2020
Minimum no. 10 passengers per departure
2020 |
Twin Share Per PersonAll prices are in AUD |
Single Supplement |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep | From $1,699 |
+$699 | ||
| 17 Oct | ||||
| 14 Nov | ||||
| * = Peak Season Surcharge $200 per person | ||||
2021
Minimum no. 10 passengers per departure
2021 |
Twin Share Per PersonAll prices are in AUD |
Single Supplement |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb | 19 Jun* | 16 Oct | From $1,699 |
+$699 |
| 20 Mar* | 24 Jul | 13 Nov | ||
| 17 Apr | 21 Aug | |||
| 15 May | 11 Sep | |||
| * = Peak Season Surcharge $200 per person | ||||
Itinerary (2020)
-
Day 1: Australia Hanoi
Fly to Hanoi via connecting cities. On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide and transfer to your hotel. Hanoi is over 1000 years old and is currently the capital of Vietnam, as well the commercial, political, and cultural heart of the country.
Note: Your flights may depart the day before.
Suggestion: Explore Sapa before the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: Explore Cambodia & Laos before the tour for 7 nights from $1,999 per person
-
Day 2: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Optional Activity: Water Puppet Show and Hanoi Street Food Tour
Visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison – the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. Those incarcerated at Hoa Lo included Pete Peterson, who became the first US Ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995, and the late Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2008.
Next, visit the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, built for the sons of mandarins (high government officials). Then it’s on to West Lake and Tran Quoc Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, which is located on a small island near the southeastern shore of the lake.
After lunch, visit Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read Viet Nam’s Declaration of Independence on 2 September 1945. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (reminiscent of Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow) from the outside, and Ho Chi Minh’s House, a modest residence from which he led the country until his death in 1969. Then, explore the ancient ’36 Meandering Streets’ of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. You may watch the stunning Water Puppet Show and relax yourself with some local street food and fresh homemade beer (at your own expense) before returning to hotel.
Note: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is only viewable from outside if your visit is on a Monday or Friday, and from 5th September to 5th November due to annual maintenance. Rules regarding dress and behaviour are strictly enforced by staff and guards. Legs must be covered (no shorts or miniskirts).
-
Day 3: Hanoi Halong Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travel by coach to Halong Bay and take a boat trip to explore one of the world’s great natural wonders, cruising the thousands of limestone islands filled with caves of all shapes and sizes. The sails of junks and sampans gliding along the clear and emerald waters of the bay form a magnificent picturesque scene that blends with the sky. You also get a chance to visit some of the hidden grottoes beneath the towering cliffs. A seafood lunch and dinner will be served on board the charming junk. Stay overnight on board.
-
Day 4: Halong Bay Hanoi Da Nang Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy the aquamarine waters of the bay at its best as the junk continues to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations. Disembark from the junk at noon and transfer to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Da Nang. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to Hoi An, an ancient town recognised as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Check into your hotel in Hoi An.
Note: In the event that insufficient seats are available for the Hanoi to Da Nang flight, you may instead fly from Hai Phong to Da Nang.
-
Day 5: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity:
- Evening Cultural Stage Show – Lune Production (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter); or
- Evening Cultural Stage Show – Hoi An Memories Show (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter)
You will be escorted by our local guide to discover Hoi An by walking tour through the narrow streets of this charming town. Perhaps more than any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of centuries past. Once known as Faifo, Hoi An was an influential port along the Silk Road. For over 500 years merchants from China, Japan, France, and Portugal settled in the prosperous town resulting in a distinctive blend of culture, cuisine, religions and architecture. In 1999, the town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.
You may join either one of the optional activities (at your own expense): Evening Cultural Stage Show – Lune Production (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter) or Evening Cultural Stage Show – Hoi An Memories Show (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter).
Note: If Lune Production is not available, you will instead watch the Hoi An Memories Show.
