Vietnam Experience

Arrive Hanoi Airport. After customs and immigration formalities you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to rest and recover after you flight, or start to explore the area around your hotel.

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 & National University - 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.

Mai Chau is only four hours away from bustling Hanoi but feels like another world. You are transferred into the lush mountains, home to remote hill tribes and visited by surprisingly few tourists. Arrive at noon, check-in and have lunch. There is an optional afternoon cycling tour through the valley or you can just relax back at the lodge. After dinner enjoy a traditional dance performance.

After breakfast, you can take a walk to two nearby Thai villages - Pom Coong and Lac, to see traditional village life and meet the locals. Lunch is served back at the lodge before returning to Hanoi around 17:00pm

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. 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. Enjoy a freshly prepared seafood dinner under the stars.

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 Danang. Accommodation aboard the train in four berth shared cabins, which are simple but comfortable.

Note: Day use room in Hanoi is not included.

Upon arrival in Danang , transfer directly to your hotel in Hoi An. Early check-in is based on room availability.

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.

After lunch, 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.

This exciting full day tour gives you an insight into the lives of the farming and fishing communities in this beautiful region of Vietnam. Begin your adventure by cycling out into the countryside through emerald green rice paddies. After a short ride you will arrive at the village of Tra Que. This charming little settlement, on the edge of Hoi An, is famous for its sweet scented green vegetables that spice up Hoi An's famous delicacies such as Cao Lau and Mi Quang. On arrival you will be introduced to the history of the village and the cultivation of the vegetables they grow. Continue with a walk around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and planting some crops. Finish off your village experience with a fun cooking demonstration. Later, return to Hoi An and board the Eco Tour boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fisherman. You are sure to enjoy the hands on experience of river net fishing with the locals. Next, you have the opportunity to paddle a unique bamboo basket boat, known as a coracle, as you explore the area's coconut palmed waterways.

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

Transfer to the airport in Danang. Take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you are met by your guide for your half day city tour (See details below).

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.

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 of Cai Be's colourful floating market. Visit some local home factories such as rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies and drying longans.

The trip continues along the Mekong canals to Dong Hoa Hiep Island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During the cruise you will see 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.

At leisure, until you are transferred from the hotel to the airport for your flight to Phu Quoc Island.

Free day to relax on the beach and soak up the sun.

At leisure, until you are transferred from the hotel to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh city to catch your connecting flight home.