Spirit of Vietnam
Spirit of Vietnam
Spirit of Vietnam
12 Days Starting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and ending in Hanoi, Vietnam
Visiting: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong River Delta, Hue, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay
Tour operator:
Tour code:
A602M19
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
0-0
Special diets catered:
Please advise request
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embrace the very best of Vietnam on this 12-day guided tour. See Ho Chi Minh’s glittering skyscrapers and green paddy ?elds from a speedboat as you race to the Cu Chi tunnels, where guerrilla fighters once hid during the Vietnam War; here, meet a Viet Cong veteran who will share with you what it was like to live in the tunnels. See the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Imperial Citadel in Hue during a private tour before the palaces open to other tourists. Experience the vibrant city of Hoi An your way: take a hands-on cooking class. Walk through the food carts living Hanoi’s streets and taste its classic cuisine: crab spring rolls, beef noodle soup, and com cakes. Sail through the mesmerizing waters of Halong Bay on a traditional overnight junk cruise.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Dynamic Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Dinner
Your Vietnam luxury tour begins by private transfer to the five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Dine tonight in one of Saigon’s rooftop restaurants.
Day 2: Marvels Of Saigon
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Travel by speedboat to the Cu Chi tunnels to meet a Viet Cong veteran and former resident. Take a walking tour before learning the art of Vietnamese coffee or visiting the War Remnants Museum.
Day 3: Cruise The Mekong Delta
Location: Mekong River Delta
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Caravelle, Ho Chi Minh.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Discover the Mekong Delta aboard a private charter. See coconut production and take a ride on a tri-motorcycle. At Mango Home, feast on Mekong Delta specialties before visiting the home of a former soldier.
Day 4: Royal Refinement In Hue Relaxed Start
Location: Hue
Accommodation: Hotel, Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Cycle through green rice fields to the traditional garden houses of Phu Mong village. Dine at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre, serenaded by local musicians.
Day 5: Highlights Of Hue
Location: Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Pilgrimage Village, Hue.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Enjoy a visit to the Imperial Citadel and royal tomb of Minh Mang. Take a cyclo ride to An Dinh Palace, the private residence of Khai Dinh, Vietnam's last emperor, or travel by boat to the private museum of collector, Tran Dihn Son.
Day 6: Romantic Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Resort
Accommodation Name: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Explore Hoi An through the eyes of a local. Enter former merchants’ homes, stroll lanes of traditional houses and cross the Japanese Covered Bridge. Dinner is your choice of traditional cuisine, modern Vietnamese or East-meets-West fusion.
Day 7: The Locals In Hoi An Relaxed Start
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Resort
Accommodation Name: Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Glide to the Thanh Dong village in a traditional bamboo-basket boat learning from the villagers and a professional chef how to make Vietnamese food.
Day 8: Hanoi Street Food Tasting Tour
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Check in to your boutique hotel before joining a local gourmand for exploration of Hanoi's colourful street food culture.
Day 9: Cruise Along Ha Long Bay
Location: Ha Long Bay
Accommodation Name: Paradise Cruise, Ha Long Bay.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Discover Ha Long Bay’s emerald waters on your private, luxury junk boat and visit the Tien Ong Cave and Cua Van. Learn from the masters with a traditional Vietnamese cooking demonstration or relax on deck as the sun sets.
Day 10: Ha Long To Hanoi Relaxed Start
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Westlake, Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Greet the day with Tai Chi before lingering over brunch as you cruise past the limestone formations en route to Hanoi.
Day 11: The Temple Of Literature Relaxed Start
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: InterContinental Westlake, Hanoi.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Tour the Temple of Literature and view the Well of Clarity with a local scholar. Toast your travels over dinner.
Day 12: Farewell Vietnam
Location: Hanoi
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi luxury tour comes to an end with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
What's Included
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Meals
Meals are included as detailed in the itinerary.
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Additional Services
Personal radio headsets are provided for visits to famous highlights, and complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi is available (except on Halong Bay Cruise).
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Complimentary airport transfers are included on start and end dates, when flights are included within the itinerary and when additional accommodation has been booked through Luxury Gold.
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Fully Guided
You will be escorted by a Travel Concierge, serving as your expert guide and organizer.
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Dining Summary
The tour includes 6 dinners, 11 breakfasts, and 5 lunches.
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Additional Included Highlights
Enjoy seamless personal assistance, Local Expert Guides, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and complimentary hotel Wi-Fi.