-
Day 6: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities:- Photography Foodie Tour – Hoi An At Dawn; and/or
- Fishing Village & Waterways Eco-Tour; or
- Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Tour
This morning, you will visit the Réhahn Museum, to view the ‘Precious Heritage Collection’, by French Photographer Réhahn. This work focuses on the endangered cultural heritage of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups, attempting to document their rapidly-changing ways of life. Afterwards, you have free time at leisure, or you may enjoy the following optional activities (at your own expense):
Optional Program:
– Photography Foodie Tour – Hoi An At Dawn
– Fishing Village & Waterways Eco-Tour
OR
– Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Tour -
Day 7: Hoi An Hue
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity: Full Royal Dinner in Hue
Depart Hoi An to Hue City (the driving takes about 3 hours excluding stops). Along the way, you will have the opportunity to stop en route to take pictures at Lang Co Beach. Hue City, during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945), was the political, economic and cultural capital of Vietnam and its historical monuments were recognised as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993. On arrival, you will take a boat trip to Thien Mu Pagoda – a historic pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River in Hue, Vietnam. Apart from their scenic riverside and hilltop location, the Thien Mu Pagoda and its environs are also rich in history, standing witness to almost four hundred years of tumultuous nation-building in Vietnam. Then travel to the centre of Hue city to visit the massive Kinh Thanh Citadel, comprised of the Imperial City, several museums, lakes, and lovely gardens, all laid out in a series of concentric circles.
-
Day 8: Hue Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the morning at your own leisure (time permitting) before transferring to the airport for your direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, transfer to visit the imposing Dong Khoi Street (formerly Catinat street) before going to the Notre Dame Cathedral. This is the most famous landmark in Vietnam, as the twin bell towers can be seen from a great distance. In the same square is the famous Saigon Post Office, the largest functioning post office in Vietnam. Continue on to visit Reunification Palace, the palace of the presidents of South Vietnam before 1975, and the War Remains Museum, where you can learn about the Vietnam War. At the end of the day, visit Ben Thanh Market before returning to your hotel.
-
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City Mekong Delta
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Depart with our guide and driver for a scenic drive through the Mekong Delta, home to the richest agricultural lands in Vietnam. On arrival at My Tho City, take a boat trip on the Mekong River to fishing villages and Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle and Phoenix Islands. Crossing the Mekong River, you’ll cruise along a small canal to see the daily life of locals in Bến Tre Province, visiting Quới An bee farm and handicraft workshop to enjoy some honey-tea and see how people make things from coconut wood. Take a horse-cart along country roads to visit fruit orchards, enjoy tropical fruit and listen to traditional music. Then, take small sampans back to your cruise to ‘Coconut Village’ for a coconut candy workshop and tasting. Visit Phoenix Island for a rice-paper workshop, then return by boat to My Tho and then by road back to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy the rest of the day free at leisure.
-
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Cu Chi Tunnels Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities:- Lunch at Hoi An Sense Restaurant; and/or
- Dinner Cruise on Saigon River
After breakfast, we visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels, a well-known historical vestige of the Vietnamese revolution. This cobweb-like tunnel complex is a network of underground dug-outs over 200 km long, consisting of many layers and turnings with meeting, living, and fighting quarters where we learn firsthand how the Viet Cong survived their extraordinary underground existence during the Vietnam War. Visit a lacquerware factory on the way back to the city, and then enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City.
-
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City Australia
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the day at your own leisure (time permitting) before transferring to the airport for your return flight home.
Suggestion: Relax in Phu Quoc after the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: See sun, sand & surf in Nha Trang after the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: Go on an Ankgor Adventure after the tour for 3 nights from $899 per person
-
Day 12: Australia
Arrive home.
Itinerary (2021)
-
Day 1: Australia Hanoi
Fly to Hanoi via connecting cities. On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide and transfer to your hotel. Hanoi is over 1000 years old and is currently the capital of Vietnam, as well the commercial, political, and cultural heart of the country.
Note: Your flights may depart the day before.
Suggestion: Explore Sapa before the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: Explore Cambodia & Laos before the tour for 7 nights from $1,999 per person
-
Day 2: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity: Water Puppet Show and Hanoi Street Food Tour
Visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison – the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. Those incarcerated at Hoa Lo included Pete Peterson, who became the first US Ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995, and the late Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2008.
Next, visit the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, built for the sons of mandarins (high government officials).
