Hanoi, Lan Ha Bay & Ho Chi Minh City

Today, you’ll fly from your selected airport to Vietnam’s charming capital, Hanoi, with connecting flight(s) along the way.

You’ll arrive at Hanoi’s international airport, Noi Bai, where you’ll go through immigration and collect your luggage. Your guide will be waiting for you outside the arrivals hall after the exit doors. The guide will be wearing a TourCompass uniform and holding a TourCompass sign, making them easy to spot.

You’ll then be driven to your hotel, and after checking in, you’ll have the rest of the day free to enjoy your first impressions of the Vietnamese capital at your own pace.

We highly recommend exploring the charming and vibrant streets of the old quarter, where every alley reveals scents, sounds, and fascinating glimpses of daily Vietnamese life. You might also enjoy a leisurely stroll around the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake, which, with its shady trees and local bustle, offers a popular oasis right in the heart of the city.

Today, you can look forward to an exciting city tour showcasing some of Hanoi’s most iconic attractions.

Your guide will pick you up from the hotel, and the day will begin with a Vietnamese coffee at a local café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake – the city’s green heart and a natural gathering spot for both young and old residents of Hanoi.

From here, you’ll cross the iconic Huc Bridge to the Ngoc Son Temple, located in the middle of the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. The bridge’s name translates to “the place touched by the morning sun’s rays”. Here, you’ll hear the legend of the emperor, the magical sword, and the giant turtle, gaining insights into how the lake got its name and its special significance to the city.

You’ll then be driven to the Temple of Literature, a peaceful complex founded in the 12th century by the disciples of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. With nearly a thousand years of history, the temple is a rare and well-preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture – complete with elegant colonnades, ponds, and leafy courtyards, where young students still come to pray for success in their exams.

Lunch today is served at the KOTO restaurant – a place that’s far more than just somewhere to eat. KOTO stands for “Know One, Teach One” and is a social enterprise restaurant that trains and supports young Vietnamese people from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them a professional education and a fresh start in life with the skills and confidence needed for long-term employment. At the same time, you’ll enjoy delicious Vietnamese dishes in calm surroundings. You can read more about the restaurant here.

The tour continues in a traditional cycle rickshaw – also known as a cyclo – through the maze of narrow streets and bustling market life in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The Old Quarter is famous for its 36 streets, which were originally named after the goods sold there, such as bamboo, silk, paper, and tin. Many street names remain unchanged today, and the atmosphere still brims with local charm as Hanoians trade, chat, and serve steaming bowls of pho from their street kitchens.

After an exciting cyclo ride, you’ll visit the historic Long Bien Bridge, an iconic landmark from the French colonial era, built in the early 1900s. The distinctive iron bridge stretches across the Red River and was severely damaged during the Vietnam War, but today it stands as a powerful symbol of Hanoi’s resilience and history. From the bridge, you can get a vivid glimpse into everyday life in Hanoi, where locals ride their scooters to and from work alongside cyclists and pedestrians. Looking down from the bridge, you’ll see the bustling Long Bien Market, alive with activity from the early morning, while the view over the river offers a tranquil contrast to the energy of the city. The bridge is a popular spot for photographers and travellers wishing to capture the spirit of Hanoi.

The day’s sightseeing tour concludes with a water puppet show – a centuries-old Vietnamese tradition where puppets dance on the surface of the water to live music and classic storytelling.

After an eventful day, you’ll be driven back to your hotel, and the evening is yours to spend as you wish.

Today, you’ll have plenty of time to explore Vietnam’s vibrant capital at your own pace. You’ll decide the tempo. Perhaps you’d like to join one of our optional tours, or maybe you’d prefer to venture out and discover the city independently.

Hanoi is a feast for the senses. Start your day early with a visit to the famous Train Street, when there are fewer people around and a calmer atmosphere. Here, the train passes just inches from the cafés lining the tracks, offering a unique glimpse into daily life before the city truly wakes up.