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Curated Experiences
Meet locals, explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and enjoy unique cultural experiences.
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Magnificent Stays
Stay at luxurious accommodations such as Anantara Hoi An Resort.
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Passport Moments
Experience iconic attractions and cultural insights throughout Vietnam.
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Personalise your day
Choose from various activities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue.
What's Not Included
International travel to and from Vietnam is not included.
Dining Summary
- 6 Dinner (D)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 5 Lunch (L)
Additional Included Highlights
- Enjoy seamless personal assistance throughout your journey. From securing exclusive reservations, to organising transportation, your Travel Concierge ensures every aspect of your travel is tailored to your tastes and preferences.
- In select destinations, our network of Local Expert Guides will illuminate your journey on a deeper level. ?
- Included at all hotels.
- Hotel taxes, porterage and tips, as well as tips for included dining experiences, are included.?
- Enjoy breakfast every morning, and an array of incredible dining options throughout your journey, infused with discovery and adventure.
- On days where a Relaxed Start (RS) is indicated, you can select to indulge in breakfast in bed.
- Enjoy complimentary hotel Wi-Fi. And, on select coaches, onboard Wi-Fi may also be available.
- Transfers are included on your journey start and end dates, and where additional accommodation has been booked in advance through Luxury Gold. Transfers to train stations or alternate hotels, in the same start or end city as the itinerary, may be requested.
Curated Experiences
- Mekong River Delta: Meet Mr. Sau Tuong, a former soldier, at his home and see how he and his wife make a living making rice paper. This quiet existence is in stark contrast to the four years he spent fighting the Khmer Rouge, who terrorised Cambodia in the 1970s.
- Hue: Cycle through rice fields to Thanh Toan village, admiring the green countryside as you pedal by. Visit the lively local market, bargain along with the locals and see traditional houses. Soak up the agricultural way of life, a suitable contrast to the city.
- Hue: Enjoy a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Imperial Citadel. Hear more about Emperor Gia Long, the first ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, who made this the centre of a unified Vietnam.
Magnificent Stays
- Hoi An: The luxurious Anantara Hoi An Resort is moments away from the city's charming historic centre. Take in the tranquil atmosphere, treat yourself to a massage at the spa, or cool down in the pool.
Passport Moments
- Ho Chi Minh City: Join a Viet Cong veteran to visit the underground C? Chi tunnels and learn more about this complex network originally built in 1948. See where many thousands of troops trained and lived under difficult conditions during the Vietnam War.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Experience the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, as you visit its most iconic attractions, including the Central Post Office, designed by Alfred Foulhox.
- Mekong River Delta: Board a private vessel for your Mekong River Cruise, taking you down the most important waterway in Southeast Asia. Gain a fascinating insight into coconut processing, one of the major industries for people who live along the river.
- Mekong River Delta: Enjoy a ride on a tri-motorcycle through the tropical scenery of the Mekong delta, passing limestone mountains and rows of neat rice paddies. Arrive at a rustic rice noodle factory to see how the favoured breakfast meal of Vietnam is produced.
- Hoi An: Explore the Ancient Old Town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see well-preserved buildings that date back several centuries. See the 18th-century Japanese covered bridge with its elaborate carvings and spot many coloured lanterns along the way.
- Hanoi: Take a spin on a nifty electric cart for a fun way to get around Hanoi. See the main sights of the city, including the beautiful French neoclassical Opera House, the centre for cultural and historical events in Vietnam.
- Halong Bay: Board a luxury junk boat for a special cruise around the magnificent Ha Long Bay, famous for its emerald waters and thousands of limestone islands dotted with rainforests. Explore mysterious caves and marvel at a memorable sunset over this scene.
- Halong Bay: Visit the spectacular Tien Ong cave with its immense stalactites and stalagmites, resembling various forms, including one called “the fairy godfather.” Sail to Cua Van floating village, amid the towering rocks, where fishermen have lived for hundreds of years.
- Hanoi: Meet a renowned local scholar during a special visit to the famous Temple of Literature, built in 1070 to honour the great philosopher, Confucius. Learn more about the culture of Hanoi and Vietnamese architecture before touring the picturesque grounds and seeing the Well of Clarity.
