Culture + History Day Tours
Learn about the history and culture of Vietnam from a local. Spend a day with an experienced tour guide and enjoy the comforts of private transportation and a driver to sightsee the different aspects of life in Vietnam. Add these
day trips to your custom made itinerary or you can book a day tour individually.
Ho Chi Minh City & Surrounds
Cu Chi Tunnels
Take an experiential journey through the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels built by the Viet Cong and used during the American War. Crawl through a section of the tunnel complex that has thankfully been enlarged for Western visitors! Dig deeper and you find a recreation of this tunnel system comprising wooden trap doors, booby traps, kitchens, schools, weapons factories, field hospitals and command centres. At its peak, there were more than 250km of tunnel networks harbouring Viet Cong guerrillas.
Departs: 8.00am
Returns: 2.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $65; 2 People $75;1 Person $120; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VB
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Click for more information on Cu Chi Tunnels.
Long Tan Memorial + Long Phuoc Tunnels
In August 1966, Australians and New Zealanders fought the Viet Cong in the Battle of Long Tan at Nui Dat. Today there is a memorial maintained by the Australian Embassy who pay a local family every month to keep the site tidy. Built in 1948, Long Phuoc Tunnels became a stronghold for the Vietnamese Revolutionary force for 27 years. These tunnel compounds housed military and local people, medical stations, food and military supplies. This historic tour starts early from your hotel for a two hour drive to Long Phuoc Tunnels, where you have time to explore these well preseved tunnels, visit the former artillery base, hospitals and air strip in nearby Nui Dat. Then continue to Long Tan Cross. Time permitting, there may an opportunity to meet a Viet Cong veteren and survivor of the Battle of Long Tan. A vegetarian lunch is provided in a local communal house in Long Son.
Departs: 7.30am
Returns: 6.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $95; 2 People $110; 1 Person $185;
Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VA
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees, lunch
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Click for more information on the Battle of Long Tan.
Click for more information on Long Phuoc Tunnels.
Saigon Sights
This full day sightseeing tour offers a glimpse of Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City). Wander Binh Tay Markets in Cho Lon, Saigon’s China town and check out a 150 year old Chinese temple and the Jade Emperor Pagoda. Rediscover the past at the War Remnants Museum + marvel at Notre Dame Cathedral, located in the heart of the government quarter.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $80; 2 People $95; 1 Person $101;
Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VC
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Hanoi & Surrounds
Historic Hanoi
North Vietnam is home to Hanoi, Vietnam’s vibrant capital, a city of lakes, broad tree-lined boulevards and amber villas from the French era. On this historical tour, you rediscover the past at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the site where “Uncle Ho” read the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence on 2nd September 1945. Visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a small but elegant structure built in the 11th century and the Temple of Literature, the site of Vietnam’s first university, built in 1070 by followers of Confucius. There are so many interesting museums in Hanoi, so you get to choose your next stop from the Army Museum, History Museum, National Fine Arts Museum or the Museum of Ethnology. After lunch in a local restaurant, explore an ancient pagoda and temple on West Lake then travel by cyclo through the tangled streets of the Old Quarter, an area entirely devoted to trade dating back seven centuries. Your day ends with a performance at the internationally acclaimed Water Puppet Theatre.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 6.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $75; 2 People $85; 1 Person $125;
Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VD
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees including a Museum of your choice, cyclo tour of the Old Quarter, lunch in local restaurant (set menu), Water Puppet Show
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Discover Hanoi’s Art Scene
This is a tour for art lovers and those seeking to learn a little about the art world. You begin with a morning tour of the Fine Arts Museum that features Vietnamese contemporary art such as impressionism, abstract and realism. There is also a large collection of sculptures, wood carvings, lacquer ware, ceramics and traditional treasures dating back thousands of years. After your introduction to Vietnamese art, you travel across the Red River to the home of Dao Anh Khanh, a well known local painter, sculptor and performance artist. Dao became a full time artist in 1993 and has since shown his work in a number of shows in New York. After lunch, visit the gallery of Suzanne Lecht, a recognised Vietnamese art expert who has been a strong advocator of the art world in Vietnam for over 20 years. Suzanne will give a talk about the history of Vietnamese art and introduce you to the work of some of the best artists in Hanoi. This three story gallery also displays photographs and sculptures and has an inviting art cafe with piano bar and large outdoor terrace.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person:3 – 4 People $80; 2 People $90; 1 Person $125;
Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VE
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees, lectures, tea or coffee in the art cafe
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Hands on Hanoi
For a hands on experience of Hanoi, this cultural tour combines local markets with a cooking class; museum sightseeing with a show at the Water Puppet Theatre. It’s up early to mingle with the locals at the morning markets, a colourful display of fresh fruits and vegetable. For a real Hanoi breakfast experience, try a pho (noodle soup) at one of the many stalls followed by a Vietnamese coffee, guaranteed to wake you up! Your next stop is the Hoa Sua Training School for a half day cooking class where you will have plenty of time to sample your delights over lunch. In the afternoon, you visit two museums of your choice from the following selection: Temple of Literature, Army Museum, History Museum, National Fine Arts Museum or the Museum of Ethnology. Your day ends with a performance at the internationally acclaimed Water Puppet Theatre.
