Upon arrival at the Noi Bai airport, our tour guide will pick us up and transfer us to the Hanoi central for check-in. The rest of the time, we are at leisure.

We begin the full day tour of this historic city full of charming lakes, parks, and shaded boulevards. We visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday mornings) to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho's final resting point. Just right beside it is Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts. King Ly Thai found the One Pillar Pagoda To in 1049. The structure has become a significant symbol for the people of Hanoi. We then continue to the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam, see Vietnam's first university, constructed in 1070 - it is gardens and well-preserved architecture which offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam's past.

In the afternoon, we are transferred to visit Hanoi's Ethnology Museum (closed on Monday) and its fascinating exhibitions about the diverse hill tribes in Vietnam. We go past the Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful waters and the beauty of the Ngoc Son temple. In the end, we journey through Hanoi's Old Quarter, where we get a chance to shop and explore before enjoying the Water Puppet show, a traditional performance that dates back as far as the 11th century in the settlements of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.

We gather at the Hanoi Cooking Centre (HCC). The collection can be arranged at an additional charge. We enjoy an exclusive Vietnamese welcome tea, "La Han."We are introduced to the Vietnamese cuisine in short, focusing on the contents of a traditional Vietnamese snack. We take a short walk to the Chau Long Market for a tour of the market highlighting the unusual fruits, livestock, silkworms, et cetera with the HCC chefs.

Here we have lots of opportunities to take some photos. We head back to HCC and commence the cooking class with HCC chefs. We can bring home printed recipes as well as samples of some local fruit, green bean cake, quail eggs, et cetera. After completion of the cooking class, we enjoy the self-prepared meal. We can relax in the comfort of the HCC dining area and enjoy a free flow of local beer, wine or lemon juice.

We receive return gifts and take a short visit to the HCC shop where Vietnamese Culinary tools, books, spices, et cetera are available for purchase.

Afternoon, free time at leisure.

In the early morning, we depart for Ha Long Bay going through the scenic countryside. The wondrous Ha Long Bay is indeed one of Vietnam's most impressive sights. We take a boat for cruising amongst the bay's rocky formations and floating villages. As the sun sets, we enjoy dinner on board, and our boat will anchor in the bay for the night.

Overnight on a cruise.

We wake up early as the daylight filters through the mist and towers the rock formations, leaving us with a surreal memory of the Ha Long Bay. We enjoy breakfast and perhaps join a Tai Chi class on the boat's deck before disembarking and heading back to Noi Bai airport to get a flight to the Danang airport. We are picked up and transferred from Danang to Hoi An (35km) for check-in at the hotel.

We wake up in the morning and walk to the ancient city of Hoi An, visit the Kwan Temple, Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky Old House, Japanese Cover Bridge, and the historical and cultural museum in Hoi An. We then visit a handicraft workshop in Hoi An before heading back to the hotel.

Afternoon,free time at leisure.

Today, we have free time until we are transferred to the airport for a flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, we are picked up and transferred to the hotel for check-in.

Today, we have one of the two options to chose from:

We are picked up by our tour driver and guide. We start from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, a province that is close to the Cambodian border. The temple is like a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. Its exterior, decorated with multi-colored dragons of all shapes and sizes compete for space amongst the swastikas. Right above the main entrance is the all-seeing holy eye, the symbol of the Cao Dai sector. The interior is appealing as the statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha and Brahma, the Hindu god, stand together.

In the afternoon, we leave Tay Ninh and travel to the Cu Chi Tunnel which was undiscovered by the American Forces during the wartime. These tunnels that were dug by hand stretch over 200 km and were a significant Viet Cong base during the American War. It connected the command posts, hospital shelter, and weapon factories.

The tour operates on a boat from Cai Be's colorful floating market where we find local boats full of fruits, vegetables, and other local produce. We stop at regional workshops where we learn how to make rice paper, coconut candy, popped rice and popcorn. We try and taste all kinds of sweets with the local family. We take the rowing boats further countryside on smaller canals and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It is exciting to see the traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves. We observe the local farmers with an opportunity to interact with them and see how they fish. In the afternoon, we walk around and enjoy some fruits all the while listening to traditional music. As we arrive in Vinh Long, we are transferred back to Saigon.

Free at own free time until transfer to the airport for our final departure flight.

Meals are fusion on local Vietnamese with daily usual buffet breakfast at the hotel. Guests should advise any individual food preferences, allergies or dietary conditions at least one (1) week before the arrival date.