Luxury Gold: Sensational Vietnam & Laos
Day 1 - Dynamic Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Accommodations: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Marvels of Saigon
Travel by speedboat from the city's glittering skyscrapers to the green paddy fields scattered along the Saigon River. Your destination is the Cu Chi tunnels, which were dug during the Vietnam War, where you will meet a Viet Cong veteran. After lunch, explore the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City including the Notre Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office. Head to a charming coffee shop and learn the art of brewing Vietnamese coffee. Personalise your day with a visit to the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine or the War Remnants Museum.
Accommodations: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Cruise the Mekong Delta
Take to the waters to explore the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a ride on a tri-motorcycle and learn about coconut production before visiting the home of a former soldier.
Accommodations: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Royal Refinement in Hue Relaxed Start
Cycle through green rice ?elds to the traditional garden houses of Phu Mong village. Dine at Ben Xuan Garden House Theater, serenaded by local musicians.
Accommodations: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Highlights of Hue
Enjoy a morning visit to the Imperial Citadel and the royal tomb of Minh Mang. Escape the bustling city to a tranquil spot by the Perfume River to savor a local lunch. Take a cyclo ride to An Dinh Palace or visit a collector of rare antiquities at his private museum.
Accommodations: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 - Romantic Hoi An
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.
Accommodations: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - The Locals in Hoi An Relaxed Start
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.
Accommodations: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 - Hanoi Street Food Tasting Tour
Check in to your boutique hotel before joining a local gourmand for exploration of Hanoi's colorful street food culture.
Accommodations: Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Center
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Cruise Along Ha Long Bay
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.
Accommodations: Paradise Cruise, Ha Long Bay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 - Ha Long to Hanoi Relaxed Start
Greet the day with Tai Chi or an early morning swim before lingering over brunch as you cruise past the limestone formations en route to Hanoi.
Accommodations: Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Center
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 - The Temple of Literature Relaxed Start
Tour the Temple of Literature and view the Well of Clarity with a local scholar. Toast your travels over dinner.
Accommodations: Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Center
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Welcome to Laos
Jet off to Luang Prabang, once the royal seat of the Lane Xang Kingdom and still the center of Lao culture. This town is also UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check into your luxury hotel admiring its blend of elegant colonial style and tropical gardens surrounded by mountain ranges.
Accommodations: Avani Luang Prabang
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13 - Luang Prabang and Sunset Cruise
Uncover the real Luang Prabang; experience a living Buddhist tradition as you observe the offering of alms to hundreds of saffron-robed monks. Bask in spectacular views of the Mekong and Khan rivers from Mount Phousi, and learn about the local rural lifestyle at Wat Xiengthong. Your adventure culminates with a private sunset cruise on the mighty Mekong.
Accommodations: Avani Luang Prabang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Day 14 - Depart Luang Prabang
Your Ho Chi Minh to Luang Prabang luxury tour concludes after breakfast with private transfer to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Halong Bay (Hanoi)
Meaning “Bay of the Descending Dragon,” Halong Bay’s water is calm and undisturbed despite the jutting limestone mountains that soar out of the water and toward the sky. As if a tail of a Dragon plunged into the earth, the mountains are craggy, sharp, and barren, and are dotted with thousands of small caves of various depths and heights. At dusk, they all take on mysterious shades of gray, mauve and olive, lending credence to the local legends.
