Saigon City Tour & Cycling in Ben Tre 3 Days

Upon arrival in Tan Sơn Nhat Airport, be met by our guide & car driver and be transferred to the hotel for check-in. 
In the afternoon, meet with a local guide and set off on a half-day tour in Ho Chi Minh City. Start with a visit to the city’s most iconic building: Reunification Hall. Formerly called the Presidential Palace, images of the building were seen around the world on 30 April 1975 when tanks stormed the gates as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. Hear the echoes of time while walking through this historic downtown site.
Then take a stroll to Ho Chi Minh City’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall, the old Saigon Post Office, Hear about the glory days of French Indochina and how that era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture.
Step inside the War Remnants Museum for an insightful, yet somber, look into Vietnam’s military history. See exhibitions displaying imagery from the French and American wars, learning more about the country’s struggle for independence and hearing tales of the resilience of the Vietnamese people.
Then step off the tourist trail for one last visit on this Ho Chi Minh City tour at a Vietnamese coffee shop, sit down and taste the coffee like locals. After this insightful visit, return to the hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
 

Early morning departure from Saigon for 1.5hr drive to Ben Tre, gateway to the Mekong Delta. At Huu Dinh Hamlet, take a tri-motorcycle ride down narrow village roads to explore the lush surroundings of rice paddies and fruit farms before boarding the cruise ship where a refreshing coconut welcome drink awaits as you enjoy rustic river scenes. Shore excursions include a small home factory making handicrafts from Ben Tre’s famous coconuts and a brick workshop where bricks are made by hand using centuries-old traditional methods. Take a 5-7km (3-4mi) bicycle trip around Phong Nam village on flat terrain with stops at a rice noodle factory and the home of Mrs. Huong where you can observe local life while sampling tropical fruit and honey tea. Explore some of the Delta’s famed waterways via rowing sampan before enjoying a 5-course restaurant lunch. We visit two more local homes to interact with typical Delta residents: Mr. Sau Tuong, a former soldier who survived two years of fighting the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia before his current occupation as a rice paper maker and Mr. Hung, known in the village of My Long for his sticky rice and fish ponds. Return by boat to the Hung Vuong Pier in Ben Tre where transport awaits to take you back to Saigon. 

NOTES
Suggested departure time: 08:00
Tour duration: 09 hours
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh Cit
 

Wake up early this morning and start your day like a real Saigonese does! Your guide will show you things that make Saigon so different compared to other parts of Vietnam, from the morning crowded street coffee places to the lively local outdoor markets where people shop for their daily needs.   
Your first stop is a Vietnamese bread stall which is believed to be the first bread stall in Saigon. Sit down together with the local people inside a small alley to enjoy this simple, yet delicious breakfast.  
After breakfast, zig zag through the alleys and stop at a market for a cup of tea or coffee in Saigon’s oldest café. This coffee shop, now in its 78th year of operation, is something of a Saigon landmark. Meet the owner for a talk to learn how she makes coffee with such a special yet traditional method, a kind of “stocking coffee” which was originally the method of Chinese coffee vendors and involved a long, stocking-like fabric filter, a charcoal stove and traditional clay pots.  
Continue to wind your way through nearby street markets to see how people bargain for fresh vegetables, seafood and other local food. Carry on to the “flower alleys” - the biggest flower market in Saigon. Take the opportunity to see the colourful blossoms, and interact with the sellers. Stop at some vendors to try some favourite Saigonese snacks and desserts such as sponge cakes and sweet soups before heading back to your hotel for check pout & drive to airport  for your onward flight.

NOTES:  
Available time: Morning only  
Duration: 3 hours 
Starting time: 07:00
Special note: Not available during Tet holidays