Vietnam trip: Art, heritage and living culture

You will be picked up at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. If arrival time allows, begin your Vietnam travel experience with a gentle cultural introduction, including a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, a visit to Ngoc Son Temple, and a relaxed exploration of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Along the way, your guide introduces the city’s museum quarter and gallery scene, sharing context and stories that set the stage for deeper encounters with Vietnam’s art, history, and cultural collections in the days ahead.

Enjoy a full-day city tour exploring Hanoi’s most important cultural and historical landmarks, including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Army Museum, the Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts Museum, and Quan Thanh Temple.

Throughout the day, connect deeply with Vietnam’s history and artistic heritage through personalized commentary and hands-on insights shared by knowledgeable local guides.

In the evening, experience a traditional Water Puppet Show, a distinctive Vietnamese art form that brings folklore and history vividly to life.

After breakfast, travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau on a scenic drive through northern Vietnam’s countryside. Along the way, your guide shares cultural context about the region and its ethnic communities.

On arrival, explore White Thai villages with traditional stilt houses, weaving workshops, and everyday objects that reflect a living cultural heritage. Visit local homes to learn how textiles, patterns, and materials express history and identity.

Enjoy a relaxed afternoon walking through rice fields and villages before settling into your accommodation in Mai Chau for a peaceful evening.

Wake up in Mai Chau Valley and cycle through stilt house villages, local markets, and emerald rice paddies. Meet local families and artisans for meaningful cultural exchanges along the way.

Continue by road to Ninh Binh, often called the Dry Ha Long Bay and considered one of the best places to visit in Vietnam, where you board a sampan to glide past limestone karsts rising from peaceful rice fields. Ideal for photography and slow travel, the day can be tailored to your interests and pace.

Travel from Ninh Binh to Ha Long via the historic seaport town of Hai Phong. Pause for a guided visit to key spiritual and cultural landmarks, including Du Hang Pagoda and Hang Kenh Temple, where local history, architecture, and craftsmanship reveal the city’s lesser-known heritage. Continue onward to Ha Long with panoramic coastal views along the way.

Discover Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often described as the Dragon descending to the sea. More than 3,000 limestone islets rise from emerald waters, with grottoes such as Thien Cung and Dau Go offering natural wonders shaped by time and legend.

Enjoy a tailor-made cruise exploring islands and caves, swim at Titov Beach, dine on board, and spend the night on a traditional junk surrounded by this living cultural landscape.

In the morning, glide by bamboo boat to Man’s Head Island and Tortoise Island, then explore Luon Cave and pass Toad Island, landscapes shaped by legend and local symbolism. Climb Bai Tho Mountain for sweeping views that have inspired poets and artists for centuries.

Enjoy a late breakfast on board before disembarking. Later, transfer to the airport for your flight to Hue, continuing your cultural journey from the natural heritage of Ha Long Bay to the imperial traditions of central Vietnam.

Glide along the Perfume River by private boat to Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Hue’s most enduring spiritual landmarks, before exploring the Imperial City and the serene tomb of King Tu Duc.

Throughout the day, enjoy curated stories from knowledgeable local guides, with tailored access to the most evocative and photogenic corners of Vietnam’s former imperial capital.

Conclude with a stroll through the central Dong Ba Market, where street food, local crafts, and everyday life offer vivid and genuine cultural encounters.

Cycle through Kim Long Village on a journey that reconnects you with Hue’s Great City era and its living cultural heritage. Visit traditional garden houses that reflect imperial aesthetics, feng shui principles, and refined craftsmanship.

Along the way, sample Hue delicacies and learn about local etiquette through curated encounters with residents.

Follow peaceful village paths lined with vegetable gardens, flowers, and rice fields, where everyday life itself becomes a living expression of history, design, and cultural tradition.

Travel from Hue to Hoi An via Danang along the scenic Hai Van Pass, pausing to admire sweeping sea and mountain views with photo stops and short walks along the way.

In Danang, visit the Cham Museum for a private guided exploration of ancient sculptures, where art and mythology reveal the cultural roots of central Vietnam.

Continue to Hoi An for tailor-made experiences among lantern-lit streets, historic architecture, and artisan workshops that reflect the town’s enduring creative traditions.

Join a tailor-made experience in Hoi An that connects coastal culture, traditional craft, and daily life at sea. Meet your guide at the hotel before heading out with local fishermen to learn how to set traditional ro nets, handle round basket boats, and lift the catch together.

Share stories with the fishing community, enjoy a fresh seafood lunch prepared with the day’s catch, and return to your hotel with a deeper understanding of Hoi An’s maritime heritage.

Begin your day in Nha Trang with a private guided visit to the Po Nagar Cham Towers, an ancient Hindu sanctuary dating back to the second century AD and developed between the seventh and twelfth centuries.

Experience this living heritage site as Cham and Vietnamese Buddhist pilgrims continue their rituals, while your guide explains the symbolism, art, and architectural language of the Cham civilization.

In the afternoon, tailor your exploration with a visit to Long Son Pagoda, where the giant white Buddha, intricate mosaics, and sweeping city views offer further insight into Vietnam’s spiritual art and cultural landscape.

Spend the day in Dalat enjoying a tailor-made exploration of the city’s cultural highlights. Visit the Summer Palace of Emperor Bao Dai to discover stories of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty, then stroll along Xuan Huong Lake for tranquil views.

Admire the architectural details of Dalat’s colonial-era railway station before adding a distinctive local touch with a visit to the “Crazy House,” where imaginative design reveals the city’s more surreal and creative side.

Stroll through the Dalat Flower Garden to admire vibrant blooms, learn about regional horticulture, and capture memorable photos.

Continue on to Ho Chi Minh City with a refreshing stop at Prenn Waterfall, then visit tea, coffee, and rubber plantations to meet local growers, sample freshly brewed coffee and tea, and gain insight into rural production.

This thoughtfully paced day fits seamlessly into your Vietnam itinerary, blending natural beauty with agricultural heritage and everyday life.

Begin the day in Ho Chi Minh City with a tailored cultural tour of the History Museum, the former Presidential Palace, the Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral, gaining insight into Saigon’s layered past and French colonial architecture.

In the afternoon, explore Thien Hau Temple, wander through Chinatown, and haggle at the bustling Binh Tay Market for an authentic local experience that reveals the city’s vibrant everyday culture.

You will be picked up at your hotel and travel beyond Ho Chi Minh City for a day of cultural discovery.

One option takes you to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Holy See and explore its unique spiritual tradition, followed by a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels to learn about wartime life underground.

Alternatively, head into the Mekong Delta to Ben Tre for a slower introduction to rural life, with workshops, canal boating, and local tastings.

On your final day in Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy a leisurely morning shaped around your interests. Linger over a coffee or revisit a favorite museum with your private guide.

When the time comes, we arrange your transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure flight, ensuring a seamless and unhurried end to your Vietnam trip.