This eleven-day group tour runs the full length of Vietnam from north to south, covering the country’s defining landscapes and cities without rushing any of them. The route opens with Hanoi and a bamboo-boat excursion through the limestone grottoes of Trang An in Ninh Binh, then moves to a two-day Ha Long Bay overnight cruise — Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave kayaking, Titov Island, and a sunset party on deck.
Flying to Da Nang mid-tour, you spend two days in central Vietnam: the Marble Mountains, the Stone Carving Village, and the ancient lanes of Hoi An on day four; the sky-high Golden Bridge on Ba Na Hills on day five. The route then traces the imperial heartland — the Hai Van Pass, the royal tombs and Imperial City of Hue, and the UNESCO cave systems of Phong Nha (or Thien Duong Cave). Day eight takes a detour into Bach Ma National Park for a jungle trek to Five Lakes and the Do Quyen waterfall.
Flying south to Ho Chi Minh City, day nine is the Cu Chi Tunnels — the 250 km underground network used by the Viet Cong — and day ten is a full-day Mekong Delta excursion: Unicorn Island, sampan rides through orchards, a honey-bee farm, and a coconut candy workshop. The tour ends with a drop-off at Tan Son Nhat Airport on day eleven.
An English-speaking guide accompanies the group throughout. 3-star hotel accommodation is included every night, with breakfasts daily and lunches on most days.
Your guide meets you at Noi Bai International Airport (transfers available 06:00–21:00) and transfers you to the Classic Street Hotel (3-star) or similar in Hanoi's Old Quarter. The rest of the day is free to explore — Hoan Kiem Lake and the 36-street Old Quarter are a short walk from most hotels in the area.
Overnight: Classic Street Hotel or similar (3-star), Hanoi.
After breakfast, drive south to Ninh Binh (approx. 2 hours). Visit Hoa Lu — Vietnam's ancient capital in the 10th–11th centuries — and its two royal temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le dynasty emperors, set among dramatic limestone outcrops. Board a flat-bottomed bamboo boat for a 2-hour row through the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex (UNESCO World Heritage), passing through four limestone grottoes and past ancient hilltop temples. Return to Hanoi overnight.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch at local Ninh Binh restaurant.
Overnight: Classic Street Hotel or similar (3-star), Hanoi.
After breakfast, transfer to Ha Long Bay (approx. 3.5 hours). Board your overnight cruise and sail into the UNESCO-listed seascape of 1,969 limestone karsts. Lunch is served on deck as the boat moves through the islands. The afternoon takes in Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) — one of Ha Long's largest cave systems — followed by kayaking through the hidden lagoon of Luon Cave beneath a natural limestone arch. Climb Titov Island for panoramic bay views, then swim at the beach below. As the sun sets, join the sunset party on deck with complimentary refreshments as the karsts turn gold around you.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch and Dinner on board.
Overnight: Ha Long Bay cruise cabin.
Wake to sunrise over the bay before a final breakfast on board. The cruise returns to harbour mid-morning and you fly from Hanoi to Da Nang. En route to Hoi An, stop at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula — one of Vietnam's largest Lady Buddha statues (67 m) overlooking the sea — then the Marble Mountains, five limestone peaks riddled with caves and Buddhist sanctuaries, and the adjacent Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village. Continue into Hoi An Ancient Town (UNESCO World Heritage) to explore the Fujian Assembly Hall and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge. Light dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast on board; Light dinner in Hoi An.
Overnight: Sepon Blue or similar (3-star), Da Nang / Hoi An.
A full day at Ba Na Hills — the French colonial hill station above Da Nang, now a mountain resort at 1,487 m. Take the world-record cable car (5,801 m) to the summit. Walk the Golden Bridge, held aloft by two giant stone hands and suspended above the clouds with views to the sea. Explore the Orchid Garden, the medieval French Village, and the underground wine cellar. Ride the funicular through the flower gardens in the afternoon before descending.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch at Ba Na Hills restaurant.
Overnight: Sepon Blue or similar (3-star), Da Nang.
Drive north along the coast and over the Hai Van Pass (Cloud Pass, 496 m) — one of Vietnam's most scenic mountain roads, with panoramic views of Da Nang Bay and the South China Sea. Descend into Hue, Vietnam's imperial capital. Visit Thien Mu Pagoda — the seven-storey octagonal tower that has become the symbol of Hue — on the banks of the Perfume River, then the elaborate hilltop Khai Dinh Tomb, one of the last royal tombs built and the most ornate. Spend the afternoon inside the Imperial City (Hue Citadel) — a walled palace complex built in 1804 on the model of Beijing's Forbidden City, with throne halls, royal gardens, and the Can Chanh Palace ruins. Lunch features local royal Hue cuisine.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch with royal Hue cuisine.
Overnight: Rosaleen Boutique Hotel or similar (3-star), Hue.
Drive north through Quang Tri Province. Stop at the La Vang Holy Land — a pilgrimage site and the ruins of the La Vang Basilica destroyed during the Vietnam War — and the Ben Hai River, which formed the 17th Parallel dividing North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. Continue to the remains of Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, heavily bombed during the 1972 Easter Offensive. Reach Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (UNESCO World Heritage) for a boat excursion into Phong Nha Cave — a 31-km river cave with spectacular stalactites — or, depending on the departure date, Thien Duong (Paradise) Cave, the longest dry cave in Asia. Return to Hue overnight.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch included.
Overnight: Rosaleen Boutique Hotel or similar (3-star), Hue.
A full day in Bach Ma National Park — a 22,000-hectare forest reserve on the crest of the Truong Son mountains, draped in cloud and bisected by fast mountain streams. Trek through primary jungle to the Five Lakes Cascade — a series of clear swimming pools linked by waterfalls dropping through the forest — passing stands of rhododendrons and the Do Quyen waterfall. Swim in the cool mountain water at the lower pools. Return to Hue.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Picnic lunch in the park.
Overnight: Rosaleen Boutique Hotel or similar (3-star), Hue.
After breakfast, fly from Hue (or Da Nang) to Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer directly to the Cu Chi Tunnels — the 250 km network of underground passages used by the Viet Cong during the American War. Watch a short historical film, then crawl through a widened section of the original tunnels, inspect concealed trapdoors and weapons caches, and learn how entire communities lived underground for years. The visit ends with traditional guerrilla food: cassava and green tea. Check in to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Meal: Breakfast at hotel.
Overnight: Liberty Hotel Saigon Greenview or similar (3-star), Ho Chi Minh City.
A full-day excursion into the Mekong Delta. Take a traditional boat to Unicorn Island (Tan Thoi) in Tien Giang Province — a lush river island of fruit orchards and winding village lanes. Walk through the orchard paths by foot, then board a horse-drawn cart through the countryside. Visit a honey-bee farm for a tasting, then a coconut candy workshop where the entire process from raw coconut to wrapped candy is done by hand. Glide through narrow waterways on a sampan rowed by local women in conical hats. Stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda — one of the most architecturally eclectic temples in the south, combining Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian styles. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by evening.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; Lunch at a riverside Mekong restaurant.
Overnight: Liberty Hotel Saigon Greenview or similar (3-star), Ho Chi Minh City.
After breakfast, free time in Ho Chi Minh City before your guide transfers you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (drop-off available 08:00–19:00).
Meal: Breakfast at hotel.
