A GLANCE OF VIETNAM – 7 DAYS

You will be met at the airport and privately transferred to your hotel to freshen up (standard check-in time: 2:00 PM). Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full day exploring Hanoi’s highlights: the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, built in 1070 and a superb example of traditional Vietnamese architecture; Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake; the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at Ba Dinh Square (viewed from the outside); the One Pillar Pagoda, built between 1028 and 1054 during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai Tong and now one of Vietnam’s most iconic temples; and the Ceramic Mosaic of Hanoi, built in 2010 to mark the city’s millennial anniversary.

Conclude at Dong Xuan Market, one of Hanoi’s largest local markets, in the heart of the Old Quarter. Overnight in Hanoi.

Please note: cruise programmes may be amended without prior notice according to weather, tide levels and instructions from the local authorities. Spa treatments and drinks on board are not included.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and check out of your room. At approximately 08:30 you are collected and driven to Ha Long Bay along the expressway, passing paddy fields and rural villages along the way.

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. On arrival at the harbour you board a traditional junk and set sail among the limestone islands. A seafood lunch is served on board, with vegetarian dishes available on request, followed by a sampan ride through a traditional floating fishing village. Back on board, join a short cooking demonstration, then relax on the sun deck as the sun sets over the bay before dinner is served.

The remainder of the evening is at your leisure. You may play cards, try your hand at squid fishing, watch a film, or simply enjoy a drink and good conversation at the bar. Overnight on board.

Rise early for Tai Chi on the top deck, followed by a light breakfast. Disembark for a short exploration of a nearby cave, then return to the boat to check out of your cabin and enjoy a leisurely brunch while sailing back to shore. Your vehicle transfers you to Hanoi, arriving at approximately 15:00, where an airport transfer is arranged for your flight to Da Nang.

On arrival in Da Nang, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Depart your hotel at 8:30 AM for a full day at Ba Na Hills, beginning with a scenic cable-car ride offering panoramic views over Da Nang, followed by the iconic Golden Bridge, famously held aloft by giant stone hands, and a leisurely walk through Le Jardin d’Amour (Love Garden).

Continue to the Mythology Park and Linh Ung Pagoda, with an optional visit to the historic Debay Wine Cellar, a relic of the colonial era. A further cable-car ride leads to Moon Square for the immersive Flying Eyes 3D experience, and a mountain train to the French Village, a quaint European-style town where you may explore Fantasy Amusement Park, enjoy music and dance performances, visit spiritual sites, and wander Sun Square and the Rose Garden.

In the late afternoon, return by cable car to Da Nang Station (plan to be at the station no later than 16:00), then transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Today’s experiences include the Cu Chi Tunnels, a historically important underground network hand-dug during the Vietnam War, with the opportunity to walk a section and sample the traditional tea and cassava eaten by guerrilla fighters, followed by the War Remnants Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the nearby Central Post Office, and an hour at Ben Thanh Market. Return to your hotel, with the rest of the day free.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. You are then escorted to the airport for your onward flight. End of our services.