Premium Vietnam
Premium Vietnam
Premium Vietnam
8 Days Starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City
Visiting: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TVPS
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Physical rating:
Low, Low
Age range:
15-99 years
Trip Styles:
Activities:
From:
$2436
$2192 (USD)
Operator discount: -$244
Tour Overview
Spend eight days in Vietnam discovering the highlights and traditions of this eternally beautiful and historically significant country on a Premium adventure. Take part in enriching local encounters as your leader shows you the soul of this diverse pocket of Asia. Get lost in the districts of Hanoi, cruise past the limestone karsts of Halong Bay, discover the old-world charm of Hoi An and navigate the winding streets and chaotic traffic of Ho Chi Minh City. With an unbeatable mix of culture, cuisine and history, your journey through Vietnam is sure to surprise, delight and excite at every turn.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: The Ann Hotel Hanoi or similar
Meals Included: dinner
Xin chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s vibrant capital city. You’ll be met on arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm where you’ll meet your tour leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, Hanoi offers plenty of enticing experiences. Perhaps head to the city’s colourful old quarter and explore the charming jumble of shops and cafés, or check out the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, showcasing ancient through to contemporary Vietnamese art. This evening, join your leader and small group for a welcome dinner at a beautifully decorated restaurant resembling an old-fashioned Vietnamese house. Dive into the exciting world of Vietnamese cuisine as your leader introduces you to a range of classic dishes made with the freshest local ingredients.
Included Activities:
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Day 2: Halong Bay
Location: Halong Bay
Accommodation: Secret Halong Cruise (Feature Stay) or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Depart Hanoi and travel to Halong Bay, one of the great natural treasures of Vietnam. Board your Feature Stay accommodation for the evening, a gloriously beautiful and traditionally decorated junk-style boat featuring modern conveniences. Set sail in total comfort as unforgettable views of scattered islands and towering limestone outcrops slowly unfold in front of you. Explore the bay while enjoying a pleasant seafood lunch onboard. Learn about the fascinating geography of the region and its importance to the Vietnamese people, visit Surprise Cave where your leader will point out interesting rock formations, and in the warmer months you can choose a swim from Ti Top Island Beach or take an optional kayaking tour. Sit back with a drink on the upper deck and face out to the spirit-lifting view that will be stamped on your memory of Vietnam. Soak in the stunning surroundings with a candlelit seafood dinner on deck before settling in for a night of stargazing and swapping stories.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 3: Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: The Ann Hotel Hanoi or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Start your day with a peaceful breakfast and perhaps take part in some Tai Chi on board the boat before returning to Hanoi. This afternoon you’ll take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience and sit down to a soul-stirring traditional Hat Xam performance. Hat Xam is an art form of Northern Vietnam dating back to the Tran Dynasty. Originally, this was performed by blind performers, and was enjoyed by local working-class audiences, right up until the late 1950s, when a wave of communism deemed all art forms to be corrupting influences. Today these performances are rare, but you and your group will be taken to a private club house and treated to an exclusive performance in one of the few places where artists still sing acoustically. The performance takes around 60 minutes, and includes possible interaction with guests, so be ready to get involved!
