Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Hanoi
Morning Arrivée & Vieux Quartier de Hanoi
Land at Noi Bai, head to the Old Quarter. Walk through 36 ancient streets, each named after goods once sold there.
Afternoon Lac Hoàn Kiếm & Temple Ngọc Sơn
Hoan Kiem Lake: cross the red Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple. The legend of the returning sword names the lake.
Evening Phở & Bia hơi dans le Vieux Quartier
Slurp a phở bò beef noodle soup at one of Hanoi's oldest street stalls, then join locals on miniature plastic stools at a bia hơi corner sipping fresh draft beer at 5,000 VND a glass.
Day 2 Hanoi - History & Culture
Morning Flânerie dans le Vieux Quartier et le lac Hoan Kiem
Wander Hanoi's labyrinth of 36 trade-named streets in the Old Quarter, then around Hoan Kiem Lake: cross the red The Huc bridge to Ngoc Son Temple on its misty islet.
Afternoon Mausolée de Ho Chi Minh et Temple de la Littérature
Pay respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace complex, then visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university (1070), with its courtyards, gardens and stone turtle stelae.
Evening Spectacle de marionnettes sur l'eau et street food nocturne
Catch a water puppet show at the Thang Long Theatre, a millennium-old art born in the Red River Delta, then taste Hanoi night-market street food along Hang Dao.
Day 3 Ha Long Bay
Morning Embarquement sur une jonque traditionnelle en baie d'Ha Long
Transfer 2h30 from Hanoi to Tuan Chau harbor and board a traditional wooden junk among the 1,600 limestone karsts of UNESCO Halong Bay, with a fresh seafood lunch on deck.
Afternoon Kayak entre les pitons karstiques et grotte de Sung Sot
Kayak through hidden lagoons of turquoise water under jungle-clad cliffs, then dock at Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave), the bay's largest, with cathedral-sized halls of ancient stalactites.
Evening Coucher de soleil sur le pont supérieur et cours de cuisine vietnamienne
Sunset on the upper deck as karst spires burn gold, purple and indigo, then a Vietnamese cooking class on board to make spring rolls and pho before a candlelit gourmet dinner.
Day 4 Ninh Binh - Ha Long on Land
Morning Lever de soleil sur la baie d'Ha Long et séance de tai chi
Wake before dawn for the magic of sunrise behind the karsts as golden mist veils the bay, then a tai-chi session on the upper deck before the junk weighs anchor through floating fishing villages.
Afternoon Retour à Hanoi et dernières découvertes
Back in Hanoi by early afternoon, visit the outstanding Vietnam Museum of Ethnology with full-scale traditional houses of all 54 ethnic groups, and pick up last souvenirs in the Old Quarter.
Evening Train de nuit Hanoi - Hue : l'aventure sur rails
Board the Hanoi-Hue overnight train (about 13 hours) along the coast through rice paddies and mountains, then settle into an air-conditioned sleeper for a rocking ride to the imperial capital.
Day 5 Flight to Hué
Morning Citadelle impériale et Cité pourpre interdite de Hue
Reach Hue at dawn and explore the 520-hectare 19th-century Imperial Citadel of the Nguyen dynasty: Ngo Mon gate, the lacquered Thai Hoa Palace and the partly restored Forbidden Purple City.
Afternoon Pagode de Thien Mu et tombeaux royaux de Khai Dinh et Tu Duc
Cruise the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda (1601) with its seven-story tower, then visit the eclectic Khai Dinh tomb of glass mosaic and the romantic Tu Duc tomb set among lotus ponds and pines.
Evening Dîner royal de Hue et balade en sampan sur la rivière des Parfums
Enjoy a com cung dinh imperial dinner of refined Nguyen-court recipes served in tiny porcelain bowls with traditional music, then a sampan cruise along the Perfume River lit by lanterns.
