Solo-ish Vietnam

Welcome to Vietnam! Touch down in Hanoi and meet your included arrival transfer at the airport. Get to know your fellow Solo-ish travellers at the 2pm welcome meeting before hopping into a cyclo to cruise around Hanoi Old Town to get acquainted with the city. When the ride ends, we'll drive to a villa where we will have a hands on cooking experience! Work together, get to know the other Solo-ish travellers then sit down together and enjoy your creation! Arrive to your start hotel no later than 2pm in order to begin the days activities.

Included Experiences

• Meet Your CEO and Group: At 14:00, it's your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official place to meet up with the group.
• Hanoi Cyclo Tour: Take a seat on a cyclo for a tour of Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter. Let the driver navigate through the bustling streets and start taking some photos or just use the tour to help get familiar with the area.
• Dinner Party: Food is a universal language, and there's no better way to get to know a new friend, or a new community, than by breaking bread together and digging in to a delicious meal. Get to know your fellow Solo-ish travellers and the flavors of Hanoi with a cooking class! Make some of Vietnam's most delicious dishes like Nem, fried spring rolls, and of course, Pho! After working together to make the amazing meal, sit down and enjoy your dishes together!

Today is all about getting to know your group and Hanoi better! From cyclo day 1 to motorbike day 2, today we join the lady motorbike team for a tour of the city. Hop on the back of a moto and see Hanoi's important landmarks, markets and streets. At the market, we'll hop off and try some local street food then continue your journey through the bustling old quarter of Hanoi passing iconic landmarks such as Hanoi Opera House, Long Bien Bridge, Huu Tiep Lake, and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. We'll take an Egg Coffee break at a coffee house, learning how they make egg coffee and try one for ourselves! We'll stop for lunch to try a Hanoi original dish called Bun Cha, made of grilled pork and noodles and then continue on to visit Hoa Lo Prison, and finally complete your meal at a local dessert shop. In the evening enjoy a home cooked meal with a family just outside of Hanoi.

Included Experiences

• Hanoi City & Motorbike Tour: With your incredible CEO at the helm, get to know the local community and your Solo-ish travel mates on a day packed full of interesting and engaging adventures. Zip through the historic streets of Hanoi on the back of the lady motorbike team. Your CEO will give you a tour of the best of the city. With your group by your side, you'll have a chance to try local street foods at the market, see the bustling old quarter of Hanoi passing iconic landmarks Stop for an Egg Coffee Break at a coffee house and try the famous Bun Cha grilled pork and noodles for lunch. Visit Hoa Lo Prison and make a final stop for a local desert. Tonight, you'll have a home-cooked meal with a family just outside of the city.

This morning we'll travel to the impressive Natural World Heritage site of Halong Bay. Passing through the beautiful Vietnamese countryside, arrive to the junk boat that we'll stay aboard for a night. Spend the afternoon swimming, caving and relaxing under the striking karst formations in the incredible bay. A special G surprise awaits in the evening as you relax onboard.

Included Experiences

• Ha Long Bay Junk boat Cruise: With your Solo-ish travel mates and CEO, explore some of the worlds coolest activities alongside new friends. It's not just an epic day of fun, its chock full of incredible experiences and a surprise G element along the way to take your day to 11. Cruise through stunning Ha Long Bay. Relax on board our comfortable traditional wooden junk boat. Enjoy your time afloat eating fresh seafood, admiring the magnificent karst formations, and exploring Me Cung Cave. Spend a peaceful night making spring rolls while anchored in the bay under the stars.

If you choose to wake up early, join the group for a morning Tai Chi session. After breakfast, climb into a smaller boat and take a tour to Hang Luon Lagoon for kayaking. When we return to the junk boat, take some time to pack up and enjoy lunch onboard before we disembark for our next destination. Download your Solo-ish bestie's favorite movie because we have a longer travel day ahead of us. We'll drive from Ha Long Bay back to Hanoi, and then board an overnight train to Hue.

Included Experiences

• Kayaking in Hang Luon Lagoon: Hop into a smaller boat and take a tour to the Hang Luon Lagoon for kayaking
• Overnight Train (beds): Stretch out and get some well-earned rest en route to the next stop.

Optional Experiences

• Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour: Indulge your inner foodie with a street food tour through bustling Hanoi. Follow your guide through the back streets and markets of the city’s old quarter, sampling local fare along the way. Mingle with city natives and experienced street food artists alike, as you taste a variety of Hanoi faves like “nem ran” and “banh goi.” Stop at a streetside bar to savour a draught beer like Hanoians do. Cap off the tour at the Hanoi Food Culture restaurant, a G Values Fund Project, and try the city’s signature specialty coffee.

