Highlights of Vietnam: Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay & Hô Chi Minh City

Board your flight to Hanoi today.

Welcome to Vietnam! Transfer to your hotel to settle in. If you need an invigorating pick-me-up, remember that Vietnamese coffee, or cà phê, is typically brewed strong and sweetened with condensed milk.

Join your Tour Director and fellow travelers on a guided exploration of Hanoi. Vietnam’s capital city is known for its centuries-old architecture, as well as its rich, cultural heritage, which includes a mix of Southeast Asian, Chinese, and French influences.

• Pass Ba Đình Square, where Hồ Chí Minh—the revolutionary leader and president of North Vietnam—read the Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
• Wander through the 11th-century Temple of Literature, a walled complex that’s dedicated to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and site of Vietnam’s first university.
• Visit the site of Hỏa Lò Prison—the notorious “Hanoi Hilton”—where late U.S. Senator John McCain was held as a prisoner of war (POW) for more than five years during the Vietnam War.
• Tour the museum that occupies the remaining prison structure, and learn about POWs’ harrowing experiences in captivity.
• Board a bicycle rickshaw and ride through the busy Old Quarter, an area that’s rich with Vietnamese architecture—picture wooden shutters and wrought-iron balconies—as well as hidden courtyards and gardens, locally owned shops, and street food vendors.
• Pass Đồng Xuân Market (one of the largest wholesale markets in the north of Vietnam), the Hanoi Opera House (inspired by the Second Empire architecture of the Palais Garnier in Paris), and Hoàn Kiếm Lake (its name, which translates to Lake of the Restored Sword, derives from a 15th century Vietnamese legend).

Get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome lunch hosted by the KOTO Van Mieu, a social enterprise which helps train vulnerable youth in the culinary and food service professions.

Vietnamese culture places a strong emphasis on sharing meals with guests. Add an optional excursion to enjoy a home-hosted dinner of Vietnamese specialties with a local family. Up to exploring on your own? Use your free time today to go back to Hanoi’s French Quarter or take a cyclo—a cycle rickshaw—ride through the city’s narrow streets for the ultimate way of getting around.

Please note: In the event KOTO Van Mieu is unavailable, travelers will visit a similar vocational restaurant.

Experience the dramatic emerald valleys and towering seaside cliffs of Vietnam on an optional excursion. Bask in these views from a row boat on an optional excursion to Ninh Bình’s Tam Cốc village where you'll sail past rice paddies and limestone mountains.

Not joining the excursion? Use your free day in Hanoi to take in a traditional water puppet performance showcasing Vietnamese folklore and culture, visit the Vietnam Fine Art Museum or sit down with locals at one of Hanoi’s atmospheric cafes.

Transfer to Hạ Long Bay and embark on a luxurious, overnight cruise. As you explore the emerald waters of this striking setting and UNESCO World Heritage Site by boat, you’ll pass by many of its nearly 2,000 limestone islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited and unaffected by human presence.

• Once on board the ship, enjoy a welcome drink, followed by an included lunch served with beer or wine.
• Cruise past notable natural features, including Fighting Cocks Islet’s pair of limestone islets—shaped like a rooster and a hen—as well as Thien Cung Cave, and Dau Go Cave.
• Climb aboard a small tender with a guide from your ship and motor across the water to Sung Sot Cave—the largest and, according to many, most beautiful cave in the bay. Discovered in 1901, the cave’s stalagmites and stalactites are lit by multicolored lights.
• Get back on board your tender for a ride to your next stop, Tung San Pearl Farm—pearl farming is an important source of livelihood for local communities—where you’ll learn how pearls are grown using traditional Vietnamese methods and new Japanese technology.
• Paddle a kayak along the waters of Hạ Long Bay to enjoy up-close views of the deep green waters and stunning limestone karsts. Keep an eye out for colorful fish, jellyfish, and even monkeys on some of the islands.
• Return to your ship to enjoy a Vietnamese cooking demonstration, then sit down for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

Join a sunrise lesson in Tai Chi—a gentle form of exercise that originated in China as a martial art—on the ship this morning, if you’re up for it. Then, hop into a small boat and make your way to Ti Top Island for time spent swimming or hiking to the top of the island—summit height is about 360 feet or 110 meters—to enjoy panoramic views of Hạ Long Bay’s island-dotted waters.

