Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, you will be greeted by a friendly local representative. From the airport, they will transfer you directly to your hotel, making for a smooth and comfortable start to your adventure. Check into your room, get settled, and enjoy your first evening in Vietnam as you desire! (This service is on a private basis.)

Hanoi

Vietnam's capital is rich in a culture touched by French and Chinese influences over its 1,000-year-long history. One can spend days in the Old Quarter, where fashion houses, art galleries and coffee shops make up the city's most charismatic district. Hanoi features hundreds of serene lakes, great for people watching and strolling an afternoon away. Take an evening to dine at a modern, cosmopolitan restaurant and enjoy a night on the town, but don't forget to take an evening to enjoy the thriving street food scene, one of the city's primary attractions.

Explore Hanoi Like a Local

Today, you are invited to enjoy a truly local experience in Hanoi. One of Vietnam's common cultural practices is to wake up early in the morning and start your day with some exercise. If you want, you may embrace this tradition and join the locals in their Tai Chi and aerobics practice. After warming up, your tour continues with a visit to Ngoc Son Temple, located in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. From there, you will be taken to a traditional coffee shop, where you can try the classic iced coffee, or an egg coffee, for those feeling more adventurous! Of course, you will also have to try a local street food favorite, banh mi. This typical baguette sandwich is filled with a delicious variety of local ingredients.

After sampling some of the common cuisine, you will follow your guide deeper into Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Admire the impressive French architecture and unique Vietnamese buildings, en route to St. Josephs Cathedral, a French gothic building constructed in 1886. From there, you will continue to Hoa Lo Prison, where Vietnamese, American and French prisoners of war used to be imprisoned. Huu Tiep Lake will be your next stop, better known as "B-52 Lake", where US B-52 bomber wreckage can be seen.

This afternoon, you can enjoy another foodie adventure at Bun Cha Restaurant. Indulge in a variety of Hanoi’s best specialties for lunch, before visiting the famous Temple of Literature. Vietnam’s first University was established within this temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The University functioned for 700 years and its gardens and well preserved architecture offers a fascinating glimpse into the country’s past. The Hanoi railway tracks will be your final stop of the day. At certain parts, these unique tracks are located just meters away from the front doors of homes! Take a walk along the railway tracks, as you admire this unusual lifestyle. End your day as a true Vietnamese local, with a cold glass of draft beer at Bia Hoi! (This service is on a private basis.)

Athena Ha Long Bay Cruise

Today, after breakfast, you will leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you’ll board your boat, a new 5 star luxury cruise vessel, that will take you first to the busy World Heritage area and then to one of the most well-known grottoes and caves, and then kayak (optional) around the area. Weather permitting, you will be able to swim from the boat and enjoy the clear emerald water. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood, and you’ll sleep in a cabin with an en suite toilet and shower.

Ha Long Bay

Seemingly infinite, the towering islands of Ha Long Bay form a landscape that is other worldly. Named a World Heritage site in 1994, Ha Long Bay offers some of the most beautiful scenes in all of Asia, whether you are lounging on a beach, exploring the inside of a hidden cave or cruising along the water in your traditional Chinese junk style boat. Located just a few hours outside of Hanoi, you can easily trade in the crowded streets of the city, to sail between the striking karst formations instead. Ha Long Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragons" and mythology says the islands were created from the jewels and jade dropped from the mouth of dragons sent by the Gods. No wonder it's so magical!

Ha Long Bay - Hanoi

You’ll wake in fresh air of the bay with a swim and/or a Tai Chi session on the large sundeck (beginners welcome!). After a light breakfast pastry and tea or coffee, you’ll enjoy the peaceful surroundings of Thien Canh Son Cave and islets, a wild and mysterious beauty in the middle of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Enjoy a delicious brunch while cruising back to dock around noon whereupon you’ll leave for Hanoi, and connect with your flight to Hue.

Upon arrival in Hue, you will be met and transferred to your comfortable accommodations.

Hue

The heart of imperial Vietnam's history, Hue is Vietnam's cultural capital. It's architecture calls back to a time when the Nguyen Dynasty built temples, pagodas and palaces across its landscapes. A calm, noble city lives on today, showcasing beautiful buildings that survived bombings during the American War. The easy-going local crowd enjoys a night out, and routinely interacts with foreigners. With a tradition for maintaining authentic recipes, Hue's chefs might be the best example of pure Vietnamese food that dates back to the country's imperial years.

