Itinerary
- Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City
You'll get picked up from Tan Son Nhat International Airport and head to Prague Hotel in the city center. Check-in opens at 2:00 PM, so you'll have time to settle in. After that, the day is yours to do as you like. You can relax at the hotel, walk through Ben Thanh Market, or try some street food in the area if you're feeling up for it.
Optional Activities
- Walk around Ben Thanh Market
- Sample Saigon street food
Landmarks/POIs Prague Hotel Ben Thanh Market Independence Palace Notre-Dame Cathedral Bui Vien Street - Day 2
Ho Chi Minh City
This morning starts with a food-focused walk through Saigon's backstreets and local food stalls around Nguyen Thien Thuat, checking out 1960s residential blocks. From there you'll head into Districts 10 and 5 to see how locals actually live. Later, it's off to Chinatown where you can walk through the traditional medicine quarter on Hai Thuong Lan Ong and Trieu Quang Phuc streets, then stop at Thien Hau Temple. You'll have local lunch somewhere in the area and get back to your hotel by around 1:00 PM.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local southern-style lunch at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Explore Nguyen Thien Thuat Backstreet and sample chè dessert at Ban Co Market
- Discover local living in Districts 10 & 5
- Walk through Chinatown's Traditional Medicine Quarter and visit Thien Hau Temple
Optional Activities
- Scooter tour with driver
- Walking tour option (available upon request)
Landmarks/POIs Nguyen Thien Thuat Backstreet Ban Co Market Chinatown Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street Trieu Quang Phuc Street Thien Hau Temple - Day 3
Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta
An early start gets you to My Tho in the Mekong Delta. You'll board a traditional sampan and cruise past the four poetic islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. On Unicorn Island, you'll walk through orchards, sample tropical fruits, and hear some Southern folk music. After that comes a stop at a fruit plantation and a hand-rowed sampan ride through Thoi Son Island's narrow canals. There's a honey farm visit with honey tea tasting and watching coconut candy being made. Lunch happens at a garden restaurant, and then you can either take an optional bike ride around Tan Thach Village or just relax in a hammock before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local lunch at garden restaurant in the heart of the delta)
Included Activities
- Traditional sampan cruise past four poetic islands (Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, Tortoise)
- Stop at Unicorn Island with fruit sampling and Southern folk music
- Visit fruit plantation and hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son Island
- Explore local honey farm and coconut candy workshop
- Local lunch at garden restaurant
Optional Activities
- Cycling trip around Tan Thach Village
- Relaxation time in hammock (alternative to cycling)
Landmarks/POIs My Tho Dragon Island Unicorn Island Phoenix Island Tortoise Island Thoi Son Island Tan Thach Village Mekong River - Day 4
Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An
After breakfast, you'll check out and have a couple of free hours to sip one last Saigon coffee or pick up local souvenirs. Then it's off to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your domestic flight to Da Nang. Once you land, your driver meets you for a scenic drive to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site with lantern-lit streets and traditional wooden buildings. You'll check into KimAn Hoi An Hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring at your own pace.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Browse for local treats in Ho Chi Minh City
- Discover Hoi An at your own pace
Landmarks/POIs Tan Son Nhat Airport Hoi An Ancient Town An Bang Beach - Day 5
Hoi An
The day starts at 8:30 AM at a local market where you'll chat with vendors and learn how to pick fresh ingredients. After that, you'll take a scenic boat ride through rice paddies and coconut palms heading to Cam Thanh for a cooking class. You'll navigate narrow waterways in traditional bamboo basket boats and learn rowing techniques along the way. At a riverside kitchen, you'll prepare seven iconic Hoi An dishes, including spring rolls, rice pancakes, and fish in clay pot, then eat what you made for lunch. In the afternoon, you head to Marble Mountains to explore Buddhist and Hindu grottoes, cliff-top pagodas with views over Da Nang, and descend into Am Phu Cave. Later, drive to Monkey Mountain to see the 67-meter tall Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda, catching sunset views of Da Nang Bay. You'll get back to Hoi An in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Self-made lunch prepared during cooking class - seven iconic Hoi An dishes including papaya salad, Hoi An spring rolls, Hoi An rice pancake, grill eggplant with onion fat, grilled clam with egg, fish in clay pot with steam rice, and fresh fruit dessert)
Included Activities
- Local market discovery with chef - learn to select fresh ingredients
- Scenic transfer to Cam Thanh by boat through rice paddies and coconut palms
- Coconut jungle adventure in traditional bamboo basket boats with rowing instruction
- Hands-on cooking masterclass preparing seven iconic Hoi An dishes
- Marble Mountains exploration including Buddhist & Hindu grottoes and pagodas
- Am Phu Cave visit - the Underworld Cave
- Monkey Mountain visit with Linh Ung Pagoda and 67m Lady Buddha statue
- Sunset views of Da Nang Bay
Landmarks/POIs Cam Thanh Thoi Son Island Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) Am Phu Cave Monkey Mountain (Son Tra Peninsula) Linh Ung Pagoda Lady Buddha statue Da Nang Bay - Day 6
