Day 1- Arrive Hanoi: (D)
Get ready for an amazing adventure when you fly out to Hanoi. You will be greeted by our friendly representative at the airport who will transfer you to your hotel. Once you have unpacked, you will be free to spend the rest of the day as you wish. Feel free to explore the stunning hotel, or venture out and explore this vibrant city. See for yourself how Hanoi is a charming place with lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks. The city centre is like an architectural museum, with buildings retaining the air of a provincial French town from the 1930s.
Day 2- Hanoi city tour: (B,L)
Be sure to wear comfy shoes today as you set off for a full day of sightseeing. You will start by visiting the President’s Mausoleum. See the grey block of marble which marks Ho Chi Minh’s final resting place where, in spite of his wishes to be cremated, his body lies in state. In the same complex, you will see the Humble House on Stilts from which ‘Uncle Ho’ ruled Vietnam until his death in 1969 and the One Pillar Pagoda.
Culture vultures will be in for a treat as you visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which was opened by the government to help preserve the cultural heritage of its ethnic groups. Learn more about this multi-ethnic country, which is comprised of 54 ethnic groups. You will be amazed as you see ethnic costumes, relics, tools and even full size replicas of homes and buildings. Then, you will visit the Temple of Literature, which is the first Vietnam university dating to 1070. In the afternoon, you visit explore the Old Quarter, which is the bustling heart of Hanoi. You will be able to shop and take in the stunning cultural and historical sites.
Day 3 - Hanoi & Halong Bay: (B,L,D)
This morning you will drive to the area that is regarded as the ‘Jewel in the Crown of Vietnam’ - Halong Bay. Halong Bay has been compared with the landscape of Guilin in China and the limestone islets of Krabi in southern Thailand. As soon as you arrive in Halong Bay, you will board a boat for a cruise around the 3,000 islets that rise from the clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. See bizarre rock sculptures jutting dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes which create an enchanting, timeless world. Be sure to pull out your camera and snap some amazing photos. You will also
enjoy lunch on board before the boat sets sail and cruises around the bay passing Chicken Rock and Titov Island. Dinner will also be served on board as you look out onto the sun setting over the bay. Then you will be free to relax on board the anchored boat and enjoy an overnight stay in Halong Bay.
Day 4 - Halong Bay, Hanoi Airport, Da Nang & Hoi An: (Brunch)
One of the most special experiences for anyone visiting Vietnam is to watch the sun rise over Halong Bay. You will experience this when you wake up early to watch this spectacular and peaceful scene. After breakfast, you continue cruising through the bay. You will enjoy brunch on board the boat before arriving at the wharf around midday and travelling back to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Da Nang. Once you land, you will be welcomed by your guide
and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. Check in and enjoy a well-earned rest.
Day 5 -Hoi An: (B,L)
Be enchanted by Hoi An which is a quaint riverside town that is renowned for its silk production, eclectic architecture, tailor shops and numerous cafes. You too will have the pleasure of traveling through the narrow streets and seeing how some of the buildings have remained unchanged for more than a century. The only organised activity for the day is a half day walking tour through the winding streets of the Ancient Quarter. Be amazed as you notice how 21st century curses such as pollution and traffic are almost absent here. As part of the tour, you will visit one of Hoi An’s oldest homes, which was built over 200 years ago and still occupied by the descendants of the merchant family that originally built it. You will also visit the traditional Hoi An Market, the Quan Cong Chinese Temple and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Finally, as the sun sets you can head back to your hotel and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
Day 6 - Hoi An cooking class: (B,L)
It's not every holiday where you can claim to learn a new skill, but you will be able to do just that thanks to a cooking class this morning. Today you will take part in a joint cooking class. You will start with a visit to local market with the chef who will introduce you to the ingredients that Vietnamese normally use in their daily cooking. Then, you will head back to the class and cook some local food under guidance of the chef. After that, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor and feast on the food you have made. You will be free to spend the rest of day as you wish.
Day 7: Hoi An, Da Nang, & Fly to Saigon: (B,D)
Today you will be taken to Da Nang airport for your flight to Saigon. Once you land you will be welcomed by a guide who will take you to your hotel. After check in you are free to explore the city independently. See for yourself how Saigon is one of the world’s true cosmopolitan cities with a history, culture and style obtained from colonial France, ancient China and the art deco era.
