Off the Beaten Path of Vietnam

ITINERARY DETAILS

day 1Arrive in Hanoi, where you will be met by your expert guide and taken to your hotel. Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, considered the city's physical and symbolic center, and witness the daily routines of the residents.

day 2Take in the highlights of the city, including the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature. In the evening, take your seat for the Water Puppet Showat Thang Long Theatre and enjoy the unique folk art that has been practiced and perfected for over 1000 years. (B)

day 3Head out by road to the province of Ninh Binh, the 'Halong Bay on Land'. Cycle across rice fields and between Limestone Karst towers to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. (B)

day 4Explore the Van Long Wetland Reserve, home to mammals, birds and reptiles. Known localy as Waveless Bay, take a boat across the lagoon and enjoy the caves of Ninh Binh. In the afternoon vist the Phat Diem Cathedral, a very different style from Europe. (B)

day 5Drive through the Red River scenery to Hanoi Airport, before flying down to Can Tho, in the heart of the Mekong Delta. (B,)

day 6Visit the Cai Reng floating Market, The Ong Temple and explore side-canals through a mixture of walking, cycling and taking local boats. Through the day we learn about Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhism, and enjoy tea with locals. (B)

day 7Rise early to start the journey through the Mekong Delta towards Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.

We arrive in the afternoon, before exploring the backstreets of Saigon at night the local way, with a Back of the Bike street food tour! Sample exotic edibles from the local vendors, progressing from one venue to the next with your guide, a knowledgeable local University student. (B, D)

day 8Start the day with a tour of Old Saigon's streets and its iconic buildings, including the Opera House, Central Post Office and Thien Hau Pagoda. Visit sites from wartime Saigon, starting at the Reunification Palace, the site of the symbolic ending of the war in 1975, before visiting the emotive War Remnant's Museum which offers the perspective of the war from Vietnamese eyes. (B)

day 9Start the day with a morning at leisure, and a chance to explore local shops and markets for local products, before your private transfer to the airport for your outbound flight. (B)