Vietnam North to South: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An & Saigon

Private transfer from Noi Bai Airport to the Sofitel Legend Metropole. Welcome dinner in the hotel's Le Beaulieu brasserie — a Hanoi institution since 1901. Clara introduces the two weeks ahead over a glass of Vietnamese wine.

Morning in the 36 Streets of the Old Quarter — each street historically named for the trade it housed (silk street, tin street, paper street). The labyrinthine lanes feel unchanged in substance despite the motorbikes and coffee shops. Visit the Temple of Literature — Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070 — and the tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake with the Ngoc Son Temple on its island. Afternoon free.

Morning: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex — the mausoleum itself (Uncle Ho's preserved body, one of Vietnam's most complex and contested sights), the Presidential Palace, his simple stilt house on the lake, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Clara's commentary on Ho Chi Minh's legacy and the politics of his preservation is one of the most interesting conversations guests have on any tour. Afternoon and evening entirely free.

Morning drive east to Halong Bay (approximately 3.5 hours). Board your private premium junk at noon for two nights aboard. The afternoon is spent sailing deeper into the bay — visiting the Hang Sung Sot (Surprise Cave), kayaking through limestone arches, and watching the sun set behind the karst towers from the junk's sundeck.

Wake early for sunrise over the bay — the mist lifting through the karst islands in the morning light. Morning: tai chi on deck, then a cooking class with the junk's chef (learning Vietnamese spring rolls and a rice paper dish). Kayaking through a hidden lagoon only accessible by paddling through a low cave. Afternoon: swimming, sunbathing, and the exceptional five-course dinner.

Final morning on the bay, then drive back to Hanoi for the afternoon flight to Da Nang. Transfer to Hue — Vietnam's imperial capital, 100km north of Da Nang. Check in to La Résidence. This evening, a riverside walk along the Perfume River.

Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and Clara's expertise in Vietnamese history makes this the intellectual high point of the journey. The Imperial Citadel (modelled on Beijing's Forbidden City, on a smaller and in some ways more intimate scale), followed by the Royal Tombs — vast ceremonial complexes in the forested hills south of the city. The tomb of Emperor Minh Mang is the most architecturally perfect.

Hue is the culinary capital of Vietnam. A morning market visit to Dong Ba Market, then a cooking class with a family who has been preparing royal Hue cuisine for three generations — the elaborate small dishes originally prepared for the Nguyen emperors. Afternoon: Thien Mu Pagoda, the most important Buddhist site in central Vietnam, overlooking the Perfume River.

Drive south over the Hai Van Pass — the "Pass of Ocean Clouds" — with views that justify the 45-minute detour: the East Sea to one side, the green hills of central Vietnam to the other. Continue to Da Nang, then south to Hoi An. Check in to the Anantara Hoi An beside the Thu Bon River. This evening, a gentle walk through the lantern-lit Ancient Town.

Hoi An's Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary coherence — a merchant port preserved in amber, with Japanese covered bridges, Chinese assembly halls, French colonial facades and Vietnamese tube houses all coexisting on the same lane. Clara's knowledge of the town's trading history (Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese merchants all maintained warehouses here in the 17th century) brings the architecture to life. Afternoon free to explore independently or visit the tailors for which Hoi An is globally famous.

Morning excursion to My Son — a hidden valley of Hindu temples built by the Cham civilisation between the 4th and 14th centuries, damaged by US bombing in 1969 but still profoundly atmospheric. Clara's explanation of Cham culture — a Hindu kingdom surrounded by Buddhist Vietnam — is extraordinary. Afternoon free in Hoi An.

Morning free in Hoi An — perhaps a final market visit or a bicycle ride to the An Bang beach. Afternoon flight Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City (included). Transfer to the Park Hyatt Saigon, a colonial-inspired five-star facing the city's Opera House. Welcome dinner at the hotel's Square One restaurant.

The War Remnants Museum: an uncompromising, powerful account of the American War as Vietnam experienced it. Clara provides context and historical balance, making this one of the most educational mornings on the entire tour. Afternoon: the Reunification Palace (where North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates on 30 April 1975), the French colonial Notre-Dame Basilica and Central Post Office. Evening: the city's extraordinary restaurant and bar scene — Clara recommends a rooftop dinner at a local favourite rather than a hotel.

Final morning free — perhaps a last breakfast at the Park Hyatt terrace, or Clara's recommendation: a morning walk through the Ben Thanh Market neighbourhood for one final Vietnamese coffee and bánh mì. Private transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport. Clara sees you off.