Personalise your day
- Ho Chi Minh City: Meander through the streets of Ho Chi Minh and hear more about the local street-side café culture, which sprung up when many French lived in the country. Discover the art of making the perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee before trying one.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Continue with your exploration about the troubled past of the country at the War Remnants Museum.
- Hue: Take a boat ride to the private museum of Tran Dihn Son, whose great-grandfather was a high ranking mandarin during the Nguyen Dynasty and see the vast collection of rare antiquities collected by him and his ancestors.
- Hue: Take a cyclo trip to An Dinh Palace, the private residence of Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s last emperor who ruled until 1955. Learn about the life of a Royal before heading back via Dong Ba Market to catch a glimpse of everyday life in modern Hue.
Mode of Transport
Travel in style with private transfers, including a speedboat ride to the Cu Chi tunnels and a private charter on the Mekong Delta. Enjoy seamless transportation with complimentary airport transfers and explore Ha Long Bay on a luxury junk boat.
Accommodation
Experience luxurious stays at renowned hotels such as Hotel Caravelle in Ho Chi Minh City, Pilgrimage Village in Hue, and Anantara Hoi An Resort. Enjoy the elegance of Hotel de l'Opera in Hanoi and the serene InterContinental Westlake, ensuring comfort and style throughout your journey.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique experiences can I expect during the Spirit of Vietnam tour?
During the Spirit of Vietnam tour, you can expect unique experiences such as meeting a Viet Cong veteran at the Cu Chi tunnels, exploring the Mekong Delta on a private charter, and visiting the home of a former soldier. You'll also have the opportunity to cycle through rice fields in Hue, take a traditional bamboo-basket boat ride in Hoi An, and enjoy a private concert at the home of a celebrated painter and singer in Hue.
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Are there any special dining experiences included in the tour?
Yes, the tour includes several special dining experiences. In Ho Chi Minh City, you'll have a Welcome Dinner at a rooftop restaurant. In the Mekong River Delta, you'll enjoy lunch at Mango Home, a thatched restaurant. In Hue, you'll have a memorable meal and private concert at the home of Camille Huyen. In Hoi An, you can choose from three hand-selected restaurants for dinner, and in Hanoi, you'll explore the street food culture with a local foodie.
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What cultural activities are included in the tour?
The tour includes various cultural activities such as visiting the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, exploring the Imperial Citadel and royal tomb of Minh Mang in Hue, and touring the Temple of Literature in Hanoi with a local scholar. You'll also have the chance to learn about Vietnamese coffee culture and participate in a hands-on cooking class in Hoi An.
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What options do I have for personalizing my experience in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue?
In Ho Chi Minh City, you can choose between learning the art of making Vietnamese coffee or visiting the War Remnants Museum. In Hue, you have the option to take a boat ride to the private museum of Tran Dihn Son or a cyclo trip to An Dinh Palace, followed by a visit to Dong Ba Market.
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What kind of accommodation can I expect on this tour?
You can expect luxurious accommodations throughout the tour, including stays at Hotel Caravelle in Ho Chi Minh City, Pilgrimage Village in Hue, Anantara Hoi An Resort in Hoi An, Hotel de l'Opera in Hanoi, and a luxury junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Absolutely! We are very selective in who we work with and choose to only use hotels that take the health and well-being of our guests as seriously as we do and agree to meet expected guidelines and specifications. We only work with establishments that we are confident will consistently adhere to our standards.
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Which countries does Luxury Gold visit?
We offer incredible luxury trips in Europe, North America, South America, Hawaii, South-East Asia, the Indian sub-continent (including India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka), Australia and New Zealand.
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What other modes of transport does Luxury Gold use?
A Luxury Gold tour will include touring on high-speed trains, alpine cable cars, hydrofoils, river cruisers and horse-drawn carriages, in addition to our high-deck luxury coaches with extra legroom.
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Who travels with Luxury Gold?
We are delighted to welcome guests who have a shared love of travel, adventure, entertainment and exploration. A mix of solo travellers, couples, and groups of friends and family join us from all over the English-speaking world.
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What is the role of the Well-Being Director?
Working closely together with your Travelling Concierge, the Well-Being Director* will help make sure all necessary protocols are followed to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our guests. This includes our enhanced screening and hygiene protocols, complying with distancing and other requirements set by government authorities. They are also there to support our guests & answer any questions.
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Low Deposit
Barrhead Travel requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 98 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of barrhead travel charges.
Up to 98 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 97 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions
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