Tet tours made easy

Tet travel tours within the country have become a lot more convenient over that last few years.
Tourism companies now offer several kinds of tours for those wanting to see different parts of the country during the major national holiday.

Vietravel has a 5-day, 4-night tour to many cities and provinces in the north, departing from Ho Chi Minh City by air. Starting February 13, travelers will visit the Yen Tu Mountain, a sacred Vietnamese Buddhist site. Then there is the Thap But or Pen Tower Pagoda, the country’s oldest pagoda in Bac Ninh Province. Vietnamese people visit pagodas during Tet to pray for luck, health and happiness. So you can invite good luck, health and happiness throughout the lunar year if you join the tour, which also takes you to old temples and tombs of Vietnamese kings in and around Hanoi. The tour also includes a visit to Ha Long Bay, one of the world’s New Natural Wonder nominees. The price per person is VND7.8 million or US$430 for Vietnamese citizens and VND8.4 million or $470 for foreigners.
Tet tours made easy

Already familiar with the north? A tour of the central region takes you to beautiful beaches in Nha Trang and Da Nang. Here, you can also enjoy the world heritage site of Hoi An Town, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang

National Park and wander around numerous monuments in Hue, the Imperial Capital. Vietravel offers this tour, starting from February 15, for nine days and eight nights. The price per pax is VND8 million or $450 for locals and VND9.2 million or $510 for foreigners.

Saigontourist has a trans-Viet tour for travelers who want to explore Vietnam in ten days. Starting in HCMC with its historic French-style structures and modern buildings, the tour will also take you to floating markets and lush, fruit-laden tropical orchards in the Mekong Delta. In the central region, vestiges of the ancient Cham Civilization stand against the impressive backdrop of five grand mountains. Winding through Hoi An Town and Hue in the central region, the tour heads north to the capital city of Hanoi and the picturesque Ha Long Bay. A train will take you to the unique world of ethnic minorities in Lao Cai, Bac Ha and Sapa with their colorful costumes and market courting traditions. Prices for the Vietnam-in-Depth tour ranges from $700 to $2,500.

Saigontourist also has package tours with other themes, like the Wonders of Vietnam and the Mandarin Route of Vietnam. Holiday makers who want to discover HCMC or Hanoi in a day or two during the Tet holidays can join the Morning or Afternoon city tours, or even the Mekong Delta tours. These tours cost several dozen dollars per person.

The Saigon-Buon Ma Thuot-Gia Lai and Kon Tum tours by Fiditourist take you to the Central Highlands region. The four-day tour from February 15 is ideal for holiday makers who want to see up close the majestic mountain scenery and lives of ethnic people in the region. The price is VND2 million or $110/pax for locals and VND2.4 million or $140 for foreigners.

Reported by Vinh Son