Begin your day at 07:00 am with a leisurely walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, the center of Hanoi, witnessing locals as they engage in their daily routines like Tai Chi, gymnastics, and martial arts. Embrace the Vietnamese culture of starting the day early with exercise by joining Hanoians in their morning activities. Next, visit Ngoc Son Temple, nestled in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake, and indulge in traditional Vietnamese coffee at a nearby café, choosing from options like sweet iced coffee or the unique 'Egg coffee.'

Escape the bustling streets to discover hidden alleys and witness the life of locals as they preserve their customary habits. A short 10-minute walk will take you to the 15th-century Ba Da Pagoda, tucked between contemporary and colonial-era buildings. Following that, visit the St. Joseph Cathedral, a French Gothic structure built in 1886. Continue exploring, but make sure to stop at a street food stall to savor delicious 'bánh mì' - a scrumptious baguette sandwich brimming with assorted fillings!

Next, take a refreshing stroll down Phung Hung Street, parallel to the railway, and admire the enchanting mural paintings depicting Hanoi's heritage and life in the old days. Proceed to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located at the core of Hanoi since 2010.

At noon, pause at a local eatery for Banh Tom (fried shrimp cake), a classic Hanoi dish featuring a crispy batter mixed with succulent, fresh shrimp. Alternatively, challenge your taste buds with Bun Dau Mam Tom (fermented rice noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste), a top choice in Hanoi street food cuisine. The pungent dipping sauce - mam tom or shrimp paste - is the dish's signature element that keeps millions of Vietnamese people coming back for more.

In the afternoon, explore the Temple of Literature, established in 1076 as Vietnam's first university for the country's royal, mandarin, and elite classes. Offering well-preserved architecture and serene gardens, this temple provides a captivating look into Vietnam's history. Continue to Hoa Loa Prison (also known as Hanoi Hilton), which held Vietnamese political prisoners, as well as French and American POWs, and unveils a fascinating yet chilling snapshot of prison life.

Proceed to Long Bien Bridge, originally named Doumer Bridge, an iconic symbol of resilience built in 1902 by Sir Gustave Eiffel's company. Despite the destruction caused by numerous air raids during the American War, the remaining bridge spans serve as poignant reminders of the past.

Conclude your cultural, historical, and culinary Hanoi tour at a lively, renowned Bia Hoi, where you can sample local draft beer and immerse yourself in the local ambiance. Sit back, relax, and enjoy observing the vibrant local life. Make sure to have a light breakfast at your hotel as you'll be trying various street delicacies throughout the day!

Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast, at 09:00 leave the city buildings behind in exchange for the beauty of the Red River Delta. Pass by smaller towns and farmlands, enjoying views of the typical Vietnamese countryside.

Arrive at the pier, towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities for your overnight cruise. Cast off and cruise across the emerald-green waters of UNESCO-listed Halong Bay. After your welcome onboard, feast on a delicious and fresh seafood lunch while cruising the Bay’s 1,500 limestone islands, providing an opportunity to see these remarkable, geologic wonders both up-close and from afar. Relax on the terrace deck or on your private balcony and soak in the enchanting aura which emanates from the surreal seascape. While we cruise along in the early afternoon, there is time to enjoy the ship’s vast wellness and spa offerings (at your cost).

In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day, the boat sets sail for an exclusive and undisturbed parking spot in the midst of the bay for the overnight mooring.

Savor a fusion dinner made with the freshest ingredients in a sophisticated space with traditional oriental touches. After dining, you can also opt for one of the best ways to spend the evening by just taking a seat under the stars on the terrace deck or on your balcony to embrace the serenity of this surreal landscape.

Note: This tour may be subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Overnight on board Halong Cruise

Wake up early, a perfect time to refresh and indulge yourself in the peaceful beauty of the bay with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck. If you want to hunt for dawn, get up from 5:30 to 6:00 depending on the season, and consult our sailors. Traditional Vietnamese coffee, tea, and breakfast pastries await in the dining room to start the day. Enjoy a visit and/or activity (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board while the vessel cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations and back towards port.

Say farewell to the ship’s crew and climb back into the vehicle for the return journey to Hanoi airport for the flight to Hue.

VN 1545 Hanoi 16:35 – Hue 17:50 / Vietnam Airlines

Upon arrival at Hue – Phu Bai Airport, after collecting your luggage, please go to the exit gate and look for your guide holding a signboard with your name on it. Meet your driver and guide for transfer to the hotel located in the city center, the driving will take around 30 mins.

Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in and the rest of the day is free at your own leisure.

Overnight in Hue

Meet your guide at 08:30 and kick off the UNESCO-Heritage Imperial Citadel. Roam the expansive grounds, admiring buildings that reflect the pomp and ceremony of the once-mighty Nguyen Dynasty. Hear the stories of the majestic buildings and intriguing former emperors. Continue to the characteristic Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Hue’s iconic landmarks. Discover the many unique spiritual and architectural elements of Thien Mu while touring the compound with a guide. As the nation’s capital for roughly 200 years, Hue is the cradle of quintessential cuisines and vegetarian cuisine finds its own fame through the effect of Buddhism on locals’ life, which you should never miss when you visit Vietnam.

