On your arrival to Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon) you will be welcome by our tour guide and driver. Transferred to your hotel at the city centre and then there will be time for your free exploration of the largest city of Vietnam, once known as “Pearl of the Far East”, with its wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, you will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, 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 the arched roof and curved windows, reminiscent of early European railway stations. The city tour then continues along Dong Khoi Street heading to see the Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee building, built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene. The 800 seat Opera House served as the home of the Lower House Assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. Visit 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. 
After having lunch, you will take a guided rickshaw tour for about 2-3 hours to learn deeper about Saigonese daily life. The tour takes you to a dozen typical markets with several stops arranged at Ho Thi Ky flower market; The medicinal plant store; The On Lang Pagoda and the Thien Hau Temple in the Cho Lon district. Return to the city centre to explore the small alley Le Cong Kieu with various antique shops. 
Overnight 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. Stop at Mr. Sau Khanh's house, a very hospitable villager to see his antique collection. He will happily show you the special technique of climbing coconut palms. Overnight in the homestay.

Start the morning with breakfast prepared by the family, then traverse a branch of the Mekong River by sampan. Later, you will journey by bike through the local countryside to see first-hand, daily life on the Mekong. The winding path meanders between charming traditional houses. Back on board the sampan, several stops are made along a canal for a chance to see coconuts being worked. You will disembark near the town of Cho Thom, say goodbye to your crew and travel by road to Can Tho. In the afternoon, the exploration continues with a stopover at Binh Thuy's old house, the site of the 1992 film adaptation of Marguerite Duras' novel L' Amant. You are then free to discover the shops around the port for the rest of the afternoon.

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.
The visit to Tra Su forest in the afternoon 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. 
Overnight at the hotel in Chau Doc town.

Today you have breakfast at the hotel, and we depart early for Ho Chi Minh City. 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’s Airport in afternoon and catch the flight to Hanoi. Transfer to the hotel in the city centre. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, we depart for Lan Ha 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 Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

This morning we will drive to Bat Trang, 15 km from the city centre, known as the earliest ceramic village, established in Vietnam. There you will have a chance to explore a pottery workshop where villagers still make everything by hand. Your children can try their hand at clay spinning to make their own products. They will be more than happy bringing their mini masterpieces back home as a souvenir. We then return to Hanoi. Time to immerse yourself in the old Hanoi by visiting the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam), the first University of Vietnam. It was built in 1070 at the time of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and is one of several Vietnamese temples dedicated to Confucius.
Drive back to the Old Quarter for a 1.5-hour walking tour, specially designed for a deeper insight into Hanoian daily life. We will also visit the Ngọc Son temple (Temple of the Jade Mountain) which sits on a green islet in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, connected to the lakeside by a graceful scarlet bridge named The Huc (meaning the early sunlight welcoming place). The temple is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao - the General who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century and Van Xuong De Quan - the patron of literature and examinations. 
The city tour tour ends with a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) before watching a traditional water puppet show. 

Free time to go shopping in the busy streets of the old quarter or rest at the hotel (room available until 12 noon). Transfer to the airport. End of our services.