Day 1: Hanoi
Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 
Spend two nights at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in a Premium Room.

Day 2: Hanoi Full Day City Tour
Today’s guided tour starts at Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi. It is great spot to start a healthy day with the sun rising over the water. After a walk around the lake, enjoy traditional Vietnamese breakfast in a café boasting marvellous views of the lake. Then, in the morning you will visit Ho Chi Minh's Complex including the Mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum and The Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. Lunch will be at a local Vietnamese restaurant. In the afternoon the tour will continue to the Museum of Ethnology, containing an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. This will be followed by a one-hour cyclo tour through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi and a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets. Return to your hotel. (B,L)
 

Day 3: Hanoi - Lao Cai
The trip starts with an overnight train journey from Vietnam's capital city to the border town of Lao Cai.
Overnight stay on the train in a Private Cabin (B)

Day 4: Full Day Walking - Sapa
The train arrives at Lao Cai Station at approx 05:30. From here you will take a Topas shuttle bus to Sapa, where you will enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant. At 09:00, you will commence your excursion with a walk through the town of Sapa and along a dirt trail through vegetable gardens and rice paddy terraces. The spectacular scenery of Muong Hoa valley gradually appears within your eyesight. You will then reach the river running at the bottom of the valley and continue the walk on the banks of the river. You will arrive in Y Linh Ho village of the Black H'mong minority, where you will take a rest and have lunch at a nice spot.

After lunch, the walk from Y Linh Ho village to Lao Chai village of Black H'mong minority is almost on the hillsides with views of the valley stretching into the horizon. At Lao Chai village, visit a local house, before following the dirt path linking the village with Ta Van village, the only one in the valley inhabited by Giay minority. From Ta Van, you will be transferred to Topas Ecolodge. Check-in to your bungalow and enjoy views of the valley and mountain surroundings. Today you will walk for 5 hours; grade 2 of 5.

Overnight stay at Topas Ecolodge in a Deluxe Bungalow (B,L,D) 

Day 5: Full Day Walking - Sapa
At 08:00, commence your walk along the footpaths of Silver Stone Mount. During the walk you will witness the stunning views of the valleys and rice paddy terraces. At noon, arrive at the Lech village, inhabited by the Red Dao minority. You will visit the village and have your lunch in a local house. After lunch, continue the walk to a nearby Red Dao village. If it is a school day, a visit to the village’s school to meet all the children. From here, follow the hill trails up to the main road, enjoying the surrounding scenery of dotted peaks, endless rice terraces and the beautiful Muong Bo River. You will arrive back to Topas Ecolodge after another 15 minute walk on the main road.

Today you will walk for 5 hours; grade 3 of 5. Overnight stay at Topas Ecolodge in a Deluxe Bungalow (B,L,D)

 
Day 6: Sapa - Hanoi 
At 09:00, take a Topas Ecolodge shuttle bus to Sapa, where you will spend the day at your leisure. At 17:30, the shuttle bus will transfer you to Lao Cai Station to catch your night train back to Hanoi.

Overnight on the train in a Private Cabin (B)

Day 7: Hanoi - Halong Bay
Upon arrival in Hanoi early in the morning you will be met by your guide and transferred to a hotel to refresh. At 08:30 you will commence your drive to Halong Bay (4 hours with refreshment break en route). Board the Paradise Junk on Tuan Chau Island and meet the crew. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and Asian buffet lunch while admiring the beautiful bay scenery. Spend the day cruising around the UNESCO heritage-listed bay. In the afternoon, explore a famous limestone grotto and traditional fishing village. Then, you can go kayaking or swimming (weather permitting) or relax on the sundeck and enjoy the sunset over the islands as the boat arrives at its anchorage for the evening. Dinner is a freshly prepared seafood feast and the evening entertainment includes movies, board games and spa treatments.
Overnight stay on the Paradise Junk Cruise in a Suite (B,L,D)

Day 8: Halong Bay - Hoi An
Awake to a morning tai chi and buffet breakfast before cruising back through the bay to Tuan Chau Island, arriving at 10:30. Meet up with the vehicle for a drive to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arrival at Danang Airport you will be met and transferred to your Hoi An hotel
Stay 4 nights at Life Heritage Resort Hoi An in a River View Junior Suite (B)

Days 9-11: Hoi An
Enjoy days at leisure to explore Hoi An.

