Full Itinerary

  Day 1: UK Airport / Hanoi

  Depart on a choice of overnight flights to Hanoi.

Day 2: Arrive Hanoi

On arrival you’ll be met by your private guide and transferred to the city centre where you check in to your choice of hotel for 2 nights.

Hanoi offers the chance to enjoy authentic old school Far East. The hotel is in the centre and we’d recommend that you take a walk through the Old Quarter. Don’t be put off by the thousands of motor scooters, just dive in.

Day 3: Hanoi - City Tour (B / L)

This morning you’ll join a cooking class at a hospitality school for underprivileged children. Many of them were living on the streets of Hanoi and other cities, and their training will eventually help them work in some of Vietnam’s best hotels and restaurants. This is an informal fun morning and lunch will be the fruit of your labours! Alternatively if you'd prefer a more physically active weekend we can organise a morning exploring Hanoi and the surrounding countryside by bike.

This afternoon head into Hanoi’s Old Quarter for an hour’s exploration aboard a cyclo (Vietnamese cycle rickshaw).Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling warren of narrow streets is home to thousands of small businesses, including galleries, craft shops and restaurants. The afternoon continues with a walk around the picturesque Hoam Kiem Lake that acts as the social focal point for Hanoians and is the perfect place to enjoy a Vietnamese ice cream or coffee before finishing the day watching a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

Day 4: Hanoi to Yen Duc Village (B / L / D)

This morning you’ll be collected for the shuttle bus transfer to Yen Duc Village out of the city where you’ll spend 1 night on full board. The rest of the morning is free for you to explore this authentic rural village and farming community either on foot or by bike. Lunch will be in the main restaurant.

This afternoon you’ll be taken around the village to learn more about Vietnamese family traditions and experience farming works such as milling and pounding rice, picking vegetables, gardening, and fishing. This is an authentic working community so throughout the day you will have the chance to interact and exchange with the local people. Dinner is served at the restaurant and then if still have enough energy learn how to make traditional Troi (floating rice) cakes with the host.

Day 5: Yen Duc Village - Halong Bay (B / L / D)

If you rise early you can join in Tai Chi before breakfast. There’s also the chance to further explore the village and local market that operates each morning. You are also invited to visit a local house and learn about traditional handicraft work. At 10.30am you’ll be transferred to Halong Bay. On arrival meet the crew and board your choice of traditional wooden junk then relax and enjoy lunch while the boat heads toward the secluded islands. Visit ancient limestone caves and go sea kayaking and swimming (weather permitting). Return to the junk to relax on deck with a drink watching the sunset and enjoy a seafood dinner under the stars.

Day 6: Halong Bay (B / L) - Ninh Binh

Enjoy breakfast as you continue to cruise through Halong Bay and visit the floating fishing village of Vong Vieng to learn about daily life living on the water. From here cruise back to the dock over a light lunch and meet your private guide who will drive you on to Ninh Binh (3.5 hours) a land of dramatic scenery and beautiful countryside. On arrival check-in to your choice of hotel for 2 nights. Time for a swim before dinner.

Day 7: Ninh Binh - Cuc Phuong National Park - Jungle Walk (B / L)

This morning your guide will collect you for a day tour to Cuc Phuong National Park, the first in the country and a true jungle set in beautiful limestone hill country. The exact day can be adapted to suit your energy levels and interest, but your guide will plan to take you on the loop trail that takes you on a 3 hour moderate walk through the centre of the park and is a rare chance to experience an authentic jungle environment that has all but disappeared in Vietnam.

Over a picnic lunch enjoy the sounds of the forest as you dine between 1000-year old giant trees. You may be lucky enough to hear or spot the gibbons that live here, but you’re more likely to see butterflies and birds. On the way out of the park take a short walk to caves once inhabited by prehistoric humans.

Day 8: Ninh Binh (B) - Van Long Wetlands & overnight train to Hoi An

This morning your guide will collect you for a boat tour through the Van Long Wetlands Reserve (10 minutes away), which forms part of a series of dramatic interlinked waterways, surrounded by impressive limestone scenery and nicknamed 'Halong Bay on the Rice Paddies' . Mornings are the best time to visit and paddle through the wetland scene, passing by the towering limestone peaks, through grottoes and past rice paddies. If you’re lucky you’ll hear and perhaps see the threatened Delacour’s Langur (ape), but you will see plenty of birds as you’re gently rowed through this beautiful scenery.

Back at the hotel in time for lunch and afternoon free to enjoy the hotel facilities. Late check-out is included and you can leave your luggage with the concierge whilst enjoying dinner. Your guide will collect you at approximately 8.30pm and transfer you to Ninh Binh station for the overnight train to Hoi An. They will settle you into your private soft sleeper berth before leaving. The berth is a private cabin with bedding, large window and lockable door.

Extra...If you'd like add an extra stop then the train will pass through Hue, the last royal capital and home of the mighty Citadel.

Day 9: Arrive Hoi An - Beach Days

This morning enjoy a few hours travelling through central Vietnam's countryside, winding your way down the dramtic coast passing through Hue to Hoi An. On arrival you will be met by your guide and transferred to your choice of hotel for 5 nights (or more) on the beach.

Days 10-14: Hoi An (B) - Free days - Beach, Old Town & Countryside

Hoi An is a great place to spend a few days by the beach, but don’t ignore the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beautifully preserved and car free at night, visitors can leisurely explore the historic streets, spending time watching local artisans at work with silk, ceramics, paint and wood. Hoi An is famous for its tailoring heritage and is a popular place to have a little something run up. The town is lantern lit by night and its cobbled streets house some beautifully atmospheric restaurants & cafes. There are a host of excursions we can offer, for example a cycling tour or the surrounding countryside or perhaps an informal cooking course in a beautiful setting.

Extra…If you’d like to extend your holiday in Saigon this can easily be arranged.

  Day 15: Fly Hoi An (B) / Saigon / UK Airport

  Morning free then airport transfer and fly home via Saigon. Arrive back in UK the following morning.

Inclusions

What's Included:

Each featured itinerary is really a starting point from which to create your ideal holiday.

We can include as much or as little as you like, mix and match hotels, excursions and experiences, add extra nights and change the destinations you'd like to visit.

The common thread is that each is a privately guided holiday, allowing you to travel where and when you want, with your own private transport and dedicated guide.

General Inclusions:

• Return scheduled international flights (optional if you would like to arrange your own)
• English speaking, local guide & driver
• Choice of hotel accommodation
• Transport in private air-conditioned vehicles
• Domestic flights detailed in itinerary
• Admission fees to all attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
• All meals as detailed (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)

General Exclusions:

• Entry visas (if applicable)
• Optional Tours / Excursions
• Any meals not listed in the itinerary
• Drinks
• Personal expenses
• Tips for Guides / Drivers (discretionary)
• Travel insurance
• Any camera or video fees charged at sites

Where You'll Stay

 Hotels

The hotels below are there as examples, designed to act as a starting point from which to create your holiday. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from and when we quote we will include other suggestions so we get to understand your likes and dislikes. Quite often clients mix and match hotel categories throughout their holiday.

Vietnam

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