Highlights of Vietnam

Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi and be welcomed by your guide before being transferred to your hotel to check in. This first day of your itinerary is at leisure to relax and refresh after your flight. 

Hanoi

Begin the morning tour driving past the historical Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam in 1945. Stop off at Lenin Garden, a local communal space before strolling through alleys to admire the daily life of local people. Proceed to the millenia-old Temple of Literature and explore its role in the country’s past.

Afterward, visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum  exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. Lunch is at a local restaurant. Towards the end of the tour, embark on a walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Make a stop at Thuong Tra tea house nested in an old apartment building and learn about the importance of drinking tea in Vietnamese society while sipping on a cup of tea. Then take a stroll around the charming Hoan Kiem Lake to enjoy local daily life passing by. Finish the day with a Water Puppet show. This is a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history.

Ninh Binh

This morning drive through rural northern Vietnam to Ninh Binh Province — one of the most beautiful parts of Vietnam with its dramatic scenery and historical temples. The rice fields here are beautiful and the area has earned the nickname of ‘Dry Halong Bay'.

Upon arrival, begin a leisurely biking trip around Tho Ha village passing by peaceful villages and enjoying the rustic countryside landscapes. Continue to Dong Tam Hamlet to join in some engaging agricultural activities. Enjoy lunch before boarding the sampan for a boat trip cruising over a small canal among the paddy fields then stroll along the winding path to reach the Galaxy Cave gate. Get inside the cave and admire the spectacular stalactites above the cave ceiling. 

Hanoi - Halong Bay

The scenery of Halong Bay where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes is truly an iconic image for Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see. After breakfast leave Hanoi for a 3hr30mins drive to Halong Bay arriving at the jetty in Halong City towards noon .

After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some activities or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. 

Halong Bay - Hoi An

The sun rises on Halong in the morning and breakfast is served while the vessel cruises slowly back towards port. Disembark and transfer back to Haiphong airport to take a short flight to Danang. On arrival in Danang transfer 40-minutes to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed little over the years.

Hoi An

This morning, go on a walking tour of Hoi An, a charming destination with two faces – the old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, and the beach with its new resorts and long stretches of clean white sand. Explore the ancient town centre to visit former merchants’ houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and the colourful market.

This afternoon, take a short drive from Hoi An Ancient Town to Cua Dai Estuary. Upon arrival at Duy Hai Fishing Village, enjoy the bustling fish market and then visit a family-run fish sauce workshop . Take a boat upstream the ‘Mother River’ from Thu Bon to Duy Vinh Village.  

Depending on the season see golden paddy fields during harvest season or green groves of jute along the banks of the Thu Bon River. Upon arrival at Ban Thach Mat Village start cycling to explore the beauty of a typical village in the Central of Vietnam. Learn the full process of sedge mat weaving from cutting sedge on the field to a finished mat following traditional method. See the way locals manage to keep their traditional occupation in a modern and constantly evolving time. End the trip sharing a simple yet friendly home-hosted meal and return to Hoi An by bike across Cam Kim Bridge.

Hoi An - Hue

Enjoy this morning at leisure before leaving Hoi An for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Its mesmerising tombs and mausoleums of the last emperors of Vietnam reveal fascinating insights into the lives of the imperial families and their subjects. The ancient Citadel reflects the pomp and ceremony of the dynastic rulers as well as the scars of many years of turmoil, both ancient and modern. The Royal Citadel was badly damaged in the latter stages of the war but retains a sense of grace and majesty even today.

Hue

This morning, depart from the hotel for a city tour of the ancient town. Start at the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. From here take a cyclo through dai noi ‘Old City stopping for a visit to Tran Dinh Son private museum. Continue to visit Thien Mu Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River. In the grounds of the pagoda is the Austin car made famous when in 1963, a resident monk drove the vehicle to what was then Saigon to protest against the southern regime, the photo of his self immortalisation was captured and was one of the most well known images of the war.

Lunch at a local restaurant for an authentic Hue style cuisine. Continue to former emperor Minh Mang’s tomb located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds, inspired by the Chinese Confucianism. Journey on to Khai Dinh’s Tomb designed in traditional Vietnamese style with a European touch making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.

Hue - Ho Chi Minh City

Transfer to Hue Airport after breakfast for the short flight to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals.

Meet with a local guide and set off on a half day tour. Start with a visit to the city’s most iconic building: Reunification Hall. Formerly called the Presidential Palace. Hear the echoes of time while walking through this historic downtown site. Then take a stroll to Ho Chi Minh City’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall, the old Saigon Post Office. Step inside the War Remnants Museum for an insightful, yet sombre, look into Vietnam’s military history. Then, step off the tourist trail for one last visit on this Ho Chi Minh City tour at a Vietnamese coffee shop, sit down and taste the coffee like locals. 

Mekong Delta

Leave the busy streets and modern buildings of Ho Chi Minh City behind on this Ben Tre day trip. Following breakfast, drive south of the city to the Mekong Delta, a remarkable agricultural area referred to as ‘the rice bowl of Vietnam’. Cruise along local creeks through the villages to enjoy the tranquility of the countryside. Take a walk to a family workshop and enjoy a short bike ride or choose to travel by Lambretta, which was once the iconic vehicle and main means of transportation in southern Vietnam dating back to the 1960s. Ride through tranquil villages and see vegetable gardens that provide a touch of real life and tropical culture from peasants. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant. At the end of the tour, drive back to Saigon.

Depart Ho Chi Minh City