On arrival in Noi Bai International Airport, you will be met by an English-speaking representative and transfer to your hotel. Please note: Early check in is not included. If your flight arrives in the morning and you wish to arrange this, please speak to your reservations consultant. An informal Welcome Dinner will be held on Day 1. If you miss this due to your arrival time, all information will be provided to you at breakfast the following morning. Additional night's before and after your tour can be arranged.

Discover the sights of Hanoi today. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Quarter and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, followed by the Humble House on Stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda. Next drive to the serene Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university. Later experience an exhilarating cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Each cyclo takes one passenger and is operated by a cycle driver behind the carriage. Stop for the opportunity to taste some traditional egg coffee, before proceeding to a late lunch. Tonight, attend The Quintessence of Tonkin show, an artistic open-air performance celebrating the rich history of northern Vietnam. Please note: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed for entry on Mondays and Fridays every week and from September to December each year. During these times, we are unable to enter the Mausoleum; however, we can view it from the outside.

Drive around 2 and a half hours from Hanoi to Halong, where you will take an overnight cruise to the far-most corners of the bay by boat. Boarding your boat could involve navigating your way over and through other boats, moored between it and the dock, sometimes without handrails, ladders or assistance from staff. Enjoy lunch on board as you cruise out into the bay, stopping to anchor for an afternoon of activities. Activities are subject to change due to cruise selection and weather conditions. Sightseeing usually includes visiting underground caves on the islands which involves climbing up and down lots of steps. End the day on deck with a drink in hand to watch the sunset over the bay followed by a freshly prepared dinner, before retiring to your cabin for the night. You will need to pack a smaller overnight bag for your trip to Halong Bay. Main luggage will be left in safe storage at the hotel in Hanoi and picked up your return. Please note: Weather conditions such as mist, fog, wind, rain and storms may delay the departure time of your cruise, or in some cases your cruise may be cancelled. Notifications of any delays or cancellations may not be known until your group’s arrival in Halong Bay. If your cruise is cancelled after your arrival in Halong Bay, you will have lunch in Halong City and return to Hanoi. If notification of the cruise cancellation is given prior to your departure for Halong Bay an alternative day trip will be arranged to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc or ‘Halong Bay on Land’, an area located approximately 2 hours from Hanoi. Our guides will make every effort to inform the group at the earliest possible moment should there be any itinerary changes. The next day spend the morning sailing through Halong Bay. After brunch return to Hanoi for your 1 hour flight to Hue.

This morning, visit the Imperial Citadel containing the Forbidden Purple City which is still being restored many years after the destruction caused by street fighting and bombing during the American War in Vietnam. Visit the Royal Tomb of Minh Mang to explore the opulent and exotic resting place laid out in formal Chinese style. Continue with a cruise along the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue's oldest and most beautiful pagoda, built on a hillock overlooking the river. Boarding your cruise could involve navigating your way over and through other boats, moored between it and the dock, sometimes without handrails, ladders or assistance from staff. Finally, visit Tha Om Garden House and its owner, Mr Vinh. Explore the traditional 19th century Hue residence and listen to Mr Vinh’s stories of his royal heritage before returning to your hotel.

After breakfast, drive approximately 4 hours to Hoi An, this journey will take you over the scenic Hai Van Pass. Stop en-route at Ba Na Hills for lunch, visiting the Golden Bridge, a beautiful bridge held by gigantic stone hands with panoramic views. Please note: To visit Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge, you will take a 30-minute cable car journey up the hill, with scenic views. There is a small altitude adjustment as it is at 1400m

Visit a local community farming project just outside of Hoi An – Tra Que village, where the community has come together to create a large vegetable farm. After lunch at the local restaurant, learn the traditional methods the farmers use to plant, fertilise and harvest the crop, then try your hand at raking the ground and sowing seeds. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour through the streets of Hoi An, arriving first at Chua Ong Pagoda. Next, pass by the 200-year-old Tan Ky House and take a short break at the Japanese Covered Bridge - one of Hoi An’s most iconic structures. Visit the Reaching Out Tea House, an establishment that aids locals with disabilities, for a rejuvenating cup of tea.

Spend some time at leisure before flying to Saigon. After check-in, the rest of your day is at leisure.

Explore modern day Saigon, with its heady mix of local culture and colonial influences. Begin at the emotive War Remnants Museum, exploring independently. Here, learn of the turmoil that once gripped the country, gaining a greater insight into the echoes of Saigon’s past. Explore further with an exhilarating cyclo ride through the modern city. Each cyclo takes one passenger and is operated by a cycle driver behind the carriage. Pass by the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, ending your ride at the Reunification Palace.

