Adventures from Hanoi to Hoi An

After breakfast, you will start the tour by heading to Ha Long Bay, an iconic and beautiful spot designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we set out on a sailing boat for an exploration of the Bay and the many wonders within.

This exciting 4-hour cruise provides a fantastic view of the bay which is dotted with some 3,000 limestone islands rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. These limestone karst formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many hidden grottoes beneath the towering cliffs.

After your exploration of Ha Long Bay, we will transfer you to Ninh Binh, making sure you have the chance to take in the beautiful scenery along the way. Once in Ninh Binh you will be ped off at your hotel and the rest of the evening is yours to spend at your leisure.

Meals: Lunch, dinner

Today, you will have a chance to visit a natural wonder just as impressive as Ha Long Bay. About 150 kilometres from the famous Vietnamese bay is another equally as impressive landscape. This one, known as Trang An, is nowhere near the coast though, and the mountains are connected by rice paddies, not water. After enjoying a delicious lunch, we will take a boat up the beautiful river fed by natural springs, through caves that bisect amazing limestone karst mountains to visit an Ancient 10th Century pagoda and temple.

After our visit to the Pagoda and Temple, it’ll be great fun to hop on a bike for a trip to Thung Nham Bird Garden. The route to the garden is a quiet one, consisting of flat roads and dams set to a back of stunning scenery. In total the round-trip is roughly 10 kilometres long.

After all this activity you might feel a bit damp, so we’ll take you back to the hotel where you can enjoy a shower and get cleaned up, before boarding the overnight train to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Following this, we will have dinner and a shower in central Ninh Binh town before boarding the overnight train to Phong Nha­-Ke Bang National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Phong Nha­Ke Bang is one of the largest National Parks in Vietnam and is home to a huge amount of wildlife, breath-taking scenery, crystal clear rivers and immense cave systems.

A documentary by National Geographic has given this area much attention with the discovery of Son Doong, the world’s largest cave, in the early 1990’s. Our first stop is Eight Lady Cave which is named for the eight women working on the Route 20 highway who died from a bomb attack that caused a massive rock to seal off the exit, trapping them inside. Then we move on to Paradise Cave, one of the most beautiful and famous caves in Phong Nha stretching for more than 30 kilometres and featuring hundreds of incredible rock formations.

After lunch we visit the awesome Dark Cave by zip line or kayaks for the slightly less adventurous. With only a head torch to light our way, we will navigate through the darkness to the mud baths where you can either relax and soak up goodness, leaving you with baby smooth skin, or have some fun with a classic mud fight! Afterwards you can take a refreshing dip in the lake and wash all the mud away.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

After so many great activities the day before, this day is free for you to cycle around & explore the town, check out the local life by the river or just chill out. We will take you on a short but bumpy ride through the villages to and from the homestay if needed.

Meals: Breakfast

Vinh Moc is a tunnel complex in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), built to shelter families from the intense bombings of the area during the American war. Over 600 people lived here and 17 babies were even born in these tunnels between 1965 and 1972.

After lunch we will visit the Mine Action Visitors Centre in Dong Ha, which examines the effects of the war that persist to this day, even after hostilities ended over 40 years ago in 1975. After this you will arrive in Hue, and discover Thien Mu pagoda which rests on the banks of the perfume river. This is actually the tallest pagoda in Vietnam, featuring 7 tiers reaching for the sky, each level representing one step of the path to enlightenment.

You will then spend the rest of the evening and night in Hue.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

After breakfast, our tour guide will take you to the Imperial Citadel. The structure and its majestic architecture, built by Gia Long, sadly suffered extensive damage during the years of fierce conflict which took place here. These scars provide an extra layer of history, telling a tale of the decades of fighting long past.

We will continue your trip into the past by visiting Minh Mang Tomb, the final resting place of the 2nd emperor of Vietnam. This tomb is special in the way its architecture blends seamlessly with its surrounding landscape (a result of Minh Mang’s staunch belief in Confucianism). Following this, you can hop back on the bus and we’ll take you to the local beach to enjoy some lunch and cocktails as we swim and enjoy the sunset. This hidden gem is a great way to cap off an eventful day.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

We will depart Hue in the morning, riding motorbikes all the way to Hoi An. There will of course be many stops along the way to let you appreciate the beautiful beaches and coastline and enjoy the breath-taking Elephant Springs. Make sure you have packed your swimming gear as this is a great place to relax, swim and enjoy lunch for a couple of hours.

The journey then heads south to take in some breath-taking views as we ascend the famous Hai Van Pass where we will stop at the top to see some French and American bunkers, remnants of the past war. This road, made famous by the Top Gear motoring programme, is a site that simply cannot be missed.

Once you arrive in Hoi An the rest of the day will be free for you to spend at your leisure exploring all that the ancient town has to offer.

And this will be where your Adventure tour of Vietnam ends. If you feel like you haven’t had enough and want to continue further south, consider booking an extension!

Meals: Breakfast, lunch