Meet with your guide and embark on a scenic journey through the green rice fields of the Mekong Delta towards Ben Tre and the market town of My Tho.
Here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Vinh Trang, a beautiful garden temple ringed by giant statues of the Buddha, then take a leisurely boat ride and admire the local stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the riverbank.
Enjoy lunch in Tortoise Islet’s orchard garden, then after a boat ride to the charming village of An Khanh, take a relaxing rowed sampan ride along natural canals to the soothing sound of traditional southern Vietnamese folk music. Stop off for a tour of a family business, strolling through its fruit plantation and enjoying delicious homemade coconut candy.
Later, return to Ho Chi Minh City after a day well spent.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 2.5 hours
Rise early and move on towards Cu Chi, a district considered a powerful symbol of the strife that engulfed the nation in the Vietnam War. It has become legendary for the seemingly endless serpentine Cu Chi Tunnels that lie beneath the earth.
On a guided tour of the tunnels, discover a place of solemn pilgrimage for socialists and schoolkids alike and an extraordinary testament to the Viet Cong’s ingenuity.
Travel time: Driving – approx. two hours
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Da Nang. After a little over an hour in the sky, you’ll be picked up at Da Nang International Airport (DAD) and transferred to your hotel in the charming coastal city of Hoi An.
Once a bustling Southeast Asian trading port, the city is still a powerful melange of cultures, influences and traditions. Marvellously preserved, ancient Japanese merchant houses and historic Vietnamese trading warehouses rub shoulders with grand Confucian temples and modern offices to form a colourful tapestry.
Travel time: Flight – approx. 80 minutes
After breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Every street in the peaceful port town is a gift, but the real treasure is a chance to explore Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district that brilliantly preserves the synthesis of cultures that led the city to flourish.
Other highlights include the ancient Japanese Covered Bridge and the masterfully preserved merchant residence, Tan Ky Old House.
If you wish, why not join the optional cooking class and biking tour? Meet with a local guide and visit the market, then watch as these ingredients are used in a cooking class and savour a delicious lunch, which may include papaya salad, fish in a clay pot and more.
Optional activity:
- Cooking class and biking tour (from A$59 per person, bookable on ground).
After breakfast, you’ll have another full day to catch the sights and sounds of Hoi An at your leisure. If you’re feeling adventurous, book an optional activity.
Optional activity:
- Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge tour (from A$170 per person, bookable on ground).
After breakfast, enjoy a little more time to explore Hoi An before being transferred to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) for your flight to Hanoi. On arrival in Hanoi, you will be transferred to your hotel to enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.
Vietnam’s vibrant capital offers folding layers of Chinese and French influence, gaggles of scooters and a wealth of world-class restaurants.
Travel time: Flight – approx. 80 minutes
Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you will drive through the countryside to the Tuan Chau Marina to begin your overnight Ha Long Bay cruise. After a brief meet and greet with the captain and crew, enjoy a welcome drink and delicious lunch and cruise through the bay’s strikingly emerald waters.
Witness the majesty of the bay’s jungle-topped limestone islands and take the opportunity to explore the stalactite-lined Sung Sot Cave, a secluded grotto the French termed ‘Grotte des Surprises’, or Surprise Cave, for its size and beauty.
Cruise onward to Ti Top Island and appreciate the views from the summit before enjoying a sunset party and dinner on board.
Travel time: Driving – approx. two hours and 40 minutes
Enjoy dawn tai chi and a hearty breakfast on the boat before cruising to Ha Long Bay’s Natural Preservation Zone. Kayak through the serene waters, or visit a floating house and learn about the fishers who call the bay home.
Return to the vessel and experience an onboard cooking class and early lunch before disembarking at Tuan Chau Marina and returning to Hanoi, where you might like to enjoy delving into the local cuisuine on an optional street food tour.
Travel time: Driving – approx. two hours and 40 minutes
Optional activity:
- Hanoi street food tour (from A$59 per person, bookable on ground).
Your Vietnam experience has come to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Travel time: Driving – approx. one hour