Northern Vietnam Explorer

Begin your trip in style with VIP airport lounge access before boarding your overnight flight to Vietnam.  

On arrival, a private driver will see you to your central spa hotel’s colonial elegance and rooftop bar. While there’s time to explore yourself, we’ve also included a series of private excursions over the next two days. Travelling by foot, vespa and cyclo rickshaw, you’ll take in everything from the bustling old quarter and French district’s fading colonial architecture to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, the ancient Temple of Literature and the Hanoi Hilton – the notorious POW jail. Between visits to colourful markets and riverside farms, you’ll even be treated to an included lunch and dinner of local street-food delicacies, taken after an included drink at a rooftop cocktail bar overlook tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake.

Stay: La Siesta Hotel & Spa (Superior)

After breakfast, your private driver will see you past rice paddies, waterfalls and traditional villages, weaving among high mountain passes and rushing rivers to arrive at the verdant hills of Pu Luong. Here, you’ll stay in gorgeous, thatched-roof bamboo bungalow, enjoying full-board local dining and views out over the valley. Over the next two days, you’ll have plenty of time to relax with the infinity pool and spa treatments, while your private guided walks bring you among the region’s natural beauty. Weaving between rice fields over wooden bridges, you’ll marvel at water wheels built entirely from bamboo before pausing at remote villages and wild fields to learn about rural Vietnamese life.

Stay: Pu Luong Retreat (Superior)

After visiting a local textile artisan, today’s private transfer will see you through the countryside to UNESCO-listed Ninh Binh. Here, winding waterways weave between giant karst peaks and dense verdure – something showcased by your private trip on a sampan boat. You’ll even visit some of the region’s dramatic cave complexes before you end at your luxury bungalow accommodation, enjoying pool dips and spa treatments among traditional delta gardens. The next day, a guided bike ride and walk will see you among the region’s limestone mountains, peaceful villages and multi-tiered cave pagodas. The 11th-century Hoa Lu citadel is a special highlight, whose fortress ruins cloak ancient temples.

Stay: Tam Coc Garden (Superior)

Today, following a private transfer, you’ll board your two-night Halong Bay cruise on a luxury junk, settling in with a welcome drink to the most spacious cabins in the region, each featuring exotic wood, marble and private balconies. You’ll also begin your included full-board fine dining as you set off among the limestone peaks to lesser-visited parts of the bay, with an included spread of excursions taking in everything from century-old French lighthouses and stalactite caves in Cat Ba National Park to swimming spots in emerald-green waters and cycle rides to traditional mud-and-bamboo villages. Then, back on board, night squid fishing, cooking classes and sun-deck relaxation is complemented by optional massages.

Stay: Orchid Cruise (Superior)

This last morning onboard, along with every morning, begins with a complimentary Tai Chi lesson on-deck. Then, after a kayak trip in a remote corner of Lan Ha Bay, you’ll enjoy a traditional tea ceremony before disembarking. A private driver will be waiting to see you back for a final night in Hanoi. Although you might want to rest up with your hotel’s spa and rooftop bar, you’ll also be perfectly poised in the centre to take in the city’ fine-dining restaurants and historic charm.

Stay: La Siesta Hotel & Spa (Superior)

You’ll have some time at leisure today, before a final private transfer sees you to the airport for your overnight flight home. There’s also the option of finishing your trip in style, with a beach or spa break. Get in contact with a Wexas specialist to find out more.