Luxury Family Tour of Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay & Ho Chi Minh City - 7 Days

Highlights

• Enjoy cultural shows and water puppetry in Hanoi
• Cruise on the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay
• Explore the Mekong Delta on a luxury yacht
• Practice your bargaining skills at the bustling Ben Thanh Market

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi, Evening Cultural Show

Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Your driver and tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. If you and your kids are feeling ready to get out into the city, you could enjoy walking through the Old Quarter and its many traffic-free areas. Jump on a cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi) to explore the narrow streets of the district, and stop at a local vendor's shop to taste kid-friendly street food favorites like bun cha (Vietnamese meatballs) or pho (noodle soup). Then sit down to a famous egg coffee and treat the kids to a Trang Tien ice cream, a Hanoi specialty. 

Day 2: Explore Hanoi, Water Puppetry Workshop

Today's activities will be interesting, educational, and fun for everyone in the family. Start with a city tour as your driver and guide take you around Hanoi's most interesting sights. See the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and his Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, and the One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Then, explore the maze of streets and guilds in the Old Quarter, and walk around the Lake of the Restored Sword, a favorite among Hanoian families. Kids will love crossing the iconic red footbridge to reach the island temple of Ngoc Son there.

Continue to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Hanoi. Enjoy a relaxing time in its beautiful garden while your children play. The last stops are the peaceful West Lake, Thanh Nien Street, and the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda. Take a short break and enjoy lunch with local dishes.

Day 3: Transfer to Ha Long Bay, Family-Friendly Cruise & Activities

In the morning, transfer to Ha Long Bay in a comfortable car. Enjoy the views of rice paddies along the scenic route. Cruising is one of the most comfortable and relaxing ways of exploring Ha Long Bay, especially if you are traveling with kids. This trip includes a variety of interesting activities, but it's all done at a slow pace. Upon arrival at the harbor, enjoy a welcome drink while the cruise team introduces you to the cruise program. Then check into your comfortable private cabin.

Enjoy lunch while cruising through the breathtaking scenery of limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After lunch, you'll drop anchor in a quiet spot and set out to explore the bay's many islets and caves by kayak. Younger kids (and those feeling less adventurous) can opt for a gentle small boat ride instead. Continue cruising to one of the local islands, where you can stop for a swim or some time playing and relaxing on the beach, then return to the ship as evening falls to watch the sunset, take part in some fun, family-themed activities prepared by the cruise team, and sit down to a memorable dinner.

Day 4: Cruise Around Ha Long Bay, Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Grown-ups can get up early to see the sunrise and take part in some tai chi on deck this morning. Then enjoy a hearty breakfast and head out to explore a limestone cave by small boat. Filled with stalagmites and stalactites, this otherworldly natural wonder will fascinate kids of all ages. Then it's time to return to the ship to complete the check-out formalities and have an early lunch while the ship cruises back to the dock.

After disembarking, your driver will meet you at the harbor and transfer you to Hanoi airport by private car, where you will fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city and the central metropolis of the south. You'll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy a relaxed family dinner at a restaurant near your hotel, which the hotel staff can recommend.

Day 5: Mekong Delta Yacht Cruise

Get back out on the water today as you explore the mighty Mekong Delta on a luxury yacht—a perfect way for adults and kids to relax while seeing the sights. The Mekong Delta is known as the rice bowl of Vietnam, and children will be amazed by the beautiful nature and farms carpeted in greenery. Board your yacht at Tan Cang Pier, where you'll depart for My Tho. Enjoy a 2.5-hour cruise with fresh fruit and drinks available on board. On the way, stop at a riverside market full of local curiosities, tropical fruits, and seafood.

Continue to Ben Tre, where you'll board a sampan (a traditional flat-bottomed boat) and enjoy cruising through a canal lined with coconut trees. After the boat trip, visit a coconut candy workshop to see how locals make delicious candies—sure to be a highlight for kids with a sweet tooth! Stop at a honey bee farm, where you can have a cup of honey tea and see how the bees are raised. Break for a traditional music performance and a snack of freshly-picked tropical fruit, then hop on a tuk-tuk to explore more of the surrounding villages before having lunch at a riverside restaurant and heading back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City Tour, Dinner Cruise

Today your family will learn about the past and admire the present of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Meet your driver and English-­speaking guide at your hotel and begin your day with a moving visit to the War Remnants Museum, intended as a call for peace with the hope that the horrors of that war will never be repeated. 

Continue to the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975, when the Vietnam War ended right here. Stop for a lunch break at a nearby restaurant showcasing local cuisine. In the afternoon, visit the 19th-century Notre-Dame Cathedral, built from imported French materials, including stained­ glass windows from Chartres, then head across the street to the grand Saigon Central Post Office.

The final stop is the Ben Thanh Market, one of the largest markets in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can practice your bargaining skills while shopping for souvenirs and treat the kids to some local snacks. In the late afternoon, embark on a sunset cruise along the Saigon River. See the fascinating contrast between historic and modern buildings as the sun fades away, then sit down to a set menu dinner with premium dishes created by top chefs. Against a backdrop of melodious music and views of the city, it's the perfect setting for your final family dinner in Vietnam.

Day 7: Depart Ho Chi Minh City

It's time to say farewell to Vietnam. Depending on your time of departure, you may have the chance to do some last-minute souvenir shopping or let the kids burn off some energy in one of the city's many parks or playgrounds. When the time comes, your driver will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight home. Safe travels!

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