Hoa Sua Vocational Training School….Established in 1994, this non profit vocational training school offers free tuition and residence to underprivileged and homeless children. Students learn Asian and European cooking and catering, restaurant service and small business management. The school is supported by Aid to Children Without Parents (ACWP), the United Nations and countries such as Australia. For more info go to http://www.acwp.org
Departs: 6.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $155; 2 People $170; 1 Person $199; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VF
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, market tour + breakfast, cooking class with lunch (4 dishes), entry fees to two (2) Museums of your choice, Water Puppet Show
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Traditional Handicraft Workshop
Hanoi has a thriving handicrafts culture maintained by generations passing down traditional techniques. Today you meet one of the families who specialise in hand-made animal prints on silk. You have an opportunity to practice this ancient skill as you spend time with the family in their home. To continue your local experience, you have lunch in Cha Ca restaurant that serves traditional Hanoian food. In the afternoon, visit Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake then head to West Lake to wander around one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam constructed in the sixth century. For a comparison in architecture, you will also visit Quan Thanh Temple built a few centuries later during the Ly Dynasty and famous for its bronze
casts and wood carving.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $65; 2 People $80; 1 Person $129; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VG
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, Handicraft session and refreshments in a local home, entry + sightseeing fees, lunch at Cha Ca restaurant
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Cycle Hanoi’s Countryside
This is a fantastic day out for cyclists and families. You will drive to the outskirts of Hanoi to discover Co Loa, the first imperial capital of Vietnam. Time has stood still in Co Lao providing the perfect pace to cycle to the 2300 year old temple through the narrow streets of this quaint village. Continue cycling the peaceful surrounding countryside to Ung Village, renowned for its statue wood carvings. This delightful village has cobbled stoned streets and tiny back alleys, surrounded by grapefruit orchards and rice fields. After a picnic lunch in the countryside, mount your bike for a short ride to Dong Ky Village, where the locals specialise in making traditional wooden furniture. Explore this village from your bike before driving back to Hanoi.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $120; 2 People $145; 1 Person $220; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VH
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees, mountain bike + helmet, first aid kit, drinking water + snacks, picnic lunch
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Cycle & Kung Fu Combo
For a fun day out, this is a great day trip for families and budding kung fu beginners. You drive to the outskirts of Hanoi to discover Co Loa, the first imperial capital of Vietnam. Time has stood sill in this village providing the perfect pace to cycle to the 2300 year old temple, through the narrow cobble stoned streets of this quaint village and the surrounding countryside. In the afternoon, you will have lunch and a lecture in the home of a kung fu teacher. Learn some marital art techniques that are relevant to your group’s age and experience. After your lesson, return to Hanoi to enjoy an evening performance at the Water Puppet Theatre.
For the uninitiated, a one hour kung fu session of exercise will be enough. If you are an experienced student, we can organise a longer session.
Kung fu note…There are as many paths to practicing martial arts as there are practitioners. Yet all of them will enhance physical strength, balance, flexibility, emotional stability, mental focus and spiritual growth. Any age can reap these benefits.
Departs: 8.30am
Returns: 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $130; 2 People $155; 1 Person $220; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VI
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees, lunch in kung fu Master home, kung fu lecture + instruction, mountain bike + helmet, first aid kit, drinking water + snacks, Water Puppet Theatre
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Traditional Water Puppet Show
For an authentic Vietnamese experience, visit a village on the outskirts of Hanoi to watch a traditional water puppet show with the locals. This off the beaten track tour gives you an insight into the 1000 year old art form. The show is performed in its traditional way against a backdrop of fertile rice fields. You can choose to have a vegetarian meal at the village pagoda after the show or return to Hanoi for a set Vietnamese dinner at a local restaurant.
Puppets walk on water…The art form of water puppetry is unique to Vietnam. It originated 1000 years ago with rice farmers who worked the flooded fields of the Red River Delta. The farmers carved the puppets from water resistant fig tree timber and held performances in ponds, lakes or flooded paddy fields. Today performances are held in waist deep water pools where trained puppeteers stand behind a bamboo screen and manipulate the puppets to look like they are literally walking on water. Performances depict farming scenes and legends complete with dragons and a flute playing boy riding a buffalo. The performances are mesmerising and a lot of fun – but be prepared to get wet if you are sitting in the front row!
Departs: 4.00pm
Returns: 9.00pm
Price $AUD per person :Minimum group size: 3 – 4 People $85; Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VJ
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, Water Puppet Show in traditional village, choice of dinner at village pagoda or restaurant in Hanoi
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Hanoi Show & Dinner
Located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the Thang Long Theatre home to the internationally acclaimed water puppet show where you will watch the show in first class seats. After the performance dine at a local Vietnamese restaurant with a set menu.
