Traditional arts and crafts Vietnam trip

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s thousand-year-old cultural capital. As your Vietnam travel experience begins, enjoy a personal meet and greet on arrival and a private transfer to your hotel for check-in.

Wander the atmospheric Old Quarter with its 14th-century streets, sample vibrant street food, visit ancient temples, and explore modern art galleries and cosy cafés where tradition and contemporary life come together.

From Hanoi, travel along the Red River into the surrounding countryside of rice fields and fruit farms. Visit a traditional incense-making village, learn about recipes using more than thirty herbs, and roll your own incense by hand.

Continue to a rural community beyond rice paddies and duck farms to meet a local artisan and craft a traditional fish pot.

Return to Hanoi for a guided visit to the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where you explore ancient layers of history and a hidden bunker linked to the American War and the 1972 Hanoi Dien Bien Phu air battle.

Begin the morning with a guided walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, stopping at the “standing newspaper” corner and a local egg coffee shop to absorb daily life.

Continue to a hidden Hanoi alley to meet a water puppet craftsman from a long family tradition. Share tea and stories, then enjoy a private 30-minute water puppet performance featuring lion dances, buffalo fighting, rice cultivation, and boat racing.

Try your hand at puppet handling and painting before visiting the last Hang Trong artist in the Old Quarter, where you learn ancient woodblock printing and painting techniques. Stroll along Hang Trong Street to see this living heritage woven into your Vietnam itinerary.

Depart Hanoi for Ha Long Bay and board your cruise on arrival. Enjoy a leisurely lunch as the boat glides into the calm waters of Southeast Ha Long Bay.

Spend the afternoon exploring limestone caves, relaxing on quiet beaches, and joining hands-on cooking activities that reveal local flavours and traditional skills. Overnight on board, taking in sunset views and warm hospitality amid the bay’s tranquil scenery.

Wake to gentle waves and a sea breeze, then join a refreshing tai chi session on deck as limestone karsts drift past. Watch floating fishing villages and local fishermen at work before enjoying a relaxed brunch with tea or coffee against Ha Long Bay’s dramatic scenery. Around midday, transfer to Hanoi or Noi Bai International Airport for your onward flight.

Arrive in Hue, the former imperial capital of the Nguyen Lords, where royal tombs, ancient pagodas, and the Citadel reflect centuries of imperial history. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for check-in and time to relax before exploring at your own pace.

Explore Hue’s Imperial Citadel within the Complex of Hue Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best places to visit in Vietnam. Accompanied by a local guide, uncover royal history, wartime restoration, and refined garden architecture.

Continue to the ornate Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, where East and West materials and design come together. Visit Truc Chi’s studio to learn the art of bamboo paper-making and create your own Truc Chi piece, then unwind at Ms. Nau’s garden house for a hands-on Hue-style macramé workshop, meeting a multi-generational family and enjoying traditional homemade snacks.

Discover Thuy Bieu, an ancient village near Hue where timber houses, communal halls and feng shui gardens reflect royal traditions and rural charm.

Travel by boat along the Perfume River before cycling through orchards and shaded village lanes, passing local homes and gardens. Enjoy time to pause, observe daily life, and capture picture-perfect moments in this peaceful countryside setting.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, then choose a final tailor-made experience in Hue, such as a peaceful walk along the Perfume River or a brief visit to a local market for traditional crafts. After check-out, transfer privately to Hue Airport for your flight.

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Formerly known as Saigon, this energetic commercial hub is defined by vibrant street life and constant motorbike flow.

Travel northwest to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a vast underground network used by Viet Cong fighters, where you explore tunnel entrances and learn about daily life, ingenuity, and resilience during the American War.

Explore Saigon on a tailor-made half-day city tour, visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, and the Presidential Palace. Reflect at the War Remnants Museum, then pause over Saigon street coffee for a glimpse into everyday life.

Continue along a curated art trail to the Fine Arts Museum, Duc Minh’s private museum, the Apricot Gallery, and the X.Q Embroidery Gallery, showcasing paintings, silkscreens, and exquisite hand embroidery from Da Lat.

Drive to Cai Be in Tien Giang Province, deep in the Mekong Delta, and board a traditional wooden boat for a scenic river cruise. Sample fresh tropical fruit and visit riverside workshops to learn about daily life along the waterways.

Continue to Tan Phong Island for a cycling tour through small villages, meeting families who craft water hyacinth baskets, palm-leaf roofs, coconut rope hammocks, rice paper, and conical hats. Enjoy a home-hosted lunch in an ancient house before returning to Saigon.

Spend the morning on a final visit to a local craft gallery, a coffee at a traditional café, or personal shopping for handmade souvenirs that reflect Vietnam’s living traditions.

When ready, enjoy a private transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, with assistance through check-in and a smooth farewell to your Vietnam trip.