Confront the reality of guerrilla warfare at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The cramped tunnels were central to many of the Vietnam War’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive, and they did not escape damage. American B52 bombers dropped hundreds of missiles leaving huge craters behind. The Cu Chi experience can be emotional for some visitors, but it offers a fascinating window into the hardship and traumas of war. Sightseeing here involves two hours on foot on uneven paths through the forest, seeing examples of reconstructed bamboo traps, Viet Cong kitchens, and tunnel entrances. Should you choose, you will also have the opportunity to spend a few minutes underground, on a short, crouched walk through an example section of the tunnel network.

After breakfast, transfer to the meeting hotel in Saigon where you will say goodbye to your National Escort and be picked up for your cruise by your local guide from Victoria Mekong. Drive to Can Tho, stopping en route for a delicious local lunch. Board the Victoria Mekong which, after a welcome briefing, will cast off into the waters of the Mekong Delta. Relax with a sundowner on deck and sit down to a sumptuous gala dinner whilst enjoying a performance of Đờn ca tài tử - traditional music of the Mekong. Drop anchor at Tiger Island.

Enjoy an excursion on Tiger Island. Choose to explore by sampan or electric bike, visiting local industries such as net weaving, incense making and banh in (rice cakes) making. Continue upstream to Long Xuyen and disembark once more to visit the bustling floating market and a local museum. Sit down to dinner and evening entertainment before retiring to your cabin. Drop anchor at Vam Nao.

Cast off early to arrive in Tan Chau. On arrival, head to shore to visit a colourful Cao Dai temple and a silk village, where you’ll learn all about the traditional silk making process, by xe loi (local rickshaw). Return to the ship for lunch before more shore excursions around Tan Chau, with the option to take an exhilarating speedboat ride to Tra Su Forest (at additional cost). This evening features a thrilling lion dance performance!

Today, the Victoria Mekong will pass over the border into Cambodia and sail towards Phnom Penh. Spend a relaxed day enjoying the passing scenery and a wealth of onboard activities, such as lectures and cocktail making. In the late afternoon, dock at Phnom Penh’s Sisowath Quay where, this evening, you will be entertained with a traditional Cambodian Apsara performance. Sip a farewell cocktail before a final gala dinner.

Enjoy breakfast in the restaurant before disembarking and bidding farewell to the Victoria Mekong. Board a cyclo and head from the pier into the heart of the city to visit the magnificent Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda before perusing the treasures of the National Museum. After a final stop at Wat Phnom, enjoy a cold glass of local beer with beautiful views over the riverfront.

Reflect on the history of the city with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields. The Tuol Sleng Museum, a former school that was converted into a barbaric detention centre known as S-21. Now a museum, it commemorates the victims of the atrocities that occurred during the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The drive south-west to the Killing Fields takes approximately half an hour and will take 30 minutes. You will be invited to watch a short documentary on the tragic history of the Killing Fields. Spend around an hour here on foot, gaining an insight into the tumultuous past that Cambodia is working to overcome. Most people find these sites quite confronting and emotional; you will be given time to explore and reflect quietly on your own. Later, transfer to the airport for your 1-hour flight to Siem Reap.

Spanning from the 9th to 15th century, the Angkor complex with over 1,000 temples was the seat of the thriving Khmer Empire. UNESCO manages the complex and, to enter, your group will drive approximately 6km out of town to the main entrance gate to get your entrance passes, which you must carry with you. If you choose to climb steps at any site, you must be able to climb and descend without assistance. Begin at the city of Angkor Thom and the enigmatic Bayon, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King before continuing to the temple of Ta Prohm, enveloped in a labyrinth of jungle. This afternoon is devoted to the fascinating and awe-inspiring Angkor Wat. In the evening, relax on board a boat and enjoy a drink as the sun sets on the moat of Angkor Thom. Please note: The Central Tower of the Angkor Wat complex is closed on Buddhist holidays and on all other days has a limited number of visitors allowed at any given time, under regulations from UNESCO. If you wish to visit this tower, you will be required to wait in the queue alongside all other visitors. The ability to do this will be determined upon the group’s schedule.

In the high-water season, drive to Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilt houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap lake. In the lower water season, you will visit Chong Kneas floating village. Get a glimpse into local life at the home of a Khmer family. Return to Siem Reap to enjoy a performance by the PHARE Cambodian Circus, an NGO which teaches street children to become internationally renowned circus artists.

Today, travel by tuk tuk to a Khmer cooking school, where you will learn to prepare traditional Khmer dishes. The chef will teach you all about what goes into the local cuisine, as you create a delicious meal! Spend your afternoon at leisure before a farewell dinner.

Any time before your flight is at leisure and breakfast will be included. You will be transferred from your hotel for approximately 1 hour to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh International airport, according to the departure time of your international flight. Late check-out is not included. Additional night's before and private extensions after your tour can be arranged.