-
Day 1
DEPART USA
Depart from your home gateway city, bound for Hanoi.
Day 2
ARRIVE HANOI (2 NIGHTS)
Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and get settled in before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception drink and local appetisers at 8 p.m.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
Help
-
Day 3
HANOI SIGHTSEEING
Take a full day to explore Hanoi’s celebrated history. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum encased in an impressive marble structure before moving onto his wooden stilt house, a Unique Insight, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Explore the first University of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature, which is filled with the profound philosophies of Confucianism. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple before taking a cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter which allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi and learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture. In the evening, enjoy a delightful traditional water puppet performance whose origin dates back over a thousand years before indulging in your first Vietnamese dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 4
HANOI - HA LONG BAY CRUISE
This morning, drive through green rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay where you board a traditional Junk sailing boat for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a sumptuous seafood lunch before visiting a grotto of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Drop anchor later in the evening for dinner and a peaceful overnight stay afloat among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
Help
-
Day 5
HA LONG BAY - HANOI - HOI AN (2 NIGHTS)
Begin your day as the locals do during a morning Tai Chi class, a Local Speciality, on the deck of the Junk boat. Indulge in a delectable brunch as the cruise along the emerald waters continues before arriving at the wharf. Disembark and drive back to Hanoi stopping at Bat Trang Ceramic Village where you learn about the art of pottery and ceramics, also a Local Speciality. Head to the Hanoi airport for your flight to Danang where, upon arrival, you are transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. Enjoy the evening at leisure and relax at your hotel enjoying the tranquil ambiance of the Vietnamese coastline.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
Help
Day 6
HOI AN SIGHTSEEING
Your morning begins on a walking tour around the ancient town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Merchant houses which were built over 200 years ago, the Hoi An Museum, Chinese Assembly Hall and the Japanese covered bridge. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before embarking on a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to visit Kim Bong village, famous for its wood carvings. This evening, partake in an exclusive Local Speciality Vietnamese cooking class during a dinner taught by a local chef.
-
Day 7
HOI AN - DANANG - HUE (2 NIGHTS)
Enjoy some leisure time this morning to take in more of beautiful Hoi An before heading towards Danang. En route, delight in a Be My Guest lunch at a Vietnamese herb farm where the local farmers will share their knowledge and expertise on the regional agriculture techniques. Continue over the Cloudy Pass for stunning views before descending into Danang. Stop at the Cham Museum, to learn about the ancient Champa civilisation with records dating as far back as 2nd century AD. This evening is at leisure for you to relax at your hotel with its beautiful gardens.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
Help
Day 8
HUE SIGHTSEEING
Visit the Imperial Citadel, the centrepiece of the royal empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It incurred extensive damage during the war and only a few buildings survived. The spectacular Citadel houses a series of palaces, ornate halls, libraries, residences and colleges and was the former historic capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty. After lunch at a local restaurant, take an afternoon boat cruise on the peaceful Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. This evening, attend a special Royal Highlight Dinner with traditional Hue music and a dance performance at Duyet Thi Duong theatre in the Citadel.
-
Day 9
HUE - HO CHI MINH CITY (2 NIGHTS)
Transfer to the airport this morning for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, join an orientation tour of the city and see Notre Dame Cathedral. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to the Reunification Palace and War Remnant Museum, and Ben Thanh Market. Tonight is at leisure for you to relax at your hotel or enjoy sampling some of the many local restaurants this buzzing city has to offer.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
Help
Day 10
HO CHI MINH CITY SIGHTSEEING
Take a drive to Cu Chi where VietCong fighters built a labyrinth of narrow tunnels as hideouts during the war. Visit the underground kitchens, secret trapdoors, living areas and meeting rooms. Continue to the town of Tay Ninh and visit Cao Dai Temple for a very colourful, formal service. The Cao Dai religion is unique to Vietnam and the temple at Tay Ninh is the centre of the religion. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Take some free time this afternoon to visit the markets and shops downtown before toasting your travel companions during a Farewell Dinner at a Vietnamese fine dining restaurant.
-
Day 11
DEPART HO CHI MINH CITY
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or extend you stay with an optional Cambodian cruise extension.