Highlights of Vietnam

On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your guide will welcome you and escort you to the hotel. Settle into your room and the rest of the day is put aside for you to explore or acclimatize to Vietnam, ready for your journey ahead.

Hanoi is packed with interesting sights and sounds. Visit the legendary Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his house on stilts. Through the alleyways, you wind your way to the Ngoc Ha village and see the remarkable sight of the Huu Tiep Lake where the wreckage of a B-52 bomber downed in 1972 still remains in the water. Continue to the Temple of Literature, an example of Vietnamese architecture where the first national university of Vietnam was established.

Drive to the Hoa Lo Prison museum, also ironically referred to as: ‘The Hanoi Hilton’. It was built by the French in 1896 to house Vietnamese revolutionaries, then later used to hold captured American POWs during the 1960s.

Catch a cyclo through the bustling alleys of Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the heart and soul of the original city – now famous for small artisan shops, craftsmanship and eclectic architecture. The evening takes you to the old theatre for a one-hour water puppet show, a unique Vietnamese traditional art.

This evening, you will be driven to Hanoi Railway Station where you will board an overnight train to Lao Cai.

Upon arrival into Lao Cai, you are transferred to Sapa. Enjoy views of the terraced hillsides before arriving at the former French hill station. Start your exploration of Sapa with your private guide by trek past the peacerful Y Linh Ho village, to the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai. Follow the local paths across the rice terraces to the Day village of Ta Van. Your vehicle will wait for you near the suspension bridge to take you back to Sapa town.

Begin your trek along local paths through beautiful gardens and lush pine forests to the Black Hmong village of Ma Tra. Explore the village before continuing through rice paddy fields before taking a midday rest for lunch at a suitable spot. Head to Ta Phin village where the Black Hmong and Red Dao live together harmoniously whilst preserving their individual customs and traditions. When your trekking ends, transfer back to Sapa and drive to Lao Cai Railway Station to catch the overnight train to Hanoi.

Please note: If you are being in Sapa during the weekend, it is recommended to visit the beautiful ethnic minority market of Bac Ha.

Arrive at Hanoi Central Railway Station early in the morning. You will be met and taken to your hotel for check-in. After breakfast at the hotel, you are free to enjoy the area at your leisure.

This afternoon, you will have the opportunity to choose from a selection of private, half-day explorations of Hanoi and its surrounding areas.

Market Tour and Cooking Class: The tour starts with an immersive market walk accompanied by the chef. Learn about the ingredients, their flavors and their secrets. Attend a hand-on cooking class and sample the different dishes prepared during the course. Vietnamese cuisine was influenced by the long association of Vietnam with Chinese rule, French colonialism and the incursions of South-East Asia. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables.

Hanoi Art Tour: Start the tour at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum to discover Vietnamese art history and technics through the striking artwork. Visit the small house cum studio of a talented painter, meet and talk with the artist about her passion. Head to the Apricot Gallery, which hosts the work of 40 local artists of great renown. Round off the tour with a visit to the home of a knowledgeable calligrapher and watch him gracefully brush-painting.

Bat Trang Ceramic Village: Bat Trang is an old village in Gia Lam, a suburb district of Hanoi. After a 30-minute drive, discover the wonderful handicraft and friendly people of this village making ceramics and pottery products. Visit the village and mingle with the locals to gain a deeper understanding of rural life in Vietnam.

Drive to Halong City for approximately four hours. Along the way, stop at Hong Ngoc Humanity Centre for a drink and see local people manufacturing handicrafts. Upon arrival in Halong’s port, embark on an overnight cruise of the legendary Halong Bay. The majesty of the bay’s 1,969 limestone islets and formations emerging from the green waters never fails to captivate visitors. Sail across the bay and visit some of its major highlights. Later, the boat will cruise to a quiet cove to down the anchor for the night. Enjoy a cocktail as you watch the sunset over the bay.

It is worth waking early to enjoy the sunrise while the boat sets sail once again through the breathtaking scenery of the bay. By lunch, return to the main port for disembarkation and head to Noi Bai airport where your guide will assist you on to your flight to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam – still called Saigon by many locals. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Embark on an exciting city tour of Vietnam’s largest city. Visit the War Remnant Museum and its exhibition about the American phase of Vietnam War. Head to the Reunification Palace, the former headquarters of the President of South Vietnam. Explore Notre Dame Cathedral, the spiritual and cultural hub of the French presence in the Orient before taking in the General Post Office, elegant in its French colonial architecture. The final stop is Ben Thanh market, which is always loaded with all manner of good from cakes and candies to fresh food and vegetables.

Leave Ho Chi Minh City and travel southward to Cai Be, a small town in the Mekong Delta. Embark on a day cruise in the Delta’s waterways, pass by the Cai Be floating market and visit an ancient Mandarin house where the family will host you with a cup of tea. Make stops at some local home factories to see how the locals produce rice paste, rice popcorn and coconut candies. Enjoy lunch at Le Longanier Restaurant, an exquisite colonial-style villa set in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times. Continue cruising until you reach the Phu Nhuan Bridge, where your vehicle awaits to drive you back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Set off on an approximately 60km drive outside of Saigon to the legendary Cu Chi tunnels. An incredible under-ground tunnel network constructed by Viet Cong to fight the American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War. Learn how the tunnels were built, the living conditions and the hardships people had faced in the tunnels. You even have the option to descend into the real tunnels where the Viet Cong hid and fought.

Following your exploration of the tunnels, you are driven back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your onward flight.