Day 1 :
Arrival in Vietnam, woohoo!

We will take a quick power nap/freshen up, wear our best clothes and head out Flights to be booked directly from your closest airport in India, directly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Check in at the hotel: 2 PM

Into the city, for our first day out in Vietnam! How does a late lunch, drinks and a round of conversations sound? This way, we will be able to get to know each other a little and build the foundation for the next couple of days of travel. Let’s make it a rule to keep it fair for all- everyone pays for what they eat and drink. Yeah? For anyone who wishes to take a nap post lunch, be my guest. For anyone who wishes to join later for a social night together: imagine good music, delicious food, and perhaps another round of Saigon beer. Call it a night whenever you please- no peer pressure on this trip, thank you!

Day 2 :
A trip to Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is a network of tributaries in southwest Vietnam, between Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia.

More than half of Vietnam’s rice and fish comes from the delta region, hence on this day trip, we will get an insight into the lives of local fishermen, fruit sellers, and farmers along with some soothing folk music, and witness the famous floating markets as well. We will be cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands. A sweet stop over at Unicorn Island will also allow us to walk around its alleys, check out some gorgeous orchards and enjoy tropical fruits!

You will also get to ride a sampan through the Thoi Son canal and treat yourself to the beauty of the Vietnamese countryside. Ah, I’m so excited for this day!

For dinner, it’ll be a girls night out! Or, in – whatever we prefer!

Day 3 :
Visiting the Cu Chi tunnels

These 250 kms long (!?) tunnels were first dug out in the late 1940s, mostly by hands, to primarily serve as a communication hub between villages and to evade the French army sweeps. Later on, they were also used as a hide out from the US army when the Vietnam War struck.
A trip to the underground tunnels are an eye-opener into the country’s rich history and the resilience of its people. We will spend our time exploring the tunnel network that include all sorts of hidden trap doors, camouflaged entrances, weapon factories, field hospitals and so on.

There are a couple other monuments near our hotel that we can then walk down to, gawking at intricate architecture, or spend time cycling around, go cafe hopping – do as you please! Because in the evening, we fly to Da Da Da, Da Nang!

From the airport, we drive to the enchanting little ancient town of Hoi An and check in to our hotel. Time to get out and enjoy the night life, girls!

Day 4 :
Chill In Hoi An

Did you know Hoi An was actually a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the “Japanese Bridge” (the symbol of Hoi An) way back in the 16th-17th century? You can still see some remnants of the Japanese culture all over town. This is a self exploration day, where you can rent a bicycle on your own, or walk around the Hoai River with a friend you’ve made, talk to the sweetest locals, enjoy local food, chill at one of the four beaches of Hoi An, shop your heart out, or take a cooking class and meet everyone in the evening, right before we take a beautiful boat trip amidst floating lanterns, in the evening. Can also then walk around in the evening, being awestruck by beautiful alleyways paved by lanterns and have dinner together.

I have a feeling this is going to be one of our favourite days.

Day 5 :
The Wonder of Ba Na Hills

We head to the fab Ba Na hills today ! En route, we will be visiting the Marble Mountains that are a group of five limestone peaks symbolising the five elements in Asian culture: Kim (metal), Thuỷ (water), Mộc (wood), Hoả (fire) and Thổ (earth). Together, in the shade of Poinciana and Frangipani trees,

We will also be taking one of the world’s longest and highest cable car rides to Nui Chua Mountain – the top of the Ba Na range. And, exploring a little French hamlet called Le Jardin D’amour which has Gardens based on small themes like thoughts, memories, lovers, secrets and more..Interesting, right?

We will find ourselves on a very popular spot called The Golden Bridge (the bridge is held by two massive hands), pictures of which we have seen at least twice in our lives!

Return to Hoi An by evening and chill over dinner because next day….

Day 6 :
We are taking a train to Hue!

How can any trip to another country be complete without taking a train ride?! In this case, we will be crossing the Hai Van Pass (one of the best drives in the world!) in a short train ride from Da Nang to Hue. Can’t wait to witness some jaw dropping views of the countryside and the South China Sea coastline, with you!

Upon reaching Hue, we will check in to our hotel and begin exploring this beautiful ancient city with intricately decorated pavilions, lotus flower ponds, and colourful art pieces. Totally in awe of the Imperial Palace, we move on to the 7-story Thien Mu Pagoda & learn of the horrific history of the Hue Buddhist massacre as well as taking in a cycle ride to see the city from a whole new angle. Don’t worry, this will be a light day. There are lots of local delicacies (with peanut dipping sauce…mmm!) that you can try only in Hue so that will be on the agenda for a scrumptious lunch and dinner !

Day 7 :
Hello Hà Nội!

After breakfast, we take a short flight from Hue to Hà Nội and reach the capital in time for lunch. There’s so much to see and do in Hà Nội, so what better than walk around and explore little nooks and corners of the city?! From The Temple of Literature to Hanoi Opera House, Quang Phu Cau Incense Village to the Bat Trang pottery village, spas to shopping, banh mi sandwiches to snake wine – Hà Nội will surprise each one of you, for a totally different/bizarre reason. All in all, pass your time on this day, however you like. You’ll find me where the food is.

Day 8 :
Ninh Binh, we’re coming!

Ninh Binh is a playground for adventurers, and an oasis for nature lovers. Vietnam’s first capital was established here, and today the area is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, full of mossy pagodas, striking limestone mountains, and surreal landscapes.

We will be visiting a) Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest temple complex in Southeast Asia, b) Trang An on a sampan boat, famous for its gorgeous cave systems, c) Skull Island, which is famously known for the 2016 King Kong’s home in the movie.

Over all, it will be a day of immersing in the slow pace of Vietnam’s countryside so you can rejuvenate and reflect on the beautiful last few days that you’ve had.

Return to Hà Nội by evening.

Day 9 :
Our last day, already!

You can choose to go on a Ha Long Bay tour (another beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site but sadly quite commercial now😔hence we did not include it in our fixed itinerary) OR spend your day strutting about Hà Nội, shop for yourself and your loved ones, have delectable street food & coffee and spend time with each other.

In the evening, my ladies, we shall party! The 3 Ds we will need this evening are dinner, drinks and dance (…what were you thinking? No judgment though😜)- come back home at whatever time, we will keep each other safe 🙂

Day 10 :
Until we meet again

Time to cry and bid each other goodbye, with a hopeful promise to find one another again, wherever, whenever. Cheers to the new friendships! I hope you take back only love, warmth and kindness from this trip and maybe we can all have a sweet reunion somewhere else in the future!

PS. You can always extend the trip by yourself if you’d want and enjoy some me time. ^_^

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL.

BIG LOVEEEE