Day 12: Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City
Today you will be transferred back to Danang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight stay at Majestic Saigon in a Colonial Saigon River Deluxe Room (B)

  

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the city is still frequently referred to, is Vietnam’s largest city. It is a fast-paced metropolis full of contrasts, with street vendors selling fruit and vegetables next to western-style bars and boutiques. Amazingly, the city’s history dates back only 300 years. In 1859 the city was captured by the French and became the capital of Cochin China. From 1956 until April 1975 it was the capital of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam. Today, Ho Chi Minh City is very much the heart of Vietnamese business and entrepreneurial activity. Yet, the city still retains its connections to the past, particularly in Cholon which is the city’s Chinatown. Here dozens of elegant temples and pagodas can be seen. The French also left their mark with some fine colonial-era buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.

You will be picked up at 08:00 in the main lobby of your hotel by your guide and in the morning you will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office. Built between 1877 and 1883 the cathedral is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture. Remarkably, every stone used in its creation was shipped from France to Vietnam. The Old Post Office is another example of French colonial architecture and is also the country’s largest post office. You will then visit  Dong Khoi Street, the Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee Building. You will also visit the Reunification Palace which is one of the most important buildings in the city. Here on April 30th 1975 the ‘American War’ officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam. This is followed by lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant.

The tour continues in the afternoon when it takes in a visit to the War Remnants Museum, a poignant display of the futility of war. The courtyard outside contains the spoils of war, namely rusting jets, tanks and cannons captured from the American military machine.  You will also visit the Thien Hau Pagoda which is located in Cholon, the city’s Chinatown and is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. You will take a Cholon Cyclo Tour riding through the narrow streets soaking up the atmosphere in comfort. Finally a visit to Binh Tay Market which sells everything from hats to dried squid!

Overnight stay at Majestic Saigon in a Colonial Saigon River Deluxe Room (BL)

Day 14: Cu Chi Tunnels
At 08:00 you will be picked up from your hotel by your guide for a drive to Cu Chi Tunnels. Upon arrival, watch a short introductory video on the construction of the tunnels. The next hour is spent exploring the maze of tunnels, accompanied by the guide.  Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500-pound bombs from B52 bombers. Return to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving early in the afternoon.

Overnight stay at Majestic Saigon in a Colonial Saigon River Deluxe Room (B)

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight stay at Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa in a Superior Room in a Deluxe Room (B)

Day 16: Roluos Temple Complex - Angkor Wat
You will be met by your guide and the morning is spent visiting the Roluos Temple Complex, the earliest of the Angkor temples, and its three principal monuments, Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei. Afterwards, enjoy lunch in Siem Reap before heading to the majestic ruins of Angkor Wat, the most well preserved of all the Angkor temples. You will have plenty of time for a thorough exploration of this huge architectural wonder. At the end of the day, watch the sunset over the jungle from the top of a centuries-old temple.

Overnight stay at Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa in a Superior Room (B,L)



Day 17: Banteay Srey and Banteay Samre - Tonle Sap Lake
Today is an early start to witness the sunrise at the Angkor Wat Temple. After breakfast, visit the exquisite Banteay Srey, or the Citadel of Women, home to some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art, followed by a tour of Banteay Samre. Explore the temples at leisure before the tour heads to the Tonle Sap Lake. This valuable ecosystem was classified as an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. A short drive south of Siem Reap is followed by a boat tour of the floating villages and surrounding wildlife.

Overnight stay at Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa in a Superior Room (B)

Day 18: Siem Reap Departure
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight.