sample itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Hanoi
After getting through visa formalities, you will be welcomed by our English speaking guide at Noi Bai International Airport and transferred by private car to your hotel for checking in.
The charm from the French era still emerges from the capital of Vietnam. City of broad boulevards lined with tamarind trees and numerous lakes, HANOI harmoniously combines the liveliness of the Old Quarters with remarkable colonial architecture.
Overnight in Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole: Metropole Suite
Sofitel Metropole
Hanoi
's top choice. Built in 1901, the Metropole is a historical treasure. It was here that invading, liberating, or civil armies found billet and raised their flags; the first film was shown in Indochina; Charlie Chaplin spent his honeymoon; Jane Fonda and Joan Baez took cover in a bomb shelter; and heads of state and embassy officials have resided over the years. In fact, the history of the Metropole is the history of the last hundred years in Hanoi, and the hotel has even published a short volume telling the tale. The Metropole has been through numerous renovations, and a new building was added in 1994. Rooms in the new wing are more spacious, but go for the old wing and walk into a bit of history (keep an eye out for ghosts) in these medium-size rooms with wood floors, cane furniture, classic fixtures, and high ceilings. Modern bathrooms are large and have little touches like wood-frame mirrors, fresh flowers, and a fine line of in-house products. The staff couldn't be nicer or more efficient. The pool is small, but the adjoining Bamboo lounge is an oasis of calm in the city centre. The health club with sauna and massage is superb and has a good street view. Le Beaulieu is popular in Hanoi for classic French fare, and the SpicesGarden is a great place to sample local delights. The lunch buffet is a safe and tasty place to try Hanoi street fare like pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and bun cha, a northern specialty of fresh rice noodles with pork, fresh herbs, and a light fish sauce. The Metropole also offers cooking classes. The Sofitel's Met Pub is a casual spot to have a beer and listen to live music. The downtown location can't be beat, and there's a nice mix of tourists and businesspeople here.
Facilities:
4 restaurants; 3 bars; nice courtyard pool; top-notch health club; spa; Jacuzzi; sauna; concierge; tour desk; car rental; limo; business centre; shopping; salon; massage; laundry; Internet
Day 2 Hanoi
This morning meet your guide at your hotel and depart on your tour after breakfast. Your first stop will be Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed Mondays and Fridays), as well as his private residence from 1954 until 1969. The wooden ethnic minority style house, which was built on stilts, is surrounded by lovely peaceful gardens. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.
Your tour continues to the National Fine Arts Museum, located in colonial France’s former Ministry of Information, which has an eclectic mix of contemporary Vietnamese art, religious pieces, lacquer-ware and sculptures. Your next stop will be the Temple Of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past.
Enjoy your free lunch at a local restaurant before enjoying a one hour tour by cyclo, a chauffeur-pedalled tricycle, through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets”. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It's a great place to explore, especially by cyclo, with plenty of photo opportunities all around you.
Attend a traditional water puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form especially designed for depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history.
Overnight in Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole: Metropole Suite
Day 3 Hanoi-Halong
Transfer Hanoi to Halong. Boarding the Emeraude, a wonderful replica of one of the classic steamships of the colonial era of French Indochina. With 37 luxurious air-conditioned cabins, a restaurant, two bars and a sundeck this is the ultimate HalongBay experience. Lunch is served on board at 13:00. Whilst cruising on the emerald green waters of the bay try a traditional Vietnamese or foot massage as an optional extra. Another optional extra is high tea served on the sundeck in the late afternoon. A buffet dinner is served between 20:00 and 23:00.
Overnight on board the Emeraude: Suite
Day 4 Halong-Hanoi-Hue
Wake up to fresh coffee and a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to Tuan Chau quay. Early morning Tai Chi is an optional extra on the sundeck from 6:00 to 7:00 before breakfast. Arrive back at Tuan Chau at 8:30 for disembarkation. Drive back to Hanoi. Rest of the day is at leisure until transfer to Noi Bai airport for flight to Hue. You will be welcomed by our English speaking guide at Hue Phu Bai airport and transferred by private car to your hotel for checking in.
Hue
is a place with a lot of originally historical vestiges as in this ancient CapitalCity and it is an important centre of Buddhism. In Hue and its surrounding still exist numerous of pagodas constructed more 300 years ago, very beautiful temples, tombs of Nguyen Kings. Besides, Hue is a place where the royal music is originated, and a place with traditional famous dishes and sophisticated handicraft.