Then, we visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (reminiscent of Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow) from the outside, and Ho Chi Minh’s House, a modest residence from which he led the country until his death in 1969.
Note: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is only viewable from outside if your visit is on a Monday or Friday, and from 5th September to 5th November due to annual maintenance. Rules regarding dress and behaviour are strictly enforced by staff and guards. Legs must be covered (no shorts or miniskirts).Then, explore the ancient ’36 Meandering Streets’ of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. You may watch the stunning Water Puppet Show followed by a Hanoi Street Food Tour (at your own expense).
Following the Water Puppet Show, your guide will be on hand to give you insights into the various Hanoian foods found along the way. Typical Hanoian snacks such as pillow cake and fried sweet cakes are a must try. This area is filled with food vendors tending steaming vats of Vietnamese noodle soup with chicken (pho ga), a famous north Vietnamese dish. After experiencing Hanoi’s insatiable demand for pho, sample Vietnam’s second most popular food – bun cha – BBQ pork noodle, a very famous dish of Hanoi. Try your hand at bargaining before heading off to Beer Corner in the Old Quarter for a cold glass of local beer (bia hoi), made fresh each day.
-
Day 3: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity: Private Tour of Ninh Binh and Tam Coc
Free day at leisure to explore Hanoi at your own pace.
You may join an optional Private tour of Ninh Binh and Tam Coc. Ninh Binh is set in the heart of the the River Delta where vast rice paddies and lotus flower lakes are surrounded by towering limestone mountains and pristine evergreen forests. Then, relax and unwind in Tam Coc where a skilled rower will guide you down a slow journey through winding rivers and canals.
-
Day 4: Hanoi Halong Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travel by coach to Halong Bay and take a boat trip to explore one of the world’s great natural wonders, cruising the thousands of limestone islands filled with caves of all shapes and sizes. The sails of junks and sampans gliding along the clear and emerald waters of the bay form a magnificent picturesque scene that blends with the sky. You also get a chance to visit some of the hidden grottoes beneath the towering cliffs. A seafood lunch and dinner will be served on board the charming junk. Stay overnight on board.
-
Day 5: Halong Bay Hanoi Da Nang Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the aquamarine waters of the bay at its best as the junk continues to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations. Disembark from the junk at noon and transfer to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Da Nang. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to Hoi An, an ancient town recognised as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Check into your hotel in Hoi An.
Note: In the event that insufficient seats are available for the Hanoi to Da Nang flight, you may instead fly from Hai Phong to Da Nang.
-
Day 6: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity:
- Evening Cultural Stage Show – Lune Production (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter); or
- Evening Cultural Stage Show – Hoi An Memories Show (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter)
You will be escorted by our local guide to discover Hoi An by walking tour through the narrow streets of this charming town. Perhaps more than any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of centuries past. Once known as Faifo, Hoi An was an influential port along the Silk Road. For over 500 years merchants from China, Japan, France, and Portugal settled in the prosperous town resulting in a distinctive blend of culture, cuisine, religions and architecture. In 1999, the town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.
You may join one of the following optional show Evening Cultural Stage Show – Lune Production (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter) or Evening Cultural Stage Show – Hoi An Memories Show (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter) (at your own expense).
-
Day 7: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities:
- Photography Foodie Tour – Hoi An At Dawn; and/or
- Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Tour
Free day at leisure to explore Hanoi at your own pace.
You may join the following optional activities Photography Foodie Tour – Hoi An At Dawn or Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Tour (at your own expense)
-
Day 8: Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity:
- Fishing Village & Waterways Eco-Tour; or
- Cooking Class and Boat Tour + Head and Shoulder Massage; or
- Cham Island Snorkeling and Swimming Tour
Free day at leisure to explore Hanoi at your own pace.
You may join one of the following optional activities Fishing Village & Waterways Eco-Tour or Cooking Class and Boat Tour + Head and Shoulder Massage or Cham Island Snorkeling and Swimming Tour
-
Day 9: Hoi An Danang Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to Danang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure exploring this city.
