Trails of Vietnam

Begin your adventure in Hanoi, a city where an unstoppable energy meets traditional Vietnamese culture and colonial influences permeate the broad tree-lined boulevards, most noticeably in faded French architecture. Whether you're buying baguettes and inexpensive coffee from the grand doorways of a past era, drifting alongside Hoan Kiem Lake or roaming the animated streets, Hanoi offers a delicious first taste of Vietnamese culture. Even crossing one of many manic roads is a memorable experience.

This evening, there will be a welcome briefing with your leader followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant. Stay: Lenid Hotel (or similar).

This morning, we transfer (approximately four hours) to Hoa Binh Province. Travelling up and over the Truong Son mountain range affords lush views, a perfect precursor of the scenery for the following days. We journey to the peaceful Sung Village, home to approximately 70 families from the Dzao Tien community. Upon arrival, we enjoy lunch cooked by a local family before an afternoon trek (1. 5mi), on which we learn about traditional agriculture and visit a limestone cave and an ancient tea plantation.

We spend the night with a family with the chance to learn more about rural life in this beautiful part of the country. Please note: You need to leave your main luggage back in Hanoi at the hotel while visiting Da Bac for two nights and take an overnight bag instead. You will be reunited with your main luggage on Day 4 after arriving back to Hanoi. Stay: Sung Village homestay (B/L/D).

Beeping, bustling Hanoi will be a faint memory, and the day is spent exploring this rural paradise. After an early breakfast, we start our trek. Walking for approximately five hours, we pass through a picturesque valley of quilt-like rice terraces, palms and small villages. We're also rewarded with fantastic views of the Da Reservoir. We arrive in the village of Da Bia for a lunch served by a Muong family, who we stay with. There will be free time near the end of the day to swim in the reservoir or you can hire a kayak (optional extra) and explore a little further. Stay: Da Bia village homestay (B/L/D).

A short walk this morning takes us to the reservoir where we board a private boat for our journey (approximately 60 minutes) to Thung Nai harbour. We stop for lunch and, time permitting, have the option of visiting the Muong ethnic minority museum to learn more about one the main ethnic groups here. On return, a city tour in Hanoi introduces the many layers of Vietnamese culture and history. Sites include Hoa Lo, the Temple of Literature, and the Old Quarter, the centuries-old soul of Hanoi.

Stepping into this commercial labyrinth is not as confusing as it first may seem, but only once you realise the 36 streets indicate the products sold. So why not turn down Silk Street, Souvenir Street or even Gold Street? The remainder of the afternoon/early evening is free, perhaps to enjoy the view from a lakeside cafe. If you wish to join an optional activity, your tour leader can arrange a viewing of the water puppets, which originates from the 11th century, where folktale and legends are playfully recounted and soundtracked by wooden bells, bamboo flutes and cymbals. Stay: Lenid Hotel (or similar) (B).

After an early start, we transfer (approximately four hours) to Ha Long Bay where our private boat awaits, ready to cruise along Ha Long Bay. The name means ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’ –legend has it, the islands were formed when a dragon plunged into the waters. Carving crevasses on its way, it left roughly 3,000 limestone peaks rising from emerald waters. Soak up the enigmatic atmosphere this karst scenery creates, before kayaking to places inaccessible on the larger boat (weather permitting).

A seafood lunch is served on board, and the evening is yours to unwind upon tranquil waters. The night is spent in twin-share cabins. Please note: You need to leave your main luggage in Hanoi at the hotel while visiting Ha Long Bay for one night and take an overnight bag instead. You will be reunited with your main luggage on Day 6 after arriving back to Hanoi. Stay: Overnight boat (B/L/D).

As the boat cruises past the majestic peaks, there will be new opportunities to immerse ourselves in the mystical quality of Ha Long Bay. After returning to port, we transfer to Hanoi train station and board the Reunification Express for the overnight train to Hue (approximately 13 hours). The journey is a great way to travel like the local people and really experience Vietnam. Stay: Overnight train (B).

In the morning, we arrive in Hue, the cultural and historical centre of Vietnam. Brimming with charisma, the city has impacted several poets in its time and serves as a reminder of Vietnam's imperial glories. Today we take a bus transfer to the Imperial Citadel and Thien Mu Pagoda to peep into the life of Nguyen emperors. With 6mi (9. 5km) long walls, the Imperial Citadel is the most outstanding sight in town. We explore the palaces, halls of the Mandarins, and remains of the Forbidden Purple City, once only open to the emperor, his eunuchs and concubines. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax and enjoy at leisure. Stay: Park View Hotel (or similar).

