Highlights of Vietnam

12 Days / 11 Nights

Day 1Arrive Hanoi

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel near the Old Quarters, about 45min drive from the airport.

Overnight at Hanoi

Day 2Hanoi City Highlights

Hanoi, a city of lakes, shaded boulevards, and public parks, is the capital of Vietnam. It is an exotic city filled with charming French-colonial style buildings and vibrant local streets showcasing century old traditions.

This morning visit the French Quarter and discover why this city is called the “Paris of the East”. After, proceed to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace before visiting the famed Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university built about a thousand years ago.

Stop at Maison Centrale, the famous Hoa Lo Prison built by the French in the early 20th century and was later named “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners of war, including John McCain who was imprisoned here for more than 5 years. Stop by Truc Bach lake where McCain landed after his plane was shot down.

Your final stop is 54 Traditions Gallery, the only gallery in Vietnam focusing on the antiques, artifacts and art of Vietnam’s 54 minority groups and the Kinh majority people. They have over 1000 objects on display and objects from their collection have been exhibited in museums in Hanoi. Although the items are on sale, this is not intended to be a shopping tour and there is no obligation to buy anything.

Overnight at Hanoi

Day 3Hanoi Old Quarters, Evening Street Foodie Tour

Enjoy a stroll around the historic Old Quarters filled with local shops, residential areas and interesting local food vendors operating along foot pavements. Explore narrow alleys and see how multiple families share limited residential space in this historic area.

Stop for a famous cup of “Egg Coffee” before meeting a local artisan, the 7th generation of Water Puppeteers in his family. Have a try at controlling the puppets while hearing about the artist’s family and watch a short performance.

Later this evening, go an exciting Foodie tour to sample various iconic and delicious local dishes from street vendors and small eateries. Items include “Xoi Yen”, steamed sticky rice with pork, chicken or egg, a refreshing glass of “Bia Hoi”, Hanoi fresh draft beer, and “Banh Cuon”, steamed rice rolls stuffed with pork, an all-day beloved dish available day and night. If you are still hungry, go for “Banh Goi”, the Hanoi version of an egg roll with rice paper stuffed with meat and noodle, or perhaps a piping hot bowl of Pho, noodle soup Hanoi style with Chicken or Beef.

Overnight at Hanoi

Day 4Halong Bay Cruise (3 Days / 2 Nights)

Journey this morning for about 2.5h drive to the boat pier for your luxury cruise around the spectacular Lan Ha Bay, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong.

During your 3 Days / 2 Night cruise, you can go on shore excursions that include cycling in small villages, sunbathing on beaches, kayaking or explore caves.

At night, enjoy a movie night in the dining room or join the crew fishing for squids.

Overnight at cruise ship

Day 5Halong Bay Cruise, Day 2

Rise early with a Tai Chi or yoga class before breakfast is served, then join in your cruise activity to explore the beautiful bay area and villages. There will also be free time to swim and sunbath at a secluded beach or just treat yourself to a pampering spa session onboard.

Overnight at cruise ship

Day 6Disembark from Cruise, Fly to Hue

Enjoy a relaxing morning with a sunrise breakfast before disembark from your cruise at about 11am. From the pier, it’s about 2 hours drive to Hanoi Airport for an hour’s flight to Hue, the former Royal Capital City in Central Vietnam

Overnight at Hue

Day 7Hue City Highlights and Tha Om Garden House

This morning, take a cyclo ride from your hotel over the famous Trang Tien Bridge and past the Dong Ba Market. The cyclo will take you around the ancient citadel of Hue, through local streets and shops for an overview of daily life. Stop at the Noon Gate of the Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Visits include the Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Forbidden Purple City.

Continue to Tha Om Garden House, former home of a mandarin under the reign of Emperor Khai Dinh (1916-1925). Meet your friend host who is a royal descendant and enjoy delicious traditional Hue delicacies for lunch.

Your final stop is Khai Dinh Mausoleum, built for the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. This beautiful mausoleum took 11 years to build from 1920 to 1931 and is one of the most unique royal tombs in Hue with a blend of western and eastern influences. To get to the main palace, you will have to climb 127 stairs, but you will be rewarded with impressive art work and architectural designs.

Overnight at Hue

Day 8Hue Home Cooking Session, Afternoon Drive 3h to Hoi An

Start the day at a local market where you will meet your friendly local host to learn about local fresh produce. Continue to a local home where you will be warmly welcomed by the rest of your host family. Proceed to their kitchen where you help to cook a very famous local dish Com Hen (baby basket clams with rice, featured in Anthony Bourdain’s episode on Hue). Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal and meaningful conversations before bidding your hosts farewell.

After lunch, depart for Hoi An via Danang on a scenic 3-hour drive over the Hai Van Pass for breath taking views over the coastline and surrounding mountains. Then drive along the famous My Khe Beach where American marines take their vacation during the Vietnam War. Rest of the afternoon is free to explore the night markets on your own, a short stroll from your hotel located by the Old Town.

Overnight at Hoi An

Day 9Artisan Village Cycling Trip and Old Town Walking Tour

This morning enjoy an easy cycling trip around Kim Bong Village. The carpenters’ village of Kim Bong is situated on the other side of the Thu Bon River where carpenters use traditional methods to create a variety of wooden statues, furniture and tools. Explore the village and surrounding area on bicycles, weaving our way through small hamlets. See some traditional handicrafts including coracle boat makers, mat weavers and some ancestral temples, dating back several hundred years. Visit Thanh Ha pottery village before returning to Hoi An.

Continue to Tra Que Herb Farm for a delicious local lunch and see a large variety of fresh herbs used popularly in Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy a herbal foot bath before your walking tour around the Old Town, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market.

Overnight at Hoi An

Day 10Fly Danang to Saigon, Afternoon Saigon City Highlights

Today you will take a short one hour flight to Saigon in the far South.

Afternoon, visit various historic sites located around the city center including the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace of the Southern Vietnamese Government before 1975. Admire the last remaining colonial architecture including the Central Post Office, City Hall and Opera House.

If opportunity permits, visit Mr. Hoang Van Cuong, a former United Press International photojournalist during the war. Most American journalists departed with the US Embassy staff when North Vietnamese troops took over Saigon on April 30, 1975. Mr. Cuong was one of the few journalists who stayed behind and documented this momentous period with his photos. He prefers not to reminisce about painful past as he was imprisoned in a re-education camp for seven years. However, you can view his award winning photos on the war and an extensive collection of precious antiques that is not for sale.

Overnight at Saigon

Day 11Full Day Cruise at Mekong Delta

Early morning drive about 1.5 hours towards the Mekong Delta region to explore the quiet waterways of Ben Tre province with a private sampan boat. Your cruise will take you through quiet inner canals that hardly sees any visitors and visit small villages to see traditional livelihoods.

Stops will be made along the cruise to explore by bicycles or siting at the back of a motorbike so you can access the narrow village lanes. Make several visits to homes or small workshops see traditional crafts making bricks, rice noodle, rice paper, wooden boats and sticky rice. Visit a former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge.

Overnight at Saigon

Day 12Depart from Saigon

Transfer to airport for onward journey.