As a unique city of Vietnam still remains its form of City under Middle Age and the constructions of monarchic, Hue has become a big and an invaluable museum. Therefore, vestiges in Hue ancient capital have been classified by the government as a very precious property and on December 1993 Hue has been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Overnight in Hue: The Imperial: Imperial Suite
The Imperial
Stunningly positioned on the fabled PerfumeRiver, La Résidence Hôtel & Spa is one of a kind, surrounded by a ring of nature, on two hectares of land and with the river and citadel to gaze at. This former governor's residence has been restored and converted into Vietnam's newest boutique hotel.
Ideally settled in the heart of Hue, guests will find Huy Hoang (La Residence) Hotel an excellent base for exploring this ancient capital. All of the 65 guestrooms at this 3-star hotel offer guests a comfortable and pleasurable stay with modern in-room amenities. Each guestroom has telephone, air conditioning, television (cable), mini bar, hair dryer and coffee/tea. Visitors to Hue will see that the hotel is the right choice with its convenient location and complete service and facilities.
Day 5 Hue
Depart your hotel this morning for your full day tour of Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. A boat trip on the romantically named PerfumeRiveror drive takes you by tranquil settings of gardens and lakes where Hue’s best-known religious sites, the Thien Mu Pagoda and the mausoleum of former Emperor Minh Mang are located. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before you continue your tour to the Imperial Citadel, from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Rest of day is at leisure.
Overnight in Hue: The Imperial: Imperial Suite
Day 6 Hue-Hoi An
Drive south to Danang through the inspiring 4900 ft high Hai Van Pass, Vietnam's geographical and psychological boundary between north and south. The peak of the pass lies perpetually shrouded in clouds. Stop at the stone-carving village at the foot of the MarbleMountains. Continue to the absolutely charming and relaxed town of Hoi An. Believed to have been settled no less than 2,200 years ago, Hoi An was a thriving seaport and a base for seafaring nations seeking new sources of wealth throughout Southeast Asia. Even ancient Arab trading documents mention Hoi An as a stop along their trade routes. Rest of the day is at leisure.
Hoi An AncientTown is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site
Overnight in Hoi An: The Nam Hai: 1 bed Pool Villa
The Nam Hai
A 1-km long beachfront complex of beautiful villas on world-famous ChinaBeach: Nam Hai Hotel provides a five-star experience with the highest levels of elegance, comfort and privacy. Parisian architect Reda Amalou, celebrated by Architectural Digest for his Pacific Rim work in high-end new design, created a series of 100 villas, 40 of which have their own temperature-controlled pool, all looking out on the beach. Interiors are muted, with dark wood, clean lines and a sense of textured but uncluttered luxury. Rain showers, in-room bathrubs, flatscreen television and Bose sound system are standard amenities; the UNESCO world heritage site of My Son is an hour away for the more adventurous. A Eurasian-themed restaurant serves modern interpretations of the freshest fish and shellfish, but the real treat of the Nam Hai Hotel is the unobstructed view out of the front of each cabin: an infinity pool that blends into the beach. Beyond the palm trees are views of endless blue sea and, in the distance, the ChamIslands: a modern traveller’s version of infinite relaxation.
Day 7 Hoi An
This morning take a leisurely stroll of the ancient town centre and visit the sites of former merchants’ houses, a 400 year-old JapaneseCovered Bridge, and a Chinese Communal Hall. Before you return to your hotel enjoy browsing and shopping in the one of the most colourful local marketplaces in all of SE Asia.
Afternoon: Free at leisure. Note: You can request a cyclo for convenience.
Overnight in Hoi An: The Nam Hai: 1 bed Pool Villa
Day 8 Hoi An-Danang-Saigon
Transfer to the airport for flight to Saigon. On arrival, transfer to hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure.
Originally a vast forest of malarial swamps and marshes, Saigon - now known as Ho Chi Minh City - has become the focus of business entrepreneurs looking for untapped markets.
Many of its colonial charms – classical European buildings that have been converted into apartment complexes, office buildings and up-market hotels, the huge General Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral – retain their dignity standing side by side with high-rise department stores and surrounded by luxury cars and modern developments. The famous Rue Catinat of Graham Greene’s Saigon may be called Dong Khoi nowadays but it is still the swankiest street in town, lined with fancy restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and souvenir shops.
