Vietnam Family Holiday

Sunday. Xin Chao! Welcome to Vietnam and the start of your family holiday. You'll be met by our representative at the airport and transferred to our hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you and your family to explore the city, with its picturesque tree-lined avenues, scenic lakes, ancient pagodas and bustling old town, all of which are easily accessible by foot. At 6pm there will be a Welcome Meeting in the hotel lobby.

After breakfast, we head out to explore the Vietnamese capital, starting at the Ho Chi Minh complex. Here we take in Ho's mausoleum and the former leader's simple house on stilts, where he chose to live throughout the Vietnam War.

We also enjoy a guided walking tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its '36 Streets', where skilled craftsmen and artisan guilds set up shop in what was once the beating heart of the city. After our tour, we enjoy a delicious lunch before returning to the hotel. The afternoon is free to relax or further explore independently.

Hanoi - Halong Bay. Leaving Hanoi, we transfer to perhaps the jewel in Vietnam's crown - pristine Halong Bay. Here karst limestone islets dappled with green vegetation rise out of the emerald water. We'll be exploring the bay on an overnight cruise aboard a deluxe junk boat, which are based on a traditional design, combining oriental style with modern luxury.

This afternoon we visit Trinh Nu Cave to marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites. You can also go kayaking or enjoy a refreshing swim in the bay. This evening there's a Vietnamese cooking demonstration back onboard and we tuck in to a tasty seafood dinner.

Halong Bay - Da Nang - Hoi An. Early risers can join a Tai Chi class on the sundeck at sunrise. There's also time to explore the beautiful Sung Sot Cave, which consists of two cavernous chambers that are big enough to hold thousands of people. After visiting the cave, we disembark our junk boat and transfer to Hanoi airport for our flight to Da Nang. From Da Nang we transfer to Hoi An, where the evening is free to relax or explore this enchanting waterfront town.

Hoi An is a charming, old-world trading port, home to quaint cobbled streets, traditional Vietnamese houses and tiny shops - the perfect place to lose yourself in a bygone era. On a short walking tour we take in the Chua Ong Pagoda, Chinese Assembly Hall, 200-year old Tam Ky house and the even older Japanese Bridge. The rest of the day is free to relax at the hotel with your family or further explore this endearing town your way. Boutique restaurants, hip cafes along the waterfront, delightful craft shops and artisans including some of Asia’s best bespoke tailors (whose services come at a nominal price), can all be found here.

For a taste of rural life today, we take a leisurely bicycle ride through the countryside to a local farm in Tra Que village (we can arrange alternative transportation at no extra cost for those who don't wish to cycle). On arrival, we’re introduced to the history of the village and learn how the local produce is used in Vietnamese cooking and traditional remedies. We then head into the gardens for a fun, hands-on introduction to village farming life. Together with local farmers, we’ll have the chance to try out some traditional gardening activities such as preparing the soil, watering the vegetables, sowing seeds, and harvesting fresh greens.

After working up an appetite, we help to prepare a delicious home-cooked lunch with a local family. The meal includes regional favourites such as tam huu spring rolls and banh xeo, the famous savoury pancake from central Vietnam. Afterwards, there’s time to relax and soak up the peaceful countryside atmosphere before bidding farewell to our hosts.

We cycle back to Hoi An and take part in a lantern-making workshop. Lanterns are one of Hoi An’s most iconic symbols, and we’ll have the opportunity to create our own colourful keepsake to take home.

Today is completely free of scheduled activities so that you can relax with your family or further explore however you like. Hoi An is great for shopping and there are many fantastic restaurants that foodies may wish to visit, alternatively consider heading to the beach for the day.

Hoi An - Da Nang. Today our Vietnamese family adventure comes to an end. There's an included departure transfer to Da Nang Airport for your onward flight home.