The South of Vietnam

In the morning, Cattour pick you up at the lobby of your hotel then head to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office. Finally, stop at The Reunification Palace, the base of  Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. In 1975, a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the War Remnants Museum also known as the Museum of American War Crimes. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6,800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.

After that, we continue our trip with a visit of Secret Weapons hiding place Museum. Located in a small alley, it allows to experience the life of the resistance fighters when entering these same cellars and also to see how all kinds of weapons were hidden.

We will then visit the Jade Emperor pagoda also known as Tortoise Pagoda. The pagoda is a representative of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism that is practiced widely in Vietnam.

Another destination which can’t be missed when you are in Saigon is Ben Thanh market. Visiting the market brings you a deeper insight into the life of local people in the Ho Chi Minh city. a great place to buy local handicrafts, Vietnamese art goods and other souvenirs. You could also find food stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or a simply cool off with a drink.

Our guide and driver will then take you back to hotel in Saigon.

After breakfast at hotel, our guide and driver will pick you up then drive to Tay Ninh, 100km from Ho Chi Minh, to visit the ornate temple of Cao Dai, which was finished in 1955 when the Cao Dai Army was formed following the Japanese occupation of Indochina. You then attend a fantastic mid-day service. Caodaism followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of this curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue our trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which is located 70km from Saigon city. The tunnels was constructed around 1948 to assist Viet Minh in their fight against French occupiers. They offer visitors a sneak-peek at the underground life of Vietnamese soldiers back in 1948. The site has over 120km of underground tunnels, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armoury, hospitals, and command centres. Since 1988, 2 sections of the tunnels are open for visitors to better understand the war in Vietnam.

We will then drive back to Saigon city for overnight.

In the morning, Cattour’s representative pick you up at the lobby of your hotel in Saigon and depart for Ben Tre province in Mekong Delta. You will take a 2-hour drive to Hung Vuong Pier. Embark and cruise along Ben Tre river.

Our first stop is a handicraft workshop to discover how coconut flesh is processed into many different forms and woven into mats with the aid of dried reeds and a huge loom.

Enjoy some tea in a coconut candies manufacture before taking a walk around the idyllic village. A short bike ride or tuktuk will allow you to explore the countryside and stop to visit a family braiding mats.

Enjoy local specialities for lunch in local restaurant. Then, boarded a rowing boat to join the canal through a maze of arroyos and return to the landing stage.

Drive to hotel in Can Tho for overnight.

Early in the morning, you will have a visit to the floating market of Cai Rang, a centre for commerce in the city and its neighbouring provinces, such as An Giang, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang. They traditionally sell all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and recently added coffee, breakfast dishes and even lottery tickets. The market is where local and foreign tourists go to learn about the colourful life on the river.

Then, take a walk in an orchard garden - Ba Cong, where it will also be possible to enjoy fresh tropical fruits and visit a vermicelli factory.

The day will continue with a visit to Binh Thuy ancient house where the film adaptation of Marguerite Duras' novel L' Amant was filmed in 1992. Unique architectural in the harmonious combination between East and West has taken Binh Thuy ancient house to become one of the must-see tourist attractions in Can Tho. Return to Saigon in the late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. You are free until being transferred to the airport for your departure flight Your room is available until 12:00 only.