Vietnam Explorer

We meet and greet you at the airport and provide a private transfer to your hotel where you can settle in and explore your new surroundings.

Overnight:

Maison D'Hanoi Hanova hotel

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

This city tour takes in Hanoi’s essential sites. There is a morning and afternoon schedule, as well as an organised lunch.

You are met at 08:30am in the hotel lobby.

Morning:
• Ho Chi Minh Complex including the Mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum
• The Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070
• A local Vietnamese lunch

Afternoon:
• Museum of Ethnology, widely acknowledged as the best in the country, containing an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority peoples
• Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake - the Ngoc Son Temple is set on a tiny island on Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century
• A one-hour cyclo tour through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi!
• A traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets

Please note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all day on Monday and Fridays, as well as from 1st October to 30th November (approx.) for annual conservation.

Overnight:

Maison D'Hanoi Hanova hotel

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast & Lunch

Hidden in the hills of the North, Ha Giang is the last province in Vietnam to open its doors to tourism. With its striking scenery this province offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam. Situated in between huge forests and towering mountains, Pan Hou Village is ensconced in the natural beauty of the area. The area is also renowned for the rich culture of the ethnic minorities that make the region their home.

Today you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Pan Hou. The drive takes around 8 hours. Upon arrival in Pan Hou village, check in at the resort and relax.

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

On your first day enjoy a sumptuous lunch in Pan Hou village before you set off to through the mountains and rice fields to the small Yao village of Nam Hong. A 3 hour walk will take you through some of Vietnam’s finest scenery and you will finish the day in a village populated by the Man Ta Pan ethnic group. Spend the night discovering the villagers’ traditions and stay in a traditional home stay.

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

In the morning rise and walk to the village of Ban Peo, this trek will take you through the thick forests of the area and well and truly ‘off the beaten track’. Walk through the ‘Sky Gate’ and end your day in a village populated by the Long Tunic Yao people, yet another of the minorities in the area. Sleep in a Yao house on stilts surrounded by the mountains and forest. Trekking approx 5-6 hours today.

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 of the trip takes you to the Yao Village of Ta Phin. As you trek through the area’s dense forests you will be shown the ‘Shan Tea trees’ that grow in the area. This 5-6 hour trek ends in Ta Phin, which is populated by the Man Ya Pan people. You will spend the night in a local family homestay.

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On your last day you will spend the day walking through the bamboo forests of the area as you head back to Pan Hou village, populated by the Tay ethnic group. Upon your return to the village enjoy a traditional bath and massage to help you relax after the trek. Spend the night at the Pan Hou village hotel, before returning to Hanoi in the morning.

Meals included:

Breakfast & Lunch

Today you will be transferred back to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Hanoi, check in at your hotel and relax.

Overnight:

Maison D'Hanoi Hanova hotel

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast

In the morning, transfer from the hotel in Hanoi to Halong Bay - about 3.5 hours with a refreshment break en route. Meet the crew upon boarding the traditional wooden junk, then relax and enjoy lunch while the boat heads towards the secluded islands. You'll visit ancient limestone caves and go sea kayaking and swimming if the weather permits. Return to the junk refreshed and invigorated and relax on deck with a drink to watch the sunset. Later, enjoy a freshly prepared seafood dinner under the stars.

More information on the Junk boats we use in Halong Bay. 

Overnight:

Prince (Indochina junk boat)

Extras and options:

Alternative Junk Boat options available

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy an early morning swim followed by breakfast. The tour then visits the “Cave of Surprises” before cruising back to the main harbour for the return drive to Hanoi.

In the evening you are transferred to the train station for the overnight journey on the Reunification Express southwards to Hue. Accommodation aboard the train in four berth shared cabins, which are simple but comfortable.

Note: Day use room in Hanoi is not included.

Extras and options:

An upgrade to a flight to Hue, with an extra night in either Hanoi or Hue is also available as an alternative to the train journey. 

