Vietnam Heritage and Coastal Journey

Welcome to Vietnam. Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, proceed with the visa procedures. After completing the required arrival formalities, collect your luggage before continuing toward the exit gate.

Meet your guide at the exit gate, where your driver and guide will be waiting to assist with the transfer into Hanoi. Check-in is available at 2pm, and the rest of the day is at leisure, giving you time to settle in after your journey.

Noi Bai International Airport is the main airport serving Hanoi and handles international arrivals for northern Vietnam.

Begin the day with a visit of the Temple of Literature, built in 1076 and home to Vietnam’s first university. Established to educate members of the royal court, mandarins, and the elite, it functioned for more than 700 years, with gardens and well-preserved architecture that reflect another era.

Continue to the Temple of the Jade Mountain, known locally as Ngoc Son Temple, set in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake. Then ride by cyclo through Hanoi’s Old Quarter to admire French architecture and visit typical communal houses restored by UNESCO during the route.

Hoan Kiem translates as “Returned Sword,” a name linked to one of Hanoi’s best-known legends associated with the lake.

Meet your guide and driver at your hotel, then head to a little place near Chau Long Market to try pho, the fragrant beef, chicken, or pork noodle soup popular with Hanoi locals for breakfast. Continue into the market to browse stalls selling unusual fruits and livestock, including frogs, and sample local foods such as tree tomatoes or green mango with chili, silkworms, and pork with green rice.

Next, visit Banh Cuon Van restaurant, known for steamed rice pancakes called banh cuon, filled with ground pork, jicama, and wood ear mushrooms. Continue to Dong Xuan Market and Ngo Cho Dong Xuan, one of Hanoi’s best stalls for bun cha, a dish of grilled pork and noodles. On the way back, stop in Yen Phu district at Café Duy Tri, a traditional Hanoi café established in 1936, to taste black sticky rice and green rice with yoghurt, coffee with yoghurt, or passion fruit with yoghurt.

Dong Xuan Market is Hanoi’s largest covered market and has long served as a major trading hub in the Old Quarter.

After breakfast, your guide and driver meet you for the drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Once on board, get acquainted with the facilities as the cruise sets sail for your 3-day, 2-night Ha Long Bay experience. Spend the first hours on the sun deck as the boat moves through the bay, giving you time to take in the surrounding scenery and settle into the rhythm of cruising.

Arrive at Cua Van, one of the last remaining floating fishing villages in Ha Long Bay and still used by some fishermen as a base for fishing and aquaculture. Travel by small bamboo boat rowed by locals to view the floating structures in this calm, secluded area and gain insight into village life. If you prefer a more active option, borrow a complimentary kayak for 2-night cruises and paddle independently through this part of the bay.

The village also includes the Cua Van Cultural Center, operated by local residents to preserve and introduce visitors to the village’s history and culture. Its displays include archaeological artifacts and photographs depicting life in Cua Van. Continue by tender to nearby Tien Ong Cave, which shows evidence of human civilization dating back to 10,000 to 8,000 BC and fossil evidence that the cave was once part of the mainland before Ha Long Bay became the marine setting seen today.

Tien Ong Cave reaches a depth of 50 meters and covers roughly 1,000 square meters. Follow your guide on a loop through the cavern while learning details about the site. After returning to the boat, sail toward the overnight mooring area. During the “blue hour,” relax on the sun deck with your favorite drink as Ha Long Bay reveals its beauty in the changing light.

As the boat continues sailing, you may join a cooking class with the chef and practice easy classic Vietnamese recipes that you can later cook for loved ones at home. After some downtime, dinner is served, with passengers able to choose international or local favorites from a multi-course à la carte menu. After dinner, the onboard guide gives a presentation about the bay’s unique features and insights.

Alternatively, try squid fishing with the staff, an entertaining evening activity on board. Spend the rest of the night taking in the quiet landscapes of Ha Long Bay before settling in for a restful night in the middle of the bay, where the itinerary recalls the legend of sparkling jewels cascading from heavenly dragons.

“Ha Long” is commonly translated as “descending dragon,” reflecting the dragon legend associated with the bay’s name.