After enjoying an included lunch, disembark your cruise ship and board a flight to Da Nang. Then, transfer to your hotel in Hội An.

Freshen up at your hotel and gather with your fellow travelers this evening for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

Explore Hội An on a guided tour to shop its markets where you’ll be sure to find the perfect Vietnamese keepsake to bring home.

• Discover the city’s landmarks, including the ornate Japanese covered bridge and Old Town, which has retained its charm as a major trading port and is now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
• Pass by the quaint Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai pedestrian shopping street and its colorful, eye-catching stalls.
• Walk the town’s cobblestone streets to see the 18th century Quan Thang Ancient House with its majestic wooden carvings and silk lantern shop.

This afternoon, pay a visit to Cẩm Thanh village, known as the Coconut Village, located in the Bay Mau coconut forest.

• Visit a farm to learn how Vietnamese farmers grow rice in the fields.
• Sit down for a family-style lunch at the farm.
• Interact with a rice farmer and watch water buffalo plow the fields while enjoying a tea tasting.

After sampling Vietnamese delicacies, how about trying your hand at preparing them yourself? Add an optional excursion to take a hands-on cooking class or return to Hội An and enjoy a free evening in the city perusing a night market or relaxing by the river.

Travel through the Hài Vân Pass as you make your way to Huế, famous for imperial and colonial history, all set along the peaceful “Perfume River”.

• Explore the Thiên Mụ Pagoda, Vietnam’s tallest religious building. Built in 1601, it’s been preserved, expanded, and enhanced for generations to become the unofficial symbol of Huế.
• Visit the fortress and palace known as the Imperial City, surrounded by massive stone walls that stretch for 1.5 miles and punctuated with large gateways and protective moats.
• Head to the RENEW Mine Action Visitor Center where you’ll meet up with a center guide to learn about the ramifications of the Vietnam War that are still felt today, as well as the center’s efforts to remove landmines and other unexploded ordinance from the Vietnamese countryside.

Enjoy an included dinner with beer or wine this evening with your group.

With your free day in Huế today, add an optional excursion that further delves into Nguyễn dynasty emperors and their impressive tombs. If you’re heading off on your own, ask your Tour Director for a recommendation. We suggest continuing to explore the traditional houses in the city center, checking out the treasures in the Huế Royal Antiquities Museum, and of course, try local specialties like Huế-style crepes and sweet dessert soups.

Later, board your flight to Hô Chi Minh City. Hô Chi Minh City was officially renamed from Saigon on April 30, 1975, the same day Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, leading to the reunification of North and South Vietnam. Many locals, especially older residents, still refer to the city as Saigon.

Take in the sights of Vietnam’s dynamic, vibrant metropolis—and largest city—on a guided tour. Hô Chi Minh City, or Saigon, was crucial as the political, economic, and military hub of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

• Witness Vietnam’s progression from French colony to unified, independent nation as you enter the Reunification Palace, whose architecture draws heavily on Brutalism and modernist design.
• See the General Post Office, City Hall, and Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon—whose building materials were imported from France in the late 1800s.
• Visit Bến Thành Market and stroll along Lê Công Kiều, a street known for its treasure trove of antiques.

Spend the afternoon learning more about the history and impact of the Vietnam War.

• Take a self-guided tour of the War Remnants Museum to get a local perspective on the lingering effects of the Vietnam War.
• Visit the vast underground network of narrow, winding tunnels at Cù Chi, which were built during Vietnam’s war of independence from French colonial authority in the 1940s, and expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
• Learn how the North Vietnamese waged guerrilla warfare against the South.
• See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas, and meeting rooms.

Please note: Your guide will advise you of the length and level of difficulty of each tunnel before entering. Those preferring to remain above ground will have ample opportunity to view excavated areas. Good walking shoes and sun protection are recommended, as are clothes that can get slightly dirty.

Retrace yesterday’s steps through Hô Chi Minh City and linger at the market and street food stalls, or add an optional excursion to visit community artisans, farmers, and businesses as you learn more about life along the Mekong River Delta.

Tonight, rejoin your fellow travelers at a local restaurant for a celebratory farewell dinner served with beer or wine.

Transfer to the airport to board your early morning flight home or extend your trip to explore an environmental and cultural jewel, the island of Phú Quốc, for a special side of Vietnam you—and your five senses—will never forget.