-
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City Cu Chi Tunnels Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activity: Dinner Cruise on Saigon River
After breakfast, we visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels, a well-known historical vestige of the Vietnamese revolution. This cobweb-like tunnel complex is a network of underground dug-outs over 200 km long, consisting of many layers and turnings with meeting, living, and fighting quarters where we learn firsthand how the Viet Cong survived their extraordinary underground existence during the Vietnam War. Visit a lacquerware factory on the way back to the city, and then enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City.
-
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City Australia
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the day at your own leisure (time permitting) before transferring to the airport for your return flight home.
Suggestion: Relax in Phu Quoc after the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: See sun, sand & surf in Nha Trang after the tour for 3 nights from $699 per person
Suggestion: Go on an Ankgor Adventure after the tour for 3 nights from $899 per person
-
Day 12: Australia
Arrive home.
Inclusions
Departure City |
Sydney/Melbourne (included in package) |
|---|---|
| Brisbane/Adelaide/Perth from $300 per person (flights may be via Sydney or Melbourne) | |
Inclusions |
|
Exclusions |
|
Additional Notes |
|
Optional Activities
Get to know Vietnam better with our list of in-depth activities recommended to add another dimension to your trip.
Water Puppet Show & Hanoi Street Food Tour$75 pp |
Enjoy world-famous puppet show performed on a water stage followed by a guided street food tour in Hanoi. Includes: Standard show ticket, English-speaking guide, round trip transfers, dinner and drinks |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Note: Only one show can be chosen from Lune Production or Hoi An Memories Show. If Lune Production is unavailable, you will watch Hoi An Memories Show. | ||
Evening Cultural Stage Show – Lune Production (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter)$110 pp |
A culturally enriching depiction of Vietnam’s lifestyle, ethos, and heritage that will leave you spellbound as you sit in the intimate Lune Theatre. Enjoy a cocktail (or soft drink) and a delicious Vietnamese tasting platter in the beautiful 100 year-old Little Faifo Restaurant before the show. Includes: Standard show ticket, round trip transfers, a tasting platter with a drink |
 |
Evening Cultural Stage Show – Hoi An Memories Show (with pre-show cocktail & Vietnamese tasting platter)$110 pp |
This show features Vietnam’s traditional Ao Dai using modern staging techniques, lighting technology and elegant audio effects. Before the show, you can enjoy a cocktail (or soft drink) and a delicious Vietnamese tasting platter in the beautiful 100 year-old Little Faifo Restaurant. Includes: Standard show ticket, round trip transfers, a tasting platter with a drink |
 |
View Full List of Optional Activities
Extend Your Trip
Extensions are available to Cambodia, to explore Angkor – one of the mightiest cities of the ancient world and home to the astonishing temples of the Khmer empire, or to Phu Quoc Island – to relax in the pristine beach environment of this beautiful tropical Vietnamese destination.
Arrive Early
Sapa Trekking 4 Days
From $699 pp
Sapa is one of the most breathtaking hill stations in Vietnam, and retains the signature of French architecture and colourful minority cultures. This is home to stunning mountain landscapes, verdant rice terraces, unique stilt villages and Fansipan – ‘the Roof of Indochina’.
Stay Behind
The Khmer empire was based around a vast network of temples and reservoirs around today’s Siem Reap town. Having survived centuries buried by jungle, and the years of terror under the Khmer Rouge, the temples of Angkor are now one of the world’s great tourist attractions.
Stopover
Once a sleepy fishing village, Hong Kong has developed into one of the premier financial powerhouses of the Far East. It is a city which boldly blends modernity with Chinese heritage and British colonial influence. A safe, well organised, fast paced shopping paradise, it also offers up some unmatched cuisine experiences.
Singapore is loved as a ‘hot’ destination, full of contrasts inside a small area. The food culture is diverse; Chinese, Indian and Malay dishes such as stir-fried noodles, roti chennai, and laksa are well known. You will see hundreds of different street foods in Chinatown.
Accommodation
Location |
Hotel Name |
Local Rating |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | Hotel Le Carnot or similar | ||
| Halong Cruise | Bai Tho Cruise or similar | ||
| Hoi An | Hoi An Garden Palace & Spa or similar | ||
| Hue | Park View Hotel Hue or similar | 2020 itinerary only | |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Silverland Central or similar |
