Vietnam North to South: Trang An, Bay Cruise and the Mekong

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, explore the Ho Chi Minh Complex to view the Mausoleum from outside, the Presidential Palace grounds, the Stilt House and One Pillar Pagoda. Government working interiors are excluded, and the Presidential visitor site has an afternoon window with Monday-afternoon closure. Continue to Train Street for a coffee stop at your own expense, keeping clear of active railway tracks. Finish with a walking tour through the lively streets of the Old Quarter before returning to your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, head out on a day excursion to Ninh Binh. Visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu to see the historic temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le. Enjoy a 45-minute bicycle ride through local village lanes, followed by a regional buffet lunch. In the afternoon, board a traditional boat at Trang An to glide through emerald waterways and cave passages, including Sang / Light Cave, Toi / Dark Cave and Nau Ruou Cave. Return to Hanoi in the evening for your overnight stay.

Depart Hanoi after breakfast and travel to International Tuan Chau Harbour to board your overnight cruise among the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay. A stationed English-speaking guide will be on board. Enjoy lunch on board as you set sail. In the afternoon, take a locally rowed bamboo boat through Luon lagoon and visit Ti Top Island, where you can relax on the beach or hike up to the viewpoint, ahead of the Sung Sot visit scheduled later. Return to the sundeck for sunset, join a Vietnamese cooking class, and enjoy dinner on board. Squid fishing is available in the evening, weather permitting. Overnight on the cruise.

Start the day with Tai Chi on the sundeck alongside morning tea or coffee and a light breakfast, following the previous afternoon's Luon bamboo programme. Visit Sung Sot / Surprising Cave to admire its expansive rock formations before returning to the boat for checkout and brunch. Disembark late morning and transfer via Hanoi back to Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Da Nang. On arrival, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel. Settle in for the evening. Overnight in Da Nang.

Enjoy breakfast and a relaxed morning before travelling to Cam Thanh Coconut Village. Ride a traditional bamboo basket boat through the palm waterways and observe local fishing techniques. Continue to Hoi An Old Town to discover Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, historic merchant houses such as Tan Ky or Phung Hung, and the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge. Watch a performance at the Hoi An Traditional Performing Arts House, formerly at 66 Bach Dang and now at Hoai River Square on Cao Hong Lanh, and browse local craft galleries. At dusk, take a boat along the Hoai River to release flower lanterns, then wander through the illuminated night markets. Personal meals and shopping remain separate. Return to Da Nang for the night.

After breakfast, travel to Ba Na Hills and ride the cable car up into the mountains. Walk across the Golden Bridge supported by massive stone hands, visit Le Jardin D’Amour Gardens, and view the large Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda. Have lunch at a local restaurant. Spend your afternoon enjoying the entertainment zones at the French Village and Fantasy Park before taking the cable car back down and returning to Da Nang. Overnight in Da Nang.

Take an early breakfast and transfer to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Standard check-in times apply as you check in to your hotel on arrival before beginning an afternoon city tour of Saigon. Visit the Independence Palace, stop outside Notre Dame Cathedral, and admire the colonial architecture of the Central Post Office. Gain insights into the country's turbulent history at the War Remnants Museum, then explore the stalls and street food at Ben Thanh Market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Following breakfast, travel south to My Tho and visit Vinh Trang Pagoda. Cruise along the Mekong River past Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands. Step ashore on Unicorn Island to sample tropical fruits and listen to traditional folk music. Glide through narrow waterways on a hand-rowed sampan along Thoi Son Canal, visit a honey farm, and watch coconut candy being made while enjoying honey tea. After lunch at a local restaurant, choose between a cycle through the village lanes of Tan Thach or relaxing in a hammock before returning to Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, check out and drive northwest to the historic Cu Chi Tunnels at Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc. Watch an introductory video detailing their wartime engineering and walk with your guide through preserved sections of the underground network. Taste wartime staples of boiled cassava and hot tea. Target shooting is optional, at your own expense and subject to local venue rules. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for your onward airport transfer, where your tour concludes.