You fly to Hanoi.

Today you reach Hanoi, Vietnam’s lively capital on the Red River. You are met individually at the airport and taken to your hotel. There, your tour guide or a welcome host is on hand to help you settle in and inform you about the rest of the day. Depending on your flight time, an early check-in is recommended so that you can move straight into your room and freshen up at your leisure (optional, bookable in advance). Your start in Hanoi is deliberately flexible: if you arrive early, you can gather first impressions of everyday life in Hanoi in the morning on an orientation walk around the hotel and through a local market. Over a shared lunch at a local restaurant afterwards, you get to know the first facets of Vietnamese cuisine with the traditional pho soup. In the afternoon, the whole group meets and you discover the city’s highlights together: you stroll through the lively Old Quarter with its narrow lanes and visit Hoan Kiem Lake with the Ngoc Son Temple, among other places. This way – depending on your arrival time – you can spend your first day flexibly and start your travel experience without any idle time. In the late afternoon, you drive to West Lake. Here you enjoy a refreshing drink in a relaxed atmosphere – the ideal moment to get to know your fellow travellers and toast the journey ahead. 2 nights in Hanoi. (L) (Distance: approx. 30 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast The Lestar Hotel is located in the heart of Hanoi and offers you an excellent location for exploring the city with ease. Numerous sights such as Hoan Kiem Lake and the famous night market are close by and easy to reach on foot. The Lestar Hotel impresses with its modern, stylish furnishings and a high level of hospitality. The rooms are bright and modern and offer every comfort for a relaxing retreat where you will feel at home. Air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and a TV are just some of the standard amenities.

After breakfast, the morning is at your leisure. Spend the time just as you like, whether on a relaxed walk, an individual stroll through the city or some rest at the hotel. Afterwards, you explore Hanoi’s most important sights together. These include the house and the mausoleum of the famous revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, who is still very popular in Vietnam (exterior visit). Experience the unusual architecture of the One Pillar Pagoda and visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national academy. (B)

This morning, you continue your Vietnam tour towards Halong Bay. You travel part of the way by train and stop in a traditional village outside Hanoi. You watch a water puppet show, an art form with a long tradition here that depicts the daily life of the farmers in the delta: rice growing, buffalo keeping, fishing, singing and dancing to celebrate a rich harvest. After the performance, you have some time to explore the village on foot and gain an insight into rural life and local crafts. After a lunch of regional delicacies prepared by a local family, you continue to Halong. You drive past rice fields and, depending on the season, can see farmers working the fields with their water buffaloes. 1 night in Halong. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 200 km; driving time: approx. 4 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Your hotel, the “D’Lecia Ha Long”, is located in Halong’s popular Bai Chay district. Just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel you will find various hotspots of the city, such as the Cai Dam seafood market, the Sun World amusement park and picturesque Bai Chay Beach, which stands out above all for its turquoise water. Your hotel has everything you need for a perfect stay: in the D’Lusso Lounge you can enjoy a refreshing cocktail or a delicious coffee in a cosy, relaxed atmosphere. In the hotel’s “Chopsticks Restaurant”, you can enjoy various Vietnamese specialities prepared at live cooking stations. The rooms are cosily furnished and impress with beautiful wood tones. Room facilities include air conditioning, a smart TV and free Wi-Fi.

Early in the morning, you go on board a ship and it’s “cast off”! Glide through the legendary landscape of Halong Bay with its mighty islands and rock formations rising up to 330 metres into the sky. Relax during the cruise and enjoy the breathtaking sight of the unique limestone landscape from on board. Since 1994, the area with more than 1,000 rocks, grottoes and islands has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the way, the ship anchors so that you can visit individual caves (subject to change). During the cruise of just under 4 to 5 hours, lunch is also served on board. In the afternoon, the ship returns to Halong, where you disembark and drive to the airport in Hanoi. From here, you fly on to Danang in the evening and then travel to the dreamy old trading town of Hoi An further south. 2 nights there. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 215 km; driving time: approx. 4.5–5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast According to the tour operator, the White Lotus Hoi An (4*) is planned for your 2 nights in Hoi An.

