Day 10: Saigon. (Breakfast) You will start your day in the morning with a visit to the Reunification Palace. This was the headquarters of the United States supported South Vietnamese government and has been left largely as it appeared on the day the Viet Cong’s tanks crashed through the gate and claimed victory for the North. The original furniture, equipment rooms, and war rooms remain untouched, all the way down to the rotary phones on the desks and strategic maps on the walls. In the middle of the crowded city, this large structure and its vast grounds are a fascinating time warp taking you back to the early 1970’s.
Next, enjoy a visit to the beautiful colonial building housing the Central Post Office, with its amazing collection of century old western telegraphs and other machines. This is an active place of business, and the gorgeous antique interior includes wooden phone booths and counters that the locals will be standing at while buying services.
After lunch you will enjoy a walk-through Saigon, including the famous shopping street of Dong Khoi. The walk starts at Notre Dame Cathedral and leads you to the Municipal Theater, after which you are driven to your spectacular hotel to enjoy lunch and the amazing facilities for a little while.
Brewery and Local Dining Experience: In the evening you will join your Tour Director for a short walk to Pasteur Street and the most famous craft beer taproom in Vietnam. Meet the brewer, learn about the marriage between this western practice and local ingredients, and sample several brews. You will then walk a little further to a nice outdoor restaurant located on the rooftop of an old apartment block. Dinner will be a diverse assortment of delicious Vietnamese home cooked favorites, and your hosts and Tour Director will answer any questions that you may have about the ingredients and flavors of the dishes being offered.
Day 11: Saigon – International Flight. (Breakfast) You are assisted with your check-out in the morning and you will take a short drive to the War Remnants Museum. We do not recommend this museum to guests who might get upset by gruesome war photos, descriptions, and exhibits. Also, please bear in mind that the atrocities exhibited are those attributed to American soldiers, during what Vietnam calls the American War. For those that want to forego the museum, you can enjoy your spectacular hotel until the mid-morning or explore surrounding District 1 with your Tour Director.
In the mid-morning you will be driven to the colorful and interesting Binh Tray Market, where the locals come to shop for produce, fruit, poultry, meat and seafood. After a walk to explore the indoor market, you will return to Saigon’s downtown, where we recommend a slightly late lunch at the highest rated upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam House. After lunch you are driven to the airport where your Vietnamese Tour Director will introduce you to your VIP Airport Concierge, bid farewell, and then you will be escorted through all departure processes and assisted in boarding your international flight.
Please note that international flights have check-in requirements that require you to be at their check-in counter approximately 2.5 to 3 hours (for coach), and 2 hours for premier classes, before that flight departs. If you used Easy Tours advice/assistance for your international flights, we would factor in the above.
Our services will end at the airport.