Upon arrival in Hue, we transfer directly to the hotel for breakfast. Early check-ins will be provided if possible, but are based on room availability.
Hue was the Vietnamese capital during the Nguyen Dynasty 1802-1945 and ruins of the city’s regal past can still be seen inside the Citadel and the Imperial City. Created in the 19th century, the Imperial City was modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing and holds many palaces and temples inside its giant walls. Many of the buildings were damaged by French aerial bombing and the Tet Offensive in 1968. Now it is slowly being restored thanks to generous funding by UNESCO.

Today's tour begins after breakfast with the ancient walled Citadel containing the former Imperial Palace. Spend the morning wandering through the enclosure before lunch and an afternoon trip into the surrounding countryside to see the final resting place of the Emperors at two of the most impressive Royal Tombs. In the evening, we take a boat trip on the Perfume River.

Overnight:

Pilgrimage Village Hue

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast & Lunch

This morning, we continue south to the riverside town of Hoi An. The five hour trip hugs the coastline along the South China Sea with breathtaking views particularly as the road winds its way up Hai Van Pass (“Pass of the Clouds”).

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants. Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, renowned for its silk and popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century and much of the town is now heritage-listed.

In the afternoon, enjoy a half day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, 200-year-old Tam Ky house and the Japanese Covered Bridge.

Overnight:

Life Heritage Resort Hoi An

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast & Lunch

Spend the day at leisure on the beach, exploring the town, or perhaps having some clothes made by one of the famous, inexpensive tailors Hoi An is famous for.

Overnight:

Life Heritage Resort Hoi An

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast

Transfer to the airport in Danang. Take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you are met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the city is still frequently referred to, is Vietnam’s largest city. It is a fast-paced metropolis full of contrasts, with street vendors selling fruit and vegetables next to glitzy western-style bars and boutiques. Amazingly, the city’s history dates back only 300 years. In 1859 the city was captured by the French and became the capital of Cochin China. From 1956 until April 1975 it was the capital of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam. Today, Ho Chi Minh City is very much the heart of Vietnamese business and entrepreneurial activity. The French left their mark with some fine colonial-era buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.

Some information on the sightseeing:
• The Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office: Built between 1877 and 1883 this is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture. Remarkably every stone used in its creation was shipped from France to Vietnam. Her two forty metre towers, topped with iron spires, still dominate the city’s skyline. The Old Post Office is another example of French colonial architecture and is also the country’s largest post office.

• Dong Khoi Street, the Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee Building: built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene, the 800 seat Opera House was used as the home of the Lower House Assembly of Sourth Vietnam after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used for performances. The structure was restored in 1995. The Opera House is located on the historical Dong Khoi Street which is home to many boutiques and fine restaurants. Just around the corner are the iconic Rex hotel and the beautiful Peoples’ Committee Building.

• The Reunification Palace: This is one of the most important buildings in the city. Here on April 30th 1975 the ‘American War’ officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.

• The War Remnants Museum: Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, this is a poignant display of the futility of war. Some of the black and white photography in the ‘Requiem’ exhibit is particularly touching, dedicated to both foreign and Vietnamese journalists and photographers who perished during the conflict. The courtyard outside contains the spoils of war, namely rusting jets, tanks and cannons captured from the American military machine.

Overnight:

Catina Hotel

Extras and options:

Alternative accommdation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast

Our one day cruise excursion starts from Ho Chi Minh City with a drive to Cai Be - Phu An where you board the Cai Be Princess at around 10:00am. The tour will start with a visit to Cai Be colourful floating market. You'll also visit some local home factories such as rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies, and longans drying & processing.
The trip continues along the Mekong canals to Dong Hoa Hiep Island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During the cruise you will discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the typical Mekong delta rural life. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River still remain unknown to many people.
Lunch awaits you at Le Longanier restaurant at La Residence de Phu An Resort, a superb Indochine style resort. After a short walk along a narrow canal, the excursion will end at around 15:30pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight:

Catina Hotel

Extras and options:

Alternative accommodation options available

Meals included:

Breakfast & Lunch

Your time is free today until we transfer you from your hotel to the airport for your flight home.

Meals included:

Breakfast