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 4: Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Mulberry Collection Silk Eco or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
This morning you’ll get to know Hanoi’s charms on a half-day tour with your leader. Discover a captivating city where traditional and modern sit side by side as your leader shares knowledge on the Temple of Literature, an oasis of calm in the heart of town. You'll also visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, known as the "Hanoi Hilton" which held American POWs. Today’s lunch is extra special as you will visit the fantastic KOTO café, a social enterprise that provides hospitality training and experience while empowering at-risk and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam – not to mention a creative menu of food made with local ingredients. This afternoon you’ll say goodbye to Hanoi and fly south to Danang. Drive on to Hoi An and take in views of lush scenery along the way. Arrive in Hoi An in the late afternoon and check into your boutique accommodation. The rest of the day is yours – maybe make the most of your hotel’s fabulous pool.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Hoi An
Location: Hoi An
Accommodation: Mulberry Collection Silk Eco or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Set off on a tour of Hoi An’s Old Town and discover a blend of traditional treasures and cultural influences from historical traders. Your leader will discuss the city’s history as you wander the pagoda lined streets, visit a Chinese assembly hall, cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, enter the ornately decorated historic house of a former trader and check out a local museum. Hoi An was once a great trading port for pottery, and centuries-old pottery villages still exist to this day. No trip to Vietnam is complete without trying its famed coffee. Your leader will take you to a local coffee shop, where you can savor a delicious coffee of your choice as you watch the hustle and bustle of Hoi An pass you by. Perhaps try a traditional egg coffee - the addition of condensed milk and egg white make this caffeinated beverage into a frothy treat, or a refreshing coconut coffee. Your afternoon is free for your own explorations.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Paragon Saigon Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
The morning is free for you to enjoy more of delightful Hoi An and the surrounding area. Perhaps browse the market for silk and other materials or collect any garments that you might have had crafted by the efficient tailors, or hire a bicycle and ride along the lanes and out to a nice nearby beach. Your leader will have great recommendations for places to eat and drink. In the afternoon, transfer back to Danang and fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Check into your hotel and enjoy a free evening – the bustling food stalls at Cho Ben Thanh market might beckon you over with the sweet and savoury aromas of pho and bun mam. Delicious!
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Paragon Saigon Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Head out of the city to the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground network dug by the Viet Minh and later expanded by the Viet Cong. Enter a widened section of the tunnels with your leader who will help you imagine what life underground must have been like and explain how the tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation and schools, and were used for refuge, storage and as a military base for the Viet Cong. Return to Ho Chi Minh City for a tour of the dynamic city where daily life plays out on the streets. Your leader will take you to the Reunification Palace, formally the Presidential Palace and the site of South Vietnam’s surrender in 1975, before visiting the War Remnants Museum. In the evening, perhaps spend some time with your fellow travellers and enjoy a final dinner at a local restaurant. Your leader will know of some wonderful options.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Meals Included: breaksfast
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you wish to spend some more time in Ho Chi Minh city, we would be happy to organise additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
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Hanoi - Hat Xam performance
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Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise
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Hanoi - Welcome Dinner
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Halong Bay - Tai Chi
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Hanoi - Koto Restaurant lunch
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Hanoi - Temple of Literature
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Hanoi - One Pillar Pagoda
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Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh Complex: Ho Chi Minh, Stilt House and Museum
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Hoi An - Good Afternoon Amaravati
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Transport
- VIETNAM FLIGHTS:
- Please provide your exact name (including middle name) as per passport 45 days prior to your trip's departure date for flight tickets to be issued. Internal flights will be on the following safety audited airlines: Pacific Airlines, Vietjet or Vietnam Airlines.
- UNACCOMPANIED FLIGHTS:
- During peak travel times your group may be required to travel on different flights at different times of the day, and you may be unaccompanied on the internal flight. In this case you will be assisted by additional tour escorts on departure and arrival.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Important Information
- 1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
- 2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room?on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 (boat) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 3. This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 20kg for check in luggage and 7kg for carry on.
- 4. Full name exactly as per passport required at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on the passport), for internal flights. Ticketing fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
- 5. Local authorities only permit a limited number of boats to stay overnight in Halong Bay. To ensure all travellers can be accommodated on board available boats, on rare occasions you may stay on a larger boat and share your boat with another group. Otherwise, we may swap the activities and destinations of Days 3 and 4 to provide you the best possible experience. The route taken and inclusions on board will remain the same.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
In 2024, Tet (Lunar New Year) will run from the 9th to the 15th of February. This is a fascinating and rewarding time to see the country, however you do need to be prepared for some businesses to be closed, tourist sites to be very busy and for transport to be packed as many Vietnamese are travelling around the country. Please consider your travel arrangements carefully before booking travel for this period.
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Are internal flights included in this tour?
Yes, Halong Bay to
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
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Dec 31, 2025 - Jan 07, 2026Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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COVID Protection
Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards
From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
However, we continue to strongly recommend that all travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and other Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.
This policy excludes all Polar trips and select adventure cruises, where testing and vaccination remains a requirement. Please refer to the Essential Trip Information of your chosen tour for more details. -
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