Arrive in Hanoi via the airport and meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure to either relax within your hotel or to venture out and get your bearings in Vietnam's capital city. This thoroughly modern city is bustling with cosmopolitan energy while also wearing its historic influences, from Colonial French to Chinese, on its sleeve. Easily walkable and endlessly entertaining, Hanoi is a great gateway to Vietnam that also contains some of the country's best food.

(Accommodations, Hanoi)

After breakfast, meet with your local guide for a private tour of Hanoi, starting by passing the President's Mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh is laid to rest. See the Stilt House where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 through 1969, preserved just as it was when he lived there. Continue to the Temple of Literature, a serene palace of knowledge built in 1070 dedicated to Confucius that eventually became Vietnam's first university.

Next, take a walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter, an enchanting array of narrow alleyways and shops that are known collectively as "The 36 Streets", each named after the type of merchandise traditionally exchanged on that particular street - from fabrics to medicines and even tombstones. Stroll through these vibrant streets and enjoy a Vietnamese coffee while admiring the pulsating energy of Hanoi. Finally, stop by the Ancient House on Ma May Street, one of the 14 traditional houses in the Old Quarter that was built in the 18th century that has been beautifully restored to retain its traditional architecture and timeless beauty. After the tour is complete, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Hanoi)

After breakfast, check-out of your hotel in Hanoi and meet with your driver for your private transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay where you will embark upon a Halong Bay Cruise. For the purposes of this itinerary, we will be listing activities aboard a Bhaya Classic Cruise, but you are welcome to choose the cruise ship of your choice. Halong Bay is an almost otherworldly place, where giant limestone cliffs topped with lush rainforests tower above you while a complex network of caves hide beneath.

Upon boarding the ship, enjoy a welcome beverage of your choice and then dig-in to a Vietnamese buffet lunch as you sail by the quiet sides of Halong Bay on route to the Trinh Nu area. Famous for the eponymous Trinh Nu cave, one of the bay's most beautifully sunlit caves, and for its crystal clear water, you'll have the choice between swimming or sea-kayaking on a private beach and enjoying a happy hour aboard the boat with panoramic views. After dinner, engage in the traditional Halong Bay activity of squid fishing!

(Breakfast, Hanoi; Lunch, Dinner, & Accommodations, Bhaya Classic Cruise)

Wake up this morning and head to the cruise's sundeck for a morning Tai Chi session to recharge and rejuvenate before the day begins. Vietnamese coffee, tea, and fresh baked pastries await you after your Tai Chi has ended. Today you'll explore Sung Sot Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Bon Ho Island. Also known as "Surprise Cave", when this enormous cave was discovered by the French in 1901, they were absolutely stunned by its beauty, which is how it received its name. After touring the cave, dine upon a brunch buffet and relax on the sundeck as the ship returns to port.

From the cruise port, meet your driver for a private transfer to Hanoi Airport for your flight (not included) to Danang. Once in Danang, meet another driver for your private transfer to your hotel in Hoi An.

*Please kindly note that this itinerary is based on inclusions on Bhaya Classic Cruise, other cruises may have different options. Inclusions at Bhaya Classic Cruise are subject to change.

(Breakfast, Bhaya Classic Cruise; Accommodations, Hoi An))

Hoi An is a picturesque river town set alongside a network of canals remarkable for its eclectic and historic architecture that is a blend of indigenous Vietnamese and foreign influences. The city was a major South East Asian trading port and the city's streets reflect that history. After breakfast, explore this city on foot on a private walking tour that will take you to all of the town's famous highlights. Walk across the Japanese Covered Bridge, the iconic symbol of the city, built by Japanese merchants in the 17th century that connected the Japanese community with the Chinese community across the river. Near the bridge is Sa Huynh Museum which houses exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An's history. Wander into the Tran Family Chapel, a 200-year-old house built for worshipping ancestors. You'll also visit the Chinese Quan Cong Temple, built in 1653, which contains a partially gilded statue as its centerpiece. Tour the Phuoc Kien Pagoda, otherwise known as the Lotus Leaf Pagoda for its giant lotus leaves that rest in its ponds. If there is time, your guide will also gladly take you to other sites such as the Phung Hung House, a home built in a combination of Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese styles where the same family has been living for eight generations. After the tour is complete, return to the hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Hoi An)

After breakfast, check-out of your Hoi An hotel and meet your driver for a private transfer to the airport and board your flight (not included) to Ho Chi Minh City. Having arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel within this vibrant metropolis.

Teeming with energy, activity, and commotion, Ho Chi Minh City is a meeting point between the modern world and traditional Vietnamese life. Embark this afternoon on a walking tour of the city by first strolling along Dong Khoi Street, the main shopping street and the heart of the old colonial city. Pass by landmarks of byegone colonial times including the French-style City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, and the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral that always stands out in the city's skyline. Next, dive into the city's modern history with a tour of the Reunification Palace, where the original tanks who famously stormed the building remain on display at the entrance gates, commemorating the unification of South and North Vietnam. Continue to the War Remnants Museum which extensively documents the post-colonial conflicts between Vietnamese and French forces and the Vietnam-American War as well. Expect detailed photographic exhibitions, collections of weaponry, and harrowing accounts of these deadly conflicts. Finally, end the tour with a visit to the Emperor of Jade Pagoda, also known as Tortoise Pagoda, an active Taoist shrine that is filled with ornate woodcarvings where the air is filled with incense. Once the tour is complete, return to your hotel where the rest of the day is at your leisure.

(Breakfast, Hoi An; Accommodations, Ho Chi Minh City)

Today is a free-day to be spent at your leisure. If you would like to book an optional tour, we recommend the Private Cu Chi Tunnels tour.

These tunnels, never discovered by American forces during the Vietnam-American War, were used as an important base of operations by the Vietcong during the famous Tet Offensive. Stretching over 120 miles, these complex underground network of tunnels was dug by hand and consisted of command posts, field hospitals, bomb shelters, weapons factories, barracks,and much more. Today you can walk (and sometimes crawl) through these tunnels to learn about the daily life of the Vietcong, marveling at their ingeniously disguised entrances and terrifying booby-traps.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Ho Chi Minh City)

After breakfast, check-out of your hotel and meet your driver for a private transfer to the airport where you will depart Ho Chi Minh city. Prepare for the return journey home or onwards to your next Avanti Destination!

(Breakfast, Ho Chi Minh City)