Wander to Vietnam

Oct 11

Highlights: Arrival day, welcome dinner

Included: Dinner

Upon arrival you’ll be picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel in the city center. After getting settled and having a good rest, we’ll start off with an evening orientation and group dinner at one of the city’s great restaurants where we'll enjoy our first Vietnamese meal.

Oct 12

Highlights: Full-day tour of Ho Chi Minh City, cultural acrobatic show

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we're in for a great day as we explore the vibrant energy of Ho Chi Minh City. We'll get around using a mix of a traditional cyclo ride and a laid-back walking tour, giving us a close-up look at different neighborhoods and everyday life in the city. Along the way we’ll visit the colorful flower market, stop by the Reunification Palace to learn about its role in modern Vietnamese history, and take in the architecture of the city's French-era opera house. We’ll also pass through local temples, markets, and side streets, with time to try some of the best Southern Vietnamese dishes along the way. In the evening we’ll return to the opera house for a cultural show, where customary instruments, live music, and impressive choreography come together to tell stories from Vietnam’s past and present.

Oct 13

Highlights: Flight to Danang, arrival in Hoi An, markets and culture

Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After a short 1.5-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang, we’ll drive about an hour by private van to the charming town of Hoi An. Once a major trading port between the 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European architecture. The town has a laid-back feel, with narrow lanes, lantern-lit streets, riverside cafés, and a deep connection to its cultural roots. After checking into our centrally located hotel, we’ll head out for lunch and enjoy a cup of coffee at one of Hoi An’s old-style cafés, many of which are tucked inside historic buildings. We’ll spend the afternoon exploring the vivid streets and riverfront neighborhoods, taking in the relaxed rhythm of daily life and the beauty of this unique and welcoming place.

Oct 14

Highlights: Full walking tour of Hoi An

Included: Breakfast, Lunch

We’ll spend the day exploring the charm and character of Hoi An on foot. This town is best discovered slowly, and we’ll start by visiting a time-honored merchant’s house to see how families lived when Hoi An was a major trading port. We’ll stroll through the lively central market, where vendors sell everything from fresh produce to handmade lanterns, then continue on to admire the detailed architecture of a Chinese temple that still plays an important role in the community. We’ll also stop at the famous Japanese Covered Bridge, one of the town’s most photographed landmarks and a symbol of its multicultural past. As we walk, we’ll get a feel for how centuries of Vietnamese tradition blend with Chinese, Japanese, and French influences in both the buildings and the rhythm of everyday life. In the evening we’ll enjoy dinner, tasting some of the regional specialties that make Hoi An’s food so memorable.

Oct 15

Highlights: Special cooking class, free time in Hoi An

Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we’ll dive into the flavors of Hoi An with a hands-on cooking class that will give us a real taste of Vietnamese home-style cooking. At a local cooking school, we’ll be guided by a welcoming chef who will walk us through each step as we prepare a full meal from scratch. Some of the dishes we’ll make include a light and flavorful soup with shrimp balls, crispy banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancakes), marinated chicken skewers grilled over charcoal, and a refreshing mango salad that balances sweet, sour, and spicy just right. Along the way we’ll learn about the ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditions that make central Vietnamese cuisine so distinctive. After the class, we’ll sit down together to enjoy the meal we’ve prepared. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Hoi An at your own pace, whether that means getting a tailor-made outfit, taking a boat ride down the Thu Bon River, visiting the Precious Heritage Museum, browsing the stalls at the central market, or relaxing with a drink at one of the town’s cozy riverside cafés.

