Get a taste of adventure over 11 days in Vietnam. This escapade from north to south takes you from French-influenced Hanoi to heaving Ho Chi Minh City on a journey that balances local guidance with freedom to explore independently. Discover the countryside around Hue by bicycle, kayak between limestone karsts off the coast of Cat Ba Island and chill out in Ninh Binh. Let an expert local leader show you around this vivacious nation so you can see the real Vietnam.
  • Lan Ha Bay is a beautiful enclave of green waters and strange rock formations. Explore them by boat and kayak, then spend the night on nearby Cat Ba Island.
  • Take a walking tour through the Old Town of Hoi An, where the city looks exactly like it did over a century ago.
  • With all of this exploring, you deserve some time to relax. Spend two days in the beachside haven of Phan Rang – swimming, snorkelling and chilling out is all on the cards.
  • This trip gives you plenty of free time – perfect for the traveller who appreciates a bit of independence. Food crawl in Hue? Beach hopping in Phan Rang? You decide!
  • Finish up in Ho Chi Minh City. A local will give you an intro tour and plenty of advice, then you’ve got the freedom to explore at your own pace.
  • Travel to the UNESCO protected Ninh Binh, often referred to as ‘Ha Long Bay on land’, with its winding river etched between towering limestone mountains. Plus, get a chance to explore 10th century Hoa Lu – the temple of King Dinh and King Le.
  • Enjoy a cycling tour where you’ll discover Ninh Binh in a fresh way that gets your blood pumping and takes you off the beaten track – explore Hoa Lu – the temple of King Dinh and King Le along the way.
  • HOTELS:
  • Most of the accommodation on this trip is in hotels (mostly 2 to 3-star). Facilities are often basic, with some properties not having a continuous supply of hot water on occasion. All rooms are either fan cooled or with air conditioning and twin share with private facilities unless stated otherwise in the daily itinerary. Double beds are not widely available in South East Asia.
  • WINDOWLESS ROOMS:
  • Some hotels in South East Asia have windowless rooms, or windows that don't necessarily have a view. This is often due to high population density in large cities, however local building standards also do not require rooms to have windows. We do request rooms with windows, however they aren't always available.
  • DAY ROOMS & EARLY CHECK IN:
  • Please note in some destinations we will provide use of day rooms. These rooms are provided for shared group use before or after overnight train journeys. We have some days where we arrive at our destination before check in time and a day room is not included. If you have booked a Single Supplement for your trip, it will not apply to these day rooms. Your leader may be able to assist you in booking a room for your sole use (depending on availability) until our regular trip rooms become available for an additional charge. Please talk to your leader at the Welcome Meeting if this is a service you would like to request.