Experience Vietnam From Highlights To Relaxation 16 days

+ Private tour with English or French speaking guide

+ You choose the date of departure

+ Starting from Hanoi & end in HCMC or vice versa

Outlined Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (D)

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L)

Day 3: Half Day City Hanoi with visit artist and dine in style, (B/D)

Day 4: Hanoi - Halong Bay Natural World Heritage (B/L/D)

Day 5: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hue (B)

Day 6: Hue World Heritage (B/D)

Day 7: Hue World Heritage (B/L)

Day 8: Hue - Hoi An (B)

Day 9: Hoi An (B/L/-)

Day 10: Hoi An - My Son Holly land option (B)

Day 11: Hoi An - Danang - Nha Trang (B)

Day 12: Nha Trang (B)

Day 13: Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City (B/D)

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels (B)

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta on Cai Be Princess Sampan (B/L)

Day 16: Depart Ho Chi Minh City (B)

EXPERIENCE VIETNAM FROM HIGHLIGHTS TO RELAXATION 16 DAYS

Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (D)

You’ll start your luxury trip in Hanoi, Vietnam's artistic and intellectual capital. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter before taking in a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater before dinner at a local restaurant and retiring for the evening.

Day 2: Hanoi (B/L)

On day 2, you can visit hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquer ware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Then walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and ride a cyclo to dinner.  You’ll be able to dine in gourmet restaurants, enjoy people watching at stylish cafes and shop for impressive modern art in the city's many galleries. You can also choose to visit Hanoi’s main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature.

Day 3: Hanoi Artist and dine in style, (B/D)

In the morning you are free to explore Hanoi.  In the afternoon, you’ll visit one of Hanoi's most famous artists and tour his gallery. He will have the pleasure of inviting you into his home for a cup of tea and then ride a cyclo to dinner at an old French villa which has been converted into a deluxe restaurant. You'll get to know Vietnamese culture and food, and if you're lucky, maybe go back to your hotel with a sample of his art!

Day 4: Hanoi - Halong Bay Natural World Heritage (B/L/D)

In the morning you will depart Hanoi at 08:30 for a 3.5 hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay City. On the way, you will stop for refreshments. Upon arriving in Halong City, you will take a tender transfer to your junk and set sail through the bay while lunch is served.   As you cruise the magical bay, you will notice thousands of sculpted limestone islands rising from the waves like dragons' teeth.  Later in the afternoon, you’ll visit a fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you’ll enjoy cocktails or a cooking class while watching the sunset and later unwind at a restaurant for a lavish dinner. Enjoy some evening activities such as movie night, board games, or a beauty treatment before an overnight stay on the junk.

Day 5: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hue (B)

After rising to the sound of the ocean coming to life, you’ll enjoy breakfast, take a Tai Chi class and watch the sunrise over the bay (if you choose to get up that early!)    You will visit a beautiful limestone grotto, then head back to the junk for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Disembarking at the Cruise Café Lounge, you’ll rejoin your private car for transfer back to the airport for a one-hour flight to Hue. Upon arrival at Phu Bai airport, you will be transferred directly to your hotel and have free time before an overnight stay.

Day 6: Hue World Heritage (B/L)

Hue is one of Vietnam’s five UNESCO World Heritage sites.  At the nearby Museum of Royal Fine Arts, 128 ironwood pillars complement an exquisite collection of Nguyen Dynasty artifacts which you will examine, before visiting Hue Citadel, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Imperial Museum.  The Imperial Museum includes a gallery of antiques displaying collections of bronze, pottery, chinaware, Phap Lam enamel, court robes, headgear and the personal belongings of former Vietnam Emperors. The tour continues with a visit to the Dong Ba market where you will enjoy lunch at local restaurant.  Your stomach full, you can explore more of the area before settling in for a restful sleep.

Day 7: Hue World Heritage (B/D)

Breakfast will be served before you board a private dragon boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River.  The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day and from here you will continue your journey to the magnificent tombs of Minh Mang and Tu Duc. Back to your hotel you will have free time and later have royal banquet dinner and an overnight stay. 

Day 8: Hue - Hoi An (B)

Today you’ll take a breathtaking drive from Hue to Hoi An via Danang city.  In Danang, you can visit the Cham Museum and Buddhist cave temples in the Marble Mountains. Once in Hoi An, you will check into your hotel and have some free time to explore and enjoy the resort facilities and turning in for the night.

Day 9: Hoi An (B/L/-)

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. Trading was primarily for high grade silk, which is still produced in the area, as well as ceramics. Today, Hoi An is a quaint riverside town, popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailors shops, and numerous cafes. Some of the buildings in the narrow streets have remained unchanged for more than a century. You will enjoy a half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200-year old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge. Following the tour, there will be free time for shopping, including visits to local tailors who can do custom made clothing very quickly. Then, you’ll take a break and have a peaceful evening stay.

Day 10: My Son Holly land option (B)

Today you will have free time to shop, relax, unwind or take a trip to discover another the My Son World Heritage site. My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century and is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham areas in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a must-see for those people who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations and is now one of five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam. You will stay overnight in Hoi An.

Day 11: Danang - Nha Trang (B)

You are free until being picked up at your hotel and transferred to Noi Bai airport for your short flight to the resort in Nha Trang. Voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Nha Trang boasts a six-mile stretch of fine white sand, quiet and warm waters, and stunning archipelagos. You’ll have a restful overnight stay in Nha Trang.

Day 12: Nha Trang (B)

Today you will be free to relax and enjoy the resort facilities. You may choose to snorkel or dive among the coral reefs in crystal blue waters, hike nature trails, cool off in your private plunge pool, indulge in spa treatments or just relax on the white sand beach and admire the unspoiled mountain and sea views before retiring for the evening.

Day 13: Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City (B/D)

Today you will take a short morning flight from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the country's commercial centre and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. You can visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House, the Hotel de Ville and the War Remnants Museum. You’ll visit colourful outdoor markets and bustling Dong Khoi Street, the city's main upscale shopping boulevard with boutiques selling clothes and accessories designed by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and house wares. You’ll then spend the night in HCMC.

Day 14: Cu Chi Tunnels (B)

In the morning, you will take a half-day private excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height, the tunnel system stretched over 250km, from Saigon to the Cambodian border, and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today, the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction, giving you a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam War must have been like. Then relax in your hotel and fall restfully asleep.

Day 15: Mekong Delta on the Cai Be Princess Sampan (B/L)

After breakfast, you will take a drive to Cai Be - Phu An in the Mekong Delta and board the Cai Be Princess at around 11:00. You’ll visit the Cai Be floating market and proceed to explore some local home factories, where you will witness trades such as rice paste making, rice pop corn cooking, coco candies making, and longans drying. Continuing on you’ll cruise along the Mekong canals to discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe typical Mekong delta rural life. Stops on the way can be made upon request for particular visits or photos taking. Lunch will await you at Le Longanier restaurant at La Residence de Phu An resort, a superb Indochine style resort. After a short walk along a narrow canal you will drive back to HCMC for an overnight stay.

Day 16: Depart Ho Chi Minh City (B)

You’ll probably be both refreshed and wanting to wind down your trip, so there are no activities planned for this day. Enjoy your free time and the last page of your travel until you are escorted to the airport for your flight on your way home or wherever your travels take you.