Classic Vietnam

Upon arrival, meet your guide and driver after completing immigration and custom formalities, transfer to the hotel.

The rest of the day is for you to rest or explore. Those who arrive in time can take an optional electric car trip with occasional photo stops to Hoan Kiem Lake, Quan Su Pagoda, Silk Road. Also Hanoi Railway Station, Hoa Lo Prison, and then the Opera House.

A home-cooked meal in Hanoi:
If time permits, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the home-cooked Vietnamese meal! Late afternoon, we will take you to a house in Hanoi, where a local family will welcome you. After introductions, sit down and enjoy the delicious traditional meal prepared by your host. The dishes are prepared using freshly handpicked ingredients. While you eat, engage in conversation with the host family and learn about their cuisine, traditions, and customs. Listening to their personal stories will give you an intimate insight into their life. After dinner, move upstairs to the cozy living room to relax and talk some more. You even have the chance to enjoy some traditional music played for you by your host on handmade instruments.

This morning we explore Hanoi, the modern-day capital of Vietnam that retains the glory of past centuries. We begin from Ho Chi Minh Stilt House, a simple two-room residence of Ho Chi Minh, who lived here from 1958 until he passed away in 1969. The house is preserved in the same condition as used by him, and we can view it through the windows only.

Next, we continue to the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius. With a series of walled courtyards and elegant gateways, it's one of the best examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070, this was also the site of Vietnam's first university.

Now, we stroll the Old Quarter, a fascinating network of narrow alleys and shophouses. It is also known as 'The 36 Streets,' each street being named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics to crafts to medicines and even tombstones. The area is a handicraft lover's paradise and an interesting place to explore local life.

In the afternoon, we are transferred by vehicle to Halong Bay, which is about a four-hour drive across 105 miles of Vietnamese countryside. The bay is known for its scenic ocean karst topography; it is undoubtedly one of the natural wonders of the world.

This morning we go on a cruise through the bay. The traditional boat is called "junk." We will cruise through various rock formations, named such as Stone Dog, Incense Burner (Dinh Huong), Fighting Cock (Ga Choi), and have lunch on board along the way. At the core of the islets, there is a beautiful cave to visit as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto).
We disembark at Halong pier and are transferred by our vehicle to the Noi Bai Airport for evening flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel in Hoi An.

The finely preserved merchant town of Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Its colorful shophouses and temples reflect a diverse heritage, dating back to the 16th and 17th century when it was a major port for Western, Chinese and Japanese traders. Today it is a thriving center of traditional crafts and a shopper's paradise, best explored on foot.

Wander through the cobbled streets, past low tile-roofed buildings, the bustling central market, and the small harbor where colorfully painted boats are moored. The walking tour will include visits to a private house where members of the same family have lived for centuries in a traditional setting to one of the family chapels built by prominent merchants and official families as centers for ancestor worship. And to a typical Chinese style Pagoda.

Then to Sa Huynh Museum, located near the Japanese Covered Bridge, that contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An's history. Visit too, a handicraft workshop in Hoi An that produces local artifacts. Finally, we visit the Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, first constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream. 

In the afternoon, we board a local boat and cruise down the Thu Bon River, enjoying the unspoiled countryside. And stop to visit pottery and wood carving villages before returning Hoi An harbor.

After breakfast, we set off on the scenic mountainous roads with spectacular coastline views – it is about 100 miles that we cover in about four or five hours. Halfway, we cross the dramatic Hai Van Pass, which is a dividing line between the climatic zones of northern and southern Vietnam.

Imperial Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh: Khai Dinh was the last monument of the Nguyen dynasty and was constructed between 1920 and 1931. It sits magnificently on the slopes of Chau E Mountain in Chau Chau Village. It has a long staircase flanked by dragons. There are ceiling murals and ceramic frescoes. 

