Vietnam North to South in 12 Days

Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Hanoi

   We meet you at Noi Bai airport and take you to your hotel near the old quarter. In the evening your guide walks with you through the narrow streets, each once named after the goods made or sold there, stopping at street food stalls for bun cha, fresh spring rolls and egg coffee. The walk ends by Hoan Kiem Lake, where locals gather in the cool of the evening. Your guide gives you a short briefing about the trip and some tips for exploring Hanoi on your own. The old quarter is busy and noisy in the evening, with motorbikes, street vendors and families eating on low plastic stools, and it is the best introduction to the energy of the capital.

   
2. Day 2 Hanoi City

   A full day with Hanoi’s history and daily life. We start at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area and the One Pillar Pagoda, then visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, founded in 1070. After lunch we take a cyclo ride through the old quarter and walk to a family workshop or a quiet communal house. In the late afternoon we watch a traditional water puppet show, an art born in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta. The Temple of Literature is a peaceful complex of courtyards, ponds and old trees, where students still come to pray for good exam results. The water puppet show is about an hour long, with live music and stories from village life and Vietnamese legends. Dinner is free so you can explore the restaurants of the old quarter.

   
3. Day 3 Ninh Binh

   We drive about two hours south to Ninh Binh, a landscape of limestone peaks, rivers and rice fields. In the morning we visit Hoa Lu, the old royal capital, and climb to the Hang Mua viewpoint for a wide view over Tam Coc. After a home-cooked lunch in a village, we cycle easy country lanes to a small pier and take a rowboat through caves and the quiet wetlands of Thung Nham, away from the busy boat docks. Return to Hanoi in the early evening. The rowing is done by local villagers who have worked these waters all their lives, and the slow pace makes it easy to spot herons, kingfishers and goats climbing the cliffs.

   
4. Day 4 Lan Ha Bay Cruise

   After breakfast we drive to the coast and board a small boat for Lan Ha Bay, a quieter part of the Halong area. Lunch is served while we sail between limestone islands. In the afternoon we kayak through lagoons and under rock arches, and swim from a small beach if the weather allows. Dinner is on board and the night is spent at anchor in a calm bay. Our boat is small, with only a few cabins, so the atmosphere is calm and personal. Lan Ha has clear water and small sandy beaches, and in the evening you can try squid fishing from the deck or simply relax under the stars.

   
5. Day 5 Back to Hanoi, Fly to Hue

   Sunrise on deck and a short visit to a floating fishing village before brunch. We sail back to land and drive to Hanoi airport for the evening flight to Hue. On arrival, our driver takes you to your hotel near the Perfume River. The floating villages are home to fishing families who live in wooden houses on the water, and some of them farm fish, clams and pearls. Brunch is served on board as we sail slowly back to the harbour. Hue is a calm and green city, and the drive from the airport passes rice fields and small villages. In the evening you can walk along the Perfume River or try bun bo Hue, the spicy noodle soup the city is famous for.

   
6. Day 6 Hue Heritage

   A day with the history of Vietnam’s last royal capital. A boat takes us along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then we walk the walls, gates and courtyards of the Imperial Citadel. After lunch with Hue specialties, we visit the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, set among lakes and pine hills, and finish with tea in a garden house in Thuy Bieu village. Your guide shares the stories of the emperors, their court and the war that damaged much of the Citadel. Each royal tomb was designed by the emperor himself during his lifetime, so they tell us a lot about the men who built them.

   
7. Day 7 Hai Van Pass to Hoi An

   We leave Hue in the morning and follow the coast south, stopping at Lang Co lagoon, where fishermen work in the shallow water. We then climb over the Hai Van Pass, with views of the sea, the mountains and the city of Da Nang below. After lunch we arrive in Hoi An and walk the old town in the late afternoon, when the light is soft and the lanterns start to glow. The Hai Van Pass was once the border between two kingdoms and is still the natural divide between the cooler north and the warmer south. On a clear day there is a wide view of Da Nang bay from the top.

   
8. Day 8 Hoi An Countryside and Cooking

   We cycle out of town through rice fields to Tra Que, a village of herb gardens, and help a farmer water and plant his beds. Back in Hoi An, a local family takes us to the market to buy fresh ingredients, then teaches us to cook dishes such as banh xeo pancakes and fresh rolls, which we eat together for lunch. The afternoon is free to enjoy the town at your own pace. Tra Que farmers grow their herbs without chemicals, using seaweed from the river as fertiliser. In Cam Thanh, the basket boat rowers like to show off by spinning their boats, so be ready to laugh and hold on.

   
9. Day 9 Hoi An at Leisure, Fly to Saigon

   A free morning in Hoi An for the beach, the market or a tailor. In the afternoon we drive to Da Nang airport for the flight to Saigon. In the evening your guide takes you through the city by car and on foot, ending with dinner at a busy local street food spot. Saigon is a city of contrasts, where tall towers stand next to old pagodas and narrow alleys full of family life. Your guide shares stories about the history of the city and how it is changing today, and recommends places for your free time. The flight from Da Nang to Saigon takes about an hour and a half.

   
10. Day 10 Saigon to the Mekong Delta

    We leave Saigon early and drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta. A boat takes us through small canals to see rice paper, puffed rice and coconut candy being made by family workshops. In the afternoon we continue to a river island in Vinh Long, walk or cycle through fruit orchards, and settle into a family homestay, where we cook dinner with our hosts. The homestay is simple and clean, with fans, mosquito nets and shared bathrooms. The family grows fruit in their garden, and dinner is often fish from the river and vegetables from the garden, shared around a big table.

    
11. Day 11 Cai Rang Floating Market and Back to Saigon

    An early boat takes us to the Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho, where farmers sell fruit and vegetables from their boats, hanging samples on tall poles to show what they sell. We explore smaller canals by boat, visit a rice noodle workshop and have lunch before driving back to Saigon for a last evening in the city. Cai Rang is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta and is busiest just after sunrise. The rice noodle workshop is a family business where you can see how rice is turned into noodles, from the soaking to the drying in the sun.

    
12. Day 12 Departure

    Free time in Saigon until your driver picks you up for the transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport. Depending on your flight time, you may have a few hours for last shopping, a coffee or a visit to a museum. Your guide or driver will pick you up at your hotel in good time and help you with check-in at the airport. If you have a late flight, we can arrange extra activities such as a cooking class, a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels or a walk in Chinatown.