Spirit of Vietnam
Spirit of Vietnam
Spirit of Vietnam
12 Days Starting in Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Hanoi
Visiting: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong River Delta, Hue, Hai Van Pass, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay
Tour operator:
Tour code:
A602M19
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
0-0
Special diets catered:
Please advise request
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embrace the very best of Vietnam on this 12-day guided tour. See Ho Chi Minh’s glittering skyscrapers and green paddy ?elds from a speedboat as you race to the Cu Chi tunnels, where guerrilla fighters once hid during the Vietnam War; here, meet a Viet Cong veteran who will share with you what it was like to live in the tunnels. See the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Imperial Citadel in Hue during a private tour before the palaces open to other tourists. Experience the vibrant city of Hoi An your way: take a hands-on cooking class. Walk through the food carts living Hanoi’s streets and taste its classic cuisine: crab spring rolls, beef noodle soup, and com cakes. Sail through the mesmerizing waters of Halong Bay on a traditional overnight junk cruise. The Activity Level of this tour is Balanced, meaning there is 1 to 3 miles of walking per day which may include some uneven surfaces such as cobblestones and stairs.
Choice Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Ho Chi Minh City: Meander through the streets of Ho Chi Minh and hear more about the local street-side café culture, which sprung up when many French lived in the country. Discover the art of making the perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee before trying one.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Continue with your exploration about the troubled past of the country at the War Remnants Museum.
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Hue: Take a boat ride to the private museum of Tran Dihn Son, whose great-grandfather was a high ranking mandarin during the Nguyen Dynasty and see the vast collection of rare antiquities collected by him and his ancestors.
- Hue: Take a cyclo trip to An Dinh Palace, the private residence of Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s last emperor who ruled until 1955. Learn about the life of a Royal before heading back via Dong Ba Market to catch a glimpse of everyday life in modern Hue.
Exceptional Dining
Ho Chi Minh City: Admire the marvellous views from a lively rooftop restaurant at your Welcome Dinner in Saigon. Get to know your Travel Concierge and fellow guests as you dine on local delicacies in a sophisticated setting, with the lights twinkling across the city.
Mekong River Delta: Pause for lunch at the enchanting Mango Home, a thatched restaurant located on the Mekong. Savour delicacies enjoyed in the delta, including noodle soup, grilled fish, and giant prawns fresh from the river, as you enjoy views of the lush countryside.
Hue: Arrive at the home of celebrated painter and singer, Camille Huyen, for a memorable meal and private concert. Stroll around the traditional home she shares with her husband and hear about their fascinating lives and the dream that brought them home.
Hoi An: Dine out with Your Choice this evening. Choose from one of three hand-selected restaurants, known to our local foodies, each specialising in different cuisine from traditional to modern Vietnamese, or a fusion of east and west to tantalise your taste buds.
Hoi An: Visit the beautiful Cam Thanh Village with its dense coconut jungles that were once a shelter for local people and soldiers during the Vietnam War, but today the village is an important supplier of seafood, vegetables and rice to the region. Step into a traditional bamboo-basket boat and glide across the water to the Thanh Dong village where you learn from the villagers how they cultivate and harvest vegetables according to local customs. Continue your voyage through a peaceful water coconut forest to a riverside restaurant overlooking the rice fields. Enjoy and participate in a hands-on cooking class alongside a local chef. Savour your creations for your Highlight Lunch.
Hanoi: Join a local foodie in the Old Quarter to explore the street food culture of Hanoi. Dine as the locals do, on delights such as steaming pho (a beef noodle soup), rice paper rolls and crab spring rolls.
Itinerary
Day 1: Dynamic Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Dinner
Your Vietnam luxury tour begins by private transfer to the five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Dine tonight in one of Saigon’s rooftop restaurants.
Day 2: Marvels Of Saigon
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Travel by speedboat to the Cu Chi tunnels to meet a Viet Cong veteran and former resident. Take a walking tour before learning the art of Vietnamese coffee or visiting the War Remnants Museum.
Day 3: Cruise The Mekong Delta
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong River Delta, Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Discover the Mekong Delta aboard a private charter. See coconut production and take a ride on a tri-motorcycle. At Mango Home, feast on Mekong Delta specialties before visiting the home of a former soldier.
Day 4: Royal Refinement In Hue Relaxed Start
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue
Accommodation: Hotel, Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Cycle through green rice fields to the traditional garden houses of Phu Mong village. Dine at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre, serenaded by local musicians.
Day 5: Highlights Of Hue
Location: Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy a visit to the Imperial Citadel and royal tomb of Minh Mang. Take a cyclo ride to An Dinh Palace, the private residence of Khai Dinh, Vietnam's last emperor, or travel by boat to the private museum of collector, Tran Dihn Son.
Day 6: Romantic Hoi An
Location: Hai Van Pass, Hoi An
Accommodation: Resort
Accommodation Name: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Explore Hoi An through the eyes of a local. Enter former merchants’ homes, stroll lanes of traditional houses and cross the Japanese Covered Bridge. Dinner is your choice of traditional cuisine, modern Vietnamese or East-meets-West fusion.