Wake at dawn to waves and freshly brewed coffee, with pastries available in the dining room. If you want an active start, join the early morning Tai Chi class on the sun deck before boarding the cozy day boat, Sunset. Breakfast is served as the ship sails to Sung Sot, the largest cave in Ha Long Bay. Covering 10,000 square meters, Sung Sot has two chambers: an outer chamber with stalactites hanging like chandeliers from a 30-meter, or 98-foot, ceiling, and an inner chamber reached by a 3-meter, or 10-foot, path. Known as the grand “opera house,” this room features a clear pond, plant life, stalagmites, stalactites, rock formations shaped over millions of years, and the sounds of birds, flowing water, and sometimes monkeys.

Return on board to relax on the sun deck or in the air-conditioned dining area with a cafe sua da before kayaking through the marine landscape, where cliffs rise vertically from the water among tree-topped islets. Continue to a floating pearl farm to learn how pearls are grown, harvested, and processed. Watch a technician open an oyster, implant a seed, and return it to the water, a low-odds process that takes several years. Sail back to the mothership with time for sunbathing, a spa treatment, or the “blue hour.” After dinner, join the crew for squid fishing, with any catch prepared as a late-night snack, or relax with a drink from the bar before retiring.

Sung Sot Cave is also widely known as Surprise Cave, a name associated with its unexpectedly vast chambers and limestone formations.

For early risers, tea, coffee, and pastries are available in the dining room before another Tai Chi class on the sun deck to awaken your mind and muscles. In the morning, sail to small Ti Top Island, formerly named Cat Nang. The island was renamed after former president Ho Chi Minh and Russian astronaut German Titov, the second man to orbit Earth, toured Ha Long Bay together in 1962.

After arriving at Ti Top, go for a refreshing morning swim from the sandy beach beneath towering rock formations. If you prefer something more active, climb 400 stone steps, taking about 20 minutes, to reach the top of the island for panoramic views over the bay. A viewing platform about halfway up also offers vistas framed by lush greenery. Back on board, shower and freshen up while breakfast is served as the cruise returns to the harbor. Upon arrival at Hue airport, meet your guide at the exit gate, then continue by driver transfer and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Ti Top Island is one of Ha Long Bay’s named islands and is commonly associated with both its beach access and elevated viewpoint.

Meet your guide and visit the Forbidden Purple City, constructed under Emperor Gia Long in the early 19th century. Located within the Citadel of Hue, the site was badly damaged during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hue served as the political, cultural, and religious center under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945, and it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Later, board a dragon boat for a pleasant trip along the Perfume River to visit the characteristic Thien Mu Pagoda. Please note that the annual Hon Chen Temple Festival in Hue is scheduled for April 17 to 19 and August 18 to 22, 2026. During these dates, all boats will be dedicated to the festival, so transfer by car would be the alternative way to reach Thien Mu Pagoda.

The Nguyen dynasty was Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty.

After breakfast, meet your guide and driver for the journey from Hue to Hoi An. Depending on weather and road conditions, you will either traverse the dramatic Hai Van Pass, known for sweeping mountain vistas and panoramic ocean views, or follow the smooth coastal drive past Lang Co Beach, a tranquil stretch of white sand bordering a turquoise lagoon.

Upon arrival in Da Nang, visit the Museum of Cham Sculpture, which opened in 1915. Continue to the Marble Mountains, a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels, and temples. The mountains are home to many Buddhist sanctuaries and places of worship, including pagoda temples and a special circular cave with a chimney leading to the summit for panoramic views. Later, continue to Hoi An, where the rest of your day is free to relax or explore.

Cham sculpture reflects the artistic heritage of the Champa Kingdom, and Da Nang’s Museum of Cham Sculpture holds the most extensive collection of Cham sculpture art worldwide.

After pickup, head to Hoi An Central Market, where the walking tour begins. Although the market runs all day, arriving early lets you see the best produce, avoid the crowds, and watch vendors prepare for the day. Continue through a maze of alleyways to visit local workshops, important cultural sites, and observe how residents spend their days. Be ready to greet many people, as locals enjoy engaging with visitors and take pride in businesses built within these narrow lanes.