Oct 16

Highlights: Hue, lunch in a nunnery, Buddhist pagoda

Included: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we’ll say goodbye to the charm of Hoi An and begin our journey north to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The drive takes about three hours, but we’ll break it up with a few scenic stops along the way. We’ll travel along the Hai Van Pass, one of the most picturesque coastal roads in the country, with views of misty mountains on one side and the sparkling South China Sea on the other. We’ll also stop to stretch our legs and take in the sea air at Lang Co Bay, a calm stretch of beach that sits between a lagoon and the ocean. Once we arrive in Hue we’ll begin our introduction to this historic city with a special lunch prepared at a Buddhist nunnery. The meal is fully vegetarian and made with simple, fresh ingredients, part of the monastic tradition of mindfulness. After checking into our hotel and taking a short break, we’ll head out again to visit one of Hue’s most important landmarks, the Thien Mu Pagoda. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Perfume River, this seven-story pagoda is not only the oldest in the city, but a powerful symbol of spiritual and political history. As we explore the peaceful grounds, we’ll learn about its role in Vietnamese Buddhism and its connection to key moments in the country’s past.

Oct 17

Highlights: Tour of Hue city and countryside, Perfume River cruise/dinner

Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We’ll kick off the day with a full guided tour unlike any other, exploring Hue’s rich history and culture from a close-up perspective. For those who are up for it, we’ll ride on the back of motorbikes driven by experienced local drivers, but if you’d prefer a more relaxed ride, you’re welcome to join the tour in our backup vehicle instead. We’ll visit a family-run incense-making workshop to see how each stick is carefully crafted by hand, stop at a hidden colosseum where emperors once watched fights between tigers and elephants, and meet native artisans who will show us traditional crafts passed down through generations. We’ll also explore the Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City, learning about the rise and fall of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty, and visit one of the serene Imperial Tombs, each one telling its own story through symbolic architecture and quiet surroundings. In the evening we’ll board a dragon boat for a sunset cruise along the Perfume River, enjoying dinner on board while taking in the views and atmosphere of Hue from the water.

Oct 18

Highlights: Jeep ride to Phong Nha, Vinh Moc Tunnels, DMZ

Included: Breakfast, Lunch Dinner

This morning we’ll hop into our restored 1960s jeeps and begin our journey north, taking a scenic route along Vietnam’s coastal roads. Along the way we’ll pass through small seaside towns and lesser-known beaches, offering a different view of daily life in the region. Our first major stop will be the Vinh Moc Tunnels, an underground network where entire villages lived during the war, some for up to six months at a time, complete with living quarters, meeting rooms, and even a maternity space. After exploring this historic site we’ll enjoy a fresh seafood lunch by the coast before continuing to the DMZ, the former demilitarized zone that once divided North and South Vietnam. We’ll walk across the Hien Luong Bridge, which served as the physical and symbolic border during the conflict, and learn about the events that took place in this region. From there we’ll continue through the countryside in our jeeps until we arrive in Phong Nha, a tranquil area surrounded by rice fields, limestone cliffs, and winding rivers. Once we arrive, we’ll settle into our accommodations and enjoy a relaxing evening in one of the most tranquil spots in central Vietnam.

Oct 19

Highlights: Local villages

Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After a relaxed breakfast and a slow start to the day, we’ll head out for a laid-back tour through the quiet countryside near Phong Nha. The focus today will be all about enjoying the calm of the area, visiting a few nearby villages, taking our time to walk around, meet local families, and get a sense of what daily life looks like in this part of Vietnam. In the late afternoon we’ll return to the hotel with plenty of time to unwind. You’ll have the option to use the sauna, go for a swim, or simply relax before we meet again for dinner.

Oct 20

Highlights: Phong Nha National Park, cave exploration

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we're ready to explore the stunning Phong Nha National Park, which is home to some of the most impressive scenery in all of Vietnam. Hopping on the back of motorbikes (there's also an option to ride in a vehicle), we'll enter the national park and soak in all of its magnificent landscapes. We'll wind through mountains and valleys, along dramatic limestone peaks, through lush jungle and across bright blue rivers, all offering a wondrous experience in nature. Soon we'll reach Paradise Cave, where we'll explore the largest cave system in the world. This cave is absolutely beyond breathtaking and we'll have a chance to walk 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) inside of it, passing spectacular natural formations in all directions. From here, we'll wind our way out of the national park as we return to our accommodation for dinner. *Please note: Visiting the Paradise Cave requires a 1500 foot / 500 meter walk along an uphill switchback path, followed by 300 steps down into the cave, and back out again. Once inside the cave, the 1.3 mile (2 kilometer) walk takes place on a wooden boardwalk.

