• Visit the labyrinth of tunnels running beneath the city's Cu Chi district.
• Dug by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam-American War.
• Used to house troops, transport, and supplies.

Drive through the Mekong Delta, where storks circle overhead and working water buffalo are in their element. Visit the magnificent Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 19th century Buddhist temple with a huge rooftop statue of a smiling Buddha;

• Fly to Hue, a vibrant and forward-looking city.
• Experience the blend of stylish modern towers and grand testaments to its imperial past, including:
• Tombs
• Temples
• Palaces
• Pagodas
• Visit the Imperial Citadel, featuring:
• Gardens
• Shrines
• Mandarins' villas

• Visit the tomb-temples of the 19th-century Emperor Tu Duc, who moved his household into his own tomb 'citadel'.
• Explore the 20th-century tomb of 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.

• 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, which showcases a collection that records their ancient culture.

• Visit the extensive My Son ruins of the Champa Kingdom, which were inhabited between the 4th and 19th centuries.
• Experience the atmospheric setting amid jungle scenery at this UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Enjoy a cruise on the Thu Bon River, reflecting the easy tempo of Hoi An.
• Visit the villages of Kim Bong and Thanh Ha during the cruise.

• Fly to Hanoi, where the architecture reflects every era, from Chinese pagodas to French colonial elegance, with touches of modernity.
• Transfer to the 4-star The Light Hotel Hanoi for two nights.
• Explore the Temple of Literature, a place of learning for 700 years, known as 'the first university' and dedicated to Confucius.
• Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, the city's social center and a popular spot for sunrise Tai Chi sessions.
• Wander through the tight tangle of 'the 36 streets' in the city's Old Quarter.
• Later, enjoy a Water Puppet show.

• Discovery in Hanoi includes visits to:
• Ho Chi Minh’s home and mausoleum
• The One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine featuring an 11th-century temple set atop a single pillar in the center of a lotus pond
• The History Museum, which showcases exhibits from prehistoric times to the present day

• Drive for 3 hours to Ha Long Bay, which is adorned with islands and islets. Some of these are little more than forestry-topped limestone pillars, while others feature beaches along ragged shorelines or clusters of craggy karst cones soaring skyward from the sea.
• One of the islands is a National Park that contains numerous caves.
• Board the stylish 4-star cruise boat for a seafood lunch and an overnight cruise.

• Continue cruising this morning, with brunch aboard.
• Disembark for a 3-hour drive to the splendidly scenic Ninh Binh.
• Experience waterways that run between limestone monoliths scattered throughout the town, earning it the title of 'Ha Long Bay on land.'
• Enjoy two nights at the 4-star Emeralda Hotel, serenely located within the Van Long Natural Reserve.

• Explore the Tam Coc ('Three Caves') by sampan rowboat.
• Experience the flooded karst cave system, part of the UNESCO-listed Trang An Scenic Landscape, steeped in myths and mystery, and adorned with dramatic stalagmites and stalactites.
• Visit the Bich Dong Pagoda Complex, which consists of a trio of tranquil Buddhist temples:
• One temple at the foot of the steep hillside,
• Another temple 100 steps above it,
• And a third cave temple at the top.
• Continue to the Le and Dinh dynasty temples in Vietnam's ancient capital, Hoa Lu, located along the Hoang Long River and protected within a circle of forbidding mountains.

• Visit Hang Mua Temple.
• Climb 500 steps to reach an impressive temple atop a hill, offering an incredible view of Tam Coc and Ninh Binh.
• Return to Hanoi for an overnight stay at The Light 4-Star Hotel.

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 recognized with a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for Cultural Conservation. Enjoy lunch with 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