Day 6 Hué - Royal Tombs
Morning Traversée légendaire du col de Hai Van
Drive over the legendary 21 km Hai Van Pass at 496 m above the South China Sea: sweeping Top Gear-famous switchbacks between jungle and cliffs with views over Lang Co bay and Da Nang.
Afternoon Premiers pas dans la vieille ville de Hoi An
Arrive in UNESCO Hoi An: wander mustard-yellow merchant houses with bougainvillea balconies, visit the 200-year-old Tan Ky house and the lavish Phuc Kien Chinese assembly hall.
Evening Coucher de soleil et lanternes sur la rivière Thu Bon
Watch the Thu Bon riverfront come alive as hundreds of silk lanterns light up, float a wish-lantern on the water, then dine waterside under reflections dancing on the river.
Day 7 Hai Van Pass & Hoi An
Morning Ateliers de tailleurs et Pont japonais couvert
Hoi An is the world capital of bespoke tailoring: order a silk suit or dress finished in 24 hours, then cross the iconic 16th-century Japanese Covered Bridge with its tiny Buddhist shrine.
Afternoon Cours de cuisine vietnamienne avec marché local
Take a market-first cooking class with a local chef: pick herbs and spices at the central market, then prepare banh xeo crispy crepes, white-rose dumplings (a Hoi An exclusive) and cao lau.
Evening Soirée lanterne et balade nocturne sur la rivière Thu Bon
Spend a final evening in lantern-lit Hoi An lanes, pick up your tailored clothes, glide along the Thu Bon on a rowed sampan among glowing lampions, then climb to a rooftop bar over tiled roofs.
Day 8 Hoi An - Crafts & Countryside
Morning Vol vers Ho Chi Minh-Ville et premiers pas dans Saigon
Take a morning flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (1h15) and dive into the buzz of the southern megacity of 10 million: French facades, glass towers and the colonial District 1 streetscape.
Afternoon Musée des Vestiges de Guerre, cathédrale Notre-Dame et Poste centrale
Visit the powerful War Remnants Museum, then the red-brick neo-Romanesque Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Gustave Eiffel-designed Central Post Office with its arched iron roof and colonial wall maps.
Evening Dîner dans le Saigon colonial et rooftop bar avec vue
Dine on refined Vietnamese fare in Dong Khoi (the colonial Rue Catinat), then climb to a Saigon rooftop bar for a sweeping skyline of the Bitexco and Landmark 81 towers above the river.
Day 9 Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Morning Marché de Ben Thanh et pagode de l'Empereur de Jade
Fly to HCMC (formerly Saigon). Immediate energy shift: motorcycles everywhere, skyscrapers, dynamism.
Afternoon Quartier chinois de Cholon et palais de la Réunification
War Remnants Museum - one of the most powerful museums in Southeast Asia. Equipment, photos, testimonies.
Evening Croisière-dîner sur la rivière Saigon
Take a Saigon River dinner cruise: a Vietnamese and international buffet on board while the boat glides past the lit-up megacity skyline crowned by Landmark 81, Southeast Asia's tallest tower.
Day 10 Cu Chi Tunnels & Departure
Morning Marché flottant de Cai Rang à Can Tho
Cu Chi Tunnels (70 km): 250 km underground Viet Cong network. Incredible engineering and human endurance.
Afternoon Arroyos, vergers tropicaux et atelier de bonbons à la noix de coco
Glide along Mekong arroyos shaded by coconut and nipa palms, stop at a tropical orchard for hand-picked mango and dragon fruit, then a coconut-candy workshop where you make your own keo dua souvenirs.
Evening Transfert vers Tan Son Nhat & vol retour
After returning from the Mekong Delta (allow 2h30-3h depending on traffic), head to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City for your return flight. The airport is surprisingly close to District 1 (8 km, 20-40 min by taxi depending on traffic, VND 200,000-350,000 or €7-13). Avoid hailed street taxis - use Grab or Vinasun/Mai Linh (the only reliable official companies). Allow 3h before an international long-haul flight. Tam biet Vietnam.