Vietnam Food, Culture & Adventure

On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, a private driver meets you for the 60-minute transfer into Hanoi, with pickup scheduled for 12:00 pm and a maximum wait of 30 minutes - this transfer runs without a guide. You're able to bring up to three bags for the journey.

You check in to your accommodation in the city centre and settle in ahead of the days of exploring to come.

After breakfast, you're collected from your hotel in the Old Quarter for the 7:00 am departure to Sapa. The direct transfer takes around six hours, arriving into Sapa town by 1:00 pm, with drop-off at your hotel or at the meeting point on Cau May Street. In the afternoon, you take a private half-day walk through the rice terraces of the Muong Hoa Valley, the largest in the Sapa area.

Starting with a short drive south, you descend into the valley and set off on foot from Lao Chai village, home to the Black Hmong community, to Ta Van village, home to the Giay people. A guide accompanies you throughout, sharing insight into the local rice-growing cycle - between May and October, you may see villagers planting or harvesting in the fields.

The Black Hmong are known for their traditional indigo-dyed clothing and distinct language, while the smaller Giay community, numbering around 38,000 people across northwest Vietnam, is recognised by the purple, blue or green shirts still worn by many women, and by their wood-and-bamboo homes with clay floors.

The walk takes around two hours, on top of around an hour of driving, after which you're driven back to Sapa. Water, snacks and fruit are provided along the way.

This morning, you're picked up from your hotel in Sapa for the return drive to Hanoi, arriving back into the city by around 1:00 pm after a six-hour journey.

This evening, a sunset and night tour of Hanoi awaits, riding in the back of a restored Vietnam People's Army jeep. Picked up from your hotel in the Old Quarter, you're taken beyond the well-known sights and into the backstreets, alleyways and local markets that make up everyday life in Hanoi.

Along the way, you pass by and stop at some of the city's must-see landmarks, including Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, the thousand-year-old Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the French Quarter, the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, the Opera House and Long Bien Bridge.

The tour finishes with a stop at a backstreet cafe, where you try a selection of authentic dishes, including family recipes and local delicacies, with vegan and vegetarian options available.

Today, you leave Hanoi for Halong Bay, with your driver collecting you from your hotel at 8:00 am for the three-hour journey, arriving by around 11:00 am.

The rest of the day is spent aboard your overnight cruise through Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its thousands of limestone karsts rising from the emerald waters. Lunch and dinner are served on board as part of your cruise package.

After breakfast on board, you disembark and are driven back to Hanoi, departing the pier at 11:30 am for the three-and-a-half-hour journey, arriving back in the city by 3:00 pm.

You have some free time in Hanoi before your onward journey - perhaps use it to browse the shops around Hoan Kiem Lake, or wander back through the Old Quarter's streets for one last look. In the evening, you board the overnight train to Hue, departing Hanoi Train Station at 7:25 pm on the SE3 service.

You share an air-conditioned four-berth sleeper cabin for the 13.5-hour journey, arriving into Hue the following morning at 8:55 am, with a wet towel, bottled water, seasonal fruit and biscuits or a snack provided, along with a beer or soft drink.

On arrival into Hue at 8:55 am, a representative meets you at the station for the 60-minute transfer to your accommodation, with a maximum wait of 90 minutes. You're able to bring up to two bags for this journey.

The rest of the day is free to explore Hue independently - Vietnam's former imperial capital, set on the banks of the Perfume River. You might spend time at the Imperial Citadel, the sprawling former seat of government, or head to Thien Mu Pagoda, perched above the river and considered the city's spiritual symbol.

From here, you're driven from Hue to Hoi An, a journey of around three hours, with pickup from your hotel in Hue.

Once you arrive, you have time to settle into your accommodation in Hoi An's ancient town for the next two nights. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed town was once the largest trading port in southeast Asia, known in its day as Lam Ap Pho. With the rest of the day free, you could cross the Japanese Covered Bridge or wander past the ancient town's historic merchant houses.

This morning, a small-group walking tour takes you into Hoi An's backstreets to uncover the local life behind the ancient town's well-known sights, departing between 7:30 am and 11:30 am. A guide leads you to family-run businesses to see how staples like organic bean sprouts and Cao Lau noodles are made, in one of the town's oldest noodle factories, before you get the chance to taste them for yourself.

The walk continues through around an hour of local trails, taking in a family temple, the daily rhythm of market life, and the architecture shaped by centuries of Japanese, Chinese and Western influence on Hoi An. Along the way, you try five to seven local dishes, alongside Chinese and French-influenced treats, at a series of stops, finishing with a drink together at a favourite local spot.

Please note: Vegetarian and vegan options are available, and water, snacks and wet tissues are provided - just bring sunglasses, sun cream, a hat and comfortable clothing.

Please note: Entrance tickets for Hoi An's Old Town are payable locally.

After breakfast, you're collected from your hotel in Hoi An at 9:00 am for the one-hour transfer to Danang International Airport, with air-conditioned transport for up to three bags.

From here, you fly with Vietjet Air to Ho Chi Minh City, departing Danang at 12:00 pm and landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport around 1:25 pm, in economy class with one piece of hand luggage included.

On arrival, an airport representative meets you in the arrivals hall for the onward transfer to your accommodation in the city centre, around a one-hour drive - you're able to bring up to three bags for this journey. You'll spend the next three nights in Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon and now Vietnam's largest and most dynamic city, still tracing its commercial roots back to its French colonial past.

Today, you set off on a private Vespa tour of Ho Chi Minh City, riding on the back of an experienced driver's vintage Vespa for an evening adventure through the city.

It begins with an orientation ride through the city centre past Saigon's landmarks, stopping at a local cafe for Vietnamese coffee. Your tour continues through lively streets and back alleys sampling dishes such as banh mi, Vietnamese pizza, family-recipe noodle soup, charcoal-grilled pork BBQ, lemongrass beef skewers, fresh spring rolls, and local snacks and desserts.

Your final day in Ho Chi Minh City is free to spend as you like, whether that's a last wander through the city centre or simply relaxing before your onward journey.

In the early hours of the following morning, a private driver collects you from your hotel at 3:00 am for the one-hour transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, marking the end of your tour.