic, and I want to thank TUK in Phuket for taking such good care of me. This experience will always be special to me.
Steven
23 April 2024 ★★★★★I booked Cycle Thailand to Cambodia in 2023. Stephen at Amazing Bike Tours was excellent, very helpful, responsive and knowledgeable. In particular, our local tour guide Tom was outstanding. He was essential to connecting with local village people, visit remote villages, and explore exotic food. Can't wait for my next adventure
Naad
16 April 2024 ★★★★★We had a great time biking through the Mekong Delta and Angkor Wat. Bob was a fantasic tour guide who took us through Angkor Wat and showed us a different side of the delta in his own way. We visited temples and a floating market many delicious snacks. It was really fun ! A great tour !
Alex Boshoff
19 April 2024 ★★★★★Our Thailand Vietnam Bike Tour was very well managed. The teams took great care of us, they support van was always available when needed. The food was excellent. We loved all the restaurent. The accommodations were great, offering a variety of options from resorts to boutique hotels to city hotels, all of which were comfortable. Biking on and off-road was enjoyable. The people in both countries are warm, welcoming & kind. The experience in the Mekong Delta was fantasic. We definitely recommend this trip.
Tavelshab
6 May 2024 ★★★★★We had a great time biking through the Mekong Delta and Angkor Wat. Bob was a fantasic tour guide who took us through Angkor Wat and showed us a different side of the delta in his own way. We visited temples and a floating market many delicious snacks. It was really fun ! A great tour !
Scott
5 May 2024 ★★★★★We spent 12 days with Amazing Bike Tours from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh via Battambang. Our tour was perfectly tailored to our route and physical condition and on the last day, we were safely transported to our beach accommodation in Sihanoukville. The organization was flawless from start to finish. The accommodation was also comfortable, allowing us to rest well after eventful days. The tour provided great value for money. The experiences were unique and could fill two vacation reports! The bikes were perfectly adjusted to our needs, with well-maintained gears and brakes. If there was a minor issue, the guide promptly addressed it. The minivan support was modern and very comfortable. The driver was excellent and we felt safe! Besides the visual impressions, we learned a lot about the country and its people.