From here, you can make your way towards the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake, where narrow streets and French colonial buildings hide small shops, colourful art galleries, and cosy cafés. Sit down with a Vietnamese coffee and watch everyday life unfold as locals and visitors cross paths. Not far from here stands the iconic St. Joseph’s Cathedral, with its gothic façade and lively square in front – a popular meeting point for both locals and travellers.

For lunch, set off on a hunt for Hanoi’s famous street food. Try a steaming bowl of pho, savour the aroma of grilled bun cha, or grab a crisp banh mi to enjoy on the go.

Afterwards, head towards the area around the Long Bien Bridge and the nearby Long Bien Market, where the bustling trade in fruit, vegetables, and flowers fills the streets, offering a lively glimpse into the city’s daily life. The pace is brisk and the atmosphere wonderfully authentic, no matter the time of day.

As darkness falls, Hanoi truly comes alive. The streets glow with the flames of food stalls, and the scent of grilled meat, fresh coriander, and spiced broth drifts through the narrow lanes. You can stroll through the Old Quarter, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere, or make your way to a rooftop bar to enjoy the view over the city’s pulsing nightlife.

Early in the morning, you’ll leave Hanoi and drive towards the northern coast, where Lan Ha Bay stretches out to the south of Ha Long Bay. The journey takes around 3 hours, leading you through a changing landscape of towns, villages, and lush rice paddies. There will be a short stop along the way, giving you time to stretch your legs and pick up some refreshments before continuing to the coast to board your atmospheric mini-cruise.

Lan Ha Bay lies directly south of Ha Long Bay, extending around Cat Ba Island. The bay is part of the same geological area and features striking limestone formations, lush islands, and clear, green-tinged waters. However, Lan Ha Bay is less visited, offering fewer boats, small floating fishing villages, and more unspoilt nature.

You’ll arrive at Tuan Chau Marina, where you’ll check in before being transferred by tender boat to your mini cruise ship. On board, you’ll be greeted with a refreshing drink while the crew gives a short introduction to your mini cruise and the safety procedures on board. You can then settle into your cabin before enjoying a delicious lunch. As you dine, the ship quietly glides into the emerald-green waters of Lan Ha Bay, surrounded by limestone cliffs and small islands rising dramatically from the sea.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit Dark and Bright Cave, located at the point where Lan Ha Bay meets Ha Long Bay. Dark Cave is narrow, deep, and partly submerged, meaning it can only be viewed from the outside. Bright Cave, on the other hand, is wider – around 3 metres high, 4 metres wide, and about 100 metres long. You’ll cruise through the cave in a small bamboo boat, which opens up into a tranquil, light-filled lagoon framed by limestone cliffs and lush vegetation.

Later, you’ll return to your ship, where a relaxed atmosphere awaits on deck and you can enjoy the sunset over the bay. You may also take part in a delightful cooking demonstration and learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls.

Before evening falls, the captain finds a quiet spot in the bay where the ship anchors for the night.

In the evening, a delicious dinner is served on board. Afterwards, the rest of the evening is yours to enjoy – relax in the bar with a cocktail or try your hand at squid fishing. As the day draws to a close, retreat to your cabin and fall asleep to the gentle sound of the water lapping against the sides of the ship.

Begin the day by experiencing the bay bathed in the soft light of the morning mist. If you’re an early riser, you can join an optional tai chi session on the sun deck, awakening your senses to the calm, the view, and the fresh sea breeze before breakfast is served in the ship’s restaurant.

The morning offers adventures in the Tra Bau area, where you can go kayaking and swimming. This area is renowned for its stunning scenery and was used as a filming location for the movie Kong: Skull Island.

Back on board, it’ll be time for check-out and lunch as the ship slowly makes its way back towards the harbour.

