Lanterns, Limestone, Long Coast

The journey.

Day 1 · Hanoi · Into the old quarter

Nothing scheduled on arrival. The old quarter is best met on foot with no plan, and the first street crossing teaches you to simply keep walking.

Day 2 · Hanoi · The city, properly

One guided morning through the old quarter, the lake and the French district, then the afternoon loose. Egg coffee is taken three floors above the street.

Day 3 · Hanoi · Yours, or Ninh Binh

A free day, or the day trip most people wish they had taken: rowed through the karst caves at Trang An, then cycling between the rice paddies.

Day 4 · Halong Bay · Out onto the water

One night on the bay, boarding at midday. The quieter Lan Ha side has almost no other boats, and you wake anchored between limestone islands with the mist still down.

Day 5 · Hoi An · South to the lanterns

A short flight to Danang, then four nights in the lantern town. The pace drops here on purpose.

Day 6 · Hoi An · The town, and the tailor

A jacket measured in the morning and fitted the same evening. Hoi An rewards slowness, and the tailoring is a real reason to have four nights.

Day 7 · Hoi An · Nothing at all

A completely free day, placed where you will want it. The beach at seven in the morning is entirely empty.

Day 8 · Hoi An · Countryside, or the sea

Cycling out through the rice fields to the water buffalo, or a cooking class that starts at the market. Or the pool, which is a legitimate choice.

Day 9 · Ho Chi Minh City · North to south

A flight south, then two nights in a city that feels like a different country. The scale of the traffic is best met from a rooftop.

Day 10 · Ho Chi Minh City · The war, and the delta

The tunnels at Cu Chi, smaller than anyone expects, and a morning on the Mekong, told by a guide who can handle the history honestly.

Day 11 · Ho Chi Minh City · Home

A late checkout, one last bowl of pho, and a private transfer timed to your flight.

What a journey like this includes

• Sofitel Legend Metropole, Anantara Hoi An and Park Hyatt Saigon among the choices

• A night on Halong Bay with all meals aboard

• Both internal flights and every airport transfer, private

• A guided morning in Hanoi and the Cu Chi tunnels with a private guide

• Vietnam e-visas for both of you

• Breakfast every morning

Build this journey your way

Every day and every hotel here has alternatives, with live pricing as you choose: https://packages.tripn.in/vietnam-lanterns-limestone-long-coast