Essential Vietnam

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 ends with stops at Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office, two icons of French colonial architecture in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

Travel to the Mekong Delta for a day trip to explore the rich culture and lush fluvial landscape. The driver and guide will meet guests at the hotel and take them to Cai Be. Start the tour with a visit to Cai Be’s colorful floating market, cruising among the local barges stuffed full of fruits and vegetables. Visit some local workshops, then enjoy a delicious lunch served in the cool shade of An Binh Island’s orchards.

In the afternoon, take a traditional rowboat and venture deeper into the countryside, floating through narrow canals to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Stop at a nursery garden to discover how farmers along the delta produce their world-famous fruits and vegetables. The cruise ends around 3:30 PM in Vinh Long. From there, the driver returns guests to Saigon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
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.

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.

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. 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. The trip ends at Halong City, where a driver transfers guests to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for their departure flight.

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.