Viet Nam North to South

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel, about 40 minutes away. Hanoi, Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital, blends ancient streets, elegant French colonial buildings and romantic lakes.

Morning: Ho Chi Minh Complex (Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda) and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, built in 1070. Afternoon: a museum of choice, then Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, and shopping in the Old Quarter's 36 ancient streets.

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM for the 3.5-hour drive to Ha Long Bay, with a handicraft workshop stop en route. Check in aboard the booked junk at 11:30 AM, cruise past Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Dog and Sail Islands, visit Sung Sot Cave, swim at Titov Beach, then dinner, night fishing at 9:00 PM and an overnight on board.

Early morning bay views, breakfast, and a cruise past Human Head Shaped Island, Tortoise Island and into Bai Tu Long Bay. Disembark and transfer to Hanoi airport for the flight to Danang. On arrival, meet your guide and transfer to hotel for check-in, free and easy.

Morning departure to Ba Na Hills past Nguyen Tat Thanh Street and Red Beach, riding the record-setting cable car up to Golden Bridge. Visit Le Jardin, old French villas and Linh Ung Pagoda, the Peak of Chua Mountain, Dreaming Stream and Rainbow Waterfall, with lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer to Hoi An.

After breakfast, begin at Cam Thanh water coconut village, learning traditional fishing techniques and rowing a bamboo basket boat. Discover Hoi An ancient town on a walking tour past the Chinese Assembly Hall & Temples, old houses, the Japanese Covered Pagoda Bridge and the Sa Huynh Culture Museum.

Morning free and easy, until transfer to the airport for the flight to Saigon. Arrive in Saigon, welcome by our guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is Vietnam's largest city and economic center.

Morning, half-day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, once a major underground hideout of Viet Cong forces, hand-dug and stretching over 120 km. Afternoon, half-day city tour visiting the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, the former South Vietnam President's residence.

Morning, travel by road to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl. In My Tho, board a boat through canals observing local life, land on Unicorn Island for orchards and traditional music. Continue to Ben Tre to watch coconut candy making and ride a horse-pulled carriage, with cruising to bee-keeping households for fresh honey.