8-DAY SOUTHERN VIETNAM STUDY TOUR FOR OVERSEA STUDENT

Day 1: Arrival – Saigon
Day 2: Saigon City + Cu Chi
Day 3: Saigon – Cai Be – VL – Can Tho
Day 4: Can Tho – Floating market – Saigon
Day 5: Saigon – Vung Tau – Visit Long Tan War Relic
Day 6: Vung Tau – Free on beach
Day 7: Vung Tau – Saigon
Day 8: Saigon – Departure

DAY 1: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : ARRIVAL HO CHI MINH CITY (-/-/-)

On arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel for checking in.

The bustling Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, is a center of commerce, finance, culture and tourism in Vietnam. This metropolis, contradiction of its northern counterpart, is crowded with bikes and motorbikes, excited by numerous shopping areas and sidewalk cafes.

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 2: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : SAIGON FULL DAY CITY TOUR + CU CHI TUNNELS (B/-/-)

Today we spend a half day exploring the captivating Ho Chi Minh City. The most places of interest are located near the town center. We pass by the now-demolished wartime American Embassy on our way to the Reunification Palace. This famous edifice was a former residence of the President of Southern Vietnam until end of April 1975.

Close to the palace are some striking French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. We follow these with a visit to the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum with a wealth of images from the notorious conflicts. The sightseeing ends up with a walk around the retail Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale!

Afternoon: Transfer about 30km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi town. Cu Chi tunnels were used as the base from which the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The incredible underground network in Cu Chi stretched over 200 kilometres and became legendary during the American war.

The extensive tunnels have been specially constructed with living areas, weapon factories, filed hospitals, command centres, plus accommodation. Today we have an excursion to Cu Chi Tunnels to visit an exposition hall and a widened section of the tunnels to get a feel of the underground life. There are also possibilities to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range.

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 3: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau – HO CHI MINH – MY THO – CAN THO (B/L/-)

AM: Breakfast at hotel. At 8.00 am, our guide and driver pick you up at hotel and drive to My Tho Province and have a smooth one-and-half-hour car/van ride through beautiful rice field scenery along Trung Luong Express Highway.  Take a boat along the river to visit the stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages. Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden.

Enjoy a boat ride through natural canal in Ben Tre, cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, enjoy seasonal fruit& honey tea and “Southern Vietnamese folk music”, performed by the islanders.

PM: Then, you make a bike trip around the fruit plantation and village to visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy and observe the pastoral life. Next, on the route transfer to Can Tho City you have change to visit Vinh Trang pagoda which is the greatest pagoda of My Tho city, Tien Giang Province. About 1km from the city centre, this pagoda has an ancient southern architectural gem.

The beautiful architecture of it is a harmonious combination of Asian and European types of architecture. Free to have your dinner at restaurant. Check in your hotel. At night, you are free to explore Can Tho city by yourself with Ninh Kieu famous boat pier.

O/N in Cantho.

DAY 4:  Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : CAN THO – CAI RANG – HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/-)

In this early morning, about 5:00 am you will make a boat trip on Mekong River to visit Cai Rang Floating Market in the morning to enjoy the purchasing activities on boat of local people in Mekong Delta. Then go on cruising via small channels to visit rice noodle making villages. You have a chance to cross through the “Monkey Bridge” – a special cover building through channels in the Delta..

Floating market is the specialty of Mekong delta so coming there you can enjoy the daily life of local people and variety of Vietnamese customs. Back your hotel around 09:00 am. Pm: After lunch you will be transferred back Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at hotel at 6.00 pm. Check in hotel. Free to enjoy your own dinner. At night, you are free to walk around and explore Ho Chi Minh City with the busy streets, centre…

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 5: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : HO CHI MINH CITY  – TRANSFER TO VUNG TAU – VISIT LONG TAN WAR RELIC (B/-/-)

After breakfast at hotel, you are transferred to Vung Tau for relaxing at beach.

In the afternoon, you will visit Long Tan War relic. In the years immediately following the battle of Long Tan, the main focus of Australian task force operations gradually shifted to the more remote regions of Phuoc Tuy province and beyond. Few Australians visited the site of the battle in the Long Tan rubber plantation, although it lay less than five kilometres from the task force base at Nui Dat. Diggers Rest also provides a free English class for locals, food parcel drops for families doing it tough in the Nui Dat area and help to the local schools and orphanage.

O/N in Vung Tau.

DAY 6: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : VUNG TAU – FREEDAY (B/-/-)

You’ll be free on your own to discover the hidden charms of Vung Tau city or relaxing at beach. (No Car & guide)

O/N in Vung Tau.

DAY 7: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : VUNG TAU – TRANSFER BACK TO HO CHI MINH CITY – FREEDAY (B/-/-)

After breakfast at hotel, you are transfered back to Ho Chi Minh city for overnight.

O/N in Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 8: Vietnam Southern Study Tour to Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Vung Tau : HO CHI MINH CITY – DEPARTURE (B/-/-)

After breakfast at hotel, you are transferred to Tan San Nhat airport to catch a flight back home.

End of services !