Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City – The Mekong Delta – Phu Quoc
100% customisable for you
After lots of daydreaming and counting down the days, your winter adventure to Vietnam officially starts today. Head to the airport, breeze through security, pick up a good read and settle into the lounge for some fizz and nibbles before boarding.
Your first flight will take you to a hub in Asia, where you’ll have a short stopover before your second flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The overnight journey will take around 15 hours, so queue up the films, fluff up the neck pillow and try to catch some Z’s before arriving the next day.
When you touch down, you’ll be met and whisked away to your hotel, your base for the next two nights. Feeling peckish after the journey? Follow the irresistible aromas into the nearest street food market and dive chopstick-first into Vietnam’s legendary culinary scene.
Still have some energy left in the tank? We can also arrange a tour with a local guide, who’ll show you around Ho Chi Minh City.
Battling jet lag? You’re in for a real treat this morning. Head to a tucked-away café, where a local barista will whip up a bac xiu (iced coffee with condensed milk). Discover how the beans are roasted and brewed, then grind, pour and steam your own coffee-shop-worthy latte before mastering a few Kung Fu moves with your host – the ultimate caffeine kick.
The afternoon is yours to explore. Pick out a hand-painted postcard at the Central Post Office, weave through Binh Tay Market, wander the deity-honouring Ngoc Hoang Pagoda or learn about Vietnam’s age-old healing traditions at the Fito Museum.
This evening, swing onto the back of your guide’s scooter and zip around the city in search of the best street food. After polishing off an aperitif, feast on favourites like banh xeo (savoury pancakes) and goi cuon (spring rolls) before settling into a neon-lit café for a live music performance. With an ice-cold beer in hand, end the night on a high note – literally…
Bid a warm farewell to the chaos of the city this morning and meet your local driver-guide – your companion for the next three days in the Mekong Delta.
Sit back and enjoy the two-hour ride south to Cai Be, admiring views of shimmering rice paddies and sleepy villages. When you arrive, climb aboard a traditional junk boat and cruise along the waterways, pulling in at family-run workshops to sample rice cakes, coconut sweets and dried longan fruit made using recipes passed down through generations.
Next, venture deeper into the Delta by sampan boat, gliding through shady canals fringed by tangled greenery before arriving at a local family home for a Mekong-style lunch. Suitably stuffed, continue towards Vinh Long, where you’ll visit brick-fired pottery kilns and thriving fish farms for a glimpse of everyday life along the waterways.
You’ll likely be tired after your busy day, so after checking in to your guesthouse in Can Tho, turn in for an early night.
Another day, another adventure. This morning, head for the city of Tra Vinh, the cultural hub of Vietnam’s Khmer community. Here, marvel at the golden-clad Ang Pagoda gleaming in the sunshine as swirls of incense drift through the air and worshippers adorn the temple grounds with offerings of fruit and flowers. Afterwards, amble around the sacred Ba Om Pond, where centuries-old trees cast dappled shadows across the water.
After lots of oohing and aahing, hit the road once again (with your guide at the wheel) for the one-hour journey to Ben Tre. With our destination-specific playlist providing the soundtrack, keep your eyes peeled for wandering water buffalo and traditional conical hats bobbing among the crops as farmers tend the land.
Tonight, your home away from home is a charming guesthouse right on the water’s edge. As evening falls, venture out for a steaming bowl of pho, a Vietnamese classic of rice noodles and aromatic broth served with a squeeze of lime.
The best way to explore Vietnam’s rural heart? By bicycle, of course. This morning begins with a short cruise through Ben Tre’s maze of waterways before a bike ride along quiet country lanes. The route takes you to a cocoa plantation for a behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate-making process before continuing to a pretty pagoda nestled among the greenery.
All that pedalling is bound to work up a thirst, so crack into a fresh coconut ahead of your two-hour private transfer to Ho Chi Minh City Airport. From here, board a one-hour flight to the island of Phu Quoc (nab a window seat to catch the first views of sparkling seas, emerald islets and ribbons of coral below).
When you touch down, you’ll be whisked away to your oceanfront villa, your home for the next three nights. Drop your bags, make a beeline for the beach and pick between a sun-drenched lounger or a palm-shaded patch of sand – perhaps with a cocktail to celebrate your arrival?
Lather on the sunscreen and charge the camera – you have two days of island adventures ahead of you.
Spend your days hopping between pepper farms and fish sauce workshops, gaining an insight into some of the island’s most famous exports. For a spot of nature, venture into the UNESCO-listed National Park, where jungle hikes and peaceful kayaking routes through the mangroves reveal the island’s wild side.
Fancy taking the plunge? We can also arrange a snorkelling session off the island’s southern coast, gliding past kaleidoscopic coral reefs teeming with tropical fish.
If you’re after total R&R, simply flop into a hammock strung between two palms, lose yourself in a good book and while away the afternoon topping up your tan.
Finish each day sun-kissed, salt-speckled and satisfied with a seafood dinner at one of our Concierge’s favourite beachfront spots, clinking glasses of rice wine as the sky glows gold over the ocean. Cheers to that.
Time flies when you’re having fun and, sadly, your adventure across southern Vietnam has come to an end.
After one last Vietnamese coffee, you’ll be privately transferred to Phu Quoc Airport for your return flight home, with a quick stopover in an Asian hub along the next way.
All in all, you’ll spend around 20 hours in the air – plenty of time to flick through your holiday photos, relive the highlights and start dreaming up your next big escape.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
