Experience Vietnam’s top sights on 12 day Luxury tour, tick off the highlights with visits to charming Hoi An, historical Hue, spectacular Halong Bay and much more.

trip highlights

vietnam 12 day itinerary
  • Try your hand at ancient cultivation techniques with members of the local farming community in Tra Que village and enjoy a cooking demonstration of a regional speciality.
  • Explore the vibrant streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter by cyclo, stopping off at a café to sample a traditionally-made, local speciality, egg coffee.
  • Take your seats for ‘the Quintessence of Tonkin’, an outdoor spectacular that perfectly showcases the rich culture and daily life of Vietnam’s northern river delta through talented performers, water puppetry, and lights.
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itinerary details

Day 1 -2: Saigon

Welcome to Saigon, meet and assist and transfer to your hotel. Saigon is Vietnam’s most evocative and largest city. Depending on your time of arrival the rest of the day is yours to start soaking up the local culture.

Day 2: This morning, contemplate the horrors of guerrilla warfare at the Cu Chi Tunnels before returning to Saigon. This exuberant city is driving Vietnam forward into the modern world, but it is also a treasure trove of fascinating heritage. See the colonial Notre Dame Cathedral and visit the Central Post Office, the Reunification Palace, and the chilling War Remnants Museum.

Day 3: Mekong Delta

Journey to Ben Tre to take a cruise on the Mekong. Paddle through the maze of palm- lined canals and get a glimpse of daily life on the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a lunch of typical Mekong dishes and make a stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda en route back to Saigon.

Day 4: Hoi An

Fly to Danang and transfer to Hoi An. This afternoon take a walking tour of this charming town – a wonderfully laidback and wilfully traditional place, whose streets are a delight to wander. Visit an old merchant’s house, Quan Cong Temple, the elaborate Japanese Bridge and the bustling market. Stop en route to visit Reaching Out, a social enterprise craft workshop, and watch the artisans at work.

Day 5: Tra Que Village

Head out into the countryside to Tra Que,
a small farming community that supplies many hotels and restaurants in the area with
vegetables and herbs. Here you can enjoy the lush green countryside, stroll through the gardens to see the farmers at work and try your hand at their traditional techniques. Later spend the afternoon at leisure back in Hoi An.

Day 6: Imperial Hue

Leave Hoi An for Hue, taking a scenic route over the Hai Van Pass. The epitome of Vietnam’s dynastic past, Hue is a dignified and scholarly city. Visit the imposing Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City. Extensively damaged during the Vietnam War, the citadel still exudes much of the grandeur of its past. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Royal Tomb of Minh Mang, a complex of 40 monuments set in surroundings of gardens and pools. Continue to the old Thien Mu Pagoda before taking a cruise on the Perfume River.

Day 7 - 8: Hanoi

Fly to Hanoi. Take the afternoon at leisure or start your explorations of Vietnam’s capital.

Day 8: Sightseeing today includes a wander through the Ho Chi Minh Quarter, where you’ll see Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Stilt House set in the gardens of the Presidential Palace. Also visit One Pillar Pagoda and the Confucian Temple of Literature. End the day’s explorations with a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter and enjoy a flavourful Vietnamese egg coffee.

Day 9-10: Halong Bay Cruise

Board a traditionally-designed boat on Halong Bay, cruising amongst the karst peaks on the tranquil green waters. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a vision of awe-inspiring beauty, it isn’t hard to see why it is one of Vietnam’s most popular destinations. This evening enjoy a dinner of delicious seafood and the spend the night onboard your cruise.

Day 10: Rise early this morning for a beautiful sunrise over the bay. Return to Hanoi this afternoon and later, see the Quintessence of Tonkin show, a spectacular open-air performance celebrating the rich history of northern Vietnam.

Day 11: Free day in Hanoi

Spend a free day in Hanoi, Vietnam’s classical capital city.

Day 12: Departure

End of the trip, transfer to the airport well in a head of time. Departure