You’ll disembark at Tuan Chau Marina, where your guide and driver will be waiting to take you to the airport in Hanoi. From here, you’ll fly to Ho Chi Minh City – a flight of around 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll meet your guide waiting outside the arrival hall after the exit doors. The guide will be dressed in a TourCompass uniform and holding a TourCompass sign, making it easy for you to spot them. You’ll then be driven to your hotel, which is conveniently located in District 1 – the heart of the city. The area is still commonly referred to as Saigon and is considered the historical and cultural core of the city, while the surrounding districts together make up Ho Chi Minh City.

After spending time amid the peaceful scenery of Lan Ha Bay, arriving in Ho Chi Minh City can feel quite overwhelming. The city is home to around ten million people – and almost as many scooters and motorbikes. Yet, in the midst of all the chaos, a modern and captivating metropolis reveals itself, bursting with energy and growth. This is clearly reflected in the cityscape, where glass-clad skyscrapers stand side by side with elegant colonial-era buildings from the French period.

After checking in at the hotel, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you wish. Perhaps you’d like to unwind by the pool with a drink, or savour a cup of Vietnamese iced coffee at one of the city’s countless cafés? Ho Chi Minh City has a vibrant coffee culture, offering everything from stylish coffee bars with minimalist décor to tiny local spots with plastic chairs and coffee brewed using the traditional drip method.

If you’re curious about the city’s food scene, take a walk through the streets around districts 1 and 3. Here, you can discover everything from steaming bowls of pho and crispy banh xeo pancakes to aromatic street food stalls and bustling food markets.

Today offers an exciting half-day city tour of Ho Chi Minh City.

Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel before taking you to Dong Khoi Street, one of Saigon’s most iconic boulevards. Stretching through the heart of the old colonial quarter, this elegant street is lined with French architecture, fashion boutiques, art galleries, and cosy cafés. It’s full of atmosphere and history, playing an important role in the city’s story – from colonial grandeur and wartime turbulence to the dynamic, modern metropolis of today. It was also here that Graham Greene set key scenes in his classic novel, The Quiet American.

You’ll pass the Saigon Opera House, an architectural masterpiece from 1901 and a vivid symbol of the city’s cultural heritage. From serving as a bomb shelter to later housing the South Vietnamese parliament’s lower house, the opera house has a truly remarkable history.

Next, you’ll visit the Old Post Office, designed by the world-famous French engineer Gustave Eiffel. With its graceful arches, elegant ironwork, and historic charm, the building stands as a testament to the French influence on Ho Chi Minh City.

Directly opposite the Old Post Office stands the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1863 and 1880. The cathedral is an impressive relic of the French colonial era, distinguished by its characteristic red bricks and soaring spires.

Facing the church, you’ll have a grey building behind you. Some may recognise it as the “Pittman Apartments” at 22 Gia Long Street, made famous by the photograph taken on April 29^th, 1975 by the Dutch photographer Hubert van Es during the fall of Saigon. It was here that a helicopter landed on the roof – a scene many mistakenly believed took place at the US Embassy. Your guide will share the dramatic story of the evacuation and the pivotal yet hidden role this building played in the war’s final hours.

The tour continues to the historic Reunification Palace, where the Vietnam War – or the American War, as the Vietnamese call it – officially came to an end. On April 30^th, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank broke through the palace gates, marking the conclusion of a bloody conflict that claimed the lives of 58,000 Americans and around 3 million Vietnamese. Here, you can explore the war rooms, grand reception halls, and the president’s office.

The tour then moves on to the War Remnants Museum, offering a powerful and moving insight into the horrors of war. The exhibitions depict the harsh realities of the conflict and the deep human impact it left behind.

The next stop is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s lesser-known sites that few travellers discover on their own: the Saigon Commandos Museum. Here, you’ll gain a rare look into daily life during the war, told by a local resident. The museum is housed in a modest 1963 building that, at first glance, appears to be an ordinary home. Behind its unassuming façade, however, lies a former operations base run by Tran Van Lai, a Vietnamese resistance fighter who, under the guise of a furniture maker, secretly assisted the city’s commando units in hiding weapons and planning missions. The exhibits tell the story of the brave commandos’ lives — full of strategy, covert operations, and survival under extreme conditions.

