Hanoi, its historical emphasis on the arts and learning stipulates that buildings in Hanoi remain small, simple and in harmony with nature. Enjoy a morning city tour of Hanoi to include the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing monument made of marble and granite. This is where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” may be viewed. Our tour continues with a visit to the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda, known as the Temple of Love. In the form of a lotus, it emerges from the water and rests on a single stone pillar. It contains a statue of the Goddess of Mercy with its legendary “thousand arms and a thousand eyes”.

Later in the afternoon a visit to the Museum of Ethnology will enhance our understanding of Vietnam’s diverse culture through its unique presentation of objects & dress from daily life. Then enjoy an interesting 1-2 hour cyclo ride (Vietnam version of a pedicab) through the Old Quarter to gain a glimpse of the local daily life followed by the uniquely amazing Water Puppet show at Thang Long theatre. (B,L,D)

We begin our day early with our drive through the countryside to Halong Bay. Here we board our private junk to begin a 4-hour cruise through spectacular Halong Bay while enjoying a fresh seafood lunch served on board. As we make our way through the bay, we will visit the magnificence of a massive cave discovered by a lone fisherman. Sitting atop our junk, we enjoy the afternoon sun, the blue waters of the bay, and the over 3000 islands that comprise this wonder of the world.

Our transfer back to Hanoi gives us time to rest, have dinner, and prepare for our night train to SaPa. We board our luxury coach and make our way north to the hilltribe region of Vietnam. Enjoy the quiet of your cabin berth or share conversation in the wonderful dining car. (B,L)

We arrive to LaoCai early in the morning and transfer to the Victoria SaPa hotel for a hearty breakfast. The rest of the day is free at leisure to explore the many surrounding villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dzao tribes. Trails connect the many villages in this majestic valley providing walks through the magnificent countryside blanketed with the recently harvested rice crop. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the bustling town of SaPa, a massage, or the quiet of your balcony to reflect upon this beautiful valley.

We will welcome the New Year with an international buffet prepared by the European trained Chef of the Victoria SaPa hotel. Enjoy music and dancing as we count down the minutes to the New Year! (B,L,D)

After a hearty breakfast, we will begin our journey from SaPa to Lao Cai village, a Black Hmong ethnic minority village. We will then walk through the countryside to Tavan village where the Giay ethnic minority hill tribe lives. Here we will rest and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our guide in a local guest house. After lunch we will continue our walk through the bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. Pick a cozy location and enjoy the serenity of the waterfall or if you are brave, you can take a plunge into the cool waters. We continue our walk where our car will be waiting to transfer us back to the Victoria.

Enjoy the remainder of the day -- view the setting sun from your balcony, take a swim in the pool, or sit fireside in the lounge while enjoying a coffee or drink. Dinner will be in town this evening before we head back to enjoy the peaceful environment of the Victoria. (B,L,D)

We will take a short drive to the village of Supan and begin our walk downhill through breathtaking scenery. The lush green of the valley and rice paddy terraces will grace our approach into Ban Ho village – home to the Tay minority. From here, the Russian jeeps will meet us for a scenic drive to the Tay village of Thanh Phu where we will enjoy a freshly prepared lunch by our guide in a local guesthouse. We will take an afternoon stroll to Xafo village of My Son before heading back to Thanh Phu for our ride back to SaPa.

Enjoy our last few hours in SaPa before we head back to Lao Cai to board the Victoria Express. We will enjoy our 4-course dinner in the Victoria Dining Car as we begin our journey back to Hanoi. (B,L,D)

We arrive early to Hanoi and transfer to a local hotel to freshen up before catching our flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang we will make our way along the South China Sea to the Furama Resort for a delicious lunch. A visit to the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain will provide us a glimpse into the history of the Cham and the display of magnificent marble carvings.

