Vietnam & the Mekong

Arrive in Hanoi where you'll be met and transferred to your hotel in the beautiful Old Quarter. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or head out and begin exploring the city.

Stay: La Siesta Hanoi (Superior) and Hotel de'l Opera (Deluxe)

Explore Hanoi on a cyclo tour and travel through the fascinating Old Quarter of the city, comprising 36 ancient streets where you can observe the daily bustle of life around the markets where peddlers continue to trade as they have done for centuries.

Visit the Ho Chi Minh Quarter, dedicated to the father of modern Vietnam, Uncle Ho, and lookout for his Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, his 'house on stilts', the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue your tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, which has now been dedicated to Confucian worship. Later, visit Tran Quoc and Ngoc Son Temples and then the 'Hanoi Hilton', the nickname given to the place where U.S pilots shot down over North Vietnamese airspace were imprisoned during the Vietnam War, which has since been converted into a museum. Finish your day with a relaxing walk around Hanoi's famous Hoan Kiem Lake, then return to your hotel or continue with your own exploration of this beautiful city.

Lunch today will be served at Wild Lotus restaurant, a stylish venue popular with locals and visitors alike where you can try pho – a traditional soup that's as much a staple of Vietnamese cuisine as it is culture.

Stay: La Siesta Hanoi (Superior) and Hotel de'l Opera (Deluxe) 

After breakfast, depart Hanoi by road an drive to Halong City where you'll board an overnight cruise on beautiful Halong Bay. The journey takes around three to four hours and passes through vast paddy fields and small roadside villages where you can see local farmers plying their trade in the fields. Halong Bay is a stunning collection of around 3,000 limestone islets, protruding from the calm waters of the bay and surrounded by secluded beaches and traditional fishing communities.

If you're on the Superior itinerary, you'll board the Halong Jasmine and if you're on the Deluxe itinerary, you'll board the Halong Violet at around noon, and then enjoy a welcome drink before beginning your cruise on the bay. During the cruise a Vietnamese buffet lunch is served on board while you glide through the emerald green waters, taking in the magnificent scenery as you go. After lunch you'll visit a selection of islands and caves and, if weather permits, there's also the chance to enjoy swimming, kayaking or simply relaxing on board while you soak up the views with your fellow passengers. Dinner will be served on board this evening as you watch the sun set across the bay.

Stay: Ha Long Jasmine (Superior) Ha Long Violet (Deluxe)

After a night on board the boat, you'll wake to see daylight filtering through the early morning mist and spearing between the towering rock formations – an incredible way to begin the day. Continue cruising through the bay, enjoying a light breakfast followed by a hearty brunch, and arrive back at Halong City port at around 10:30am where you'll leave the cruise and begin your journey by road back to Hanoi.

Once you arrive back in the city, you'll travel to Hanoi Airport and board the evening flight south to Danang, before transferring to Hoi An, where you will be able to spend the evening at leisure.

In the morning, enjoy a half-day walking tour of historic Hoi An town centre with your local guide. During the walking tour, stop by the home of a craftsman in the old quarter for a silk lantern making workshop. Have a brief introduction to the history, shape and colour of the lanterns, as well as the many stages of making them. Make your own lantern to take home with you as a souvenir. After lunch, enjoy the afternoon at your leisure before taking dinner at a restaurant in Hoi An historic town.

Spend the day at your leisure, enjoying the facilities at your resort and the Hoi An Old Town, located a short distance away, or relaxing on the nearby beaches.

Today is spent at your leisure. Take a late afternoon or early evening transfer to Danang Airport for your evening flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Here, you will be met by a local guide, and transferred to your hotel.

In the morning, take a speedboat to visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels, which were used by the Viet Cong soldiers during the Tet offensive that turned the war in favour of the North Vietnamese. On arrival, you will be guided through the famous tunnel network, which stretches over 250km, and extends three levels underground, providing you with a remarkable insight into the hardships, courage, determination and terror of a guerrilla war. 

Spend the afternoon on a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City's famous and historic landmarks. The tour will take you through the heart of the city along Dong Khoi street, which is formally known as the Rue Catinat, past the Rex Hotel, the Municipal Theatre and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Stop at the site of the former US Embassy then tour the impressive Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum. Travel by vehicle to Cholon, the city's bustling Chinese district, where you will visit the Binh Tay wholesale market and a colourful Chinese temple dedicated to the goddess of the sea, Thien Hau.

After breakfast at your hotel, depart for a four hour drive southwest to Cai Be.

Superior tour: Board the Victoria Song Xanh Sampan – a traditional Vietnamese rice barge houseboat – and depart from Phu An jetty at 10:00 am. From the comfort of the boat you'll be able to observe local life as it plays out on the riverbanks, while your attentive crew serves tea and seasonal fruit. Before arriving at Sa Dec, go ashore to visit a pottery factory where everything is made by hand and recycled. Arrive in Sa Dec and take a stroll to the outdoor market before visiting the home of Huynh Thuy Le, the lover of the novelist Marguerite Duras. 

Lunch will be served on board whilst you cruise towards Can Tho, along a narrow canal teaming with life. Pass monkey bridges and tiny villages before stopping for a visit at Cao Dai Temple. Cycle or row in a small boat around the countryside and explore the surroundings. The last stopover before sunset is at a 19th century house. The owner will welcome you and serve a candle-lit dinner. After dinner, return to the boat and continue cruising towards Hau River. 

Stay: Private Victoria Song Xanh Sampan (Superior) 

Deluxe tour: Board the private Gecko Eyes Houseboat, a luxurious wooden houseboat decorated with delicate carvings and boasting comfortable and spacious cabins. As lunch is served, the boat will start to cruise. Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people. In the afternoon, disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards and rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits. 

Once back on board enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on the deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong River. The cruise boat will anchor for the night, and the day will end with a delicious on-board dinner before a night in your cabin.

Stay: Private Gecko Eyes Houseboat (Deluxe)

Superior tour: Start the day with an early morning visit to the famous Cai Rang Floating Market, which you will visit at about 6:00 am. Breakfast will then be served on board whilst the Song Xanh cruises towards the market among local barges laden with fruit and vegetables. Later on, cruise towards Victoria Can Tho and disembark at the hotel's private jetty. 

Deluxe tour: At 6:30 am, the cruise vessel will set off on a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships in the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast. Then, board a sampan boat to Cai Rang floating market, the region's busiest and most lively market. Pull up to the boats in order to talk to and bargain with the merchants, and also visit some local candy and cake making factories, or sail through the green water landscape to see local houses.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort and then spend the rest of the day at leisure before transferring back to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City and check in to your hotel. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is spent at your leisure.

Today is spent at leisure until it's time to travel to the airport. Your local guide will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to Ho Chi Minh City Airport for your return overnight flight to the UK.