Good Morning Vietnam! - Family Holiday

Today you have a full day to explore Hanoi, as part of a tour and also at leisure. Your city tour takes in sights within Hamoi's renowned old quarter and the infamous prison - the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. You also visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, now a site of pilgrimage for thousands of Vietnamese people and one of the most iconic sites in all of Vietnam.This afternoon you’ll have plenty of time to wander along tree-lined avenues and enjoy pagoda-studded lakes.

The Old Quarter has great shopping opportunities; silk, silver, enamel bracelets and embroidery are among the best buys and the street names bear testimony to the business conducted there; Silk Street, Rice Street, Vermicelli Street, and even Boiled Fish Street! Some of the galleries boast the works of painters from all over Vietnam.

This evening you’ll make a visit to one of the water-puppet theatres to enjoy a performance of this fantastic art form - unique to Vietnam and best seen in Hanoi. (B)

NB. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is normally closed for renovation for a period during the months of September to December, however, Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts is usually still open to visitors at this time.

This morning you return to Hanoi and have more time to wander in this fascinating city; there are lots of parks and more than 20 lakes to explore as well as little coffee shops and ice cream parlours - a legacy of the French. In the evening you board the Reunification Express train; journeying in four or six-berth, soft sleeper compartments (simple but very comfortable) you travel to Vietnam’s cultural capital, Hue. Berth on overnight sleeper train - 1 night (B).

Travelling south by bus you climb up and over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, the top of which is crowded by hawkers selling all kinds of souvenirs and people who have stopped to enjoy the magnificent view below. Approximately four hours after leaving Hue, you’ll arrive in Hoi An - a relaxed and laid-back place, where cars are prohibited from the narrow streets of the old town, preserving the atmosphere in the centre as it would have been in colonial times.

Settled over the years by a variety of nationalities, including the Spanish and Portuguese, the old town is a fascinating place to visit. The fading beauty of the beautiful shops, houses and cafés add to the charm; Hoi An is bound to be a highlight of the trip. Walking or cycling are the only ways to soak up the atmosphere of the old streets and we’ll help you explore on foot during your stay. You can walk down to the riverside market where fresh fish are unloaded and through the backstreets of this colourful town, past temples to the covered Japanese Bridge.

The rest of your time is left free to relax in this beautiful area. You could take a taxi or make the easy five-kilometre bicycle ride through the rice paddies and shrimp ponds to Cua Dai beach. Alternatively Hoi An is one of the best places to shop for souvenirs, especially if you’re looking for t-shirts, paintings or ceramics. For those interested in getting clothes tailored, this is definitely the place to shop – see Top Tips. Another good idea is to take a boat trip out to a village specialising in ceramics and boat-building (optional).
Hotel (AAA) - 3 nights (Swimming Pool) (Bx3)

This morning you leave the city behind and head for Vietnam’s rice-bowl – the Mekong Delta, a journey of approximately three hours. Passing through idyllic rural scenes you arrive at Cai Be where you transfer to local boats in order to reach your simple lodgings for a night in the house of a local family in the Mekong Delta. This afternoon you board local boats to explore the intricate waterways of the Mekong, zigzagged with ramshackle ‘monkey bridges’ and busy with local traders. There’s time to visit the local markets and cottage industries and soak up the atmosphere of this colourful collection of stilt homes built on channels and rivers. Homestay (A) - 1 night (BD)