After a short drive, take a leisurely stroll around Bao Vinh town with its lively market selling typical commodities, and its charming merchant houses inviting you over for a local-style tea break. Join the old ladies with palm leaf conical hats and aromatic vegetable baskets on a ferry ride to reach the handicraft villages, where you will cycle along the flower and rice fields. Visit a local artisan making colorful Thanh Tien paper flowers. After learning about the aesthetic and ritual aspects, try your hands crafting one and keep it for a souvenir. Your exploration is prolonged through authentic scenes of the countryside, and households producing objects for offerings like votive paper, incense sticks, roasted kernels, etc. Arrive at a home workshop, where Mr. Ky heartily shares his whole-life journey preserving the art of xylographic printings, the nature-based coloring that Sinh village paintings are famous for. The last stop at a centuries-old village pagoda completes the insight into the local spiritual path for wellness. Besides their worshipping practices, almost everyone needs to reside in Buddha’s teachings and blessings to gain a healthy life and to extricate from unpropitious fates. A dragon boat is waiting to slowly ride you back to modern life.

Return to the hotel and free at leisure.

Overnight in Hue

08:30 Embark on an exciting journey from Hue to Hoi An, a renowned Asian trading port with a rich history dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Experience the timeless charm of Hoi An's architecture and laid-back lifestyle during this approximately 3-hour drive. Enjoy the scenic route as you pass through the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co, offering ample opportunities for captivating photographs. Traverse the iconic Pass of Ocean Clouds, a breathtaking mountain pass that offers stunning vistas of the surrounding landscape.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, you'll check in at your hotel and have some time to refresh before embarking on the Old Town walking tour.

**NOTE: The normal check-in time is 14:00PM (An early check-in is on request and subject to availability, the extra cost will be applied to guarantee this service).

Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour @14:00

We will start a walking tour through this charming small town, seeing remarkably well-preserved traditional houses that have withstood 200 years of weather and war. Meander down the small alley to see the wooden-fronted houses that once belonged to the town’s prosperous merchants, the Japanese-covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tan Ky House, Chua Ong Pagoda, and the wonderful market as well as the many silks, handicrafts, antique shops, and galleries. After this insightful glimpse of Hoi An, say farewell to the guide and return to the hotel.

Overnight in Hoi An

8:30 You will be picked up from your hotel lobby and transferred to Vong Nhi village, where you'll receive your bikes as we begin a leisurely 6 km cycling journey through the village. Along the way, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of the serene countryside, including lush green water coconut forests and various prawn and red snapper farms, as well as the rustic charm of expansive rice fields.

Upon arrival at Thanh Dong Organic Farm, a 10,000 sqm garden that supports ten local families, we'll take a short stroll through the vegetable patch. Here, you’ll hear inspiring stories about the farmers and their journey towards adopting organic methods of cultivating herbs.

Following the tour of the farm, we’ll join the farmers for some hands-on gardening activities, such as preparing and applying organic manure, raking the soil, sowing herb seeds, watering plants, and harvesting vegetables.

Next, we’ll depart the farm and embark on a basket boat ride along the Do River to The Field Restaurant, where you can soak in the stunning scenery and observe the daily fishing life of local villagers.

Before returning to your hotel, we’ll participate in a brief cooking class to learn how to prepare the traditional Vietnamese pancake, Banh Xeo, followed by a delightful lunch served family style.

Return to your hotel and the rest of the day is free at leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An

08:00 Meet your driver (NO guide) and transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

VN 115 Da Nang 10:10 – Ho Chi Minh 11:40/ Vietnam Airlines

Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh – Tan Son Nhat Airport, after collecting your luggage, please go to the exit gate and look for your guide holding a signboard with your name on it. Meet your guide and driver for heading to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels.

The tunnels are 75 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, in an area that played an important role during Vietnam's wars for independence and reunification. More than 200 km of tunnels were built here by the Vietnamese guerrillas and are often the highlight of the South Vietnam tour. This morning you will be able to explore the bedrooms, meeting rooms, air-raid shelters, smokeless kitchens, and experience life underground in this extraordinary tunnel complex.

After visiting the tunnels, you will return to the city center, check in hotel and free at leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Today's tour begins at 08:00 with a pickup from your hotel in the city center. Leave behind the bustling streets and modern architecture of Ho Chi Minh City as you embark on a day trip to Ben Tre, famously known as the "land of coconuts" in the Mekong Delta. After a two-hour drive south, you’ll arrive in Ben Tre Province and enjoy a scenic boat cruise along a branch of the Mekong River.

Kick off your day with a brief stroll through local workplaces, giving you a glimpse into the daily lives of the locals. Visit a traditional brick factory to observe the handcrafted brick-making process, then navigate the Cai Son Canal, winding through the lush coconut jungle. Here, you’ll visit a coconut workshop to see the stages of coconut processing, from removing the husk to peeling the fruit by hand.

Continue your exploration as you travel along a small waterway to a coconut candy workshop, where you can witness the artisanal candy-making process, sample some sweets, enjoy fresh fruits, and listen to local music. Afterward, disembark and take a short walk to a farmer's house where sleep mats are handmade.

You then explore the riverside promenade and narrow lanes by Lambro motor-tricycle—once the iconic mode of transportation in southern Vietnam during the 1960s.

After enjoying lunch at a riverside restaurant featuring Mekong Delta specialties, you’ll return to the main pier in Ben Tre by motorboat to meet your driver for the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Today you will have free time until your driver (NO GUIDE) picks you up 3.5 hours before your departure time and transfer you to the airport for your flight back home.

**NOTE: The normal check-out time is 12:00 (A late check-out is on request and subject to availability, the extra cost will be applied to guarantee this service).