This morning, on a walking tour, you discover the diversity of the historic town of Hoi An (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) and have the unique opportunity to gain an insight into the local craft of lantern making. In a lantern workshop, you learn how the colourful lanterns are made and can make your own lantern as a unique souvenir. Around midday, you take an excursion to a herb village outside the town that is known for its organic farming methods. Villages like this in the area are usually non-profit farming cooperatives whose members receive land free of charge as long as they farm it organically. Learn about the herbs native to the area, which also play an important role in medicine. Look forward to a freshly prepared lunch of local specialities, which you can help to prepare, followed by a relaxing herbal foot massage. You can spend the evening entirely as you wish. An evening visit to Hoi An’s Old Town is definitely worthwhile, when countless colourful lanterns light up the narrow lanes at nightfall. Try the culinary delights of the local restaurants or stroll through the illuminated streets with a drink in hand. As a relaxing alternative, you can of course also simply put your feet up at the hotel in your free time. (B/L)

You leave Hoi An towards Hue and first make a short stop at the Marble Mountains on the way. Here you visit some natural grottoes in which Buddhist sanctuaries have been built over the centuries. Through picturesque landscapes, you next reach the Hai Van Pass (Cloud Pass), the natural border between northern and southern Vietnam. During an extended break at Lang Co Lagoon, you can stretch your legs on the beach and enjoy a lunch of fresh seafood before continuing to Hue. After arriving in the old imperial city, you take a short walk along the Perfume River. There are various theories about how the river got its name. One says that the countless pollen grains and blossoms that cover the water in spring give the river a strong scent – almost like a fragrant perfume. Your walk takes you past impressive sights of the city, such as the railway station, the city hall and the Hai Ba Trung High School. Finally, you have the opportunity to stroll around Dong Ba Market and marvel at the variety of goods at the small stalls. 2 nights in Hue. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 165 km; driving time: approx. 3–3.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast The exquisite Alba Spa Hotel is located right on the banks of the Perfume River in Hue and offers you an oasis of relaxation and recovery. The hotel’s highlight is undoubtedly its award-winning spa, which covers an area of 2,000 square metres and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and a wide range of treatments. At the Madame Chau Restaurant & Bar, you can enjoy local as well as Western-inspired dishes. With a total of 58 rooms and suites, all carefully designed and equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, minibar and safe, the hotel offers you a place to feel at home.

Today you take a tour of the imperial city of Hue (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) and experience the glorious past of the Nguyen dynasty. Around 40% of all Vietnamese still bear this family name today. After breakfast, you visit the Citadel with the Imperial Palace, which was built on the model of the “Forbidden City” in Beijing. You then visit an old mandarin house built in Hue’s traditional style. During a short tea break with snacks, you meet the hosts and hear many interesting stories about the culture and life of the people of Hue. Now sit back, relax and let the atmosphere of the city sink in on a cyclo ride. During the ride, enjoy the charming, hilly landscape around Hue until you reach the Thien Mu Pagoda. As one of Hue’s landmarks, the famous seven-storey pagoda stands on a small hill and is dedicated to the Heavenly Lady. To round off the day, you visit the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh and enjoy the evening atmosphere at sunset. (B)

Early in the morning, a transfer takes you to Hue airport, from where you continue your tour south. You reach your next destination, the metropolis of Saigon, after a short domestic flight. Experience the modern metropolis and watch the armies of mopeds and cyclos that are everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is officially called. Worshippers pray in quiet backyards, young people meet in noodle restaurants and many locals relax with walks and exercise in one of the many parks. Marvel at the city’s architectural diversity as you explore it past modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples. Sights such as the Reunification Palace, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Opera House (all exterior visits) and the Post Office are on the programme. In between, you take a short break at one of your tour guide’s favourite cafés and try a local coffee speciality. Whether “egg coffee”, Hanoi’s speciality, the latest trendy drink “salted coffee” or the classic Vietnamese “drip coffee” with sweetened condensed milk – you are sure to broaden your coffee horizons here. You then continue to Chinatown to visit the Binh Tay market hall and the Chinese Thien Hau Temple. You also see the old St Francis Church and the “medicine street” before heading back towards the centre. In the evening, you enjoy a sundowner at a trendy rooftop bar and feel the pulsating metropolis around you and at your feet, high above the city’s rooftops. 1 night in Saigon. (B)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast The Acnos Hotel impresses above all with its central location in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Many sights, restaurants, cafés and shops are in the immediate vicinity. Ben Thanh Market and the green Tao Dan Park are within easy walking distance, making the hotel an ideal base for exploring the city. The rooms are functional and practical and meet the standard of a centrally located city hotel. Facilities include a TV, minibar, safe and private bathroom. Depending on the room category, the view and room layout may vary. In the densely built-up centre of Ho Chi Minh City, some rooms look out onto neighbouring buildings. Due to the central location, the city noise typical of an Asian metropolis can be heard. In the morning, a breakfast buffet with Vietnamese and international dishes awaits you. It includes fresh egg dishes from the egg station, a daily changing soup station, fresh fruit, juices, yoghurt and pastries, complemented by various hot dishes with an Asian focus, such as rice, noodle or soup dishes. The selection may vary slightly depending on availability.

Today it’s time to say goodbye. At the appropriate time, you transfer to the airport and fly back home. Have you opted for a beach extension? Then we wish you a relaxing stay at your beach hotel! (B) (Distance: approx. 10 km; driving time: approx. 30 min) Day 11: You arrive back in your home country with wonderful memories.