Full Itinerary

Day 1: UK Airport / Hanoi

Depart on a choice of overnight flights to Hanoi.

Day 2: Arrive Hanoi

On arrival you’ll be met by your private guide and transferred to your choice of hotel for 2 nights. Hanoi offers the chance to enjoy authentic old school Far East. The hotel is in the centre and we’d recommend that you take a walk through the Old Quarter. Don’t be put off by the thousands of motor scooters, just dive in.

Day 3: Hanoi - Free Day - Evening Street Eats & Market Tour (B / D)

We've left today free to recover from your journey and explore Hanoi under your own steam as you will have a more formal tour with Pandaw whilst on the cruise. Hanoi life is generally very accessible to the visitor, as a lot is played out in the open. Start in the Old Quarter where the pace is intense, then spread out to find galleries, small shops, cafes and museums.

this evening (5.30pm) you re-join your tour guide for an introduction to Hanoi life. Your guide will introduce the tour before heading to ‘bia hoi corner’ where you can try the local brew while watching the busy streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Bia Hoi is a draft beer that is brewed daily and usually drunk by locals sat on small plastic stools.  Continue on through the bustling old quarter and listen as your guide tells you about the various foods on offer. Stop and try some samples before you head for a Vietnamese style barbeque dinner. Here your guide will select an array meats, tofu and vegetables on skewers while you sit down as they flame grill the food for you. Walk a little more along the streets and then to Hoan Kiem lake for dessert. On the way admire public aerobics classes that dot the park. Your final stop is at Hanoi’s most famous ice-cream street. An unforgettable experience shared with scores of young Hanoians. 

Day 4: Hanoi (B / D) - Join The Pandaw Red River 10 Night Cruise 

This morning your private driver will transfer you to the Pandaw boat which you board early afternoon and check-in to your choice of cabin for 10 nights. The ship sets sail downstream for sunset and a night on the Da River. This evening meet your fellow passengers at a Welcome Dinner.

The Red River is the largest and most important in Northern Vietnam. As the confluence of other major tributaries including the Da River and Lo River it carries the sediment and silt that created the the delta plain upon which Vietnam’s early civilizations developed. As such it's an historically rich region to cruise through.

Day 5:  Hoa Binh - Optional Tour to Mai Chau Hill Country (B / L / D)

This morning you explore Hoa Binh that was the site of a major battle in 1951 & 1952 with the French and is home to the Muong ethnic group. You will visit a museum and a local village where villagers still wear traditional dress. Then take a local boat ride on the reservoir of Hoa Binh power station or optional tour to Mai Chau (extra cost). Tonight you will enjoy the traditional performance of local hill tribe people.

Day 6:  Cruise The Da River to Trang Ha (B / L / D)

Today enjoy a day sailing downstream admiring the unspoilt beauty of the Da River, passing the Ba Vi National Park with its rich and diverse tropical and sub-tropical flora and fauna, before arriving at Trung Ha. On board your guides and chefs will entertain you with cooking demonstrations and a talk on Northern Vietnam.

Day 7: Visit UNESCO Village of Duong Lam. Cruise to Viet Tri (B / L / D)

After breakfast travel by coach through beautiful scenic countryside to the UNESCO village of Duong Lam. Then continue cruising downstream to Viet Tri. Take in the sights and sounds of the bustling river with all kinds of craft and activity. Meet your guide in the dining room for a lecture on Vietnam, its history, geography and the boat people.

Day 8: Cruise Lo & Red Rivers (B / L / D)

This morning cruise to Tien Du ferry station where you visit the village of Gia Thanh famous for the making of conical hats and very much off the beaten track, as no tourists visit this area. Travel to Hung Lo Temple for 'Hat Xoan' and enjoy a performance of local dance from the villagers. After lunch you will also have chance to visit a village famous for its carpenters. Return to the ship and continue cruising along the scenic Lo River.

Day 9: Cruise the Lower Red River to Hanoi (B / L / D)

Going ashore you visit a timeless Arcadian Vietnam with emerald green rice paddies punctuated by lime stone rock formations. Of particular interest are the Thay and Tay Phuong Pagodas, hardly known, yet with exquisite temples dating from the 8th and 11th century and home to some fine Buddhist statuary carved from jackfruit trees.

