Vietnam Grand Discovery: A Journey Through Heritage, Nature & Culture

Your private guide and chauffeur greet you at Noi Bai Airport and escort you to your elegant hotel in the French Quarter, an area built in the early 1900s during French Indochina, known today for its tree-lined boulevards and grand colonial villas.

Later, enjoy a gentle orientation walk past the Parisian-style Hanoi Opera House (1911), continue through the Old Quarter’s labyrinthine guild streets, each historically dedicated to a craft such as silver, silk, or bamboo, and circle Hoan Kiem Lake, the spiritual heart of Hanoi. Learn the legend of the sacred sword returned to the Golden Turtle God at Ngoc Son Temple.
End the evening with an elegant welcome dinner featuring refined Vietnamese dishes inspired by royal recipes of the ancient Thang Long Citadel.

Meals: Dinner | Overnight: Hanoi

Start your morning at Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945. Visit the Mausoleum, designed with Soviet architectural influence, then stroll through peaceful lotus ponds to Ho Chi Minh’s humble Stilt House reflecting his simple lifestyle. Continue to the One Pillar Pagoda, a symbol of prosperity built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong.

At the Temple of Literature, wander through courtyards of carved stone steles honoring Vietnam’s earliest scholars from the 11th century.

Return to the Old Quarter to taste iconic Hanoi street foods and meet artisans preserving century-old crafts like lacquerware and paper calligraphy.

Later, enjoy a private water puppet performance, an art form that originated from the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta in the 11th century.

Then travel to Bat Trang Ceramic Village, over 700 years old, to visit traditional workshops, ancestral houses, and hear stories of potters who once supplied ceramics to royal courts and international merchants.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Hanoi

Journey to Mai Chau along the historic Highway 6, once a vital route connecting ethnic trading communities. Enjoy panoramic views of misty mountains and valleys dotted with Muong stilt houses. Stop at a Muong village to learn about their bronze drum traditions and ancient rice cultivation methods.

Continue to Thung Khe Pass, a dramatic limestone viewpoint resembling snow-covered mountains due to the white rock.

After lunch, trek along the Song Ma River, passing terraced paddies and villages of the White Thai, renowned for their stilt architecture, brocade weaving, and warm hospitality. Learn how their culture intertwines with nature, from bamboo fishing traps to traditional rice wine fermentation.

Experience a home-hosted dinner and stay in a Thai stilt house, a meaningful cultural immersion in one of Vietnam’s most scenic valleys.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Mai Chau Thai home

Wake to mountain breezes and the gentle rhythms of rural life. Visit Cum and Xam Khoe villages, known for traditional textile weaving passed down through generations. Observe artisans crafting handwoven scarves using natural dyes from forest plants.

Enjoy a rustic lunch with local hosts before returning to Hanoi for a relaxed evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Hanoi

Travel east to Lan Ha Bay, an untouched extension of Halong Bay with over 300 limestone karsts formed over 500 million years. Board your luxury cruise and enjoy a welcome drink as you glide past jade waters and towering cliffs once used as landmarks for ancient seafarers.

After lunch, kayak through Tra Bau’s quiet lagoons and hidden coves. Sunset brings a cooking demonstration, cocktail hour, and a fine-dining dinner featuring seafood sourced from floating fishing villages still thriving in the bay today.

Evening activities include squid fishing or simply admiring the crystal-clear night sky over the Gulf of Tonkin.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Lan Ha Bay Cruise

Begin with sunrise Tai Chi as golden light spreads across the karst formations. After breakfast, explore a tranquil grotto by rowboat, learning how wind and tides carved these magnificent formations over millennia.

Return to Hanoi and fly to Hue, the former imperial capital (1802–1945) of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Meals: Brunch | Overnight: Hue

Hue is Vietnam’s most atmospheric historical city. Explore the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City, with imposing gates, royal libraries, throne halls, and lotus ponds that once hosted imperial court ceremonies.

Visit the Imperial Museum, home to royal costumes, gold jewelry, and artifacts of the Nguyen emperors. Continue to Tu Hieu Pagoda, a serene Zen monastery founded in 1843 and closely linked to the life of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.

Walk through Dong Ba Market, famous for its incense, fish sauce, herbs, and conical hats woven by families for generations.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Hue

Cruise the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, an octagonal tower from 1601 symbolizing Hue’s Buddhist traditions. Explore Minh Mang’s Mausoleum, an extraordinary example of imperial Feng Shui, with lakes, pine forests, and pavilions symbolizing cosmic harmony.