Oct 21

Highlights: Hanoi, orientation tour of the city

Included: Breakfast

Off to Hanoi we go! This morning we’ll take a 1-hour drive to Dong Hoi Airport and catch a short flight to Vietnam’s capital. After landing, we’ll make our way into the city and check into our hotel right in the center of town. This will be our first real look at Hanoi, a city full of movement, where motorbikes glide through tree-lined streets and the mix of old and new is everywhere you look. After lunch we’ll head out for a light stroll through the Old Quarter and French Quarter. In the Old Quarter narrow streets are packed with shops, food stalls, and street vendors, each one offering something different. Just a few blocks away, the French Quarter opens up with wider boulevards and colonial buildings that tell a different part of the city’s story. Later in the afternoon we’ll take it slow with a visit to a few quieter spots, maybe a walk by the lake, a temple courtyard, or a garden where locals gather to relax. In the evening we’ll sit down for dinner at one of Hanoi’s best restaurants and try some classic Northern Vietnamese dishes, a perfect way to end our first day in the city.

Oct 22

Highlights: Full city tour of Hanoi

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we’ll kick off the day with a deep dive into Hanoi’s history and culture, starting with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where we’ll learn about the man who led Vietnam to independence and still holds a strong presence in the country’s story. From there we’ll head to the Temple of Literature, a peaceful place dedicated to Confucius and home to Vietnam’s first university. It's a beautiful mix of history, philosophy, and undisturbed courtyards. We’ll also visit Hoa Lo Prison, often referred to as the “Hanoi Hilton,” where we’ll get a closer look at Vietnam’s more recent past and the experiences of those held there during both French colonial times and the Vietnam War. For lunch we’ll keep it simple and delicious with what many locals say is the best banh mi in the city, a crispy baguette stuffed with grilled meats, herbs, pickled vegetables, and a dash of chili, a perfect example of Vietnam’s French-influenced street food. In the afternoon we’ll take a break to relax or wander a bit more at your own pace. As the evening sets in we’ll gather for a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, a traditional northern Vietnamese art form that combines live music, storytelling, and puppets dancing on water, a fun and uniquely regional experience.

Oct 23

Highlights: Overnight boat cruise in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast we’ll leave the busy streets of Hanoi behind and head toward one of Vietnam’s most stunning natural wonders, Ha Long Bay. Once we arrive we’ll board our traditional-style boat, settle into our cabins, and kick things off with a fresh seafood lunch as we begin cruising through the bay’s calm, emerald waters. All around us you’ll see towering limestone islands, little fishing boats, and hidden coves, it’s the kind of scenery that makes you want to just sit back and stare. In the afternoon we’ll have the option to stop at a floating fishing village, where you can choose to kayak or hop into a small boat and be rowed through some of the bay’s most beautiful and quiet corners. As the sun starts to set we’ll relax back on board, take in the views, and maybe even enjoy a Vietnamese massage before dinner is served. We’ll spend the night on the boat, sleeping in comfortable cabins, with the peaceful water and distant sounds of the bay around us.

Oct 24

Highlights: Bai Tu Long and Lan Ha Bays, Hanoi, farewell dinner

Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We’ll start our last morning out on the soothing waters of Bai Tu Long Bay, with an optional Tai Chi session at sunrise for anyone who feels like easing into the day with some gentle movement and quiet views. After breakfast we’ll visit Thien Canh Son Cave, a spot tucked into the cliffs with a short, easy climb and beautiful rock formations inside. It’s a calm final stop before we make our way back to the boat and begin cruising toward the harbor. Once we’re back on land, we’ll head by road to Hanoi. After checking back into our hotel and having a bit of time to rest or freshen up, we’ll go out for one last dinner together at one of the city’s best restaurants.

Oct 25

Departure day

Included: Breakfast

You will be picked up at the hotel by a private driver who will take you to the airport for your departing flight.