Vietnam at a Glance – 8 Days 7 Nights

You will be warmly welcomed at the beautiful capital of Vietnam by your English speaking driver and guide who will be delighted to drive you to your comfortable, handpicked hotel in the center of the city. With a quick rest before the afternoon, you will enjoy a great city walk through Hanoi’s best known attractions including the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. In the evening, you’ll get a taste of authentic Vietnamese cuisine at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants.

Today is going to be a full day to see the whole of Vietnam’s charming capital. Adorned with Viet-Franco architecture and lined with tree-covered streets, it’s an place of enigmatic beauty. And this city tour will take you to some of the absolute must see sites Hanoi has to offer; the Ho Chi Minh Complex, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, the Presidential Palace, the Temple of Literature, the Quan Thanh Temple and the West Lake. By evening, you will be relaxing to a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese Art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture.

You will arrive in Hanoi in the early morning, where your guide and driver will take you to the fabled Halong Bay, where 24 hours atop the emerald waters and calm waves awaits. You shall arrive at the dock around noon, just in time for a fresh, tasty gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you depart on board your junk. The tour will take you around some of Halong’s many mystical islands and caves, as well as giving you the chance to swim in a sheltered island cove in the calm waters of Tonkin Gulf. And when that inevitably tires you out, you have a fantastic night’s sleep in your own private cabin on board the boat to look forward to!

For those with a partiality to martial arts can indulge in some Tai Chi before sunrise on the top deck. Or you can simply relax and watch the beautiful sunrise over the bay with a cup of tea or coffee in hand. The sundeck is your front row seat as you head back towards Halong City, admiring the amazing seascape and rock formations all around you. Have brunch on board the boat before you reach your destination. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport of Hanoi for your in-country flight to Da Nang. From here, it’s a simply transfer to your warm, comfortable hotel in the lovely riverside town of Hoi An.

Today is a day for exploration, which all starts at the highly enigmatic My Son Sanctuary, a group of ruined Hindu temples dating back to the Champa Kingdom. And by afternoon, you will have a tour around the charming little ancient town and visit some of the best preserved historical sites in the entire region, including the Japanese Bridge, Chinese Temple and the former Vietnamese merchants’ houses. Here, history is in full abundance, everyone you look and touch.

You day starts with a transfer to Ho Chi Minh City by plane. For some, today will be a highlight of your tour, and will leave many in awe of this beautiful corner of the world. It is a walk through Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous landmarks. First, you will stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral, followed by a visit to the Old Post Office. See the darker side of Vietnamese history, with a trip to the Vietnam War exhibits in the War Remnants Museum. Visit China Town and the Ben Thanh Market, where you can experience Vietnamese cuisine at its finest, and shop for some souvenirs from your journey!

You will be picked up at your hotel by your guide, bound for Cai Be, stopping for the chance to capitalize on the photo opportunity of a lifetime in Tan An town overlooking the picturesque flat rice fields.

Once you get to Cai Be, it’s a short motor boat ride to the Cai Be floating market where the locals can be seen trading with other vessels and observe their day to day business. The cruise continues to Vinh Long through a series of small canals, radiating the charm of the Upper Mekong Delta and these picturesque towns.

You even get the chance to learn some Vietnamese handicraft of your own, as you visit a small family business to see how coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn is made. Take the knowledge home and cook up a storm! It’s rounded off by a delightful walk through the bonsai garden, just in time to meet the driver again in Vinh Long. Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

It is a shame, but all great things must come to an end, and today will consist of a transfer to the airport ready for your departure back home. Make sure you book again soon!