Day 8 - Saigon: (B,L)
Be sure to feast on a hearty breakfast to fuel up for a busy day of sightseeing around Vietnam's largest and busiest city - Saigon. You will start with a visit to the imposing Notre Dame Cathedral, which was built between 1886 and 1890, and the French-style Central Post Office. You will continue to the Reunification Palace, which was the scene for the final stages of the American War when a North Vietnamese tank bulldozed through the gates and a soldier ran to the fourth floor of the palace to raise a North Vietnamese flag from its balcony. Next, you visit the emotional War Remnants Museum where sensitive photographs and infantry weapons are on display. As it is a self-explanatory museum, you will have time to walk around on our own. Please be aware that some of the remnants and photographs on display at this museum may be upsetting for some group members. After lunch, you will drive to Cholon, the Chinatown of Saigon. Here you will visit the beautiful Thien Hau Pagoda, which is dedicated to the Goddess of the sea. You will end your tour at Ben Thanh Market where you will have a chance to put you haggling skills to the test and enjoy bargain hunting.
Day 9- Saigon & Mekong Delta: (B,L)
Uncover the sheer beauty of Mekong Delta. This morning you will be met at the Saigon Hotel and transferred to Ben Tre, a southern province located in the Mekong Delta. You will pass lush rice paddies and fruit farms emerging alongside the highway as you leave the city behind. Once you arrive in Hùng Vuong Pier you will take a boat on Ben Tre river and spot fishermen working in the distance. You will stop at a brickwork workshop to see how bricks are made in a traditional style. You will also visit a coconut processing workshops which is located along canal. You will also take a walk to family workshop making sleep mats and enjoying some fruits.
The fun does not end there as you will also have the chance to take a travel on shady paths, passing green rice fields and vegetable plains.
After a busy morning, you will stop for lunch at riverside restaurant.
In afternoon, you will take a rowing-boat along water palm creek and travel back to Hùng Vuong. You will then be transferred back to Saigon for a well-earned rest.
Day 10 - Saigon & fly to Siem Reap: (B,D)
Today you will travel to Saigon Airport for your flight to Siem Reap. You will be met by a guide who will take you to your hotel for check-in. You can unwind inside the hotel or venture out and explore the city. You will be impressed by Siem Reap which is a bustling tourist destination due to its proximity to both the ancient Khmer and Tonle Sap Lake.
Day 11 -Siem Reap: (B,L)
Rise early this morning to set off on a tour of magnificent temples around Angkor. Be sure to have your camera ready as you will see stunning landmarks which will provide epic photo opportunities.
You will start with a trip to the fabulous Ta Prohm, which is undoubtedly the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor. Unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it has been left to be swallowed by the jungle. For all would-be Mouhots and closet Indiana Jones’, Ta Prohm is the perfect ‘lost temple’ in the jungle, where Strangler Figs and Kapok trees have entwined themselves around the ruins. Their roots have burst apart even the thickest of walls, yet their clinging embrace prevents the walls' total collapse.
Your adventure will continue to the incredible fortified city of Angkor Thom. You will start at the South Gate, which is flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side and then continue on to the 12th Century Bayon. Its beautifully crafted central towers are decorated with extraordinary bas-reliefs incorporating over 11,000 figures.
From here, you visit the Elephant Terrace which was used as a giant viewing platform for public ceremonies and served as a base for the King's grand audience hall and the Terrace of the Leper King.
After an eventful morning, you will stop for lunch before visiting the magnificent 12th Century Angkor Wat. Learn how Angkor Wat took 30 years to build and represents the Khmer civilisation at its grandest. It is also the best-preserved temple with its fascinating decorative flourishes and extensive bas-reliefs. After a busy day, head back to your hotel and relax.
Day 12 - Siem Reap: (B,L)
Get ready for a memorable day when you head out to Kompong Kleang. This ‘floating village’ is, in fact, a stilt house settlement of over 20,000 people where structures can tower up to ten meters above the water. You will be greeted by waves of the friendly locals, as you catch a glimpse Cambodia’s countryside culture and traditional family lifestyle. You will then feast on a picnic lunch before continuing to the less visited Beng Mealea. This dates from the 11th Century and is a sprawling jungle temple, which covers over 1sq km. It is largely overrun by vegetation and was constructed in a distinctly Angkor Wat-style. However, some experts believe it may have even served as a prototype for Angkor Wat.
Finally, you will visit Artisan D’ Angkor which is a workshop that teaches the unique crafts of wood and stone carving and painting in the traditional style of classic Cambodian artistry to local young people.
Day 13 - Departure: (B)
Start the day with a delicious breakfast. Make sure you soak up the beautiful surrounding before heading back to the airport for your flight to the UK. If you would like to extend your stay or travel in a premium class, then please speak with our Travel Specialist who will be happy to assist you.
B - Breakfast
L - Lunch
D - Dinner