Visit the Old Imperial City: Located in the heart of Hue is the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modeled after the Forbidden City of Peking. The original walls stretched for 10 km, and a wide moat surrounds it. The bombing during the Vietnam-American War destroyed most of the buildings, but the monuments that remain provide a fascinating glimpse into the court life of the Nguyen Dynasty. Approach the city past the striking Flag Tower, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead, to the imposing Ngo Mon Gate, the main entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. Enter into an area of spacious courtyards and serene lotus ponds, and visit Dien Tho Residence (Dien Tho palace) where the Queen mother lived. Visit Thai Hoa Palace, the magnificently decorated reception hall, the Halls of the Mandarins, and the original Nine Dynastic Urns, among other sites, including a visit to the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum.

First thing, we embark boat from Toa Kham Wharf to cruise on the Perfume River. We stop at Dong Ba Market to purchase supplies and preferred ingredients for our cooking class later in the day. We will also stop to visit the picturesque Thien Mu Pagoda. At Thuy Bieu Village, a walking tour can include a visit to the garden house, an ancient ancestral temple, and visits with local people. We visit the families who make their living by making incense or joss paper – sheets of paper and paper-crafts made into burnt offerings used in Asian religions. Finally, we arrive at Thuy Bieu restaurant for our Vietnamese cooking class. An experienced Vietnamese Chef will guide us in traditional preparations of Hue dishes, which will be our lunch today.

You can also bathe your feet in medicinal herb-water, a traditional therapeutic practice, and enjoy foot massage by blind masseuses. (Thuy Bieu Restaurant provides this cooking lesson, and the precise schedule is subject to change).

Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc: The Imperial Tomb of Tu Duc was designed and built by the longest reigning Vietnamese emperor, Tu Duc, during his lifetime, and was used as a retreat for meditation, reading and theatre performances. Take some time to soak in the tranquil atmosphere, and wander among the gracefully proportioned pavilions, courtyards, and lotus ponds.

After breakfast, we are transferred to Hue Airport 13 miles away for our 90-minute flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

Our driver will get us to our hotel, and, after freshening up, we head for the Cu Chi Tunnels, the hidden military installation never discovered by American forces. Stretching more than 200 kilometers, this incredible underground network, dug by hand out of hard clay, connected command posts, hospitals, shelter, and weapons factories. We will learn about the day to day life of the Vietcong, witness the cleverly disguised entrances, and elaborate booby-traps. And even venture inside the tunnels, some of which have been modified to accommodate tourists.

Dinner cruise aboard the Bonsai Cruise: In the evening, we enjoy a dinner cruise on Saigon River. The boat is a traditional wooden barge that floats along the Saigon River. We enjoy a delicious international buffet, amidst the live entertainment and the passing scenery.

From Saigon, we drive three hours into the heart of the Mekong Delta to Cai Be. There we board one of the local boats to explore Cai Be Floating market, a lively market of fruit and vegetable barges with a picturesque Catholic cathedral on the riverside. We continue along smaller waterways and canals, stopping at the Mekong River Island to visit orchards and local cottage industries. Here we watch delta residents make traditional treats such as dried longans, rice pancakes, and puffed rice candies, with the chance to sample the local delicacies. Disembark at Vinh Long and return to Saigon.

This morning, a half-day to explore Saigon, a vibrant metropolis that blends modern life with traditional history. The emerging modern skyline stands next to colonial buildings and traditional temples. Outside on the streets, young professionals zip by on motorbikes, chatting on cell phones; inside the quiet temple courtyards, worshippers pray amidst clouds of incense.

We begin the tour from the historic center, strolling along Dong Khoi Street, formerly known as the Rue Catinat, the main shopping thoroughfare, and heart of old colonial Saigon. We’ll see classic European-style landmarks such as the ornate City Hall, the Old Opera House, and the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office. We will visit Reunification Palace, formerly known as Independence Palace of the South Vietnamese president. It was stormed by tanks on April 30, 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam. It is still in its original state, and the original tanks remain on display near the entrance gates. Then to the harrowing War Remnants Museum, which comprehensively documents the travails of the long Vietnam-American War, including photographic exhibitions and a collection of tanks, planes, and weapons. A powerful experience, this museum is guaranteed to provoke strong emotions. Afterward, we drive to the historic center to visit Emperor of Jade Pagoda, one of Saigon's most interesting pagodas.

Afternoon, transfer to the airport.