Vietnam Oasis Tours: Southern Vietnam
Our tours include English-speaking tour guides, all admission fees, transportation, meals (including one drink).
Superior accommodations will be in five-star hotels, while Economy accommodations will be in three-star hotels.
You will not have more than ten people in your tour.
If you'd like a private tour for a smaller or larger group, just click the "private tour" radio button on the booking page, and we'll get back to you with rates.
• Tour 1 • Saigon War Years Tour (1 day)
Images of the AmeriViet War are etched in the memories of millions.
If you weren't born yet, this tour will introduce you to the main players, and you'll visit the sites where many of the main events took place.
We'll get started early with a visit to the Reunification Palace, where the South Vietnamese government planned and carried out the war, and received guests.
Next, we visit the War Remnants museum, with moving exhibits detailing the lives of soldiers on both sides, civilians, and press personnel during the war years.
In the afternoon after lunch, we'll visit the sobering CuChi Tunnels, where many of the most vicious hand-to-hand skirmishes of the war took place.
War Years Tour Option: Exploring the Villages of Triangle D (1 Day)
Add one more day to your tour, and we'll take you to the villages of Ben Cat, Binh Long, and Lai Khe, which formed the legendary "Triangle D", which formed the perimeter of the US Army's 24th Division base*.
Designed to be impenetrable, the base was eventually undermined by CuChi tunnelers, who entered at night to snipe and take weapons.
In the area, you'll see the villages as they are today, with many remains of tanks, vehicles, armaments and war-era buildings.
• Tour 2 • Sites and Sounds of the City Tour (1 day)
Saigon's a wonderful blend of old and new, and we'll take you to see significant historical sites, as well as hidden places that most travelers never see.
We'll begin at the Vietnam History Museum, with terrific displays in one of the prettiest buildings you'll see in town.
Then, we'll tour the splendid Jade Emperor Pagoda, with its fearsome wood carvings.
We'll take a small local boat through Saigon's working dock area, where you'll see the sights and sounds of everyday life along one of the busiest waterfronts in Asia, hidden from most tourists.
Finally, you'll ride a xiclo pedicab to some of Saigon's most picturesque buildings.
• Tour 3 • Sacred Pagodas of Saigon Tour (1 day)
Saigon has many of Vietnam's most significant pagodas, replete with magnificent architecture, statuary, and mystique.
In a tour that will fascinate artists, scholars, and philosophers, we'll visit eleven of Saigon's best shrines, most of which are located in the fascinating old Chinese neighborhood of Cholon.
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Thien Hau Pagoda
710 Duong Nguyen Trai
The exceptional ceramic frieze above the courtyard dominates this pagoda, built in the early 1800s.
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Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda
678 Duong Nguyen Trai
Gilded wooden interior carvings are the keynote.
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Tam Son Hoi Quan Pagoda
118 Duong Trieu Quang Phuc
This pagoda is a heavily-traveled one for women wishing greater fertility, and many will be seen praying here to Mae Sanh, Goddess of Fertility.
Original ornamentation dates from the 19th century.
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Quan Am Pagoda
12 Duong Lau Tu
The intricate ceramic frieze adorning the rooftop depicts scenes from Chinese mythology and popular plays of the 19th century.
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Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda
184 Duong Hung Vuong
Phuoc An is noted for its finely crafted ceramic walls and arches, porcelain figures, and intricate woodcarvings.
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Ha Chuong Hoi Quan Pagoda
802 Duong Nguyen Trai
The four elaborately carved stone dragon pillars make this pagoda well worth a visit.
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Ong Bon Pagoda
264 Duong Hai Thuong Lai Ong
Dedicated to Ong Bon, the guardian of Happiness and Virtue, the pagoda features an intricately-carved wooden altar.
Ong Bon sits next to a huge school, so expect to be inundated by throngs of happy kids if you arrive between 4 and 5 pm.
