What this trip is really like
Three days of the south — tunnels, alleys, a delta orchard — then a short flight to Phu Quoc, where we show you the fishing pier and the pepper farms before the beach takes over.
Nothing else in our range gets you from the city to an island in fewer days. Three nights are spent on the Cu Chi Tunnels, the colonial-era buildings downtown and a full day out on the delta by boat; a short hop by air then delivers you to Phu Quoc for two nights, starting at Sao Beach and a stroll around Duong Dong.
Because nowhere else on the mainland is included, the trip suits anyone who wants a quick read of the wartime and colonial south and then nothing but sand and reef — Sao Beach, the history kept at Phu Quoc Prison, and a whole day snorkelling three sites out in the Gulf of Thailand. Any month will do, though the dry stretch from November to April gives the flattest sea for the boat day.
Trip highlights
- The Cu Chi Tunnels, plus half a day walking the colonial centre
- A whole day in the delta, on the water and through its villages
- Sao Beach and Duong Dong town on arrival in Phu Quoc
- A full day snorkelling three islands in the Gulf of Thailand
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land in Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon, as most people still call it, runs at a quicker tempo than the capital, glass towers going up behind the buildings the French left and the pavements busy long after dark. The first afternoon usually goes on settling in, with an optional walk around the downtown blocks near your hotel.
Day 2 — Cu Chi tunnels and Saigon's centre
The morning belongs to the Cu Chi Tunnels — the underground network dug and lived in by resistance fighters across decades of war — where you can see stretches left as they were as well as sections widened for visitors, along with displays from the period.
The afternoon carries on at walking pace: the former Presidential Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, the Continental Hotel, the Opera House and City Hall.
Day 3 — Mekong Delta day
Heading southwest brings you into the rice bowl of the country, where a boat runs along the Vam Xep canal to a small islet and a shaded, palm-lined path leads past village houses. A bee farm, a small coconut workshop and a row-boat trip down the narrow channels punctuate the day before the road back to the city.
Day 4 — Fly to Phu Quoc, Sao Beach and Duong Dong
Under an hour in the air from Tan Son Nhat Airport puts you on the island. The afternoon begins on Sao Beach, pale-sanded and shallow, and continues to the wartime displays held at Phu Quoc Prison.
Working back towards Duong Dong, you stop at Ho Quoc Pagoda for the view from the hillside and at Dinh Cau Temple on its rock above the sea. Sunset can be watched from Truong Beach or the Sunset Sanato Beach Club, and the Dinh Cau night market is where the seafood and street food are.
Day 5 — Three islands by boat, snorkelling
A full day's boat trip from the south coast takes in three snorkelling stops in the Gulf of Thailand — Finger Island, Dam Ngang Island and May Rut Island — trading further sightseeing for hours in the water above the coral.
Day 6 — Departure from Phu Quoc
The last morning is yours until the transfer to Phu Quoc International Airport, closing a short southern trip that ran from history and delta waterways to an island at the end.
What's included
- Your rooms, twin or double with breakfast, in the hotel grade you pick with us — family-run guesthouses where they exist, small hotels elsewhere
- Every meal the day-by-day marks as included; we lean towards places locals eat rather than hotel restaurants
- A guide from the region who speaks English and grew up with the places on the route
- Your own air-conditioned car or minivan with driver for every transfer and touring day
- Entrance fees to every site named in the itinerary
- The boats, cruises and activities written into the plan
- Government taxes and service charges — the quote we send is the amount you pay
Not included
- Flights and trains, international or domestic — we quote these separately so you can see the real cost
- Visa fees and visa arrangements
- Travel insurance, which we ask every guest to carry
- Drinks, laundry, phone calls and anything else personal
- Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades
- Tips for your guide and driver — customary here, at your discretion
- Extra sightseeing or vehicle use beyond the written plan
- Costs caused by weather, road closures or other events outside anyone's control, settled on the spot
- Bank transfer charges
Book this trip
- Days
- 6 days / 5 nights
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