Excursions
Ha Noi City Tour & Street Food Tour – 12 hours - Hanoi
Ha Noi City Tour & Street Food Tour – 12 hours - Hanoi
Highlights:
- Street food tour
- Temple of Literature
- Hanoi Opera House
- Hoan Kiem Lake
- Ha Noi’s Old Quarter’s cyclo ride
- Ha Noi’s Old Quarter’s walking tour
Tour Duration: 12 hours
Tour can operate: Morning departure
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Physical Activity Level: Moderate
Inclusions:
- Pick up/ Drop off at Ha Long Port
- Tours and transfers as specified including entry fees, on a private basis in modern air-conditioned vehicles
- Service of English-speaking local guides
- Ports permit arranged
- Meals (food only) as stated in the above itinerary
- One 0.5 little of bottled water and cold towel in vehicle during sightseeing
- Vietnam Government tax and services charge
Not Included:
- All international and domestic air tickets
- Accommodation
- Vietnamese visa on arrival
- Other meals than those specified
- Travel insurance
- Tips for tour guides, drivers, waiters at included meals, local assistants
Hanoi
Hanoi is a city with a history that dates back to the 7th century. In 1954 Hanoi was declared the capital of the Democratic Republic of North Vietnam, and in 1976, following the Vietnam War, it became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This political history has made Hanoi one of the country's most fascinating cities to explore. The most renowned of all the monuments is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It is dedicated to Vietnam's most well-respected President, who in 1945, led his country to independence. Other highlights include the Museum of History, containing ancient artifacts from Cambodia, Thailand, Japan and China, the 11th century One Pillar Pagoda and legendary Sword Lake.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is often referred to as Vietnam’s jewel and the Pearl of the Orient. Located in south Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest city, with more than six million people and over one million motorbikes. Under the current regime the city is once more being rebuilt. Whole blocks are disappearing, being replaced by concrete, steel and glass structures. Central Saigon, which is still the official name for the city center, shows evidence of the French colonial city, with wide, tree-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés and elegant French architecture. The city is divided into two sections: Saigon, the municipal and historical district, and Cholon (Chinatown), where the entrepreneurial talent and private funds are concentrated. Cholon appears to be the most populated and in general the most vigorous part of Ho Chi Minh City. It is well worth a visit for its bustle and activity and its pagodas, which are reputed to be the finest in the whole city.
Excursions
Cu Chi Tunnels & Sai Gon Highlights Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Cu Chi Tunnels & Sai Gon Highlights Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Highlights:
- Visit Cu Chi Tunnels
- Visit Reunification Palace
- Stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral, Centre Post Office
- Visit Jade Emperor Pagoda
- Shopping at the Central Ben Thanh Market
Tour Duration: 10 hours
Tour can operate: Morning
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: Moderate
Inclusions:
- Pick up/ Drop off at Phu My Port
- Tours and transfers as specified including entry fees, on a private basis in modern air-conditioned vehicles.
- Service of English Speaking Local Guides.
- Ports permit arranged
- Meals (food only) as stated in the above itinerary
- One 0.5 litre of bottled water and cold towel in vehicle during sightseeing
- Vietnam Government tax and services charge
Not Included:
- All international and domestic air tickets
- Accommodation
- Vietnamese visa arrival
- Other meals than those specified
- Travel insurance
- Tips for tour guides, drivers, waiters at included meals, local assistants
Highlights of Ho Chi Minh City Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Highlights of Ho Chi Minh City Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Highlights:
- Visit Reunification Palace
- Photo stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral, Centre Post Office
- Visit History Museum & Jade Emperor Pagoda
- Visit China Town & Cao Dai Temple en-route
- Shopping at the Central Ben Thanh Market
Tour Duration: 10 hours
Tour can operate: Morning
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Physical Activity Level: Moderate
Inclusions:
- Pick up/ Drop off at Phu My Port
- Tours and transfers as specified including entry fees, on a private basis in modern air-conditioned vehicles.
- Service of English-speaking local guides
- Ports permit arranged
- Meals (food only) as stated in the above itinerary
- One 0.5 litre bottled water and cold towel in the vehicle during sightseeing
- Vietnam Government tax and services charge
Not Included:
- All international and domestic air tickets
- Accommodation
- Vietnamese visa on arrival
- Other meals than those specified.
- Travel Insurance.
- Tips for tour guides, drivers, waiters at included meals, local assistants, etc.
Mekong Delta Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Mekong Delta Tour – 10 hours - Saigon
Highlights:
- Get on a motorized sampan to experience the life of local people, visit local brickwork, local fruit farms, family workshops Photo stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral, Centre Post Office
- Take rowing-boat along water palm creek and cruise back to the Pier
- If time permits, have a quick visit of Sai Gon or shopping at Ben Thanh Market
Tour Duration: 10 hours
Tour can operate: Morning
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: Moderate
Inclusions:
- Pick up/ Drop off at Phu My Port
- Tours and transfers as specified including entry fees, on a private basis in modern air-conditioned vehicles.
- Service of English-speaking local guides
- Private boat cruise on Mekong River
- Ports permit arranged
- Meals (food only) as stated in the above itinerary
- One 0.5 litre of bottled water and cold towel in the vehicle during sightseeing
- Vietnam Government tax and services charge
Not Included:
- All international and domestic air tickets
- Accommodation
- Vietnamese visa on arrival
- Other meals than those specified.
- Travel insurance
- Tips for tour guides, drivers, waiters at included meals, local assistants, etc.