Day 1 Hanoi
Make your own way to resort , where you can pay to join a scheduled group airport transfer. Alternatively we can book you a private transfer or you can make your own arrangements. Your Tour Manager will meet you at your hotel for your welcome meeting that evening. This evening you will experience a welcome dinner like no other at the KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that provides training to disadvantaged and street children. KOTO has trained over 700 students in Hanoi and Saigon, with 200 of them currently enrolled. Come on a culinary journey and enjoy the aroma and the flavours of Vietnamese and South-East Asian specialities, before sitting down to enjoy a three course meal where you will have the opportunity to try a selection of traditional dishes.
Day 2 Hanoi
Hanoi is Vietnam's vibrant capital, and this morning we include a tour here. See the restored Opera House, the One Pillar Pagoda and Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and granite mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state. A great way to experience this lively city is aboard cyclos – Vietnam's answer to the rickshaw. Step aboard your cyclo in the afternoon for a tour of the ancient quarter, or 36 Streets district as it is also known. This is a souvenir hunters' paradise, where old homes and temples vie for attention alongside shops selling silk clothing, silver products and more. The rest of the day is at leisure for you to sample local eateries and try the local Vietnamese cuisine. Alternatively join us to see the Hanoi Water Puppet Show.
Begin your evening with a trip to Hanoi’s famous Water Puppetry Show, a stunning showcase of the traditional Vietnamese performing art at Thang Long theatre, just beside Hoan Kiem Lake. Originating from northern Vietnamese villages as long ago as the 11th century, each performance tells stories of village living, history and folk tales, accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music and dance.
After the show, enjoy your dinner in a restaurant specialising in traditional Ha Noi delicacies.
Day 3 Hanoi - Halong Bay
UNESCO-listed Halong Bay is truly beautiful and today we’re going to explore it in style. We’ll board a traditional boat for an overnight cruise amongst its idyllic waters. As we sail, we’ll admire the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea, and we’ll even enter one of the vast caves. On the boat we’ll enjoy a lovely seafood lunch, and this evening, dinner is also served on board before you retire to your cabin in this unique overnight accommodation.
Meals included: B,L,DDay 4 Halong Bay - Hue
You’ll wake to stunning views of Halong Bay, and you can enjoy a morning at leisure. You could take part in a Tai Chi session on deck, or maybe you’ll just choose to sit and take in the gorgeous scenery with a coffee.
We’ll then transfer to the airport and fly to Hue.
Meals included: BDays 5 & 6 Hue - Hoi An
We’ll explore Hue this morning on an included tour of its main highlights. We’ll take in the beauty of the Thien Mu Pagoda, which overlooks the Perfume River. We’ll also see the royal tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, which sits on the side of a mountain.
Later, rest your legs as we take a scenic journey by road to Danang and on to Hoi An.
Meals included: B,DDay 7 Hoi An - at Leisure
During a free day you could spend time enjoying the facilities at your hotel or exploring the town and its vibrant temples and markets in the company of your fellow travellers.
Alternatively, if you'd like to discover more we offer a fabulous optional excursion to My Son. This is a major religious centre in the Champa Kingdom, and the cluster of ruined Hindu temples you will see were constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD and dedicated to the god Shiva.
Days 8 & 9 Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City
Today we’ll fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Better known as Saigon, it is a city of contrasts, where evidence of former French colonisation sits alongside the fascinating culture of a predominantly Buddhist population.
Day 10 Mekong Delta
The River Mekong descends for 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea and is constantly busy with sampans, barges and houseboats. As we journey into the depths of the Mekong Delta, our first stop will be at Cai Be, where we will board a boat to cross the water before cruising through lush forest, narrow inlets and canals to a local restaurant for lunch. We will also visit local workshops along the way. Very little has changed over the centuries in this part of Vietnam, and everything and everybody has to travel by boat. Those choosing to extend their holiday with the Cambodia add-on will continue to Can Tho for an overnight stay. The rest of the group will return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Meals included: B,LDay 11 Departure
At the end of your tour, you can pay to join a scheduled group airport transfer. Alternatively we can book you a private transfer or you can make your own arrangements.