Departs: 4.00pm
Returns: 9.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $65; 2 People $75; 1 Person $115; Validity, 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VK
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, Water Puppet Show first class tickets, dinner at a local restaurant with a set menu
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Hanoi Cooking Classes
Cooking Class at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel
The Sofitel Metropole Hotel is an institution in Hanoi. Built in 1901, this elegant French colonial style hotel has welcomed ambassadors, writers, heads of state and entrepreneurs for over a century. The Spice Gardens restaurant samples some of the best regional dishes in Vietnamese cuisine from banana flower salad to marinated pork in bamboo. To suit your time frame and interests, Inner Journey Expeditions offer you a choice of three cooking programs run by the chefs of the Spice Gardens.
When: Tuesday to Saturdays
Group size: 2 to 8
Includes: Car / Cyclo ride transfers • English speaking chef • Cooking demonstration + lesson • Lunch or dinner in the Metropole Spices Garden • Market trip
Full Day Class: Also includes traditional noodle making village visit
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Price $AUD per person
Class |
Lunch |
Dinner |
Full day with lunch |
Per Person |
$135 |
$135 |
$180 |
Validity |
31 March 2011 |
31 March 2011 |
31 March 2011 |
Tour Code |
IJE-VK |
IJE-VK |
IJE-VK |
Contact: Email us
Half Day Introduction to Vietnamese Cooking
Highway 4 is more than a restaurant! It is an opportunity to experience Northern, Southern and Central Vietnamese cuisine in a traditional setting. Popular with both local Hanoians and tourists, the restaurant’s signature dish is cat fish springs rolls. This cooking tour starts early with a market visit followed by a cooking class where you will learn how to cook three Vietnamese dishes. Of course your morning finishes with lunch to sample your creations.
When: 7.30am – 12.30pm
Group Size: 2 – 8
Price $AUD per person: Per Person $75; Validity: 31 March 2011, Tour Code: IJE-VL
Includes: Car / Cyclo ride transfers, English speaking chef, cooking demonstration + lesson, lunch, market trip
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Massage & Relax in Hanoi
While you are in Hanoi, pamper yourself with a relaxing massage – perfect after an active adventure! Inner Journey Expeditions can arrange a heavenly full body massage and hand and foot therapy for women and men. Prices are on request and tailored to your chosen treatment. Tour Code: IJE-VM
Contact: Email us
Around Sapa
Bac Ha Sunday Markets
Wander the biggest ethnic minority markets in Lao Cai province. This is a photographer’s delight! As you stroll around the Sunday markets your senses become alive with the vibrant mix of colour mostly provided by the ornately dressed Flower H’mong women looking for additional adornments for their costume. The hill tribe people congregate weekly to sell everything from livestock to tobacco, vegetables to materials and jewellery to farming implements. You see the butcher, the hairdresser, the welder, the wine seller and even the animal auctioneer. In the afternoon, take a short walk to a Flower H’mong village before your transfer to Sapa or to Lao Cai railway station to meet your overnight soft sleeper train back to Hanoi.
Departs: Sunday from Sapa at 7.00am
Returns: Finish Sapa at 6.00pm or Lao Cai Train Station at 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $105; 2 People $125;
Validity: 31 March 2011; Tour Code: IJE-VN
Includes: Private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, entry + sightseeing fees
Excludes: Travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Hill Tribe Weekend Markets (2 days)
Combine Bac Ha Markets with the more remote Can Cau for an authentic hill tribe market experience. On Saturday, drive to Can Cau Markets, 9km north from the Chinese border. This is a central meeting point for the more isolated hill tribe communities such as the Mong and Red Dao and even a number of Chinese traders who congregate to sell mountain plants and live stock. In the afternoon, drive to Bac Ha for a walk to a traditional Flower H'mong village and overnight in a hotel. Up early Sunday morning to visit bustling Bac Ha Markets the largest in the province. Here you can buy hand-made woollen scarves, embroidered shirts, skirts, bed spreads, table cloths, bags and jewellery unique to Northern Vietnam. In the afternoon, take a short walk to a Tay Village followed by a scenic 2-hour boat trip on the Chay River. You can either finish your adventure in Sapa, or you can continue your transfer to Lao Cai railway station. Ask IJE for overnight sleeper train prices from Hanoi to Lao Cai on friday night, returning to Hanoi on Sunday night.
Departs: Saturday from Sapa at 7.00am
Returns: Sunday to Sapa at 6.00pm or Lao Cai at 5.00pm
Price $AUD per person: 3 – 4 People $199; 2 People $229;
Validity: 31 March 2010, Tour Code: IJE-VO
Includes: Twin share hotel with breakfast, private vehicle + driver, English speaking guide, 2 hour guided trek, 2 hour boat trip on the Chay River, entry + sightseeing fees
Excludes: Overnight train trip to and from Hanoi, travel insurance + personal expenses
Contact: Email us
Prices are in Australian dollars based upon the number of people travelling together. Price reduces as your travel group size increases. Price is land content only + subject to currency fluctuations. Credit Card payments incur an additional 3% surcharge. See Booking Conditions for more details.
Please email us for further information.
Live in Australia call 1300 431 069 for bookings and travel advice.
