Your arrival at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport marks the start of your tour. The heart and soul of South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh is a bustling, dynamic and industrious city. It is not only the largest city in Viet Nam, it is also the economic capital and trendsetter of Vietnam.

A scenic drive takes us through the Mekong River Delta, home to the richest agricultural lands in Vietnam that offers a view into a different world and lifestyle as yet unseen. Enjoy a boat trip to an island that houses orchard gardens and then to the fascinating Cai Be floating market. It is a magnificent site as hundreds of small merchant boats anchor alongside the banks of the river trading their commodities as they have done for centuries. We continue with our cruise through the maze of canals that crisscross around An Binh island.

After breakfast, a half-day tour takes you around the city and to the Thien Hau Temple. This is a 16^th century Chinese temple in Cholon dedicated to Thien Hau or the goddess of the sea, who is said to protect fishermen and sailors. The last stop is at the War Remnants Museum, a museum established as a tribute to the Vietnam War. Lunch is at Chateau 1 Restaurant.

Our second day in Hue takes us on the romantically named Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is one of the oldest and most beautiful pagodas in Hue. Next stop is the Minh Mang Tomb. Ming Mang was emperor of Vietnam from 1820 to 1841. Enjoy a vegetarian lunch and take the chance to chat with the nuns to learn more about Buddhism, gain insight into their daily lives and their calligraphy art.

We say goodbye to ancient Hue and travel to the more modern setting of Da Nang then onto the exotic and charming Hoi An. During the drive, you will have the opportunity to stop en route to take pictures at the summit of Lang Co Beach, Hai Van Pass and to visit the Cham Museum located in Da Nang City. The museum offers the most extensive collections of Cham art sculptures throughout the world. The sculptures date from the 7^th to the 15^th century.

The end of the day brings you to Hoi An, another World Cultural Heritage Site. Dinner is at Sakura Restaurant, a beautiful Japanese – Vietnamese restaurant on the banks of the Thu Bon River.

Hotel in Hoi An.

Enjoy a walking tour through the narrow and ancient streets of this charming town. Perhaps more than any other places in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of centuries past. Once known as Faifo, it was an influential port along the Silk Road. For over 500 years, merchants from China, Japan, France and Portugal settled in the prosperous town World Heritage Site listed for having the most unique architecture in Southeast Asia including the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the numerous old family houses. It has been restored and protected by both the UNESCO funding and proud locals. Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

We say goodbye to Hoi An and head back to Da Nang to get the flight to Ha Noi where your host guide will meet you and take you 80 km south of Ha Noi to the beautiful area of Ninh Binh. This area is described as “Ha Long Bay on land” the area boasts an abundance of remarkable landscape, ancient cultures and historical sites.

Saying goodbye to Hanoi, we travel to the astonishing and mystical World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. The Bay is in the Gulf of Tonkin, boasts a spectacular collection of 2,000 islands covering an area in excess of 1,500km forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars and cliff faces.

After breakfast, we continue to cruise through the karsts some of which display fantastic and mystical shapes that lead rise to many legends about dragons and by gone days. We have a visit to the Luon Cave before an early lunch on board and a sad farewell to the boat with crew. On the road back to Hanoi, we stop at the Bat Trang ceramics and pottery village where they sell many kinds of ceramics, embroidery and marble statues. Dinner is at the “Rung” Restaurant.

Hotel in Ha Noi.