Vietnam Adventure

Take the day to recover from your flight or take a leisurely stroll down the broad tree-lined avenues that date back to the French colonial period. Experience the faded colonial charm of the city, where grand buildings from a bygone era sell baguettes and good coffee from doorways. In the evening, there will be a welcome briefing followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant.

May de Ville City Centre Hotel (or similar)

Embark on a sightseeing tour of Hanoi that includes visits to several popular sites such as the Temple of Literature, which is the site of the oldest university in Vietnam, and Hoa Lo Prison. Explore the Old Quarter, where each of the 36 streets specializes in a particular product. Other stops on the tour include the grounds of the Presidential Palace and the traditional Vietnamese stilt house of Ho Chi Minh. In the evening, watch a traditional water puppet show.

May de Ville City Centre Hotel (or similar)

Depart early for a four-hour journey to Ha Long Bay, one of the most stunningly beautiful sights in Southeast Asia. With roughly 3,000 limestone peaks rising from the emerald sea, you’ll cruise among this amazing karst scenery and enjoy a seafood lunch on board. Spend the night on board in twin-share cabins with en-suite facilities.

Overnight boat

Continue to cruise around Ha Long Bay before returning to port. From there, drive back to Hanoi and transfer to the train station to board the Reunification Express for the overnight train ride to Hue.

Overnight train

Arrive mid-morning in Hue, a hub for culture and history in Vietnam, and transfer to the hotel. The most outstanding sight in Hue is the Imperial Citadel with its 6-mile (10km) long walls. Explore the palaces and halls of the Mandarins and the remains of the Forbidden Purple City, which was almost entirely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. Visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, which was a centre for anti-government protest in the early 1960s.

Park View Hotel (or similar)

After breakfast, visit the mausoleum of Tu Duc, one of the most extravagant mausoleums of the great Nguyen emperors who ruled Vietnam from Hue between 1802 and 1945. The afternoon is then free to further explore Hue or relax by the riverside and absorb the sights.

Park View Hotel (or similar)

Drive from Hue to Hoi An via Da Nang. Along the way, explore Lang Co Peninsula and Hai Van Pass, known as the "Pass of the Ocean Clouds", where you'll enjoy stunning views. Stop in Da Nang for lunch before climbing Marble Mountain to see the large caves used by Viet Cong as a hospital base during the war. Enjoy fantastic views over My Khe beach and the surrounding countryside from the mountain peak.

Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Hoi an is Vietnam's original European trading port dating back to the mid-16th century. The town is now a living museum with wooden merchant houses, pagoda-style temples influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and European architecture. In the Afternoon, bike through the countryside past markets, schools and villages to Cua Dai beach,

Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Visit My Son this morning, a spiritual home of the Cham civilization where kings were buried as early as the 4th century. See several interesting stone towers and sanctuaries despite bombing destroying much of the site. Return to Hoi An and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in this historic town.

Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City from Da Nang and enjoy a walking city tour in the afternoon. See the Ben Thanh Market, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and War Remnants Museum, which has an interesting photographic record of the Vietnam War.

Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)

Visit Cu Chi Tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war, covering three levels and approximately 149 miles (240 km) of tunnels. Some areas have been widened for tourists to explore, but if you don’t like tight spaces, you may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon and explore the city at your own pace.

Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)

Drive to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta in the and take a boat trip on the Mekong River to Cai Be. Witness a local market and traditional trade as you pass through many orchards and meet friendly locals. Stop to see some small cottage industries, such as rice paper and coconut candy, and enjoy dinner on an island. Spend the night sleeping at a simple homestay guesthouse built in the style of a local house.

Mekong Delta Homestay

Walk through orchards and navigate small canals in a traditional wooden sampan before re-joining the boat to return to Ho Chi Minh City. En route, visit a little-visited Cao Dai temple used by devotees of this indigenous religion that fuses all the great religions of east and west.

Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)