Xin Chao and welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, a Topas representative will welcome you to the land of the ascending dragon before heading straight to your hotel in the heart of the city.

The day is at leisure to discover Hanoi on your own, wandering the crooked alleys of the iconic Old Quarter and the promenade around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Included meals: N/A
Distance and activities: 45’ drive

Hanoi is home to Vietnam’s very best museums, covering everything from the military history of the nation to the colorful ethnic diversity. Choose from one of the three best: the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, or the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Then head to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s oldest university and still a place of worship, especially for students during exam season.

Enjoy a local lunch before spending time strolling around the leafy gardens and ancient architecture of the Citadel, finishing the day with a beer in one of the local beer gardens.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 4km street walk

After breakfast, leave behind the chaos of Hanoi on a 2-hour drive to Ninh Binh in the surrounding countryside.  Ninh Binh remains one of Vietnam’s most captivating locations, combining stunning natural splendor with an engrossing history that spans a millennium.

Investigate the remains of Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam under both the Dinh and Le dynasties and established a thousand years ago. The sights and smells still evoke the atmosphere of a lost kingdom with stunning temples,  pagodas, and elaborate tombs. You’ll also uncover evidence of ancient palaces and royal pavilions that reference an ancient era, surrounded by towering karst mountains and vivid jungle. Grab a bicycle and peddle through the Van Long Nature Reserve and adjacent countryside, passing small villages and bright green rice paddies along the way until pausing for lunch.

Then, swap your bicycle for a boat and hop into a small sampan to discover what Ninh Binh is known for–its  incredibly scenic boat rides. Keep your head low as your driver steers and rows the boat with her feet through  cave passages that lead hidden  temples and pagodas inaccessible by road in the lush jungle.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 2.5h drive – 1.5h boat – 10km cycling

Have a leisurely breakfast this morning before leaving Ninh Binh on a 2-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Hai Phong, about a 2-hour ride away. Upon arrival, board your new “home” for the next 2 days and check-in to your spacious cabin with large windows perfect for gazing out at the beauty around you. Enjoy lunch in the dining room while the ship cruises to Cat Ba Island, the largest island of some 367 islands in Lan Ha Bay.

Spend the afternoon deep within Cat Ba National Park, hiking through Trung Trang Valley to Trung Trang cave, a 2000-year-old cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Then, have some downtime to swim and kayak in the isolated Tra Bau area.

Return to the ship for some downtime, enjoying a traditional Vietnamese cooking class and a delicious dinner onboard before retiring for the night in your comfy cabin. Or, stay for a showing of Top Gear: Vietnam Edition, to see a familiar site at the episode’s finale.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance and activities: 2h drive – Sightseeing walk

Explore a local floating fishing village this morning by kayak, peering in on the people and animals that float in the protected coves of Lan Ha Bay.  Return to the ship for a light breakfast as the cruise makes its way to the Dark and Bright Cave, a popular attraction in Halong Bay experienced from a local bamboo boat.

As the cruise makes its way back to Hai Phong, sit down for an early lunch to fill-up before your 2-hour transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for a quick, domestic flight to central Vietnam’s Hue.

Included meals: Brunch
Distance and activities: 1h kayaking – 2h transfer – 1h15’ flight

Start your morning with a calm cycling tour down colonial Le Loi Head boulevard, looking out for colonial mansions before crossing the iconic Truong Tien bridge, built by none other than Gustave Eiffel (who also built the Eiffel Tower). Park your bike to roam the former grandeur of the Hue Citadel, a grand walled city of parks and lakes as well as a traditional garden house for lunch.

Spend the afternoon gliding down the Perfume River on a colorful dragon boat to two different tombs on UNESCO’s list for preservation due to their cultural and historical significance. First, explore the rural setting of Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum, with its spacious fields and lotus ponds. Then, wander the immaculately landscaped gardens and ornate temples of Emperor Minh Mang, the final resting place of one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s staunchest Confucians.

                                                                                                            Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
                                                                                   Distance and activities: 2h cycling – 3h boat ride

Depart Hue today after a relaxed breakfast and head for the charm and beauty of Hoi An, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hue is connected to Hoi An along a stunning coastal road where you’ll glimpse lagoons, mountains, rice fields, and the vast ocean.

Explore the gorgeous and colorful An Bang “ghost city” along the way, an example of how the Hue people venerate their ancestors, before continuing on, past the sunny beaches of Da Nang, finally ending at your hotel in Hoi An. Explore Hoi An on your own independently.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 2.5h drive

Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most charming towns, with beautiful old streets decorated with hanging lanterns. Enjoy the day, getting to know the restaurants, cafes, and tailors of the Ancient Town, situated on the banks of the Thu Bon River. We suggest popping by the Reaching Out Teahouse, a lovely old-fashioned house providing work for the hard of hearing, serving up delicious tea and homemade snacks.

Included meals: Breakfast
Distance and activities: Free at Leisure

Enjoy the day in Hoi An until an afternoon flight to the sophisticated metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. After freshening up at your hotel, hop on the back of a vintage Vespa and do as the locals do!

Zoom from place to place, taking in the glittering skyscrapers and sampling some of the most delicious dishes Saigon has to offer. End the night at a popular cafe and music bar to enjoy the live band playing and to sample a few cocktails. The tour includes free-flow food and drinks, so come with an appetite!

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Distance and activities: 30’ transfer – 1h25’ flight – 45’ transfer – 4h motorbike tour

Step into the past with a visit through the Cu Chi tunnels, a vital network of 200km of underground passages, chambers, and living quarters during the Second Indochinese War and a fascinating piece of Vietnam’s history. Enjoy a local lunch nearby before returning to the center of Ho Chi Minh City.

The afternoon consists of an easy walking tour, starting at the Reunification Palace and then stopping at  the Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral, two still-working colonial masterpieces.  End your tour at the  War Remnants Museum, paying respect to the sobering recent tragedies and the fighting spirit of the Vietnamese to rebuild their society.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 3h round-trip transfer -3h tunnel tour  – 3h sightseeing city tour

Leave the city for a quiet escape to the fertile rice bowl of Vietnam: the Mekong Delta. This lush land of palm trees and great rivers is home to some of the best fruit farms found anywhere in the world, and it’s all easily explored by bike. So take your two wheels and peddle around the area, taking in the vibrant green rice paddies and stopping to munch on juicy fruit.

Check-in to your riverside lodge, just in time to watch a traditional music show while enjoying a delicious dinner made from  local ingredients from the area.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 2h transfer – 2h cycling

Get an early start and discover more about one of the produce items that keeps this region in business: coconuts. Witness the boats piled high with coconuts destined for the factory – nothing goes to waste! After the coconuts are shelled, the fibers are removed from the husk and used to make rope and rugs. You can watch the whole process before returning to the lodge for a quick lunch before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.

Arrive to your city hotel in the late afternoon, with the evening free to explore on your own.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 2h transfer – 2h cycling

Enjoy the last day as you see fit before your transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for onward booked travel.

Included meals: Breakfast
Distance and activities: 45’ transfer