Vietnam Highlights 2025 Small Group Tour (10 Days)

Full Itinerary

Max Group Size:  12

Day 1:  Depart the UK (Tuesday 30 September 2025)

Day 2:  Hanoi (B & B at La Siesta Ma May Hotel, Old Quarter)
            Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, after clearing all customs procedures.
            You will be met your guide and transfer you to hotel.
            Free time to relax or explore some of Hanoi Old Quarter.

Day 3: Hanoi (B & B at La Siesta Ma May Hotel, Old Quarter)
            This morning we have included a tour of the city of Hanoi, with its ochre-colored colonial buildings, tree lined boulevards and scenic lakes.
            Stop at the old coffee shop in the Old Quarter to learn from your tour guide about daily life of Hanoi.
            Then visit the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside visit), an imposing monument of marble and granite built to house the preserved body of beloved revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, affectionately known to the Vietnamese as “Uncle Ho”.
            Tour the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist temple built in 1049 of wood in the shape of a lotus blossom and set on a single stone pillar, considered by many to be one of Vietnam’s most iconic pagodas.
            Visit Ho Chi Minh's House nearby, a simple wooden house in a tranquil setting where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked.
            Some of his belongings are on display and visitors can walk up the steps to see his bedroom. Continue on to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university built in the late 11th century.
            The picturesque temple is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture and is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese dong banknote.

            Afternoon… at leisure
            Late afternoon….optional Water Puppet Show
           The Water puppet show is a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form said to have originated in the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta where villagers entertained themselves by manipulating puppets over the water.
            Modern performers stand chest-deep in water behind a screen and use long rods to move the colorful wooden puppets in a life-like way to depict scenes based on Vietnamese folklore.
            The skits are set to traditional music using drums, wooden bells, horns, bamboo flutes and cymbals. Scenes may also be accompanied by operatic songs narrating the action.

Day 4:  Hanoi – HaLong Bay (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
             After breakfast, we get picked up and make the 2.5 hour journey to HaLong Bay where we check-in on our overnight cruise.
             Explore Halong Bay on 5 Star Amanda Luxury Cruise days is absolutely recommended for visitors who love travelling off the beaten track to discover an authentic local culture and hidden beauty spots on the HaLong Bay and Lan Ha Bay.
            Transfer to the main boat by tender.
             While enjoying a welcome drink, our cruise manager will deliver a cruise briefing and safety introduction.
             Fabulous lunch is served while we start to sail into magnificent Ha Long Bay – an extension of HaLong Wonder which is much quieter and has fewer tourists.
             Explore the hidden gems of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay aboard the 5 Star Amanda Luxury Cruise.
             Enjoy a warm welcome, fabulous lunch, and a leisurely sail past iconic landmarks.
             Experience Tra Bau floating village or opt for kayaking at Ba Trai Dao Island.
             Unwind with a Sunset Party, Happy Hour, and Cooking Class.
              Indulge in a deluxe dinner before special evening activities.

Day 5: HaLong Bay – Hanoi – DaNang – Hoi An (Early Breakfast and Brunch Hoi An Historic Hotel on B & B Basis)

Day two features Tai Chi, a visit to Dark and Bright Cave, and brunch before returning to Tuan Chau Harbor.
We transfer to Hanoi airport for our late afternoon flight to Danang Airport.
On arrival, we will be met by our guide for the transfer to our hotel in Hoi-An.

We have included an early evening walking tour of the historical centre of Hoi-An.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An known then as ‘Faifo’, was a prosperous trading port, attracting Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish ships amongst others.
Today, this World Heritage ancient town is recognized for its well-preserved architecture, pedestrian-only streets and distinctive local cuisine, allowing visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past.
Hoi An’s narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour of its many atmospheric sights including: the old merchant houses with influences from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, first built in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with its intricate woodcarvings; and the colorful market with stalls brimming with local specialties including silk, which can be turned into fashionable garments within a day or two.

