On arriving at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city centre. Hotel check-in is available at 2 pm. Free time to discover the Old Quarter on your own.

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will take a short drive to Song Phuong, a pretty village on the banks of the Day River. The tour will start with a walk through the local market with Mrs. Manh, a very hospitable villager. After about an hour of strolling through the market, Mrs. Manh will show you around some of the many market gardens that surround the village. Then, we continue to her house to participate in the preparation, and then consumption, of a delicious local meal of spring rolls, ground crab soup, and local pastries. 
In the afternoon, we head to Duong Lam village, a well-known village in Vietnam for its 300-year-old houses, grand communal halls, and pagodas. Two of Vietnam’s kings Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung were from the Duong Lam area. Here you will enjoy a local lunch in a rural atmosphere. The afternoon is devoted to a bicycle excursion to discover the village’s highlights: old houses, the communal house of Mong Phu, the Mia Pagoda built in iron wood (iroko wood) and the temple of King Ngo Quyen. Return to Hanoi in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, we depart for Lan Ha Bay – Halong Bay's lesser-known little cousin. After a three-hour drive, you will arrive at Cat Ba, the largest island in the Gulf of Tonkin, and head to Ben Beo pier. We will board a traditional junk for a cruise on the magical Lan Ha Bay. You will see floating villages and marine farming. Lunch is served on the junk.

Around 1:30 p.m, the junk will anchor in front of the pristine beach of Van Boi where you will have free time to swim in the water or sun yourself on the ship’s deck. Later in the afternoon, we will head to Hang Ca or Dau Be cave for a kayaking excursion, another way to experience the bay. At the end of the day the junk will drop anchor for the night in the middle of the bay. Dinner and overnight on board.

Nothing can be compared to waking up to a serene morning surrounded by karsts. You can have an early morning dip and then breakfast on board. We will continue to sail through the bay during the morning to explore hidden areas. The junk will stay close at all times serving as a backup vessel for those who need it. Around midday we will return to the main harbour & drive back to the airport in Hanoi to catch the flight to Hue. Pick up and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Hue. 

Transfer to the city centre to discover the Complex of the Imperial City, which includes the Meridian Gate, Palace of Supreme Harmony, Royal Theatre, Khon Thai Palace, and The Mieu Palace. Then we will drive to visit the mausoleum of Tu Duc, the 4th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. The Tomb comprises 50 monuments arranged asymmetrically and has successfully maintained a perfect harmony between buildings and nature. Around 2 p.m., transfer to Dam Chuon lagoon, a much lesser-known site to travellers. On the way, we stop to visit a communal house and a small residential house where Ho Chi Minh spent his childhood in Duong No village. Once at Dam Chuon, we board a sampan and learn about the life of fishermen. We will stop at a small restaurant to eat freshly caught seafood and watch the sunset. Return to the city centre and you will have free time to explore the peaceful streets of Hue.

After breakfast we hop in the car and take the Mandarin Road from Hue to Hoi An. The scenic journey offers views of seemingly endless stunning beach landscapes and dense tropical forest. Along the road we can stop to take photos of Da Nang Beach. We will visit the Marble Mountains and the Cham Museum before arriving in Hoi An. We will have a lunch of typical local dishes at an ancient town restaurant. 
We spend the afternoon wandering this UNESCO-recognised world heritage site and its highlights: the Japanese Covered Bridge (built by the Japanese then living in Hoi An to connect their quarter to the Chinese’s one), old Phung Hung house, Hoi An’s market and ancient port. We make a special stop at the Reaching Out tea house - a tranquil oasis in the bustling centre of Hoi An. 
Remark: On the 1st and 15th of every lunar month, all the streetlights will be turned off and the whole town will be illuminated with the warm glow of multi-coloured lanterns. 
 

In the morning, hop on a bicycle and ride to Phu Thinh beach, passing through lush paddy fields. On the way we will stop at the Precious Art Gallery Museum to admire the exhibition of photos and costumes of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. You will have an enjoyable massage facing the sea, and afterwards swim freely at Phu Thinh beach. 
At noon, hotel check-out and transfer to Da Nang airport. Flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Night at the hotel.

This morning we leave the hotel at 8 am and drive to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong delta. Upon arrival at Hung Vuong Pier (90km from Sai Gon), we get on a boat and cruise along the Ben Tre River. The boat stops at an artisanal brick factory for you to explore its imposing ovens. A sweet break is planned at a coconut candies workshop where you will watch how coconut flesh is used and processed. A short tuk-tuk bike ride on the winding small road of the countryside will take you deeper into the village and we will stop at a family braiding mats. The local restaurant prepares typical dishes of the Mekong Delta for your lunch. Following, we board on a rowing boat to join the maze of canals and return to the landing stage. Get back on the car and we continue driving to Can Tho. Night spent at the hotel.

Today we will be the early birds taking the morning boat trip to Cai Rang floating market, the largest in the region, where boats bursting with fruit and vegetables gather every day. After joining in at the busy market, you will take a walk in Mr. Ba Cong’s orchard to taste fresh tropical fruits. The following visit is to a workshop where you will see how the local (canna indica) vermicelli is made. Get back to the mainland by boat and then we will drive to Chau Doc.
On the way you will stop at the Bang Lang Stork Garden (the largest bird sanctuary in the Mekong delta). The view from the platform overlooking the forest is breath-taking, with hundreds of storks and herons nesting there. 
Arriving at Chau Doc in late afternoon, you will visit Chua Hang on Mount Sam - an exceptional pagoda combining the different cultural and religious influences of the region. Its architecture and panoramic view are worthy of a cinematic setting. Night at the hotel.

The visit to Tra Su forest in the morning is simply spectacular. This mangrove is composed of cajuput trees and home to 70 species of birds, 140 plant species, and 20 species of reptiles, to name but a few.  We will hop on a small boat sailing on a river covered by lenses of freshwater (floating on the denser saltwater below), lotus hearts and water lilies. In order to get a breath-taking view of the forest and neighbouring Cambodia, we will climb the six floors of the observation tower. 
We will then transfer to Cai Lay and stop at Mr. Hai My’s house in Tam Binh Village. 
Mr Hai My, 70-year-old, is the oldest child in the family. This excellent cultivator has spent his life growing many fruit trees and bonsai in his garden: sapota, rambutan, longan, mango trees... We will also have a chance to meet his wife and daughters, and savour the delicious local food made by them. There is no better way to understand the daily life of the South as well as the hospitality of its residents! 
Arrive in Saigon by late afternoon. Night at the hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from the hotel. We head to an open-air space near Tao Dan Park where elders display their prized songbirds. The following visit is to the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Ho Chi Minh City, constructed between 1877 and 1880 by the French. Only a few steps from the Cathedral is the General Post Office. People come here not for sending postcards or letters, but mostly to admire its interior with an arched roof and curved windows, reminiscent of early European railway stations. We continue to the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace, which was the residence of the president of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975. 
In the afternoon, we head to the Cu Chi Tunnel system built from 1946 to 1968 by local inhabitants and soldiers using simple tools. During the American bombings, they were turned into an underground city, which could house up to 10,000 people, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armouries, hospitals, and command centres. Visitors can enter some parts of the underground tunnel to understand better how the system worked. Overnight at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Free time to discover Ho Chi Minh City then transfer to the airport for your departure flight. End of our services.