Vietnam Insight

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the late morning. Starting with an orientation tour through Saigon’s bustling streets en route to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from jet lag and explore the city on your own.

Meals: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

Enjoy a full day to discover Saigon’s diverse attractions. Start with a visit to Saigon’s Chinatown, then learn about traditional Vietnamese medicine at the FITO Museum and browse through the amazing array of goods at Ben Thanh Market. Stop for lunch, then continue on the city tour with a visit to the War Remnants Museum and the former Presidential Palace. The day concludes with stops at Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office, two iconic examples of French colonial architecture in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before driving to the riverside town, Cai Be. Along the way, stop at a candy factory and an orchard garden, where guests can have an opportunity to listen to traditional music. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at a riverside restaurant, then cross the Mekong by motorized boat to visit some fluvial islands and explore the countryside by bicycle. The driver will meet at Vinh Long jetty and take them to Can Tho City for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho.

Wake early and leave the hotel to visit the famous Cai Rang floating market by motor boat. Continue the boat ride to see the Mekong Delta’s famous orchards and sample the fresh, exotic fruit. Then venture deeper into the countryside, passing traditional houses made of wood and palm. Return to Can Tho for lunch, then drive back to Saigon, arriving in the late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

After breakfast, guests transfer to the airport for their internal flight to Danang. The guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you on the short drive to the ancient riverside town, Hoian.

In the afternoon, guests take a walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the famous Japanese Bridge. The day ends with a sunset boat trip.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.

The travelers join a family-run fishing eco-tour. They explore the farmland and countryside around Hoi An and practice local fishing techniques. They also learn how to navigate a basket boat through narrow waterways. In the afternoon, they return to Hoi An for a private cooking class.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then check out and drive over the Hai Van Pass to Hue. Stop at Lang Co Beach for a short break before reaching Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam’s former capital. In the afternoon, take a leisurely walking tour through the ancient city. Visit the Royal Citadel, the Imperial Museum, as well as the Mausoleum of King Tu Duc (a replica of the king’s palace built for the next reincarnation of the king).

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue.

Spend the morning on a private boat cruise down the romantic Perfume River to visit the Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), Dong Ba Market, and the ornate Minh Mang’s tomb. Drive to Phu Bai Airport to catch your short flight to Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. Upon arrival, guests will be transferred to the hotel in the city centre. The evening is free to discover the city.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Today, guests will have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. The city tour will take them to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). 

In the afternoon, enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique folk art that originated a thousand years ago during the Ly dynasty. The show depicts the daily activities in Vietnamese rural life as well as important historical events and ancient legends. Each water puppet is hand-carved and given five layers of lacquer paint to protect the puppets from the water and to add vital colors to the performance.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before driving to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

* The following Halong Bay itinerary is a sample for our standard service on a 3-star junk/ cruise. Different programs are available through our luxury cruise itineraries on the Violet, Jasmine, Ginger, Paradise, or Au Co. Please contact us for more details.*

Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way, visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go, or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: on the cruise.

Guests wake early to join a Tai Chi session on the deck or relax and watch the sunrise. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea before setting out to explore the nearby islands by rowboat. Back on the junk, brunch is served while cruising through Bai Tu Long Bay. Around noon, they disembark and drive back to Hanoi for an overnight stay.

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Enjoy breakfast in the hotel, and guests are free on their own until departure time. Private Car/Van transfer them to Noi Bai International airport for departure.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A.