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Giac Lam Pagoda
118 Duong Lac Long Quan, Tan Binh District
Believed to be the oldest pagoda in the Saigon area, construction on Giac Lam began in 1744.
Its interior is breathtaking, and the highlight, in our opinion, was the series of stunning intricately carved wooden figures lining the walls flanking the altar.
Exterior d?cor elements include the usage of blue and white porcelain plates, embedded in mortar.
Of all Saigon's pagodas, this was our favorite.
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Giac Vien Pagoda
247 Duong Lac Long Quan
Over 200 years old, Giac Vien's highlight is its rear courtyard, resplendent with colonial architectural motifs.
If you're fortunate, you'll be greeted by senior monk (Hoa Thuong) Thich Hu? Van, who will gladly show you around and offer you tea.
Keeping the old, less-touristed pagoda of Giac Vien in good repair is always a challenge, and donations of any amount are always welcome.
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Mariamman Hindu Temple
Considered sacred by many Vietnamese, this Hindu temple boasts South Asian architecture, design, and statuary.
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Jade Emperor Pagoda
With its superb statuary, and finely-carved wood panels depicting the tortuous perils of living an unsatisfactory life, this pagoda is unforgettable.
• Tour 4 • Saigon by Night Dinner Cruise (1 Evening)
Our evening begins with a drive through the dynamic and charming Cholon district, to the riverside where we board for a wonderful dinner, as we cruise the Saigon River, enjoying the lights of the city.
• Tour 5 • A Day on the Delta: a Boat tour of the Mekong River and River Culture (1 Day)
After arriving by bus to the market town of My Tho, we'll cruise down the mighty Mekong, stopping along the way to meet local people, walk on islets, and eat native fruits.
We'll next transfer to sampans, meandering through beautiful small canals.
Lunch will be taken in a picturesque Delta orchard, after which we'll tour a small family-run island factory using age-old methods to make coconut candy.
We return to Saigon by boat, arriving at our dock on the Saigon River at night.
• Tour 6 • Delta Floating Market Tour (2 Days, 1 Night)
Our tour departs by boat from the Saigon River.
The first day is identical to our Day on the Delta Tour (above), we'll spend the night in the Delta city of Can Tho.
Early in the morning, we'll rise with the sun to have breakfast and explore the Mekong's largest floating market in Cai Rang, during prime hours of market activity.
After lunch, we'll return to Saigon.
• Tour 7 • Eco-touring through the Can Gio Mangrove Forest (1 Day)
The tidal eco-system is brimming with sea, bird, and forest life, and its mysteries are unveiled in this fascinating tour, which includes a row-boat trip to the bat sanctuary at Vam Sat.
Along the way, we'll visit the remnants of a legendary Viet Cong commando headquarters.
• Tour 8 • Sand Dunes, Ancient Ruins, and Fishing Culture: the Sea Road to Mui Ne (2 Days, 1 Night)
Some of the most scenic areas in Vietnam are along her southern coast.
Here, we'll visit the old Cham tower at Mui Ne, a plantation of the exotic dragon fruit, and the immense White Dunes.
We'll overnight in Mui Ne, home to some of the most spectacular beaches in Vietnam.
In the morning, we'll visit Mui Ne's age-old fishing village, where time-honored means of catching and processing fish reveal methods thousands of years old.
• Tour 9 • Phu Quoc: Vietnam's Island Jewel on the South China Sea (3 Days, 2 Nights)
Located off Cambodia's coast, the pristine island of Phu Quoc includes many fascinating wonders.
Her beaches are magnificent, sunsets legendary.
On this tour, you'll visit the old colonial prison, a fishing village, a thriving market town, a pepper plantation, and a pearl farm.
You'll have time to enjoy the sun on "star beach", the most beautiful on Phu Quoc.
In keeping with Phu Quoc's undeveloped nature, her fine accommodations tend to get booked early, so we request that you book at least two months in advance to avoid disappointment.
