Vietnam’s history, unexplored regions & UNESCO discovery

A private chauffeur will meet you when you arrive in Hanoi and drive you to your accommodation. An Audley representative greets you. You may have some free time this afternoon to explore, depending on when you take off. Surrounding your hotel is an intriguing array of stores and coffee shops that taste modern Hanoi.

Today, go on an intriguing small-group street food tour in Hanoi with a local blogger. You may sample regional specialties and learn about some of the odd items used in Vietnamese cuisine by meandering around Thanh’s food market. You have the afternoon free to unwind; you may like to check out the hotel’s spa or pool.

Today is an early start as your guide picks you up for a personalized bicycle tour around Hanoi. It’s a fascinating experience to see Hanoi before dawn, with its bustling market vendors, street vendors selling food, and residents getting a bite to eat before work. You have the rest of the day to unwind or explore the city. You may enjoy strolling around the historic French Quarter’s tree-lined boulevards.

This morning, travel by private vehicle to the breathtaking Ninh Binh area, home to enigmatic cave networks, rural villages, and spectacular karst terrain. After three and a half hours of traveling down the highway, only a little is visible until you start to glimpse the limestone karsts approaching Ninh Binh. A guide is with you and may recommend locations to stop for refreshments if you’d like. You may spend the remainder of the day lounging on the well-kept grounds or exploring the organic farm that surrounds your hotel.

This morning, go off the main path to see one of Vietnam’s most beautiful regions. Riding a private guided bike trip, you’ll travel through little villages surrounded by breathtaking views of massive limestone artwork. After having lunch and getting to know the locals, take a small boat ride that will take you deep into some of Vietnam’s largest cave systems. This evening, a private vehicle will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the train station, where you will join an overnight train to Dong Hoi in the south. You can discover the proper train and get comfortable in your carriage with the assistance of a guide.

When you arrive in Dong Hoi this morning, your local guide will meet you and arrange a private drive to your hotel so you may have breakfast. After some downtime, you are picked up from your accommodation and transported an hour to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. At 31 km (20 miles), Paradise Cave is the longest cave in Vietnam; the first few kilometers are accessible to tourists. You will be able to tour the cave and the neighboring national park with the assistance of your guide.

Today, go on an amazing hike in Phong Nha National Park in a small group under the guidance of an expert guide. Today’s hike is 15 km (9 miles) to the entrance of Hang En, the third-largest cave in the world. Explore the cave system with your guide after a barbeque meal. Spend the night inside the cave.

Explore Hang En in the morning before making the difficult but worthwhile journey back to the park’s entrance. After a shared transfer, you’ll travel back to your accommodation, giving you the remainder of the day to unwind and recuperate after the hike.

With your own driver and guide, depart from the national park today and travel south on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the imperial city of Hue. Your guide will be able to show you where over 90 people lived underground to escape American bombardment, the iconic Vinh Moc Tunnels being a great place to stop along the route. After a busy day, you’ll reach Hue in time for supper.

Today, leave the national park and go south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the imperial city of Hue with your driver and guide. Over 90 people lived underground to avoid American bombing, and your guide will be able to show you where they did so. A nice site to stop along the way is the famous Vinh Moc Tunnels. You’ll arrive in Hue in time for dinner after a full day of seeing.

Venture off the main path now to get a unique perspective on the Vietnamese Cot Tu minority and witness rural village life as it used to be. Once a private driver has picked you up, take around three hours to go to the little rural town of Bho Hoong, stopping along the route if you want to explore. When you arrive, your guide will be available to take you around the city and introduce you to local families. This evening, spend the night in a classic bungalow and get the opportunity to have supper along with the local family.

After leaving the highlands behind today, you and your driver and private guide will go back toward the coast, arriving at the quaint UNESCO town of Hoi An after roughly four hours of travel. You may spend your free afternoon seeing the historic town of Hoi An, which is perhaps the best-preserved 16th-century commercial port in Southeast Asia.

Discover the UNESCO-listed village of Hoi An with the assistance of your guide, who will share his extensive expertise and help you find some hidden treasures in this quaint town that is best explored on foot. After that, travel to the ancient Cham remains at My Son, a collection of Hindu temples that the surrounding forest has slowly reclaimed.

Take a traditional coracle boat out on the sea this morning to glimpse Vietnamese fishermen’s daily lives. You will first see the nearby fishing settlements as part of a small group trip, and then you may try to catch your own. Afterward, there will be an on-board meal with fresh seafood. If you have an afternoon to spare, you may like to check out some interesting stores and cafés surrounding your hotel.

You have free time today to explore Hoi An’s tangle of narrow backstreets with cobblestones. Maybe take a tour of one of the historic merchant homes or sample some of the mouthwateringly distinctive regional food, such as White Rose and Cao Lau.

This morning, a private shuttle will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport in time for your next departure.