Arrive in Saigon and receive a warm welcome from your guide and private transfer to hotel.

None

In the morning, we have a tour of the city’s colonial legacy; the Colonial Quarter Opera House, the Notre Dame Cathedral (façade only), the Central Post Office, and Hotel de Ville (City Hall). Visit the Reunification Palace, then explore the surrounding area of ChoLon and visit Thien Hau Pagoda. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. After lunch, take time to enjoy authentic Vietnamese coffee arranged at an old colonial style building & garden. Continue the drive along a man-made canal that was an important waterway linking Saigon and the Mekong Delta for over 200 years. Nowadays, with the quick development of roads, goods and produce are mostly shipped by truck. However, we can still see boats from the Mekong Delta arriving loaded with agricultural products and returning with consumer goods. Return to the city center and stop at Ben Thanh Market where you can find a myriad of produce and goods inspired by centuries old traditions as well as a multitude of ingredients used in various authentic dishes. The contrast of past and present creates a remarkable image.

Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we drive to the rural town of Cai Be. Upon arrival, take a small boat to visit local villages. Stop at local workshops where you will see how pop-rice, rice paper and coconut candy are made. Then the boat takes us deeper into the countryside via smaller canals to Tan Phong Island to visit workshops where people make country cottage roofs from coconut palm leaves and export various products such as baskets, bags, hats, and wallets made from water-hyacinth. We have the option to walk or bike on the island. We have lunch at a local house and enjoy Southern Vietnamese folk music. After lunch, have a short rest before driving back to Saigon late afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch

Private transfer to airport for flight to Hanoi.
Arrive Hanoi. You will receive a warm welcome from your guide. Private transfer to hotel.

Breakfast

Today we spend a full day exploring Hanoi and the city’s cultural heart that bears traces of centuries’ old dynasties. We visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city. Driving through Hanoi’s French Quarter we pass by the Opera house and Hoan Kiem Lake. Visit Van Mieu, known as the Temple of Literature containing historical artifacts and Vietnam’s first university. Then enjoy a traditional cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. There are many varieties of flower arrangements for sale. Many delicious confections are on display along the street. Lunch will be served at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. After lunch, visit “Hoa Lo” Prison also called “Hanoi Hilton”. To observe the daily lives of the locals, we stop at a popular local coffee shop and enjoy Vietnamese coffee dripping from the filter. Return to the hotel and the rest of the evening is free at leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will take a scenic drive to Halong and transfer by tender to the deluxe junk at Tuan Chau (Halong). Discover treasures such as fascinating caves, pristine beaches, picturesque floating villages, and dramatic rock formations rising up out of emerald water as we sail across the Bay of the Descending Dragon. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on board. Dinner is onboard.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

There is a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck for early risers. Enjoy the buffet breakfast while sailing across thousands of islets. The cruise ends at Tuan Chau Harbor in late morning. Transfer back to Hanoi, check in hotel and Overnight in Hanoi

Breakfast, Lunch

Private transfer to airport for flight departure.

Breakfast