Classical Tour of Vietnam 14 Days

On arrival, transfer to the Saigon Centre Hotel 3* (early check-in if extra-charge) for a three-night stay. An afternoon tour of the city views the 19th-century, twin-towered, Notre Dame Cathedral, the flamboyant façade of the Opera House, and the unmistakably French colonial Central Post Office; and visits the Reunification Palace, its chequered past seeing it serve as the seat of colonial government, before it was all but destroyed, to be replaced in the 1960s; and the History Museum, charting the evolution of Vietnam with exhibits from ancient times to the 19th century. (B)

Visit the labyrinth of tunnels running beneath the city’s Cu Chi district, dug by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam/American war, to house troops, transport, and supplies. The extensive network here is a just a small part of the thousands of miles of tunnels burrowed between Saigon and the Cambodian border. This evening, enjoy a Dinner Cruise on the Saigon River. 

Drive through the Mekong Delta, where storks circle overhead and working water buffalo are in their element. Visit the magnificent Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 19th century Buddhist temple with a huge rooftop statue of a smiling Buddha; and continue to My Tho, the provincial capital and colorful cultural center of Tien Giang, for a cruise on the Mekong River.

 Fly to Hue, a vibrant, forward-looking city, where stylish modern towers share the ground with grand and glorious testaments to its imperial past, from tombs and temples to palaces and pagodas. Visit the Imperial Citadel, with gardens, shrines, mandarins’ villas, and the imperial palace within the walled and moated enclave. Two nights at the centrally sited, Alba Hue Hotel 3 star or similar

 Visit the tomb-temples of the (19th century) Emperor Tu Duc, who moved his household into his own tomb ‘citadel’; and (20th century) Khai Dinh, whose lavishly opulent tomb took 11 years to build. Continue to the Thien Mu (‘heaven fairy lady’) Pagoda. An iconic landmark, shrouded in legends and set on a hilltop outside the city, its seven-storey octagonal tower is the tallest stupa in Vietnam. Cruise back to Hue on the Perfume River; and later enjoy a village dinner with a local family

Cross the mountain on the Hai Van Pass to Da Nang, where the Cham people once ruled much of central Vietnam. Visit the Cham Museum of Sculpture, its collection recording their ancient culture. Continue to Hoi An, its UNESCO listed old town a web of narrow streets and shallow canals. A walking tour takes you to historic merchants’ houses and the fabulous, 400-year-old, ‘Chùa Cau’ Japanese Covered Bridge. A stone and painted timber structure, with mythical monster legends, it is a cultural symbol of the ancient town

Visit the extensive My Son ruins of the Champa Kingdom, inhabited between the 4th and 19th centuries, atmospherically set amid jungle scenery, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later, a cruise on the Thu Bon River echoes the easy tempo of Hoi An, and visits the villages of Kim Bong and Thanh Ha

 Fly to Hanoi, its architecture echoing every era from Chinese pagodas to French colonial elegance and, here and there, jolting modernity. Transfer to the 4 star The Light Hotel Hanoi for two nights. Explore the Temple of Literature, a place of learning for 700years, known as ‘the first university’, and dedicated to Confucius; Hoan Kiem Lake, the city’s social center and a sunrise spot for Tai Chi sessions; and the tight tangle of ‘the 36 streets’ of the city’s Old Quarter. Later, enjoy a Water Puppet show

 Discovery in Hanoi includes visits to Ho Chi Minh’s home and mausoleum; the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine, its 11th-century temple set atop a single pillar, at the centre of a lotus pond; and the History Museum, with exhibits from pre-historic to present day

 Drive (3hrs) to Ha Long Bay, spangled with islands and islets, some little more than forestry-topped limestone pillars, others with beaches on ragged shorelines, or clusters of craggy karst cones soaring skyward from the sea, and one is a National Park with numerous caves. Board the stylish 4 star Cruises boat, for a seafood lunch and an overnight cruise.

Continue cruising this morning, with brunch aboard, before disembarking for the drive (3hrs) to splendidly scenic Ninh Binh, where waterways run between limestone monoliths scattered haphazardly around the town, giving it the epithet of ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. Two nights at the 4-star Emeralda Hotel, serenely positioned within the Van Long Natural Reserve

 Explore the Tam Coc (‘Three Caves’) by sampan rowboat, the flooded karst cave system forming part of the UNESCO listed Trang An Scenic Landscape, steeped in myths and mystery, and adorned with dramatic stalagmites and stalactites. Visit the Bich Dong Pagoda Complex, a trio of tranquil Buddhist temples, one at the foot of the steep hillside, another 100 steps above it, and the third a cave temple at the top; and continue to the Le and Dinh dynasty temples in Vietnam’s ancient capital, Hoa Lu, hemming the Hoang Long River and protected within a circle of forbidding mountains.

 Visit Hang Mua Temple, 500 steps will lead to an impressive temple on top of a hill with an incredible view over Tam Coc and Ninh Binh. Return to Hanoi for overnight at the The Light4 star Hotel - Hanoi

An immersive introduction to local lifestyle, we visit Ancient Duong Lam Village, a cluster of nine hamlets, a glimpse of life in times gone by, a ‘national historic relic’, and recognized with a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for Cultural Conservation. Enjoy lunch with a local family, and visit the Mong Phu temple complex, with phoenix and flying dragon carvings. Continue to Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung Temple before returning to Hanoi for dinner and freshen up, and transfer to Hanoi airport for the return flight