Vietnam Adventure

Explore Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the best bits in between on this immersive adventure

Vietnam Adventure

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Trip Fee

$ 2.695

Single Room Difference

$ 480

Date

21 September - 04 October 2025

Trip Information

This classic trip captures the magic of Vietnam: the conservative north, imperial cities, vibrant Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, and the iconic Ha Long Bay, where we spend the night on a traditional junk sailboat. Guided by an expert local tour leader, we come face to face with an outgoing culture, where so much goes on in the streets: eating, washing, commerce and impromptu games. This intoxicating parade of Vietnamese life may be our strongest memories, as much as the mystical landscapes and world-renowned cuisine.

Activity Areas

Cultural Wonders
Culture
Culture Bestsellers
Natural Wonders

Region & Country & City

Asia: Cu Chi Tunnels, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Included in the Price

— 12 breakfasts, one lunch and two dinners — All accommodation — All transport and listed activities — Tour leader throughout — Arrival and departure transfers

Not Included In The Price

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation Information

— Accommodation: 3 Superior nights (hotels), 8 Classic nights (7 hotel, 1 boat), 2 Simple nights (1 homestay/guesthouse, 1 sleeper train) — Travel by minibus, train and boat — Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16 — Post-tour Angkor Wat extension (from Ho Chi Minh City) available

Map

Itinerary

Day 1 Adventure starts in Hanoi

Begin your adventure in Hanoi, a city where an unstoppable energy meets traditional Vietnamese culture and colonial influences permeate the broad tree-lined boulevards, most noticeably in faded French architecture. Around 6pm, say xin chào to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging an optional group dinner at a nearby restaurant (which is included for all in 2026). Want more time in Hanoi? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Accommodation: Babylon Grand Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Day 2 Tour the historic highlights of Hanoi

Today, we embark on a sightseeing tour of Hanoi, which includes: a visit to the Temple of Literature; the site of the oldest university in Vietnam; Hoa Lo Prison; and the Old Quarter. Another stop is the grounds of the Presidential Palace, where former prime minister Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the grand structure for symbolic reasons. We visit his traditional Vietnamese stilt house here. In the evening, there is the option to watch a traditional water puppet show. Accommodation: Babylon Grand Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Day 3 To Ha Long Bay • Overnight on traditional junk boat

Today, we visit an icon of Vietnam: Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site where some 3,000 limestone peaks break through emerald waters to create a mystical, magical landscape. To get there, we rise early for the approximately four-hour drive and, upon arrival, board a traditional junk sailing boat, which is also our home for tonight. After launching, we enjoy a seafood lunch on deck and drift among the forested pinnacles. We also stop at a beach where we can hike up to a viewpoint (it’s quite steep but the vistas are worth it), plus there’s time for a swim in a small sectioned-off area. Additionally, an optional kayaking trip (extra cost) may be available depending on weather conditions. Back on board, we can pull up a chair on the top deck and watch the sunset together, perhaps with a cold drink from the bar. When it’s time for bed, we have the comforts of twin-share cabins with private bathrooms. Accommodation: Overnight boat

Day 4 Cruise among the limestone peaks of Ha Long Bay • To Hanoi • Overnight train to Hue

We continue to cruise around Ha Long Bay, admiring those limestone pinnacles once more, before returning to port mid-morning. We then have a four-hour drive back to Hanoi, where we have a little free time, before transferring to the train station. Here, we board the Reunification Express for our overnight train ride to Hue, 428mi (688km) to the south. Accommodation: Overnight train

Day 5 Arrive Hue • Explore the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City of Hue

Arriving mid-morning in Hue, we transfer to our hotel to freshen up. In the afternoon, we visit the Imperial Citadel, the standout attraction in the city. Inside its 6mi (10km) long walls are the palaces and halls of the Mandarins, and the remains of the Forbidden Purple City, where only the emperor, his eunuchs and concubines were allowed. The Forbidden Purple City was almost destroyed during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War, but the foliage-covered ruins are still atmospheric and the bomb holes a testament to the destruction wreaked upon the country. We also visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, a centre for anti-government protest in the early 1960s. It houses the Austin car that transported monk Thich Quang Duc to Saigon where he burned himself in protest against the president. The photograph of his self-immolation in 1963 was printed in newspapers around the world. Accommodation: Park View Hotel (or similar)

Day 6 Visit historic Tu Duc Mausoleum • Free afternoon to relax

After breakfast, we visit the tomb of Tu Duc, one of the most extravagant mausoleums of the great Nguyen emperors. Designed by Tu Duc himself, it was completed in 1867 but the excessive nature of the project sparked unrest and even an attempted coup. After, we head back to Hue, where we have a free afternoon to explore the historic centre or relax by the river and absorb the sights. Accommodation: Park View Hotel (or similar)

Day 7 To Hoi An • Stop at Marble Mountain to explore Viet Cong caves and enjoy views from the peak

Leaving Hue, our 81mi (130km) drive passes through the beautiful peninsula of Lang Co, between a crystalline lagoon and the Eastern Sea, and then passes over the Hai Van pass (Pass of the Ocean Clouds) where the views are stunning. In Da Nang, we stop for lunch before we climb Marble Mountain, where we explore large caves used by the Viet Cong as a hospital base during the war. From the mountain peak, there are fantastic views over My Khe beach and the countryside leading to Hoi An, where we spend the next three nights. Accommodation: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Day 8 Explore the merchants' houses and pagoda temples of Hoi An • Free afternoon

