Tailor Made Vietnam: North to South

Arrive in Hanoi, where you receive fast-track assistance through customs and immigration formalities before being met and transferred to your hotel.

This morning, pay a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s stilted house, located among banyan and milkweed trees. Continue to the iconic, lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To as thanks to the deity he believed helped his wife give birth to his son. See, too, the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam). Recognized as Hanoi’s first university, the temple is featured on the back of the 100,000 VND banknote. Proceed to the home of Mr. My, a former Vietnamese pilot who shares stories from his time during the Vietnam War, including the close friendship he developed with a U.S. pilot. After lunch at a local restaurant, pay a visit to the gatehouse-turned-museum at Hỏa Lò Prison, used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and, later, by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Next, travel by cyclo (rickshaw) through the bustling Old Quarter along its time-honored streets before returning to your hotel.

Travel overland to Ha Long Bay (the “Dragon Descending to the Sea”), where you board your traditional wooden junk (boat). Relax over lunch and begin your passage into the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. Spend the afternoon discovering the bay’s treasures including fascinating caves, pristine beaches and picturesque floating villages. Back on board your vessel, join your chef for a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Enjoy dinner and cocktails on board.

Rise early to tea, pastries and a tai chi class on the sun deck, watching the picturesque bay scroll by. Transfer back to Hanoi where you fly to Danang, and continue to your hotel in Hoi An. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Travel to Tra Que Village, where you visit a local home and sample juice made from freshly squeezed fruits, followed by a stroll through the village gardens where local farmers still use traditional farming techniques. You may even assist some farmers with their crop collection. Return to Hoi An this afternoon and set out on a walking tour. Visit the Old House of Tan Ky, Fukien Assembly Hall and the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge.

After a morning at leisure, transfer to the airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your hotel.

This morning, visit Cu Chi, a small community located northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, known for its network of deep tunnels that provided shelter and an effective source of infiltration for the Viet Cong during the later years of the Vietnam War. The tunnels, which reached hundreds of miles in total length, housed storage rooms, makeshift hospitals and sleeping quarters. Heavy bombing by U.S. forces did not halt movement through the tunnels, making this an unusually successful defense against the weaponry of the American troops. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch, followed by a city tour, seeing Reunification Hall, the Historical Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Post Office and Ben Thanh Market. Return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Transfer to the airport and board your departure flight.