Underrated Gems of Southern Vietnam 7-Day Tour

What to expect on this itinerary
Steer clear of the often overcrowded hotspots of Vietnam with this 7-day off-the-beaten-path tour of Vietnam. Cruise across staggering landscapes that feature emerald forests, immerse yourself in the authentic culture, and partake in exciting and often overshadowed experiences. From the intricacies of Vietnam’s coveted cuisine to the heritage that shrouds iconic ornate pagodas, there is much to experience on this off-the-beaten-path adventure.
Customizable Itinerary
Ho Chi Minh City – Farm-to-Table Dinner
Ho Chi Minh City is a dynamic destination that is home to a distinctive culture and a fascinating blend of Southeast Asian customs. Upon your arrival, a chauffeur will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your 5-star accommodation. You will have a few moments to unwind in your room before having a few hours to spend at your leisure. There are secret spots and unique activities that will entertain you thoroughly without having to navigate the over-crowded and common locations. For dinner, you will transfer to an agricultural village and delight in a farm-to-table dinner.
What's Included:
Vung Tau – Crescent Bay Beachfront
Vung Tau – Thuong Dai Chua Kito Vua
Can Tho – The Banks of the Mekong Delta
Can Tho – Immersive Cruise to Floating Sites
Con Dao Islands – The Heritage of Con Dao
Con Dao Islands – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Discover a taste of Vietnamese culture and witness a traditional Puppet Show in Ho Chi Minh City
- Experience a gourmet farm-to-table Vietnamese dinner accompanied by a sunset over farmland pastures
- Lounge on the sun-kissed shores of Vung Tau and delight in enthralling water sports
- Fine dine at seaside restaurants of Vung Tau and submerge yourselves in the sumptuous flavors of Vietnam’s finest seafood dishes
- Traverse the rolling green hills of Vung Tau’s Little Mountain and witness the staggering sights of Thuong Dai Chua Kito Vua
- Cruise the chocolate-colored Mekong Delta from Can Tho on a traditional wooden sampan boat to charming floating markets
- Luxuriate on the breathtaking beaches of the Con Dao Islands and bask in the sunshine
- Visit iconic landmarks that share insight into the Con Dao Islands dramatic past and sacred spiritual traditions
Detailed Description
Southern Vietnam presents some of the country’s finest seaside spectacles and boasts a rich culture that is evidently presented at a number of enthralling destinations. You will begin your expedition in Ho Chi Minh City. You will only spend a brief night here before venturing off-the-beaten-path to the country’s immaculate coastal towns and islands. During your stop in Ho Chi Minh City, you will have the afternoon and evening to embrace the exuberant atmosphere that emanates throughout Vietnam. Here, you can indulge in a flamboyant Puppet Show for a colorful depiction of local cultural or peruse back alleys to follow the fragrances of hideaway eateries. Before you settle in for the night, you can distance yourself from the crowds to an agricultural restaurant for a farm-to-table meal paired with regional wines.
The following morning will mark your escape from the hustle of Vietnam’s energetic cityscapes. Today, you will transfer to the breathtaking beachfront of Vung Tau. Spoiled with a suite in a 5-star resort, you will feel at ease in the isolated regality of Vung Tau. You will have the day to bask in the beachfront, whether you wish to stroll along the shaded boulevards or paddle across the glassy waters on kayaks. Afterward, you will immerse yourself in the succulent flavors of Vung Tau’s seafood dishes. The next day, you will have a cultural and history tour of the fabled landmarks across the landscape. Your tour will conclude with Shakyamuni Buddha, which is a massive white image of Buddha.
Your private chauffeur will meet you in the lobby the following day and transfer you to the riverside city of Can Tho. Upon your arrival, you can bask in the dreamy scenes and tuneful melodies of the surrounding wildlife with a peaceful cruise along the Mekong. Afterward, you can invigorate your bodies with an authentic Vietnamese massage at a premier spa center. The next day, you will transfer to the banks of the river, where you will board a boat head for the floating villages, cacao plantations, and iconic heritage sites. Lastly, you will discover Can Tho’s hallowed spiritual architecture before tucking into exquisite Vietnamese cuisine.
Your final destination will be a short plane flight away from Can Tho. This is one of the most off-the-beaten-path island destinations beyond the coastline of Southern Vietnam. You will arrive on the Con Dao Islands and transfer to your luxurious accommodation. Your last two days in Vietnam will spotlight the tropical splendor that the country has to offer. You will also find comfortable areas to enjoy the shade of towering palm trees. During your time here, you can savor Vietnamese delicacies at venerated restaurants, snorkel marine life, and visit iconic heritage sites.
