Classic Vietnam

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel. During the journey, your guide will introduce you to Hanoi and answer any questions you may have. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or begin exploring the city. Please note: Standard hotel check-in is from 2.00 pm. Early check-in is subject to availability and may incur an additional charge.

Discover Bat Trang Village, one of the most fascinating ancient villages of the Red River Delta. Learn about the daily lives of local artisans, discover the traditional ceramics process and try making your own ceramic piece. Visit a local family to hear stories about village life and history. Stop at a typical local coffee shop to sample a Hanoi speciality while your guide shares stories about everyday life in the capital. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, before enjoying lunch at KOTO Restaurant, a social enterprise supporting disadvantaged and at-risk young people. View the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum from outside and visit Ho Chi Minh’s traditional wooden stilt house, where he lived and worked from 1954 until 1969. See the One Pillar Pagoda, an important symbol of Hanoi, before returning to the city centre for a walking tour through the bustling Old Quarter.

Travel through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay, where you will board a traditional sailing junk for an unforgettable overnight cruise. Spend the afternoon discovering the treasures of the UNESCO-listed Bay of the Descending Dragon, including fascinating caves, pristine beaches, floating villages and dramatic limestone formations rising from emerald waters. While aboard, relax and enjoy the cruise facilities or attend a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Lunch and dinner are served in the elegant dining room, with beverages available at an additional cost. In the evening, enjoy onboard activities such as a movie night or squid fishing, or simply relax with a drink while surrounded by Halong Bay’s magnificent limestone scenery. Please note: The cruise itinerary is subject to change due to weather and local operating conditions.

Early risers may join a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck at dawn. Enjoy a light breakfast followed by brunch while continuing to cruise through Halong Bay and its thousands of limestone islets. Disembark late morning and transfer to Hanoi Airport, a journey of approximately 2.5–3 hours with a comfort stop en route. Fly to Hue with Vietnam Airlines or VietJet Air. Upon arrival in Hue, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel. Once the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue retains its royal character through its historic citadel, ancient pagodas and elaborate emperors’ tombs.

Visit Hue’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Imperial Citadel, where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled from 1802 until 1945. Enter through its imposing gateway and explore the magnificent architecture and gardens while learning about the intrigue and events of the former royal court. The visit also includes the Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum, housed within the former Long An Palace. Continue to either the Khai Dinh or Tu Duc Royal Tomb and visit a traditional incense-making house. Cruise along the picturesque Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s best-preserved religious monument, distinguished by its seven-storey tower overlooking the river. If time permits, stroll through colourful Dong Ba Market and experience a glimpse of everyday life in Hue. This evening, enjoy an early dinner featuring local specialities.

Depart Hue and travel towards Hoi An via the spectacular Hai Van Pass, Vietnam’s geographical boundary between north and south. Stop along the way to admire the coastal scenery. Continue to the Son Tra Peninsula, also known as Monkey Mountain, for panoramic views across Da Nang. Visit Linh Ung Pagoda and see its towering Lady Buddha statue. Enjoy a local street-food lunch before visiting the Marble Mountains, a group of five sacred limestone hills containing caves, pagodas and Buddhist shrines. Arrive in Hoi An and check in to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy a guided walking tour through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hoi An Ancient Town. Once a prosperous Asian trading port, Hoi An retains its historic architecture, pedestrianised streets and distinctive cultural character. Explore its narrow lanes and see former merchants’ houses featuring Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese influences. Visit the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation and the colourful local market. After a light lunch at a local restaurant, travel into the peaceful countryside to visit a 50-year-old abandoned brick kiln. Sample a welcome drink made with garden herbs and stroll through the surrounding black rice fields. Experience rice transplanting and taste roasted black rice tea. Return to your hotel or visit local workshops showcasing traditional crafts such as lantern-making, silk production and tailoring.

After breakfast, transfer to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines or VietJet Air. Upon arrival, meet your local guide and enjoy a tour of District 1 and its landmark colonial buildings. Visit Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office and the People’s Committee Building. Explore bustling Ben Thanh Market before transferring to your hotel. The evening is at leisure.

After a delicious breakfast, the day is yours to explore Hoi An at your own leisure.

Travel approximately 2.5 hours southwest to Cai Be, located in the heart of the Mekong Delta. As you leave the city, the urban landscape gives way to lush rice paddies, orchards and fruit farms. Board a private wooden motorboat and cruise along the Mekong River to experience local life and agricultural activity. Stroll along palm-fringed paths and visit family-run businesses producing traditional rice paper, rice popcorn and coconut candy. Continue through a network of tributaries and canals to a local family home, where a Vietnamese lunch featuring Mekong Delta specialities will be served. After lunch, explore the orchard to learn how tropical fruit is cultivated. Walk or travel by sampan through the small canals before returning to the main boat. Arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City during the late afternoon.

Travel approximately two hours northwest through the southern Vietnamese countryside to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. This extensive underground network was constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the country’s long struggle for independence. The tunnels served as communication routes, food and weapon stores, hospitals and living quarters. Explore part of the underground complex and gain a deeper understanding of its history, the difficult conditions experienced by those who lived there and the resilience of the Vietnamese people. Return to Ho Chi Minh City and, in the late afternoon, gather in the hotel lobby before travelling to a local restaurant for a farewell dinner. Please note: The Cu Chi Tunnels excursion takes approximately five hours, including travelling time.

After breakfast, enjoy time at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Please note: Standard hotel check-out is by 12.00 noon. Luggage may be stored at the hotel after check-out. Late check-out is subject to availability and may incur an additional charge.