Drive through the legendary Hai Van Pass (“Ocean Cloud Pass”), once a strategic boundary during ancient Vietnamese-Cham conflicts, and admired today for sweeping ocean views.

In Danang, explore the world’s largest Cham sculpture museum, showcasing relics of the ancient Champa Kingdom (2nd-17th centuries). Stop at the Marble Mountains, spiritual sanctuaries filled with caves, pagodas, and marble-carving workshops dating back to the 15th century.

Arrive in Hoi An at sunset.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Hoi An

Begin with a welcome drink at Hai Café before exploring Hoi An’s 300-year-old market, a melting pot of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese influences from the port’s trading heyday.

Cruise along the Hoai River to Red Bridge Cooking School. Wander its herb gardens and learn about traditional spices introduced by traders along the Silk Road. Cook iconic dishes such as Hoi An crispy pancakes, clay-pot fish, and fresh spring rolls.

In the afternoon, wander Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO site known for its Japanese Covered Bridge (1590), Chinese assembly halls, tea houses, and heritage merchant homes preserved from the 1700s.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Hoi An

Cycle through rice paddies to Tra Que Vegetable Village, established over 300 years ago. Learn organic farming methods using algae from a nearby lagoon. Ride a water buffalo, symbol of prosperity in Southeast Asian rice culture.

Board a boat to meet fishermen practicing “thoi loi” casting nets passed down for generations. Paddle through a coconut-water palm forest once used as a guerrilla shelter during the Vietnam War.

Finish with a lantern-making workshop, a craft introduced by Japanese merchants in the 16th century and now a symbol of Hoi An’s identity.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Hoi An

Transfer to Danang Airport for your flight to Nha Trang. This afternoon, your private yacht sets sail from Nha Trang Port at 3:00 PM, gliding along the city’s stunning coastline toward the islands of Hon Mieu, Hon Tam, and Hon Tre. Enjoy panoramic views of fishing villages and forested hills while learning about the area’s maritime heritage.

Anchoring at a secluded bay, spend a relaxing afternoon swimming in crystal-clear waters, snorkeling over colorful coral reefs, or exploring the calm sea on a stand-up paddleboard. Fresh fruits and refreshments are served throughout.

As the sun begins to set, the crew prepares a Sunset Champagne experience on the deck. Sip chilled champagne and enjoy light canapés as the sky transforms into vibrant shades of gold and pink.

The evening concludes with a chef-prepared BBQ dinner, featuring fresh seafood and premium meats served under the open sky. Return to port after dark, enriched by an elegant and memorable ocean escape.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Nha Trang

Enjoy a day at leisure. Optional experiences include visiting the Po Nagar Cham Towers (built 700s-1100s), mud baths.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Nha Trang

A scenic drive takes you from the sea to Dalat’s pine forests and cool highlands once favored by French colonialists as a summer retreat. Visit a hidden coffee farm for a farm-to-cup experience exploring Vietnam’s Robusta and Arabica heritage.

After checking in, explore Dalat’s vibrant night market filled with flowers, strawberries, and artisanal snacks.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Dalat

Visit Dalat Railway Station (1930s), an Art Deco architectural icon. Enjoy a short train journey to Trai Mat Village. Continue to Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, reflecting the last emperor’s personal life.

Explore the surreal “Crazy House,” designed by architect Dang Viet Nga as a fusion of imagination and nature. After a valley-view lunch, take a cable car ride offering sweeping panoramas over pine forests, temples, and lakes. End with a heartwarming orphanage visit.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Dalat

Drive along the spectacular Song Pha Pass to Mui Ne. Visit a traditional fishing village where families maintain centuries-old fishing techniques. Try weaving nets and walk with fishermen to cast them into the gentle surf.

Finish your day atop the Red Sand Dunes, formed by ancient iron-rich sediments, sipping champagne as the sky turns fiery orange.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Mui Ne

Visit a bustling seafood market, then enjoy a rustic BBQ lunch in a coconut garden. Drive to Saigon and enjoy an afternoon walk through the French Quarter, admiring the Independence Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral (built with French-imported tiles), and the ornate Central Post Office designed by Gustave Eiffel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Saigon

Start with a guided street-food walk sampling iconic Saigon flavors. Continue to Ben Tre, the “land of coconuts,” and explore its lush islands by boat, bicycle, and sampan. Learn coconut candy making, rice-paper crafting, and fruit cultivation. Enjoy a riverside lunch before returning to Saigon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Overnight: Saigon

Enjoy free time before your private airport transfer.

Meals: Breakfast