Pause for a refreshing drink on a veranda overlooking the river, where you can watch fishing and tour boats glide by. Continue through the old town as your guide shares stories, local customs, and facts about life in Hoi An, then pass over the famous Japanese Covered Bridge, the final stop of the morning. Next, visit a local family to learn the skills needed to make your own handmade lantern. Return through the old town to a local restaurant and try cao lau, a Hoi An noodle specialty.

UNESCO notes that Hoi An’s Japanese Covered Bridge is a wooden bridge with a pagoda dating from the 18th century.

Spend a free day in Hoi An exploring at your own pace. You may wander through the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town, where centuries-old merchant houses, colorful lanterns, and riverside cafés shape one of Vietnam’s most atmospheric town settings. Take time to move through its streets slowly, choosing your own route and pace.

You can browse local boutiques, art galleries, and tailor shops known for custom-made clothing, or simply relax with Vietnamese coffee while watching daily life unfold along the Thu Bon River. The day is unstructured, giving you flexibility to focus on the parts of Hoi An that interest you most.

Hoi An Ancient Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 for its preserved trading-port architecture and urban layout.

After breakfast, your guide and driver pick you up for the airport transfer and your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at HCMC airport, meet your guide at the exit gate, then continue by driver transfer. After breakfast, meet your guide again and get ready to explore Saigon on a half-day sightseeing route.

Begin at the Reunification Palace, the residence of South Vietnam’s former president before 1975. Continue to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office. Saigon is Vietnam’s most dynamic city, a vital economic hub shaped by Chinese and American influences while keeping its Vietnamese charm. Modern office towers, Chinese pagodas, street markets, food vendors, and colonial buildings create a varied urban landscape. Later, visit the War Museum, one of Vietnam’s most popular museums, focused mainly on the American side of the Vietnam War, before your return transfer. Please note that the Cathedral is undergoing restoration through 2027 and will only be open for church services during this time.

Saigon is the former official name of Ho Chi Minh City and remains widely used in everyday speech and business names.

This morning, set out to discover the Cu Chi Tunnels by speedboat. Meet your guide and driver in your hotel lobby, then make the short transfer to the pier. Board the speedboat and travel along the Saigon River en route to Cu Chi, using the river journey as the direct approach to the tunnel site.

Arrive hours before the crowds for near-exclusive access while your guide shares detailed stories about the region’s history. Explore the maze of labyrinthine tunnels, then pause for a riverside lunch before making the return boat trip to Saigon. Upon arrival at the pier, you will be returned to your hotel.

The Cu Chi Tunnels formed part of an extensive underground network used in the Cu Chi district during the Vietnam War.

This morning, depart on a journey of around 2.5 hours to Ben Tre in the heart of the Mekong Delta. On arrival, stop at vibrant My Long Market to witness daily local activity as residents sort and sell fresh fish and local produce, and see the specialty rice paper cake being made. Board your boat and cruise the waterways through coconut jungles, beneath a canopy of palm trees, and along small canals. Stop at a local farmer’s house to observe how coconut jam is skillfully crafted, then enjoy tea and jam in the charming setting.

Next, travel by xe loi through local villages, stopping at a workshop to see the art of coconut processing. You will also have the chance to connect with local villagers, who share stories about the community’s way of life. Continue by wooden rowboat, gliding gently along shaded small canals with picturesque scenery for photographs. Lunchtime brings local specialties at a riverside restaurant. Afterward, return by boat toward Ben Tre and stop at a traditional brick kiln to learn about handcrafting bricks and local industry. After another short cruise, meet your driver for the trip back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Ben Tre is widely associated with coconut cultivation, which supports local food production, household goods, and craft industries in the Mekong Delta.

Enjoy the day at leisure until your driver and guide pick you up 3 hours before your departure time. Use the open time as you wish before your scheduled transfer, keeping the departure timing in mind so you are ready when pickup is due.

Hotel check-out time is at noon. After pickup, travel with your driver and guide to the airport for your departure flight, completing your final logistics in Vietnam with a clear 3-hour transfer window before departure.

Noi Bai International Airport serves Hanoi, while Tan Son Nhat International Airport serves Ho Chi Minh City as the main airport for southern Vietnam.