Cultural Highlights of Vietnam

(11 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Hanoi, Sapa, Hoi An, My Son, Saigon

Mountainous northern Vietnam is one of the best places in Asia to visit hill tribe villages and see dramatic mountains covered with terraced rice fields. This tour combines this rural idyll with Vietnam’s best urban and small town experiences.

Start in the leafy capital of Hanoi, Vietnam’s artistic and intellectual capital. With your guide, ride cyclos around the lake to see the city's most beautiful French colonial architecture. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Attend an evening Water Puppet Theater performance. Visit ancient temples, excellent art and culture museums, and the city's best contemporary Vietnamese art galleries. Each night, reservations will be made at Hanoi's most recommended restaurants, many of which are housed in restored French colonial villas. One day, take a Vietnamese cooking class and learn to prepare delicious dishes such as fish marinated with beer and herbs, lemon chicken, and banana flower salad.

From Hanoi, enjoy a side trip to remote Sapa, a mountain village near the Chinese border. Visit local markets in Coc Ly and elsewhere where hill tribe minorities (including Hmong, Red Dao, Tay, Xa Pho and Giay) trade their goods. View spectacular waterfalls and drive through mountain valleys. Explore the hill station town of Sapa, and visit several villages where the tribes live. During free time, enjoy your mountain chalet hotel, where you can enjoy fondue by the fire, swimming, tennis, and mountain walks.

Continue to atmospheric Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed riverfront town with colorful historic homes, charming cafes, and bustling silk and fish markets. With your guide, explore the beautiful backstreets, visit local villages, and enjoy a sunset boat ride on the river. Nearby, also see ancient Cham sculptures in My Son, and tour Buddhist cave temples in the mountains. There will also be free time to relax at your luxury beach resort.

Continue to dynamic Saigon, the country’s commercial center and home to a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House and Hotel de Ville. If desired, also visit the powerful War Remnants Museum. Explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. Try Saigon’s strong Vietnamese iced coffee and a banh mi (baguette sandwich). Take a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and watch an eccentric religious ceremony at the main temple of Cao Daism, a unique fusion of world religions. Alternatively, spend the day cruising the narrow canals of the Mekong Delta.