Day 7: The Locals In Hoi An Relaxed Start
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Resort
Accommodation Name: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Glide to the Thanh Dong village in a traditional bamboo-basket boat learning from the villagers and a professional chef how to make Vietnamese food.
Day 8: Hanoi Street Food Tasting Tour
Location: Hoi An, Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Check in to your boutique hotel before joining a local gourmand for exploration of Hanoi's colourful street food culture.
Day 9: Cruise Along Ha Long Bay
Location: Ha Long Bay
Accommodation Name: Paradise Cruise, Ha Long Bay.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Discover Ha Long Bay’s emerald waters on your private, luxury junk boat and visit the Tien Ong Cave and Cua Van. Learn from the masters with a traditional Vietnamese cooking demonstration or relax on deck as the sun sets.
Day 10: Ha Long To Hanoi Relaxed Start
Location: Ha Long Bay, Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Westlake, Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Greet the day with Tai Chi before lingering over brunch as you cruise past the limestone formations en route to Hanoi.
Day 11: The Temple Of Literature Relaxed Start
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Westlake, Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Tour the Temple of Literature and view the Well of Clarity with a local scholar. Toast your travels over dinner.
Day 12: Farewell Vietnam
Location: Hanoi
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi luxury tour comes to an end with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
What's Included
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Meals
Meals are included as detailed in the itinerary.
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Additional Services
Personal radio headsets are provided for visits to famous highlights, and complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi is available (except on Halong Bay Cruise).
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Complimentary airport transfers are included on start and end dates, when flights are included within the itinerary and when additional accommodation has been booked through Luxury Gold.
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Fully Guided
You will be escorted by a Travel Concierge, serving as your expert guide and organizer.
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Dining Summary
The tour includes 6 dinners, 11 breakfasts, and 5 lunches.
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Additional Included Highlights
Enjoy seamless personal assistance, Local Expert Guides, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and complimentary hotel Wi-Fi.
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Curated Experiences
Meet locals, explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and enjoy unique cultural experiences.
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Magnificent Stays
Stay at luxurious accommodations such as Anantara Hoi An Resort.
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Passport Moments
Experience iconic attractions and cultural insights throughout Vietnam.
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Personalise your day
Choose from various activities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue.
What's Not Included
International travel to and from Vietnam is not included.
Dining Summary
- 6 Dinner (D)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 5 Lunch (L)
Additional Included Highlights
- Enjoy seamless personal assistance throughout your journey. From securing exclusive reservations, to organising transportation, your Travel Concierge ensures every aspect of your travel is tailored to your tastes and preferences.
- In select destinations, our network of Local Expert Guides will illuminate your journey on a deeper level. ?
- Included at all hotels.
- Hotel taxes, porterage and tips, as well as tips for included dining experiences, are included.?
- Enjoy breakfast every morning, and an array of incredible dining options throughout your journey, infused with discovery and adventure.
- On days where a Relaxed Start (RS) is indicated, you can select to indulge in breakfast in bed.
- Enjoy complimentary hotel Wi-Fi. And, on select coaches, onboard Wi-Fi may also be available.
- Transfers are included on your journey start and end dates, and where additional accommodation has been booked in advance through Luxury Gold. Transfers to train stations or alternate hotels, in the same start or end city as the itinerary, may be requested.
Curated Experiences
- Mekong River Delta: Meet Mr. Sau Tuong, a former soldier, at his home and see how he and his wife make a living making rice paper. This quiet existence is in stark contrast to the four years he spent fighting the Khmer Rouge, who terrorised Cambodia in the 1970s.
- Hue: Cycle through rice fields to Thanh Toan village, admiring the green countryside as you pedal by. Visit the lively local market, bargain along with the locals and see traditional houses. Soak up the agricultural way of life, a suitable contrast to the city.
- Hue: Enjoy a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Imperial Citadel. Hear more about Emperor Gia Long, the first ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, who made this the centre of a unified Vietnam.
Magnificent Stays
- Hoi An: The luxurious Anantara Hoi An Resort is moments away from the city's charming historic centre. Take in the tranquil atmosphere, treat yourself to a massage at the spa, or cool down in the pool.
Passport Moments
- Ho Chi Minh City: Join a Viet Cong veteran to visit the underground C? Chi tunnels and learn more about this complex network originally built in 1948. See where many thousands of troops trained and lived under difficult conditions during the Vietnam War.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Experience the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, as you visit its most iconic attractions, including the Central Post Office, designed by Alfred Foulhox.
- Mekong River Delta: Board a private vessel for your Mekong River Cruise, taking you down the most important waterway in Southeast Asia. Gain a fascinating insight into coconut processing, one of the major industries for people who live along the river.