Starting Price
$2,100 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 588 reviews
Jon and I want Zicasso’s travel specialist to know how much we enjoyed and benefitted from the wonderful itinerary, great seats on domestic flights, caring and thoughtful tour guides, and more. What a great trip!
We spent three weeks in Vietnam and Thailand. The highlight of the trip was the wonderful guides and the unique itinerary. Great care was taken to arrive at destinations before the crowds and fast-track entrance with a personal guide with knowledge of the culture and history.
With six domestic flights throughout Vietnam and Thailand, we experienced the best of both countries. We loved the cooking classes and elephant sanctuary. Thank you for taking such good care of us.
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It was the best vacation ever!!! Zicasso’s travel specialist and the team made traveling halfway around the world to six locations in two countries seamless and a spectacular experience at every turn! Ten stars for all of your efforts to make this a very special experience for my wife and me.
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We want to thank Zicasso’s travel specialist for a fantastic and educational trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. The travel specialist created a well-designed trip based on our request. We requested small boutique hotels and they hit the spot on every one. They were well located, had comfortable rooms, and friendly, helpful staff, as well as great restaurants.
Our guides were experts in their areas and added their personal experiences to give us a more local feeling for what we were going to see and what we saw every day. All our guides were on time and met us at every airport and hotel with clear signs so we could see them. Three of our guides spoke excellent English, could communicate easily, and were easy to understand. One guide did not have strong English and at times needed to repeat himself many times for us to understand. His knowledge was not as strong as the others, but that could have been due to his ability to express himself well in English. He was still good, but just not on the same level as the other three. All of them were flexible, so if we decided to end the day earlier, they would discuss with us what options we had to get to what we missed the next day. One guide even took us to his parents’ house for tea and to a natural hot spring because the weather turned cold quickly and it would have been cold touring that day.
All of the drivers were courteous and helpful, getting our bags in and out of the van and into our hotels. The vans were all clean and gassed up. They also drove safely in the crazy traffic in Vietnam.
All of the restaurants we ate at were wonderful, and the guides explained what we were eating and how it is prepared. We had two fantastic cooking classes that were well laid out and taught us to cook many Vietnamese foods.
We had daily communication from one of the staff members, who checked in to ensure we were happy with how everything was going.
We only had one issue that happened because of our understanding and the travel company’s understanding of our request to have some e-bike opportunities. The guides didn't really know how to explain their meaning the day before we had an e-bike experience. In the US, the meaning is a pedal bike with a battery-assist motor. Their meaning is an electric scooter. Only one of the group had ever ridden a motorcycle, so we had to spend a lot of time getting the other three comfortable riding them in heavy traffic. They ended up having the van follow behind us to slow down the traffic. It ended up being OK, but everyone was a little stressed out because of the heavy traffic. We canceled another e-bike experience and just used the van to get us around.
We also need to thank all the staff we didn't meet or talk to, but who were behind the scenes doing all the work to make this another wonderful trip with Zicasso.
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We enjoyed an amazing two-week travel experience in Vietnam (north, central, and south), thanks to the thoughtful planning and suggestions of Zicasso’s tour operator. I can't say enough about all we saw, did, and learned while there, thanks to the tour operator's suggested schedule and attention to detail. We received first-rate service, from pick-up to drop-off, throughout!
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Our trip planning and experience with Zicasso’s travel specialist was perfect from start to finish. The travel specialist was knowledgeable, professional, listened to our needs and wants, and offered valuable suggestions. The handoff to another team member was seamless—he followed up on all the little details (visas, etc.) so we didn't have to. Our domestic coordinator contacted us periodically to check in and give us reminders, but wasn't obtrusive.
The itinerary was catered to our pace; the hotels were all fabulous and within walking distance to other activities that we might want at the end of the day.
Our guides were all knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience feel personal. Exactly what we were looking for. They were flexible with our schedules and offered suggestions for other experiences when asked (where to have dinner, massages, etc.).
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We really enjoyed our trip! Zicasso’s travel specialist and the team created an interesting itinerary to match our interests. It was also placed in a travel app that allowed us to access our information at any time.
The travel company suggested a variety of excursions that were excellent! We visited many temples, historic sites, an elephant sanctuary, a national park, went rafting and biking, used a large variety of modes of transportation, and explored large and small cities and towns. Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Drivers/guides always showed up on time.
WhatsApp was used regularly to keep us up to date on excursion details and we also received our in-country flight check-in and plane tickets on the app. We would recommend this travel company for other travelers ready to explore this part of the world.
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