To round off your visit, you can enjoy a drink in the museum’s café, where you’ll have the chance to sample the special “butter beer”.

You’ll then be driven back to your hotel, where the rest of the day will be yours to spend as you wish.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel, and your journey will take you towards the lush Mekong Delta — one of Vietnam’s most fertile and life-giving regions. The Mekong River originates in the Himalayas and flows approximately 4,500 km through six countries before branching out into the vast delta area south of Ho Chi Minh City. The delta covers around 40,000 square kilometres, and the extent of the flooded areas depends on the intensity of the rainy season and the time of year.

You won’t get far out of Ho Chi Minh City before the scenery begins to change. Along the way, you’ll pass through green fields and cross small rivers and canals winding their way through the flat landscape. It’s not unusual to see local farmers tending their crops while water buffalo graze by the roadside, and small roadside stalls tempting you with fresh fruit.

After around a 2½ hours’ drive, you’ll arrive in the town of Cai Be. Here, you’ll board a boat and set off on the lush Mekong Delta. You’ll visit local workshops where skilled artisans craft a variety of coconut-based products. Afterwards, you continue your journey in a small sampan – a traditional, hand-rowed wooden boat – gliding through the Mekong Delta’s narrow, winding canals.

The boat trip takes you onwards to a peaceful island in the middle of the Mekong River, where you’ll enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch prepared from fresh, local ingredients, surrounded by verdant scenery and the gentle rhythm of life on the river.

After lunch, you’ll sail back to the mainland and make a stop at a pottery workshop. Here, you can see how local artisans keep age-old traditions alive and hear more about their passion for craftsmanship.

Your journey continues to our social sustainability project in Vinh Long, established by our local partner. A leisurely walk through the village awaits, during which your guide will share insights into the project. You’ll also have the chance to experience traditional farming life firsthand. Together with local farmers, you can try your hand at rice cultivation – either planting young shoots or helping with the harvest, depending on the season. It’s an enriching, down-to-earth experience that offers a genuine glimpse into daily life in Vietnam’s rural areas and the hard work behind sustainable agriculture. By taking part in this tour, you’re also helping to make a real difference to families in Vinh Long, as a portion of the tour cost goes directly to the project, which you can learn more about here.

Afterwards, you’ll head back to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can enjoy the evening at your own leisure.

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Ho Chi Minh City at your own pace.

The city has many faces, and you have the whole day to focus on what interests you most – whether it’s history, creative urban life, or local flavours.

If you’d like to experience the city’s modern pulse, you can visit Café Apartment, located directly on Nguyen Hue promenade, the city’s lively pedestrian street. Café Apartment was once a residential block but is now home to small independent coffee shops, design boutiques, and creative studios. Each floor has its own unique charm, giving you a local insight into the youthful side of Ho Chi Minh City.

You can also take a trip across the river to District 2, a rapidly growing neighbourhood where modern architecture, green spaces, and creative cafés shape the cityscape. Here, you’ll find peaceful surroundings with a mix of international restaurants, boutique shops, and small galleries. The trendy Thao Dien area is especially popular, with a relaxed atmosphere that attracts both locals and travellers alike.

Around dusk, take a leisurely stroll down Nguyen Hue promenade, lined with flowers, fountains, and atmospheric architecture. This is where the city truly comes to life, as locals gather with street performers, dancers, and young families in a charming, bustling mix. The atmosphere is relaxed yet lively, and it all culminates around the city’s illuminated town hall.

After sunset, it’s the perfect time to end the day with a panoramic view of the city’s sea of lights from one of its skyscrapers, such as the Bitexco Financial Tower or Landmark 81.

Today marks the end of your Vietnam adventure for now. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to Ho Chi Minh City’s international airport, Tan Son Nhat, for your flight to your selected airport with connecting flight(s) along the way.

You’ll arrive at your selected airport with your luggage full of memories from a wonderful tour.