Vietnamese Discovery

Day 1 - UK - In flight

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 2 - Ho Chi Minh City

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and transfer directly to the hotel. After check in, head to the former Presidential Palace. This landmark is now a museum of meeting rooms and reception rooms, the president’s living quarters, and a fascinating war room and telecommunications centre. Ttake a stroll to the major colonial sights of the city, including the Opera House and the Old Saigon Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel. Depending on your arrival flight time, this half day city tour may take place on Day 3 to make a full day city tour, with the rest of Day 2 at leisure after your flight.

Mai House Saigon (5-star)

Day 3 - Ho Chi Minh City

Drive through rural landscapes of rice paddies and roadside noodle-drying racks en route to the Cu Chi district. Explore the remarkable Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground network built by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the French and American wars. View living quarters, kitchens, booby traps, command centres and weapon stores, gaining insight into guerrilla life during conflict. After lunch at a local restaurant, return to Ho Chi Minh City for a guided tour. Visit the former Presidential Palace, now preserved with its meeting rooms, private quarters and wartime communications centre. Continue past colonial landmarks including the Opera House and the Old Saigon Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel. Dinner is served at a local restaurant this evening.

Mai House Saigon (5-star)

Day 4 - Cai Be

Travel to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta, a region shaped by rivers and canals that serve as both farmland and transport routes. Cruise along the waterways, stopping at Tan Phong Island to explore narrow canals by small rowing boat. Continue by boat to visit a preserved centuries-old Mandarin house and observe local trading vessels and cottage industries producing rice paste, rice popcorn and coconut candy. Sail onward through winding tributaries to a colonial-style villa.

Mekong Riverside Resort, Cai Be (4-star)

Day 5 - Danang - Hoi An

A quick flight up the coast takes us to Danang. From here, we’ll head to our hotel in Hoi An. The rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Hoi An Historic Hotel (4-star)

Day 6 - Hoi An

Visit Tra Que village to experience rural life first-hand. Join local farmers in preparing the land using seaweed fertiliser, raking, sowing and harvesting greens. Relax afterwards with a herbal foot bath and massage. Learn to prepare tam huu (fresh spring rolls) with a local family before enjoying lunch. In the afternoon, explore Hoi An’s Old Town on foot. Visit former merchants’ houses, a Chinese communal hall, the colourful market and the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge. Pause for tea at Reaching Out, a traditional tea house supporting locals with speech and hearing impairments.

Hoi An Historic Hotel (4-star)

Day 7 - My Son - Hue

Travel to My Son, the former capital and religious centre of the Champa Kingdom. Explore red-brick towers and sanctuaries dating from the 7th to 13th centuries and gain insight into Cham culture. Stop at a rural rice paper workshop to learn traditional production methods before tasting freshly prepared creations with Vietnamese coffee. Continue to Hue via the Hai Van Pass, known as the ‘Pass of Ocean Clouds’, with sweeping views of forested mountains and coastline.

Indochine Palace, Hue (5-star)

Day 8 - Hue

Explore Hue this morning by cyclo (three-wheeled bike taxi), travelling through lively streets to the Imperial Citadel. Stop at a local coffee shop for a salt coffee (rich coffee with salty cream), a speciality of Hue. After lunch, visit the Mausoleum of Tu Duc. The tomb was used as a palace retreat before becoming the emperor’s resting place. Visit Tu Hieu Pagoda, a serene Buddhist haven that still shelters 70 monks, then continue to Tha Om Garden House, an old royal residence, to hear the owner, Mr Vinh, share stories of his royal heritage. Dinner features authentic dishes once served to Hue’s royal court.

Indochine Palace, Hue (5-star)

Day 9 - Hanoi

Fly to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city. On a city tour, seethe Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and learn more about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from France; see the One Pillar Pagoda, which dates back to the 11th century; and stop by the ancient Temple of Literature. Slow the pace at one of Hanoi’s renowned tea houses, where the owner – a former winner of the Tea Master Cup competition – travels to plantations across the country to source the highest-quality tea. Learn about Vietnamese tea culture and observe the preparation of green tea. A craft brewery tasting also takes during the stay in Hanoi or on some departures, may take place during your stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

Le Jardin Hotel, Hanoi (4-star)

Day 10 - Hanoi

Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Hanoi independently.

Le Jardin Hotel, Hanoi (4-star)

Day 11 - Mai Chau

Drive into northern Vietnam, where winding roads cut through forested hills and valleys. Arrive at an ecolodge overlooking rice paddies and mountains. Dinner is accompanied by rice wine and a traditional dance performance.

Mai Chau Ecolodge (4-star)

Day 12 - Mai Chau

Dotted throughout the Mai Chau region are traditional Thai villages with stilted houses. Walk through the tranquil countryside and meet local families to learn about their life, culture, and rice-growing traditions. Alternatively, relax at the lodge – take a dip in the palm-fringed pool or enjoy a drink on the bar’s bamboo balcony with a view.

Mai Chau Ecolodge (4-star)

Day 13 - Hanoi

Return to Hanoi today. Explore the Old Quarter on a guided walking tour – a bustling maze of narrow streets and alleys – leading to Dong Xuan indoor market, where stalls brim with fresh produce, handmade souvenirs, clothes, and accessories. End the day with a water puppet show, a traditional art form unique to northern Vietnam that depicts scenes of rural life and episodes of national history.

Le Jardin Hotel, Hanoi (4-star)

Day 14 - Halong Bay - Lan Ha Bay

A visit to Vietnam wouldn't be complete without a trip to Halong Bay. Travel to Got Harbour and board a traditional-style ship for a two-night cruise. Take in the amazing views from the sun deck as the ship sails through Halong Bay and into Lan Ha Bay, passing towering limestone karsts. Visit Light and Dark Water Cave by kayak or bamboo boat. Take part in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration, enjoy sunset on deck or try squid fishing in the evening.

Calypso Cruises (4-star)

Day 15 - Lan Ha Bay - Cat Ba Island

Begin the day with a sunrise over the bay and a tai chi session on the sun deck. Explore Lan Ha Bay’s islets, hidden beaches, and tranquil villages by a smaller boat, then cycle 5 km to a village nestled in verdant jungle and framed by the mountains of Cat Ba National Park. Enjoy lunch and kayaking in peaceful Van Boi, followed by a swim at Ba Trai Dao (‘Three Peaches’) Beach. Return to the ship to watch another stunning sunset and, weather permitting, enjoy stargazing.

Calypso Cruises (4-star)

Day 16 - Cat Ba Island - Hanoi - In flight

Start the day with a coffee on deck before arriving at Cat Ba Island to visit Army Hospital Cave, a secret hospital and army hideout during the American War. Return to Hanoi for the afternoon, with a day room at the hotel to relax and freshen up before the flight. In the late evening, transfer to the airport for the return flight to the UK.

Day 17 - UK

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.