VIETNAM GRAND JOURNEY – 18 DAYS

Xin chào! Welcome to Hanoi. On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for refreshment (standard check-in time 2:00 PM), with the rest of the day free to explore the city at your own pace.

This morning, take an in-depth tour of Hanoi’s most notable sights: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his former residence, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ethnology Museum, the Temple of Literature and Ngoc Son Temple, followed by a walking tour of the Old Quarter and an hour-long water puppet performance. Overnight in Hanoi.

Note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays, Fridays, all afternoons, and throughout October and November for maintenance — during closures it can only be viewed from outside. The Ethnology Museum is closed on Mondays and will be replaced with a visit to Hoa Lo Prison or the Museum of Vietnamese Women.

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 and a light breakfast while cruising deeper into the bay, with a kayaking excursion to the Trinh Nu area. Enjoy lunch as the boat continues toward Cua Van fishing village, followed by a sampan ride to visit the floating community there, a short cooking class, and time to relax before dinner.

Rise early for Tai Chi on the top deck and a light breakfast, then disembark for a kayaking excursion to a nearby cave. Return to the boat, check out of your cabin, and enjoy brunch while sailing back to shore.

Visit Hon Gai Market for a look at local life, then continue by road to Ninh Binh (approximately four hours). Check in to your hotel, with the rest of the day free.

This morning, explore Ninh Binh, capital of Vietnam under the Dinh and early Le Dynasties from 968 to 1010 AD. Visit two ancient temples dedicated to the kings of that era, then take a traditional rowing boat through the caves of Tam Coc, followed by a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda and a climb to a scenic viewpoint.

Rest of time free at your leisure

After a simple breakfast at your homestay, take a cycling excursion through the surrounding countryside, passing rice paddies and Pom Coong village, home to the Thai ethnic minority.

Drive back to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Dong Hoi. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Flight not included.

Spend a full day exploring Phong Nha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest karst landscapes in Southeast Asia, home to some of the world’s largest natural caves. Take a forty-minute boat cruise to the entrance of Uot Cave, continuing on foot.

Conclude the day at Paradise Cave, among the largest cave systems in the world, with 900 metres open to visitors along its 31-kilometre length. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Note: during the rainy season (late October to December), high water levels may affect access to Phong Nha Cave; Tien Son Cave will be visited instead.

Depart Dong Hoi for Hue through the former Demilitarized Zone, visiting the Ben Hai River and Hien Luong Bridge, which once divided Vietnam into two territories under the 1954 Geneva Accords.

Continue to the ancient citadel of Quang Tri, site of an 81-day battle in 1972, and to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, an underground village built during the war. Continue by road to Hue.

On arrival, check in to your hotel, with the rest of the day free.

This morning, an English-speaking guide leads a tour of Hue, once the imperial capital of Vietnam, including the Citadel, the Purple Forbidden City, the Ngo Mon Gate, the Nine Dynastic Urns and Thai Hoa Palace, once the seat of imperial government.

Continue to the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, and, time permitting, a village known for incense-stick and conical-hat making.

Board a boat for a cruise along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, built in 1601 and one of Hue’s enduring symbols.

Continue with a cycling excursion through Thuy Bieu Village, known for its fragrant pomelo orchards, stopping at village schools, communal houses, ancient temples and traditional garden houses characteristic of the Nguyen Dynasty era.

At a local home, join an optional cooking class to prepare traditional Hue dishes for lunch, followed by a relaxing herbal foot massage. Transfer back to your hotel.

Depart Hue for Hoi An via the scenic Hai Van Pass, crossing the former demarcation line between North and South Vietnam, with stops at Marble Mountain and the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang.

On arrival in the picturesque town of Hoi An, check in to your hotel, with the rest of the day free.

Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage town on the banks of the Thu Bon River, is known for its distinctive blend of Chinese, Japanese, French and Vietnamese architecture. This morning, take a guided walking tour of the old quarter, including the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese assembly hall, Phung Hung House, Tan Ky House and the local history museum. The afternoon is at leisure.

A full day at leisure to relax or explore Hoi An independently.

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s cosmopolitan economic centre. With your guide, tour the city’s most notable landmarks: the former US Embassy, the Reunification Palace, the Central Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, the Rex Hotel, the Municipal Theatre, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chinatown and the lively Ben Thanh Market. Flight not included.

Depart Ho Chi Minh City for Ben Tre, boarding a boat to cruise the Ham Luong River and cross to Long Thanh Island to visit a coconut-charcoal workshop, then continue to Mo Cay to see a coconut-processing workshop.

Travel by xe lam (motorised cart) to a bamboo-broom workshop, then row by sampan along the canals to a local home for fruit tasting and a short walk through the village, followed by a home-cooked lunch of local specialities.

In the afternoon, continue to Can Tho for overnight.

Depart early to catch the sunrise, then board a sampan to visit Cai Rang floating market, orchards and cottage workshops. Return by boat for breakfast and some rest.

Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping en route at Vinh Trang Pagoda, one of the most beautiful pagodas in the Mekong Delta. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home. End of trip