Relish the warm embrace of Vietnam and her welcoming people, who will touch you with their humility and entrepreneurial spirit throughout your journey across this intoxicating land.

Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

Silk Path Hotel, Hanoi

Dinner

Begin your day with a visit to the imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of “Uncle Ho”, the revolutionary leader who fanned the flames of Vietnam’s independence. A short walk from here, is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, where you can explore the grounds surrounding the humble abode of Vietnam’s most famous son.

Continue to the Temple of Literature, the first university for the sons of Mandarins, to gain insights into Hanoian culture. On a cyclo tour, you’ll weave through the lively Old Quarter past colourful shopfronts and street food vendors.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure or consider join an optional experiences to watch a show that uses the ancient art of water puppetry to story-tell the daily lives of Vietnamese people.

Silk Path Hotel, Hanoi

Breakfast

Leave the busy streets of Hanoi behind, bound for the serenity of Halong Bay where you’ll board a traditional-style Vietnamese junk boat. The limestone karsts and tropical islets rising up from the emerald waters provide an ethereal backdrop for your leisurely cruise.

Once welcomed aboard, enjoy lunch whilst cruising one of the New Seven Natural Wonders. Visit Trung Trang cave on Cat Ba Island, the cave is 300 metre long through the mountains, possessing a mysterious beauty due to the geological tectonics in million years along with many historical vestiges and stalactites.

Weather permitting, the you’ll stop at the quiet Tra Bau beach in Lan Ha Bay with its smooth white sand, where you can relax or go for a swim.

We return to the junk boat for a cooking class with the chef and enjoy a mesmerising sunset on the top deck before dinner and a peaceful overnight stay in this UNESCO-listed natural wonder.

Hanoi > Halong Bay

Orchid Cruise

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

It is a perfect time to refresh and indulge yourself in the peaceful beauty of the bay with a Tai Chi session. After breakfast discover the hidden charm of the Ao Ech area by kayak. There will be time to relax on the sundeck and take in the last views of the bays landscape, whilst cruising back to the Wharf before your drive to Hanoi Airport to catch your flight to Da Nang. On arrival, transfer to your hotel in Hoi An where you have the evening at leisure.

Halong Bay > Hoi An

Allegro Hoi An

Breakfast

Embark on a walking tour around the ancient town of Hoi An. Embrace its charm of yesteryear – the narrow lanes, colourful marketplaces and ancient temples providing insights into the Vietnam of old. See the old merchant houses and 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, before visiting Thanh Dong Organic Village where you’ll spend some time helping local farmers and learning about their daily working routines. Kick back and enjoy a relaxing foot massage that will set the pace for the rest of the day and evening at leisure.

Allegro Hoi An

Breakfast

Enjoy some free time this morning to explore Hoi An further or simply relax at your hotel. Your choice of activities this afternoon could see you learn how to craft your own colourful lantern or gain insights into life as a local fisherman (subject to weather conditions). Create a work of art to bring your home luck and happiness, or cast your net wide for the catch of the day – the choice is yours.

Allegro Hoi An

Breakfast

The healthy flavours of Vietnamese cuisine take centre stage as we travel by boat to the Red Bridge Cooking School to learn about the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. We’ll have an opportunity to savour the dishes we’ve prepared for lunch before returning to Hoi An.

This afternoon, journey over Hai Van Pass en route to Red Beach, where the American Marines first landed in Vietnam during the decades-long war. Continue to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, for our overnight stay.

Hoi An > Hue

Eldora Hue

Breakfast, lunch

Navigate the busy streets of Hue on the back of a cyclo en route to the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel, once home to Nguyen emperors. From here, drive to Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s best-preserved religious monument. Boarding a local dragon boat next, cruise along the Perfume River to the house of the former Princess Ngoc Son where you’ll meet a family member for lunch and a glimpse of their life in this historic house. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Eldora Hue

Breakfast, lunch

A short flight this morning brings you to Ho Chi Minh City, where you’ll enjoy a walking tour of Dong Khoi Street. See the Opera House and the former Hotel de Ville. Then, wander up to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, designed by the renowned Gustave Eiffel. Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid glimpse of the war through the eyes of the locals. Your final stop is Ben Thanh market, one of the earliest surviving structures in old Saigon.

Finish with dinner at KOTO restaurant.

Hue > Ho Chi Minh City

Novotel Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast, dinner

The mighty Mekong beckons today, as you take a day trip to Cai Be town, in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Transfer to a charming traditional boat to explore the bustling riverbanks. Visit a beautifully preserved ancient house dating back to the 19th Century that has been passed down through many generations of the family. Enjoy a leisurely sampan ride through the narrow canals, stopping for a home hosted lunch of delicious Mekong Delta specialities. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for an evening at leisure.

Ho Chi Minh City > Mekong Delta > Ho Chi Minh City

Novotel Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast, lunch

Today, you’ll learn about Vietnam’s turbulent history from the previous century with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of connecting underground tunnels built to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from the French air and ground sweeps.

Explore the underground compounds with a VC veteran and gain an understanding of the history of the tunnels, which once served as living quarters and housed hospitals, food and weapons caches.

Returning to Ho Chi Minh City by private speedboat, enjoy some free time, before visiting the home of the former American Ambassador to South Vietnam in the 1960s, Mr. Henry Cabot Lodge.

Novotel Saigon

Breakfast, dinner

Transfer to the airport for the short international flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival you will meet your local Cambodian Travel Director, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Ho Chi Minh City > Siem Reap

Tara Angkor, Siem Reap

Breakfast

Today, walk through a pyramid-shaped gateway into an ancient world. Serene stone faces watch over the causeway that leads over the moat into the lost city of Angkor. A local specialist and renowned Khmer scholar will bring to life the stories behind the intricate carvings and murals of celestial nymphs and mythical serpents along the abandoned hallways of Angkor Wat.

Your next stop is the terracotta-hued walls of Banteay Srei Temple – the “Citadel of Women” dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. You’ll have time to admire the 10th Century carvings of women, said to have been too delicate to have been carved by a man, hence the name.

In the afternoon, you’ll embark on a guided walking tour of the Old Town before a visit to Wat Damnak to participate in a private blessing ceremony during which a sacred thread will be tied around your wrists to protect against evil spirits.

On a visit to the village of Krabei Riel, you will have a chance to learn about some of the traditional skills practiced in the village, such as palm leaf weaving.

Tara Angkor, Siem Reap

Breakfast

Today’s first stop is the fortified Angkor Thom, where you’ll see iconic sites such as the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Enclosure and the Temple of Bayon with its giant smiling faces of Buddha.

Venture underneath the dense tree canopy to the crumbling, moss-covered ruins of the Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm, which featured as the location for the film ‘Tomb Raider’, exploring its towers courtyards and corridors to uncover the intricate stone reliefs that are shielded by the surrounding foliage.

Continue with a visit to the Old Market, where the locals shop for fresh fruit, vegetables and spices. Wander past the busy stalls and smell freshly baked baguettes, a remnant of the country’s French heritage.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure or consider joining an optional experience to learn the secrets of Khmer cuisine or a sunset boat cruise on Tonle Sap Lake.

This evening, transfer for a wonderful dinner accompanied by traditional Apsara Dancing that will bring ancient Khmer culture to life.

Tara Angkor, Siem Reap

Breakfast, dinner

Bid a fond farewell to Cambodia and transfer to the airport for your flight home, on which you can start dreaming about your next South East Asian adventure…

Breakfast