Overnight in Saigon: Park Hyatt: Park Exe Suite
Park Hyatt
“In contrast to the city's shiny modern vibe, the 259-room Park Hyatt takes its inspiration from Vietnam's colonial past, exuding the elegance of an old-world residence with its louvered windows, ceiling fans, and four-poster beds. Clever touches include closets that separate the bedroom from the bath, allowing access from either side—but keep your possessions out of reach of the rain shower, which sprays beyond its designated range. Staff excel, delivering breakfast on the dot. The hotel's Italian restaurant, Opera, has brought alfresco dining (absent since the war) back to historic Lam Son Square, while a second restaurant, Square One, is fast becoming the city's top choice. A graceful waterfall in the outdoor pool obscures the urban drone.” Conde Nast Traveller
Day 9 Saigon
Morning: Ho Chi Minh City has more to offer than meets the eye. Step off the beaten track and take a stroll to the oldest quarter of the city (car at your disposal should you need it). Begin by visiting the peculiar Dan Sinh Market, the only market where you can still find military cast-offs from the Vietnam War, and if you look hard enough, relics from the French Indochina era. Follow a typical street to reach Beaux-ArtsMuseum, a superb neo-colonial building home to various modern arts. Explore the art galleries surrounding the museum, where local artists gladly display their talent. A well-kept secret is Antiques Street (Le Cong Kieu), where genuine antiques are mixed in with genuine fakes: Aladdin oil lamps, carved wooden chests, Marelli copper fans, opium pipes, abacuses etc. A visit to Saigon would not be complete without a taste of its best ice-cream- Fanny’s a quaint little French atmospheric parlour before continuing on to the trendy boutiques and shops of Ton That Thiep Street.
Afternoon: Free at leisure.
Overnight in Saigon: Park Hyatt: Park Exe Suite
Day 10 Saigon-Nhatrang
Transfer to the airport for flight to Nhatrang. On arrival transfer to hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in Nhatrang: Evason Hideaway: Water & Rock Villa
Evason Hideaway
Accommodation at the Evason Hideaway in Nhatrang provides generous personal space and an uncompromised standard of luxury. Evason Hideaways offer elegantly designed modern architecture positioned with an image supporting the Evason Hideaway theme - Innovative Style.
Accessible only by boat, the site of the Evason Hideaway on dramatic Ninh Van Bay is quite unique, taking full advantage of the setting. Impressive rock formations, the coral reef, white sand beach, a playful stream and the towering mountains behind, all add to the sense of being luxuriously at one with nature.
Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara is built in an architectural style that reflects the traditions of Vietnam. This is very evident in the reception rooms and dining pavilion, which are classic Vietnamese structures transported across the water and assembled at the site.
The Six Senses Spa is located in the midst of the lush vegetation of Ninh Van Bay and blended into the rocks beside a gentle waterfall. It spans an area of 10,000sqm. Space, complemented by the tranquility of the jungle, is reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe. A true nature spa, its surroundings and ambiance make it a feast for the senses.
The spa's open design, complemented by the rhythm of the waters, delivers inner silence. The aroma of burning incense and essential oils fill the air with sweet serenity. The taste and flavour of spa cuisine and refreshing juices nourishes the body and soul. The expert healing touch from the east and west redefines the sense of rejuvenation and well-being.
The Six Senses Spa offers an unrivalled selection of holistic and signature treatments to suit individual needs and preference. Six Senses Sodashi range of spa products are made of 100% natural plant essences and extracts and draws on nature's intelligence to nurture the skin and awaken the senses.
You may play your way into fitness with a wide range of cardiovascular and strength training equipment at the gym, whilst enjoying stunning view of Ninh Van Bay. Experience the balance of body, mind and spirit through the art of Tai Chi and Yoga conducted beneath the spectacular rock formations above and view of the sea below. It reflects the philosophy of the yin and the yang, the unity of nature through differing elements.
The Six Senses Spa pyramid logo represents the foundation and creation of your spa experience with us. The foundation of the experience is formed by the three primary senses of sight, sound and touch. The second stage builds upon this experience by appealing to the more acute senses of taste and smell. The apex sphere symbolises the ultimate sensory experience of a Six Senses Spa.
Facilities:
6 Treatment rooms, 2 outdoor and 4 indoor with air conditioning / Yoga Pavilion 40m2 / Beauty & Hair Salon / 55 m2 Fitness Centre with cardiovascular, and strength equipment / Out door showers in all treatment rooms / Changing areas with lockers, equipped with safes / Steam and Sauna facility / Spa Herbal Garden / Relaxation pavilions in typical Vietnamese architecture
Day 11 Nhatrang
Free at leisure.
Overnight in Nhatrang: Evason Hideaway: Water & Rock Villa
Day 12 Nhatrang
Free at leisure.
Overnight in Nhatrang: Evason Hideaway: Water & Rock Villa
Day 13 Nhatrang
Free at leisure.
Overnight in Nhatrang: Evason Hideaway: Water & Rock Villa
Day 14 Nhatrang
Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight back to Saigon. Arrive Saigon, guide and car pick up and transfer to Saigon for some more sightseeing and shopping. Lunch at nice local restaurant. Transfer back to Saigon airport for departure flight.