After breakfast, we transfer by bus to Emperor Tu Duc's Mausoleum. Amid a lake and boundless pine forest, this tomb is deemed the most extravagant mausoleum of the great Nguyen emperors and one of the most beautiful pieces of royal architecture in Vietnam. Next, an 80mi (130km) drive to Da Nang passes through the Lang Co peninsula, between crystal lagoon waters and the Eastern Sea, as well as the Hai Van pass, known as the Pass of the Ocean Clouds.

In Da Nang, climb the Marble Mountains and explore the large caves used by the Viet Cong as a hospital base during the war. At the peak, enjoy stretching views over My Khe beach and the countryside. We spend the next two nights in Hoi An, an ancient trading port town often described as a living museum. Stay: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar) (B).

Embrace the sleepy ambience of Hoi An on a orientation walking tour. Wooden merchant houses and pagoda-style temples line the streets, architecturally reflecting the Japanese, Chinese and European influences on the town. The afternoon is free to enjoy what many call their favourite town in Vietnam. Take a boat trip on the Thu Bon River, meander around the thriving riverside markets, or explore the silk shops. Alternatively, hire a bike and cut through countryside towards Cua Dai beach, past markets, schools and villages (3mi/5km). Stay: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar) (B).

Transfer to Da Nang airport and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (approximately 70 minutes), a city of chaotic thrills. Please note, HCMC is in the south, and therefore likely to be much warmer and humid than the north. Upon arrival, a 60-minute drive takes us to the Ben Dinh section of the Cu Chi tunnels. Crawl through the infamous and intricate system and experience the spirit of guerrilla warfare.

Used by the Viet Cong during the war as escape routes and living quarters, the network covers three levels and approximately 150mi (240km) of tunnels. Although they were traditionally very narrow, they have now been widened to allow an extensive exploration of the system. Even so, people with claustrophobia may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar) (B).

Arrive in the small market town of My Tho after a three hour drive. After hopping onto our bikes, we follow the Mekong River through quiet backroads towards Cai Be (approximately 16mi/25km). Known as the Rice Bowl of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta produces most of the country’s tropical fruits, some of which you can sample, plus sugar cane and coconuts. Transfer back to Can Tho (approximately two hours) to relax and soak up the atmosphere of this quiet riverside town or explore the maze of backstreets and wide boulevards.

Please note: You need to leave your main luggage in Ho Chi Minh City at the hotel while visiting Mekong Delta for two nights and take an overnight bag instead. You will be reunited with your main luggage on Day 13 after arriving back to Ho Chi Minh City. Stay: Ninh Kieu Riverside Hotel (or similar) (B).

We have an early start for a boat trip along the Bassac River towards Cai Rang, the largest and liveliest floating market in the Delta. Float through a maze of boats filled with fruits, vegetables and plants, and watch the techniques the sellers use to make a living. One includes attaching their produce to long poles and hanging them above the boat, enabling them to showcase their items from all angles and distances. Since you'll be witnessing authentic trade in full swing, there will be countless opportunities to capture traditional scenes on camera.

Afterwards, we cycle to Vinh Long through rural villages and scenic landscapes (approximately 20mi/32km). Reaching the end of the day, we transfer by motorboat to an island in the middle of the Mekong River to overnight at a homestay guesthouse built in the style of a local house. Bedding, a mosquito net and a small towel are provided. Stay: Homestay guesthouse (B/D).

Cruise by boat along the Cai Be floating market and visit cottage industries manufacturing local products such as popped rice, sweets, pancakes and wine. Recently, the market is becoming less crowded and smaller as fruit trading is mostly now done by trucks. However, this is still a great opportunity to see a local market and traditional trade on a smaller scale. We return to Ho Chi Minh City, which was devastated by the Vietnam War but is now a bustling free-market city. A combination of old and new diversifies the city with temples standing among zooming scooters and modern developments.

The Reunification Palace is one stop on our tour, known for its 1960s architecture and slightly garish appeal as much as its association with the fall of Saigon (now HCMC) in 1975. Another stop is the War Remnants Museum, housing a collection outlining the horrors of modern history and warfare and impact on innocent civilians. Be aware, these records are often very graphic and distressing. Heading to the romantic Catholic Notre Dame Cathedral throws yet another light on the city. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar) (B).

Our Vietnam tour ends this morning after breakfast. However, if you're not ready for the adventure to end, speak to your sales representative about joining our four-day post-trip excursion to Angkor, the standout archaeological site in Southeast Asia (B).