Wake up this morning as you're pulling into Hue, a city with world renowned ancient wonders. Drop your belongings at the hotel then join your group for a guided tour of the city to see these wonders. Visit the iconic Imperial Citadel, the Royal Tomb and the Tien Mu Pagoda to learn about the unique culture of this city. In the afternoon, enjoy some free time. Opt to relax, explore or join the Hue Motorbike Tour.

Included Experiences

• Thien Mu Pagoda Visit: Visit Tien Mu, one of the tallest and, perhaps, most elegant pagodas in Vietnam, at seven storeys high. Take a step back in time touring this historic temple - built more than 400 years ago along the north shore of the Perfume River, it has been the site of many political protests.
• Imperial Citadel Tour: Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China's Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.
• Royal Tombs Visit: Visit the Royal Tombs along the Perfume River in Hue. Embracing the concept of Feng Shui, these tombs are extremely ornate and provide fantastic insight into the lives of the former rulers.

Optional Experiences

• Hue Motorbike Tour: Grab a helmet, hop on a motorbike driven by your experienced local guide, and get ready for a crash course in authentic Viet culture. Spend the next four hours exploring the stalls of a local market, admiring the view of the Perfume River, learning to plough and make rice, creating your own incense sticks, and seeing the most iconic local sights. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

Travel from Hue to the ancient town of Hoi An today. Drive through the most famous road in Vietnam, the Hai Van Pass. Wind around mountains, cruise by the sea and pass through cities. Arrive to Hoi An and enjoy free time in this UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Have a chance to see for yourself why this city is considered one of the world's best preserved examples of a Southeast Asian 15th century trading port.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Enjoy a free afternoon in the historic city of Hoi An.

Start today with a trip to your G for Good moment at Oodles of Noodles. Join the noodle making demonstration and then sit down together for a noodle lunch. This afternoon, opt to take some "me time" or head out on a Hoi An Old Town Walking tour with your CEO. Today is your Me Day, so it's your choice after all!

Included Experiences

• Oodles of Noodles: Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.
• Me Day : Hoi An: Traveling solo alongside your new Solo-ish travel mates means there's always something fun to do and new friends to explore with. But the joy of travel can also be about taking time to yourself to recharge, refresh and reflect on the journey. Today, choose to join your CEO for an incredible activity, or take the time to yourself to enjoy your own company in one of the most incredible places on our planet.

An early flight brings us to Ho Chi Minh City before the late morning. This afternoon, choose to join your CEO and explore the Cu Chi Tunnels on a tour through the underground secret passageways. And if you are ready to hit the town, a night in Ho Chi Minh wouldn't be complete without a visit to one of the many roof top bars or Ben Than Market.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Optional Experiences

• Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Tour: Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces. (25-27 USD per person)

We get on the road this morning to drive towards the impressive Mekong River Delta. The palm tree waterfront town of Ben Tre a perfect place to get a glimpse of local life on the Delta. After visiting the coconut plantation, watching the xuong and sampan boats cruise over the water and cycling along the river, visit the Cai Thia region. A short boat ride will take you to a traditional rice paper making and then to the homestay. Join your host for some local home cooking for dinner, followed by a night walk guided by lamps to see traditional music and performance.

Included Experiences

• Cai Thia Mekong River Visit: Visit the Cai Thia community of the Mekong River. Arrive by boat to a local home to observe how a traditional rice paper is made. Have a chance to try to make one for yourself. Continue by boat to your local guesthouse. Make a home cooked local dinner with our hosts. After dinner, use a lamp to walk through the dark to watch the local villagers' traditional music and performance.
• Ben Tre Mekong River Visit: Visit the Ben Tre region of the Mekong River Delta. Visit a coconut plantation, row a sampan down the river and cycle along the waterways.

Start today with a visit to the nearby local fresh market. Then board a boat and cruise to Mang Thit, known as the Red Kingdom. After arriving, we'll cycle through the pottery brick village, passing rice fields, plantations and factories. This afternoon, drive back to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy free time in the city.

Included Experiences

• Pottery Brick Village Cycle: Take a boat to the Pottery Brick Village, Mang Thit, known as the the Red Kingdom. The cycle though the beautiful river side town. Ride through rice fields, plantations and local factories.
• Free Time: Spend an afternoon at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City.

You arrived a solo traveller and are leaving with many new friends. Say goodbye to your fellow Solo-ish travellers and depart at any time.