- Mekong River Delta: Enjoy a ride on a tri-motorcycle through the tropical scenery of the Mekong delta, passing limestone mountains and rows of neat rice paddies. Arrive at a rustic rice noodle factory to see how the favoured breakfast meal of Vietnam is produced.
- Hoi An: Explore the Ancient Old Town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see well-preserved buildings that date back several centuries. See the 18th-century Japanese covered bridge with its elaborate carvings and spot many coloured lanterns along the way.
- Hanoi: Take a spin on a nifty electric cart for a fun way to get around Hanoi. See the main sights of the city, including the beautiful French neoclassical Opera House, the centre for cultural and historical events in Vietnam.
- Halong Bay: Board a luxury junk boat for a special cruise around the magnificent Ha Long Bay, famous for its emerald waters and thousands of limestone islands dotted with rainforests. Explore mysterious caves and marvel at a memorable sunset over this scene.
- Halong Bay: Visit the spectacular Tien Ong cave with its immense stalactites and stalagmites, resembling various forms, including one called “the fairy godfather.” Sail to Cua Van floating village, amid the towering rocks, where fishermen have lived for hundreds of years.
- Hanoi: Meet a renowned local scholar during a special visit to the famous Temple of Literature, built in 1070 to honour the great philosopher, Confucius. Learn more about the culture of Hanoi and Vietnamese architecture before touring the picturesque grounds and seeing the Well of Clarity.
Personalise your day
- Ho Chi Minh City: Meander through the streets of Ho Chi Minh and hear more about the local street-side café culture, which sprung up when many French lived in the country. Discover the art of making the perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee before trying one.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Continue with your exploration about the troubled past of the country at the War Remnants Museum.
- Hue: Take a boat ride to the private museum of Tran Dihn Son, whose great-grandfather was a high ranking mandarin during the Nguyen Dynasty and see the vast collection of rare antiquities collected by him and his ancestors.
- Hue: Take a cyclo trip to An Dinh Palace, the private residence of Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s last emperor who ruled until 1955. Learn about the life of a Royal before heading back via Dong Ba Market to catch a glimpse of everyday life in modern Hue.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique experiences are included in the Spirit of Vietnam tour?
The tour includes a variety of unique experiences such as meeting a Viet Cong veteran at the Cu Chi tunnels, exploring the Mekong Delta on a private charter, and visiting the home of a former soldier. Guests can also enjoy a cyclo ride to An Dinh Palace in Hue, a bamboo-basket boat ride in Hoi An, and a luxury junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay.
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Are there any special dining experiences on this tour?
Yes, the tour offers several exceptional dining experiences. Guests can enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, lunch at Mango Home in the Mekong Delta, a private concert and meal at the home of Camille Huyen in Hue, and a hands-on cooking class in Hoi An. Additionally, there is a street food tasting tour in Hanoi.
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What kind of accommodation can I expect on the Spirit of Vietnam tour?
The tour includes stays at luxurious accommodations such as the Hotel Caravelle in Ho Chi Minh City, Pilgrimage Village in Hue, Anantara Hoi An Resort in Hoi An, and Hotel de l'Opera in Hanoi. Guests will also enjoy a night on a luxury junk boat in Ha Long Bay.
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Is there an opportunity to learn about local culture during the tour?
Yes, the tour provides numerous opportunities to learn about local culture. Guests can explore the street-side café culture in Ho Chi Minh City, visit the War Remnants Museum, and learn about Vietnamese coffee making. In Hue, there is a visit to the Imperial Citadel and a chance to learn about the Nguyen Dynasty. In Hanoi, guests can meet a local scholar at the Temple of Literature.
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What activities are available in Hoi An during the tour?
In Hoi An, guests can explore the Ancient Old Town, visit former merchants' homes, and cross the Japanese Covered Bridge. There is also a choice of dining at one of three hand-selected restaurants, and a hands-on cooking class in Cam Thanh Village.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Absolutely! We are very selective in who we work with and choose to only use hotels that take the health and well-being of our guests as seriously as we do and agree to meet expected guidelines and specifications. We only work with establishments that we are confident will consistently adhere to our standards.
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Which countries does Luxury Gold visit?
We offer incredible luxury trips in Europe, North America, South America, Hawaii, South-East Asia, the Indian sub-continent (including India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka), Australia and New Zealand.
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What other modes of transport does Luxury Gold use?
A Luxury Gold tour will include touring on high-speed trains, alpine cable cars, hydrofoils, river cruisers and horse-drawn carriages, in addition to our high-deck luxury coaches with extra legroom.
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Who travels with Luxury Gold?
We are delighted to welcome guests who have a shared love of travel, adventure, entertainment and exploration. A mix of solo travellers, couples, and groups of friends and family join us from all over the English-speaking world.
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What is the role of the Well-Being Director?
Working closely together with your Travelling Concierge, the Well-Being Director* will help make sure all necessary protocols are followed to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our guests. This includes our enhanced screening and hygiene protocols, complying with distancing and other requirements set by government authorities. They are also there to support our guests & answer any questions.
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