Day 6: Hoi-An (Hoi-An Historic Hote B & B Basis)

Optional tour: Buffalo cart and fishing life tour
The flat, quiet roads around Hoi An’s countryside are ideal for exploring by traditional buffalo cart.
In Vietnam, farmers and buffalo working the fields have become a symbol of countryside life, with the buffalo being the most valuable possession of poor farmers, and therefore treated almost as a member of the family.
Enjoy a scenic buffalo cart ride passing by rice paddies, shrimp ponds, and vegetable farms with excellent photo opportunities.
At the dock, board a local river boat and start cruising down the Hoi An River. The boat will stop along the shore where you can try your hand at casting traditional fishing nets, a common fishing method still practiced today.
Also learn the art of paddling the unique Vietnamese round basket boats.
Return to your river boat and enjoy light seafood dishes and a refreshing drink.

Day 7: Hoi-An – Saigon (Liberty Central Riverside Hotel, B & B Basis)

After breakfast transfer to Danang airport for departure flight to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon)

This afternoon we have included a 3 Hour City Tour of Saigon With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is truly a city that never sleeps.
Despite its modernity, Saigon maintains a strong link to the past and our city tour takes in some of Saigon’s most historic landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires constructed from materials imported from France (entrance is only permitted when no services are being performed). Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, completed in 1891. A short drive away is the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American War. Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. (Please note that some of the displays are very graphic.)
Experience Saigon’s famed street coffee culture while your guide provides a brief language lesson as well as insights into daily life of a Saigonese before returning to your hotel.

Optional Tour in the evening: Saigon after dark by Vespa
Immerse yourself into the cosmopolitan nightlife of this busy city by night.
Soak up the energy of this urban metropolis at a top-ranking stylish rooftop venue of Saigon in central city location where we sip on our first
drinks and try out some tasty snacks while watching the sunset Saigon from the above.
Your expert driver will then zoom through the busy streets of Saigon as you check out some of the famous highlights in this bustling city.
Feel like a local as we feast on authentic, fresh seafood dishes, eating streetside and then enjoy the local favorite that is the delicious Banh Xeo, a traditional Vietnamese savory pancake.
We then ride off into the night again to experience live music at two very different venues.
Firstly, the laid-back atmosphere of quieter, softly lit coffee shop with live music before heading to another live music venue where a new generation of Vietnamese flaunt their style.
Bring a healthy appetite and a sense of adventure as our guides show you their city by night. Remark about traffic in Saigon:
If you have never visited Saigon - the city on the move, then it is a good idea to discover this city by motorcycles.
Get well prepared that the traffic moves in a different way that at home. The roads are always busy with motorbikes, cars and buses. But take it easy, Saigonese knows how to handle all the turns.
You will sit behind experienced drivers who understand their vespa and the traffic like the back of their hands. Only by sitting on a motorcycle that you can zig zag through the narrow alleys, bustling residential area to capture the real night life of Saigonese.
 

Day 8: Mekong Delta (Included) – Saigon (Liberty Central Riverside Hotel, B & B Basis)

Lunch included on the excursion
Depart Saigon for a 1.5hr drive to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta, famous for its tropical fruit gardens and traditional products made of coconuts.
Visit a brick factory to learn how bricks are made by hand using centuries-old traditional methods before boarding your private local boat and cruising along the waterways to observe the way of life on the river.
Shore excursions include a coconut workshop where almost every part of the coconut is used for candies and crafts, and a family-run mat workshop where you can try your hand at weaving the ubiquitous straw sleeping mats.
A 3km (2mi) ride by tuk-tuk or bicycle takes you to the home of a fruit farmer where you can sample tropical fruits.
After lunch at a local restaurant, board a rowing sampan for close up views of the water palm-lined waterways of the Delta. Travel back to the Hung Vuong pier by boat. Return to the hotel, rest of the day at leisure.

Day 9: Visit Cu Chi tunnels (Included) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Baitong Hotel B & B Basis)

From Saigon, take a 2hr drive northwest to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of connecting underground tunnels started in 1948 to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas from the French air and ground sweeps.
The tunnels also served as living quarters, communication and supply routes, and housed hospitals, food and weapons caches. Touring the underground compounds will provide a better understanding of the history of the tunnels, the hardship of life in the tunnels and the Vietnamese resilience during combat. Return to Saigon.

Transfer to Saigon airport for your return flight to the UK (for those not continuing to Cambodia)

Day 10: Arrive back in the UK (Thursday 9 October 2025)