Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel.  Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City sightseeing. Synonymous with the Vietnam War, the underground network of passages at Cu Chi is a fascinating day trip out of the city.  The tunnels allowed the Viet Cong to control a vital area of South Vietnam and at their height, extended for more than 200 kilometres in length and stretched from what was then Saigon to the Cambodian border.  Return to Saigon for a late lunch at a local restaurant then continue to enjoy a half day tour of this exciting city, including Reunification Palace, formerly named the Presidential Palace, now a museum complete with period meeting areas, war rooms and a basement communication centre.  Also visit Notre Dame Cathedral, a romantic church dating back to the late 19th century and a popular backdrop for wedding photographs, Hotel de Ville de Saigon, officially Ho Chi Minh City Hall, and the Museum of Vietnamese History.  The final stop today is the unforgettable Jade Emperor Pagoda.  Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 3: Mekong Delta area.  Today you will explore one of the country’s most enchanting landscapes travelling by car and then motorised sampan into the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam.  The Mekong Delta is known as Vietnam’s ‘rice bowl’ for good reason, and in this fertile region almost every square metre is intensively farmed. Fruit plantations abound and you will visit a farm to sample some of the locally grown tropical produce in a shady garden before continuing by sampan, navigating narrow canals, learning more about the lifestyle, culture and traditions of the people who call the Delta their home.  Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 4: Fly Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, Hoi An sightseeing.  The superb Museum of Cham Sculpture boasts the largest and most impressive collection of Cham artefacts anywhere in the world and is a must-see attraction. Stop at the five craggy limestone peaks of Marble Mountains en route to Hoi An, an ancient town listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and without doubt is one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam.  Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 5: Overland Da Nang to Hue. Leave Da Nang this morning for an overland through the most beautiful scenery in Vietnam as you traverse the Hai Van – or ‘Cloudy’ Pass – to reach Hue where you’ll visit the Imperial Citadel and Long An Palace, home to the Royal Fine Arts Museum (closed Mondays).  Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 6: Hue. Fascinating boat ride along the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda. Consisting of seven stories, the pagoda is the tallest religious building in Vietnam.  Then visit the Emperor’s tombs.  Located in attractive settings along the banks of the Perfume River, the tombs of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty were not just designed as their final place of rest. Here, the emperors would come during their twilight years to enjoy recreational activities such as fishing and hunting as well as the company of their many concubines.  Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 7: Fly Hue to Hanoi.  Lunch on arrival is followed by an afternoon of sightseeing where you will visit some of the highlights of Hanoi City, including a walking tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.  Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 8: Hanoi sightseeing. This morning visit Ba Dinh Square where silent sentries guard the marble mausoleum in which Ho Chi Minh lies in state (inside visit at your discretion), before continuing to the nearby visit Ho Chi Minh Museum, dedicated to the late Vietnamese leader. The final stop is the Thang Long Royal Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty. This important historical site served as the capital of Vietnam for eight centuries.  Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 9: Halong Bay overnight cruise.  Leave Hanoi early this morning for the 3.5 hour drive to Halong City, where you will transfer to the luxurious Paradise Peak vessel, boasting just 8 cabins, for your overnight cruise on Halong Bay. Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.

Day 10: Depart Hanoi.  Continue cruising Halong Bay this morning before transferring to Hanoi Airport for your onward flight (departures after 4.30pm required).  Breakfast included.

Why not add a short tour extension to mystical Angkor Wat?  Click here for details.