Enroute to Hanoi, stop at Bat Trang, a ceramic village (literally: ‘bat’ means ‘bowl’ and ‘trang’ means ‘workshop’). Bat Trang is a seven year old pottery village, located in an area rich in clay. On the way back to the ship watch a traditional unicorn and lion dance at the jetty. This dance originated in China and spread over Southeast Asia. arrive Hanoi early evening.

Day 10: Hanoi - City Tour (B / L / D)

Drop anchor in the bustling city of Hanoi. Today join your guide for a morning visiting some of the city’s highlights including the notorious Vietnam war prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. After lunch you’ll also have the option to enjoy a more informal walking tour of Hanoi including a visit to a coffee shop where you’ll learn about Vietnam’s famous coffee making industry.

Day 11: Cruise the Luoc, Thai Binh & Kinh Thay Rivers (B / L / D)

The morning is spent leisurely cruising down the river. This afternoon enjoy a walking tour through the Thanh Ha commune. Here you’ll also enjoy a water puppet show set in the shade by a beautiful pond of lotus and lilies. Water puppetry are a tradition which dates back as far as the 11th century, originating in the villages of the Red River Delta. The stories tell the day-to-day life of rural Vietnam with a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. The puppets are made of lacquered wood, and the performers are in a waist-deep pool hidden behind a screen. Back to the ship and continue the cruise as the river develops into a key commercial waterway, finishing the day at Hai Phnong Port, the gateway to Halong Bay.

Day 12: Halong Bay Cruise (B / L / D)

Cast off early morning along the river and enter Halong Bay’s amazing island scenery with its 2,000 dramatic limestone islands and extraordinary rock formations dating back 20 million years. Exploring Halong Bay, stop at the so called “Dark and Bright Cave”. Take a kayak or a local basket boat rowed by fishermen and enter this remarkable cave into an enclosed area similar to a crater. Bats can be heard in the cave and massive stalactites hang from the ceiling. The cruise continues around Halong Bay until you drop anchor in Rang Dua.

Day 13: Halong Bay Cruise (B / L / D)

First stop is Viet Hai Village, which you explore by mountain bike or electric buggy, visiting the village’s vegetable farm and typical village houses. It’s a breathtaking trip along a small road that winds its way through the limestone rocks. Back at the boat, this afternoon the cruise continues towards Lan Ha Bay for a visit to a floating fishing farm. Weather dependent, end the day with cocktails on a beautiful Halong Bay beach.

Day 14: Halong Bay - Return to Hanoi (B / L)

Today the cruise ends in Halong Bay as you sail to Tuan Chau Jetty. Disembark at 11.00am and transfer back to Hanoi for 1 further night at your choice of hotel. Alternatively we could arrange an evening flight home.

  Day 15: Fly (B) Hanoi / UK Airport

  Day free until your overnight flight home. Arrive back in UK the following morning.

Inclusions

What's Included:

Each featured itinerary is really a starting point from which to create your ideal holiday.

We can include as much or as little as you like, mix and match hotels, excursions and experiences, add extra nights and change the destinations you'd like to visit.

The common thread is that each is a privately guided holiday, allowing you to travel where and when you want, with your own private transport and dedicated guide.

General Inclusions:

• Return scheduled international flights (optional if you would like to arrange your own)
• English speaking, local guide & driver
• Choice of hotel accommodation
• Transport in private air-conditioned vehicles
• Domestic flights detailed in itinerary
• Admission fees to all attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
• All meals as detailed (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)

General Exclusions:

• Entry visas (if applicable)
• Optional Tours / Excursions
• Any meals not listed in the itinerary
• Drinks
• Personal expenses
• Tips for Guides / Drivers (discretionary)
• Travel insurance
• Any camera or video fees charged at sites

Where You'll Stay

 Hotels

The hotels below are there as examples, designed to act as a starting point from which to create your holiday. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from and when we quote we will include other suggestions so we get to understand your likes and dislikes. Quite often clients mix and match hotel categories throughout their holiday.

Vietnam

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