Continuing our drive south along the coastline, we will arrive into Hoi An. Formerly, as an international trading port during the 17-18th century, Hoi An is a charming small town with an eclectic mix of western and eastern-influenced architecture. We will check into the Life Resort – a wonderful place to rest, rejuvenate and enjoy the riverside. If you are interested in silk – this is the place to have anything you want tailored to your fit! Tonight we will have dinner on the rooftop of the Cargo Club overlooking the river. (B,L,D)

This morning we have two options from which to choose – enjoy a 30 minute boat ride to the Kim Bong Carpentry Village. In the village you will have the opportunity to learn how the boats are made and enjoy the sculpture skills of the villagers. We then travel by boat to the Thanh Ha Ceramic Village where you can study the art of ceramics. If you prefer to see the sites along the river in a kayak, you might instead choose a kayak tour along the river.

You might choose to enjoy lunch on the terrace of the Life Resort or try out one of the many restaurants in Hoi An. Afterwards, we have three options: either enjoy a bike ride through the countryside of Hoi An or take in the sites on footl through town enjoying the hustle of daily activity. There are endless streets of galleries, silk tailors, and other artisans displaying their fine crafts. Or, you might opt for a relaxing massage or a swim in the pool!

Tonight we will have a delicious dinner at a local restaurant in town before relaxing for the evening at the Life Resort. (B,D)

After breakfast, we will head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels located approximately 30km northwest of Saigon. The Cu Chi district is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968. The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. Bomb craters, underground tunnels, and deadly traps remind us of the destruction of this beautiful land.

We will return to Saigon for a lunch hosted at the Ni Vien Van Thanh Monestary – the home to approximately 45 Buddhist Nuns. This is truly a wonderful experience as we share a meal and stories with the Nuns.

After lunch we will make a stop at the Reunification Palace (the former South Vietnamese Headquarters) which is still in use for diplomatic purposes. Here we will see the war rooms used for the South Vietnamese army.

A short ride back to the Caravelle Hotel where you are free to enjoy the late afternoon and evening on your own. (B,L)

We will make our way to Can Tho by van. Upon arrival to the Ca Bain ferry station, you have two options. The first option is a boat trip through the small canals of the Mekong River where you will visit the markets and enjoy the bustling life and activities on the river. A stop in several factories will provide us learning into the makings of rice candy, noodles and other products related to the ‘gold’ of the area. Lunch will be at the Bonsai Garden on one of the many islands doting the Mekong River region. The second option would be to take the van from the ferry to Vinh Long village where we begin a bike tour through the countryside to Long Ho. A picnic lunch along the way and then we continue our pedaling to Ba Ke where we cross the local ferry to reach Ba Cang. We continue through the rice fields before we rendezvous with our van to the hotel.

The afternoon is free to enjoy the Victoria Can Tho. Relax by the pool, nap, or enjoy a massage riverside. Dinner will be at the Victoria Can Tho. (B,L,D)

Today we start our day early with a boat trip to visit the floating markets. This offers you the perfect opportunity to experience and learn how important the river systems are for the area. Boats maneuver their way carrying loads of fresh produce. A lone fruit or vegetable extended upon a pole above the boat to ‘advertise’ the produce that is available on that craft. Listen to the friendly banter of the locals trading for their daily needs.

Lunch will be on the river at the Sao Hom Café. The fresh river breeze keeping us cool while we enjoy a relaxing meal. The afternoon is at leisure to explore, relax or visit. Or, you can choose to take a bike ride into the countryside. The bike tour will parallel the river to Binh Thuy were we will visit the Khmer pagoda, Binh Thuy community house, and a Binh Thuy ancient house (traditional styled hours in the Mekong Delta).

Dinner will be the International Buffet at the Victoria Can Tho. (B,L,D)

After breakfast we will begin our drive back to Saigon. We will stop for lunch along the way at Chuong Duong Hotel located on the river bank of the Upper Mekong River. We will then visit Vinh Trang pagoda, the oldest pagoda in town. At this point, you again have two options. You can relax and watch the countryside from the comfort of our van or if you would like to bike, we will pedal from My Tho to Ben Luc before picking up the van for Saigon.

Our farewell dinner will be at the infamous Saigon-Saigon Rooftop Bar where the journalists of the Vietnam War would put their experiences into the stories we read. We will enjoy our last evening together surrounded by the city lights of Saigon. The reflections of our experiences will fill our final time together! (B,L,D)