Citadel, Perfume River & Royal Tombs

After breakfast, your guide will arrive to take you on a tour of Hue’s ancient citadel, once the seat of the Emperors of the powerful Nguyen Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from approximately 1800 to 1945. You’ll begin with a stroll around the area between the Citadel’s massive walls and the defensive moat, now filled with lotus flowers. You’ll then enter via the Noon Gate to wander around the Thai Hoa Palace, the Pavilion housing the Nine Urns of the Nguyen rulers, and the remains of the Royal Palaces, followed by a visit to the Museum of Antiquities.

In the afternoon, you will take a cruise along the Perfume River to visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda. From there, you’ll drive to the Royal Tombs of Emperor Minh Mang.

Each Royal mausoleum reflects the personality of the Emperor it commemorates. The most majestic is that of Emperor Minh Mang, a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children. Planned by the Emperor and built shortly after his death in formal Chinese style, it’s opulent and exotic, and a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

Hue - Hoi An

After checkout this morning, head to Hoi An via Lang Co. Embark on the local boat to enjoy the idyllic panorama of crystal clear water home to crabs, snappers, red mullets, groupers, shrimp and squid. Observe a demonstration of the local fishing technique and visit an oyster farm. Enjoy a delicious seafood lunch in an authentic stilt house above the water and take the option to swim or snorkel afterwards. Continue to Hoi An - on the way, you'll cross the Hai Van mountain pass. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang spread out before you to the south.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, you'll be transferred to your hotel to spend the rest of the evening free at your leisure.

Hoi An

There is a reason we encourage first time travelers to Vietnam to visit Hoi An. Following the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities, travel in Hoi An feels effortless. There is little modern motor traffic, and the shops and restaurants are mainly tailored for tourists. A romantic cafe culture is featured in French colonial buildings, along with a thriving art scene, that can keep you busy shopping for days. Hoi An is also a great base from which to enjoy a couple of beach days, or to venture inland for a cultural experience with local farmers.

Hoi An Fishing Life

Today's cultural adventure offers an exclusive look into both the local farming and fishing communities. Accompanied by your expert guide, your day begins with a leisurely cycle across country roads. This will be your chance to witness local Vietnamese rural life first hand. Hop off your bike to explore an organic vegetable village, where you will help to water and plant vegetables, and hoe the soil with the instruction of a local farmer. Watch the ducks, as they swim along the rice farm, or observe the farmers tending to their crops, as they go about their daily routines. You will have plenty of opportunities to engage with the friendly local people, who will be greeting you throughout the day.

From the farm, your adventure continues on a boat where the river meets the Cua Dai Sea. This will be your time to meet and get to know the local fishermen, as you enjoy a hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. You will also get to try your hand at paddling the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats, as you glide along the waterways of coconut palm paradise. Continue biking to a local house in a rice village and be welcomed with a glass of passion fruit juice, where you'll learn all about wet rice cultivation and have lunch with a local family. At the end of this cultural experience, you will be driven back to your hotel to reminisce on another beautiful day. (This service is on a private basis.)

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel in 4:00PM and transferred to the airport in good time to board your domestic flight to 4:00PM. Upon arrival in 4:00PM, you will be greeted at the airport by your driver and transferred to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Night Life by Vespa

In the evening, you’ll be picked up at your hotel for a Vespa evening tour. Your first stop is to Café zoom to "watch the world go by" and enjoy a cocktail and appetizer (inclusive) before adventuring into a favorite local eating spot. You’ll experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Then the tour will continue on to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop where you'll be able to enjoy live Vietnamese music.

The tour will start with a ride to part Chinatown and then heading to District 4 through busy streets and alleys to see the night life of locals and enjoy street sea- food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won't be found. Leaving district 4 to district 3 the tour pass through downtown district 1 to take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo, specialty of Saigon, and southern food with the locals.

Ho Chi Minh City

While much of Vietnam is set in its traditions, and content to live life at a slower pace, HCMC is where the nation's urban warriors congregate to work hard and play harder. The city that some still call Saigon has been the driving force leading Vietnam into the 21st century, and the result is a whirlpool of activity that one cannot help but be swept into. Remnants of Vietnam's history pockmark the city, creating a charming contrast of old and new.

Today, you will be picked up at your hotel in 4:00PM and transferred to the airport in good time to board your domestic flight to 4:00PM. Upon arrival in 4:00PM, you will be greeted at the airport by your driver and transferred to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, has a wide variety of beaches, some regarded as the best in Vietnam. Tropical jungle runs directly into beaches running for miles up and down the coast of this island. It’s recently been ‘discovered’ however there remains plenty of opportunities to explore untouched landscapes and get off the grid.

Today, you will be picked up at your hotel in Phu Quoc and transferred to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your accommodations to check in and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Sadly this is your departure day. At the appropriate time, you will be picked up and transferred to the airport in time for your outbound flight home. We hope you enjoyed your experience and we wish you a pleasant flight home!