Hoi An to Hanoi
After breakfast, you'll check out and transfer to Da Nang Airport for a domestic flight to Hanoi, Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital. Your driver meets you and takes you to Diamond Legend Hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Check-in is available from 2:00 PM. The rest of the day is free, so you can wander around Hoan Kiem Lake, check out street food alleys, or just take it easy and recharge at the hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake
- Explore street food alleys
- Relax and rest
Landmarks/POIs Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi Old Quarter - Day 7
Hanoi
Pick your time: morning session runs 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, or afternoon from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. After hotel pickup and a welcome drink, you'll learn about Vietnamese coffee's history and French influence. Then comes the hands-on part where expert baristas walk you through roasting and brewing five different Vietnamese coffees: Egg, Coconut, Salted Hue, Traditional Brown, and a custom pour-over. You'll get to create your own flavor variation using local jams and spices. A full traditional Vietnamese lunch or early dinner follows with five regional dishes and unlimited local wines and beer. You'll leave with a recipe booklet and digital coffee books. If you choose the evening option afterward, there's a guided walk through the Old Quarter or join a street food tour sampling pho, bun cha, banh mi, banh xeo, and other local specialties.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Full-course traditional Vietnamese lunch featuring five regional dishes with free-flow soft drinks, beer, and unlimited local wines - includes Vietnamese Sausage, Traditional Rice Cake, Local Praise Chicken with Rice, and more)
Included Activities
- Vietnamese coffee workshop and brewing masterclass - five iconic coffees
- Full-course traditional Vietnamese meal with five regional dishes
- Welcome refreshment and snacks
- Coffee history and culture session
- Recipe booklet and digital coffee books
Optional Activities
- Old Quarter street food evening tour - 3 hours with local foodie guide, sampling pho, bun cha, banh mi, banh cuon, banh xeo, nom bo kho, thit xien nuong, banh ran ngot, che, egg coffee, and other local specialties
Landmarks/POIs Hanoi Old Quarter - Day 8
Hanoi to Halong Bay
Early breakfast at the hotel, then check out by 7:30 AM. Your cruise representative meets you in the lobby for a 2.5-hour drive through the Red River Delta's rice fields and rural villages. You'll arrive at Tuan Chau pier around 10:30 AM and board Le Journey Cruise with a welcome briefing and complimentary drink. Lunch is onboard as the ship passes limestone karsts. Afternoon activities include kayaking or bamboo boating through hidden lagoons, swimming at secluded beaches, cave exploration, or just relaxing on deck. There's an optional spring-roll cooking demo with the chef if you're interested. Watch the sunset and happy hour in a tranquil cove, then enjoy a multi-course Vietnamese dinner in the dining room. Unwind in your cabin or on the sundeck as night falls over the bay.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Early breakfast at Diamond Legend Hotel, Hanoi), Lunch (Fresh Vietnamese set lunch onboard as ship glides past limestone karsts), Dinner (Multi-course Vietnamese feast served in the dining room)
Included Activities
- Scenic drive through Red River Delta
- Lunch onboard cruise
- Kayaking or bamboo boat activities through hidden lagoons
- Swimming off secluded sandy beach
- Cave exploration with stalactites
- Sunset and happy hour in tranquil cove
- Dinner - multi-course Vietnamese feast
- Spring-roll cooking demo with chef (optional onboard activity)
Optional Activities
- Relax on sun-lounger on open deck
- Spring-roll cooking demonstration
Landmarks/POIs Halong Bay Tuan Chau Pier Red River Delta - Day 9
Halong Bay to Hanoi
You'll wake to sunrise over Halong Bay and have light breakfast onboard. The crew plans a short morning sightseeing session based on weather, which could be the Surprising Cave with striking stalactite and stalagmite formations, Ti Top Island with white sand and summit views, or Luon Cave with a peaceful kayak or bamboo boat ride through a serene lagoon. Early lunch is served as the cruise heads back to port. You'll disembark around noon and transfer back to Hanoi by shared shuttle. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore Hanoi on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Light breakfast onboard Le Journey Cruise), Lunch (Early lunch onboard as cruise returns to port)
Included Activities
- Sunrise viewing over Halong Bay
- Light breakfast onboard
- Morning sightseeing curated by cruise team - options include Surprising Cave, Ti Top Island, or Luon Cave
- Kayak or bamboo boat through Luon Cave lagoon (optional based on itinerary)
Optional Activities
- Explore Hanoi at your own pace in afternoon and evening
Landmarks/POIs Surprising Cave Ti Top Island Luon Cave Halong Bay - Day 10
Hanoi Departure
Your final morning in Hanoi starts with a leisurely breakfast, thinking back on the vibrant street food in Saigon, peaceful mornings in Hoi An, and all the busy food scenes in the capital. Depending on your flight time, take one last walk around the Old Quarter, grab a final cup of egg coffee at a corner cafe, or pick up souvenirs like lotus tea, cinnamon, or a ceramic bowl. When it's time, your driver will take you to Noi Bai International Airport for your departure.
Optional Activities
- Final stroll around Hanoi Old Quarter
- Sip a final cup of egg coffee at a corner cafe
- Pick up souvenirs like lotus tea, cinnamon, or ceramic bowls
Landmarks/POIs Hanoi Old Quarter Noi Bai International Airport