This morning, we have a walking tour of Hoi An, the original European trading port in Vietnam, which dates to the mid-16th century. It is now a living museum, with attractive wooden merchants’ houses and pagoda-style temples with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural influences. It is also a marvellous place to wander around and enjoy the thriving riverside market and great silk clothes shopping. This afternoon is free. One popular option is to jump on a bike for a ride through the countryside, passing local markets, schools and villages before continuing to Cua Dai beach (3mi/5km). Accommodation: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Day 9 Visit My Son to see stone temples and sanctuaries • Free afternoon in Hoi An

This morning, we visit My Son, the spiritual home of the Cham civilisation, where Cham kings were buried as early as the fourth century. Although bombing has destroyed much of the site, there are several interesting stone towers and sanctuaries. Upon returning to Hoi An, the rest of the afternoon is free to carry on enjoying this historic town. Accommodation: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Day 10 Fly to Ho Chi Minh City • Explore the city highlights

We drive to Da Nang and then fly to Ho Chi Minh City, an exciting and absorbing metropolis where scooters pack the streets and temples stand alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, it is now a bustling free-market city where almost anything goes. This afternoon’s walking city tour includes a visit to the Ben Thanh Market, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and War Remnants Museum. The museum has an interesting photographic record of the Vietnam War but please be aware that some of the images are very graphic. Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)

Day 11 Go underground at the Cu Chi Tunnels • Free afternoon

Today, we head north to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a mazey subterranean network that stretches some 75mi (121km) over three levels. Though construction started in the late 1940s, they became infamous during the Vietnam War, when Viet Cong fighters used them to hide, spring surprise attacks through trapdoors, and store food and weapons. Now, they provide an extraordinary look into the hardships faced throughout the war. During our visit, we see tank and aircraft remnants and visit the war re-enactment zones to learn more about the conflict. We also have the chance to explore the tunnels themselves; though they were once very narrow, some areas were widened to allow tourists to explore the system. If you don’t like tight spaces, you may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine! In the afternoon, we return to Ho Chi Minh City and the rest of the day is free for individual exploration. Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)

Day 12 Mekong Delta boat ride • Overnight in a homestay-style guesthouse

In the morning, we drive (approximately 2hr 30min to 3hr) to the Mekong Delta, which produces most of the country’s fruit, sugarcane and coconuts, earning it the nickname: the rice bowl of Vietnam. At the Delta city of Vinh Long, we take a wooden boat on the mighty Mekong River to Cai Be. En route, we pass many orchards and friendly locals also travelling by boat and stop to see cottage industries, such as rice paper and coconut candy, with a chance to sample the local produce. The evening is tranquil as we have dinner on an island and enjoy Delta hospitality. We spend the night at a simple guesthouse built in the style of a local house. Bedding, a mosquito net and a small towel are provided. Accommodation: Mekong Delta homestay-style guesthouse

Day 13 Walk through orchards • Return to Ho Chi Minh City

This morning, we walk through orchards and navigate small canals in a traditional wooden sampan. Later, we rejoin our boat to rendezvous with our vehicle for the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City via a little-visited Cao Dai temple used by devotees of this indigenous religion, which fuses all the great religions of east and west. Accommodation: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar)

Day 14 Adventure ends in Ho Chi Minh City

You’ve cruised Ha Long Bay by junk boat, explored the Mekong Delta and toured both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; but today, the adventure comes to an end and we begin our return journeys home. However, you can continue your journey of discovery in Southeast Asia by joining our Angkor Wat add-on tour, where we head to Cambodia to explore the key sites in Phnom Penh, including Angkor, one of the world’s great archaeological sites. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Travel Dates

21 September - 04 October 2025 $ 2.695

28 September - 11 October 2025 $ 2.020

12 - 25 October 2025 $ 1.765

15 - 28 October 2025 $ 1.765

19 October - 01 November 2025 $ 2.695

26 October - 08 November 2025 $ 2.020

02 - 15 November 2025 $ 2.995

05 - 18 November 2025 $ 2.770

12 - 25 November 2025 $ 2.515

16 - 29 November 2025 $ 2.695

07 - 20 December 2025 $ 2.470

14 - 27 December 2025 $ 2.545

11 - 24 January 2026 $ 2.470

18 - 31 January 2026 $ 2.620

25 January - 07 February 2026 $ 2.470

01 - 14 February 2026 $ 2.470

04 - 17 February 2026 $ 2.620

15 - 28 February 2026 $ 2.470

18 February - 03 March 2026 $ 2.470

22 February - 07 March 2026 $ 2.470

25 February - 10 March 2026 $ 2.470

01 - 14 March 2026 $ 2.470

08 - 21 March 2026 $ 2.470

15 - 28 March 2026 $ 2.320

22 March - 04 April 2026 $ 2.470

29 March - 11 April 2026 $ 2.470

12 - 25 April 2026 $ 2.470

03 - 16 May 2026 $ 2.470

19 July - 01 August 2026 $ 2.470

26 July - 08 August 2026 $ 2.470

09 - 22 August 2026 $ 2.470

06 - 19 September 2026 $ 2.470

20 September - 03 October 2026 $ 2.470

04 - 17 October 2026 $ 2.320

11 - 24 October 2026 $ 2.470

14 - 27 October 2026 $ 2.470

18 - 31 October 2026 $ 2.470

25 October - 07 November 2026 $ 2.470

01 - 14 November 2026 $ 2.470

04 - 17 November 2026 $ 2.470

08 - 21 November 2026 $ 2.470

11 - 24 November 2026 $ 2.470

15 - 28 November 2026 $ 2.620

29 November - 12 December 2026 $ 2.470

06 - 19 December 2026 $ 2.320

13 - 26 December 2026 $ 2.470

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