Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi
You'll land at Noi Bai Airport and get picked up for a comfortable ride to your hotel. If there's time before checking in, there's an option to take a cyclo tour through the old quarter. This gives you a first feel for Hanoi's chaotic energy and the thousands of motorbikes that fill the streets.
- Start point
- Hàng Gai, 110700, Quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam (Your Hotel, 08:00 - 08:30)
Optional Activities
- Orientation tour by cyclo around old quarter streets
- Day 2
Hanoi
The full day covers Hanoi's main sites starting at Cho Hom local market where you'll see how locals shop and what's available daily. Then you'll head to Ho Chi Minh memorials, the One Pillar Pagoda, and Temple of Literature to get some cultural context. The Museum of Ethnology shows how 54 ethnic groups live across Vietnam (you can swap it for the Historical Museum if preferred). By evening, there's a one-hour water puppet show at Thang Long Theater featuring traditional stories about farming, fishing, and historical events.
Included Activities
- Visit Cho Hom local market
- Complex of memorials to Ho Chi Minh
- One Pillar Pagoda visit
- Temple of Literature visit
- Museum of Ethnology visit
- Water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater (one hour)
Optional Activities
- Visit Historical Museum instead of Museum of Ethnology
Landmarks Cho Hom Market One Pillar Pagoda Temple of Literature Museum of Ethnology Thang Long Water Puppet Theater - Day 3
Hanoi to Halong Bay
A shuttle bus picks you up at 07:45 with your guide, stopping in Hai Duong City at 10:30 to see how Vietnamese handicrafts are made by hand. You'll reach Tuan Chau Marina at 12:30 for check-in and a welcome drink. Lunch happens at 13:30 while cruising past small islands. The afternoon includes kayaking around Pearl Farm Village and time on Titop Island where you can swim, relax, or climb for views. Evening brings happy hour, a cooking class demonstration, sunset celebration, dinner, and nighttime squid fishing.
- Meals
- Lunch (Great lunch served while cruising past islets), Dinner (Luxury set menu dinner with variety of Vietnamese and Asian foods)
Included Activities
- Stopover in Hai Duong City to experience hand-made Vietnamese handicrafts
- Cruise boarding with welcome drink and cabin check-in
- Kayaking around Pearl Farm Village
- Visit Titop Island
- Cooking class demonstration
- Sunset party
- Squid fishing on boat
Optional Activities
- Sunbathing at Titop Island
- Swimming at Titop Island
- Climb peak of Titop Island for panoramic photos
Landmarks Pearl Farm Village Titop Island - Day 4
Halong Bay to Hanoi
Early morning starts with Tai Chi on deck at 06:15, then light breakfast with coffee and pastries. At 07:45 you'll visit Surprising Cave, the largest cave in Halong Bay with three chambers full of stalagmites and stalactites (about an hour to explore). Back on the boat by 09:00, you'll have time to pack and relax on the sundeck or in the dining area. Lunch is at 10:45, then the shuttle heads back to Hanoi around 11:45-12:00, leaving the rest of your afternoon free.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Light breakfast with coffee, tea, and bakeries on board), Lunch (Lunch served at 10:45)
Included Activities
- Tai Chi class on sun-deck
- Visit Surprising Cave (approximately 60 minutes)
Landmarks Surprising Cave - Day 5
Hanoi to Hue
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll transfer to Noi Bai Airport for a domestic flight to Hue. Once there, you'll see the Imperial Citadel and take a boat on the Perfume River to reach Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Hue's oldest religious sites. Next is the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang set among gardens and lakes with detailed architecture and mysterious statues. The day ends walking through Dong Ba Market where locals buy goods and handicrafts, and you'll find small eateries serving regional food.
Included Activities
- Visit Imperial Citadel
- Boat trip on Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda
- Visit mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang
- Walk through Dong Ba Market
Landmarks Imperial Citadel Thien Mu Pagoda Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang Dong Ba Market - Day 6
Hue to Hoi An
Before heading to Danang, you'll drive through hills to see Emperor Tu Duc's elaborate royal tomb and the famous Tu Hieu Pagoda. Then comes the scenic 4-hour drive via Hai Van Pass (or through the tunnel if you prefer shorter) with views of mountains, sea, beaches, and villages. In Danang, the Cham Museum displays limestone carvings from the old Kingdom of Champa. After that, Marble Mountains has caves and temples connected to the five elements. By evening you'll head further south to Hoi An, which was a major trading hub in Southeast Asia during the 16th century.
Included Activities
- Visit royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
- Visit Tu Hieu Pagoda
- Visit Cham Museum
- Visit Marble Mountains with grottoes and temples
Landmarks Royal Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc Tu Hieu Pagoda Cham Museum Marble Mountains - Day 7
Hoi An
Spend your morning walking through Hoi An, a quiet 16th-century trading town beside the Thu Bon River. You'll see the Chinese-style tiled houses, the Japanese covered bridge, and temples and pagodas painted in bright colors. The afternoon is yours to explore at whatever pace feels right.
Included Activities
- Explore Hoi An town
Landmarks Japanese Covered Bridge Hoi An Ancient Town - Day 8
Hoi An
This day is completely open. After breakfast at your hotel, the schedule is yours. Some people relax by the pool, others walk through the town market, and some head to the sandy beaches nearby.
Optional Activities
- Relax by hotel pool
- Walk in town market
- Enjoy sandy beaches
- Day 9
Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, you'll transfer to Da Nang Airport for a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once you land, your guide will meet you and take you to Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network that served as a base for operations during the 1968 Tet Offensive. You'll explore over 200km of interconnected tunnels with branches leading to hideouts and shelters, though they're quite tight at 0.5 to 1 meter wide.
Included Activities
- Visit Cu Chi Tunnels underground tunnel network
Landmarks Cu Chi Tunnels - Day 10
Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta
You'll head south into the Mekong Delta where small green islands sit among winding rivers and waterways. At Cai Be floating market, vendors display their goods hanging from poles on boat bows, which is quite different from markets on land. Lunch happens in a former colonial villa inside a small village. Then it's back to Ho Chi Minh City by boat and car.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in a superb colonial villa nestled inside a quaint village)
Included Activities
- Visit Cai Be floating market
- Lunch in colonial villa in village
- Boat trip through Mekong Delta
Landmarks Cai Be Floating Market Mekong Delta - Day 11
Ho Chi Minh City
The morning focuses on Ho Chi Minh City itself, a crowded metropolis full of bikes and motorbikes with lots of shops and street cafes. Start at Reunification Palace, where South Vietnam's president lived until April 1975. You'll also see French colonial buildings like Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Saigon Post Office. Ben Thanh Market is your last stop where basically anything is sold. The afternoon is free to do what you want.
Included Activities
- Visit Reunification Palace
- Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
- Visit Old Saigon Post Office
- Visit Ben Thanh Market
Landmarks Reunification Palace Notre Dame Cathedral Old Saigon Post Office Ben Thanh Market - Day 12
Departure from Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast at your hotel, you have free time until your transfer to the airport for your flight home.
