Classical Tour of Vietnam

 Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Vietnam’s vibrant Ho Chi Minh City.

 On arrival, transfer to the 4-star Novotel Saigon Centre (early check-in) for a three-night stay. An afternoon tour of the city views the 19th-century, twin-towered, Notre Dame Cathedral, the flamboyant façade of the Opera House, and the unmistakeably French colonial Central Post Office; and visits the Reunification (aka Independence) Palace, its chequered past seeing it serve as the seat of colonial government, before it was all but destroyed, to be replaced in the 1960s; and the History Museum, charting the evolution of Vietnam with exhibits from ancient times to the 19th century.
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Visit the labyrinth of tunnels running beneath the city’s Cu Chi district, dug by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam/American war, to house troops, transport, and supplies. The extensive network here is a just a small part of the thousands of miles of tunnels burrowed between Saigon and the Cambodian border. This evening, enjoy a Dinner Cruise on the Saigon River.
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Drive through the Mekong Delta to Vinh Long, for a cruise on the Mekong River. 
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Fly to Hue, a vibrant, forward-looking city, where stylish modern towers share the ground with grand and glorious testaments to its imperial past, from tombs and temples to palaces and pagodas. Visit the Imperial Citadel, with gardens, shrines, mandarins’ villas, and the imperial palace within the walled and moated enclave. Two nights at the centrally sited, 4-star Senna Hue Hotel (2025 - Pilgrimage Village Boutique Resort & Spa).
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Visit the tomb-temples of the (19th century) Emperor Tu Duc, who moved his household into his own tomb ‘citadel’; and (20th century) Khai Dinh, whose lavishly opulent tomb took 11 years to build. Continue to the Thien Mu (‘heaven fairy lady’) Pagoda. An iconic landmark, shrouded in legends and set on a hilltop outside the city, its seven-storey octagonal tower is the tallest stupa in Vietnam. Cruise back to Hue on the Perfume River; and later enjoy dinner prepared by a local family. 
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Cross the mountain on the Hai Van Pass to Da Nang, where the Cham people once ruled much of central Vietnam. Visit the Cham Museum of Sculpture, its collection recording their ancient culture. Continue to Hoi An, its UNESCO listed old town a web of narrow streets and shallow canals. A walking tour takes you to historic merchants' houses.  (2025 - also visit the fabulous, 400-year-old, ‘Chùa Cau’ Japanese Covered Bridge. A stone and painted timber structure, with mythical monster legends, it is a cultural symbol of the ancient town). Two nights at the 4-star Allegro Hoi An Hotel (2025 - Almanity Hoi An Resort & Spa).
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 Fly to Hanoi, its architecture echoing every era from Chinese pagodas to French colonial elegance and, here and there, jolting modernity. Transfer to the 5-star Grand Mercure Hanoi for two nights. Explore the Temple of Literature, a place of learning for 700years, known as ‘the first university’, and dedicated to Confucius; Hoan Kiem Lake, the city’s social centre and a sunrise spot for Tai Chi sessions; and the tight tangle of ‘the 36 streets’ of the city’s Old Quarter. Later, enjoy a Water Puppet show.
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Discovery in Hanoi includes visits to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum; the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine, its 11th-century temple set atop a single pillar, at the centre of a lotus pond; the Ethnology Museum and the History Museum, with exhibits from pre-historic to present day.
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 Drive (3hrs) to Ha Long Bay, spangled with islands and islets, some little more than forestry-topped limestone pillars, others with beaches on ragged shorelines, or clusters of craggy karst cones soaring skyward from the sea, and one is a National Park with numerous caves. Board the stylish Bhaya Cruises boat, for a seafood lunch and an overnight cruise.
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Continue cruising this morning, with brunch aboard, before disembarking for the drive (3hrs) to splendidly scenic Ninh Binh, where waterways run between limestone monoliths scattered haphazardly around the town, giving it the epithet of ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. Two nights at the 4-star Emeralda Hotel, serenely positioned within the Van Long Natural Reserve.
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Enjoy Ha Long Bay’s stunning scenery and explore Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave in Ha Long Bay. Enjoy breakfast whilst cruising back, passing Lom Bo Island, Trong Mai Islet and Ba Hang Fishermen Village. Disembark for the drive (3hrs) to splendidly scenic Ninh Binh, where waterways run between limestone monoliths scattered haphazardly around the town, giving it the epithet of ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. Two nights at the 4-star Emeralda Hotel, serenely positioned within the Van Long Natural Reserve.
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Visit Hang Mua Temple, 500 steps will lead to an impressive temple on top of a hill with an incredible view over Tam Coc and Ninh Binh. Return to Hanoi for overnight at the 5-star Grand Mercure Hanoi.
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Visit the extensive My So’n ruins of the Champa Kingdom, inhabited between the 4th and 19th centuries, atmospherically set amid jungle scenery, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later, a cruise on the Thu Bon River echoes the easy tempo of Hoi An, and visits the villages of Kim Bong and Thanh Ha.
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An immersive introduction to local lifestyle, we visit Ancient Duong Lam Village, a cluster of nine hamlets, a glimpse of life in times gone by, a ‘national historic relic’, and recognised with a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for Cultural Conservation. Enjoy lunch which has been prepared by a local family, and visit the Mong Phu temple complex, with phoenix and flying dragon carvings. Continue to Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung Temple before returning to Hanoi for dinner and freshen up, and transfer to Hanoi airport for the return flight. 
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 Early morning arrival at London Heathrow.