A premium tour of the best sights in Vietnam with your own private guide and personal driver and vehicle. Hanoi is considered the cultural centre of Vietnam, and has served as the capitol for almost a thousand years. A city between rivers, it boasts more than 600 pagodas and temples, and the old quarter is a fascinating walking tour. An overnight boat tour through Ha Long Bay will give you the opportunity to truly experience the grandeur of the forest of mountain cliffs jutting from the ocean. Fly south to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Fly south to the bustling markets and war museums of Ho Chi Minh City, teeming with scooters and bursting with bargains. A day trip to the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels will give visitors a sobering view into the Vietnam war. Featuring five star hotels, seamless transfers and arrangements, and Kensington's 24/7 support - this is a stress-free way to enjoy Vietnam's history and culture.

Day 1
Hanoi
Transfer between Hanoi airport and your Hanoi hotel by private car and english speaking driver. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Conveniently located in the heart of Hanoi’s business district, a 40-minute drive from Noi Bai International Airport and only 5 minutes from the city centre, Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi is specially tailored to meet the needs of discerning corporate travellers. There are well-appointed rooms and suites equipped with LCD flat screen TVs and a wide selection of international cable TV channels. Mini-bar, personal safe, tea and coffee making amenities are also available. Broadband cable and WiFi Internet is accessible in all guest rooms and throughout the public areas of the hotel. Mangosteen, our all-day dining restaurant offers an interactive buffet as well as à la carte menu. The Lounge 83 is the perfect place to catch up with friends while enjoying some delicious snacks or start a great night out.For well-being, head to Kinetic Gym and Wellness Studio. Hanoi is nestled on the banks of the Red River, it is a beautiful city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also a city of lakes, which adds to its air of sleepy grace. In the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple sitting on an island in its center. To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and cafes. Also worth a visit, the former Ville Française was the old French administrative center and is characterized by enormous colonial-era châteaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses Hanoi’s most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Day 2
Hanoi
Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his former residence ( Closed on Monday, Friday and the whole of Oct & Nov), One pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue city tour to one of the museums ( Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology Museum) of your choice ( closed on Monday), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple and 01-hour cyclo. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Moevenpick (5*).

Day 3
Halong Bay
Transfer between Halong Bay and Hanoi with private vehicle, driver and English Speaking guide. Upon arrival in Halong Bay, board a traditional junk for an unforgettable cruise. Enjoy a 4 hour cruise visiting islands and caves. Depending on weather, enjoy some swimming and kayaking. Seafood lunch included on board. Enjoy dinner onboard while watching the sunset. Discover the splendors of Halong Bay aboard the Halong Ginger, a wooden junk that combines classic beauty with modern comfort. Measuring 38 meters (125 feet) in length, this newly built, custom-designed yacht features three decks that house an elegant restaurant, two bars, a small library, and a massage room—plus ten luxurious sleeping cabins. With so much space, passengers can truly unwind and enjoy the bay’s magnificent scenery. Ha Long Bay is located 160km (100 miles) north of Hanoi, this is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain bizarre cave formations and grottoes. An entire culture of floating villages has evolved with interlinked boats that can move from island to island.

Day 4
Halong Bay - Hanoi
Continue cruising the bay visiting more islands and caves on a small bamboo boat before returning to Halong City. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Transfer between Halong Bay and Hanoi with private vehicle, driver and English Speaking guide. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Moevenpick (5*).

Day 5
Hanoi - Hoi An
Transfer between Hanoi airport and your Hanoi hotel by private car and english speaking driver. Fly from Hanoi to Danang. Airport transfer between Danang airport and Hoi An with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. Enjoy lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). The four star Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa is near the ancient town of Hoi An, resting along a unique white sand private beach. The resort replicates a traditional fishing village with small streets, water ponds and village houses with clay-tiled roofs, providing a warm and restful environment. It offers 105 spacious rooms, all of them facing the river or the sea, that combine the elegance of local handicraft with the comfort of an international standard hotel. A wide range of culinary options are available to appeal to a variety of tastes. Enjoy spa treatments in the resort's massage house, located on the private beach, and listen to the sounds of the waves as they rush to the shore. Hoi An is a small town in Central Vietnam famous for its wooden houses, for its family chapels, for its Assembly Halls and for its silk shops. The town of Hoi An, known as Faifo in Europe, played a central role in the commerce between Vietnam and the rest of the world from the 16th to the 19th century. Nowadays the town attracts tourists from all the continents.

Day 6
Hoi An
In the morning, pick up from hotel, drive 40 km Southwest of Hoi An, and take a half day trip to visit the capital and religious center of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son, that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. In a lush green valley, are dozens of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries. Drive back to Hoi An for lunch. In the afternoon take a walking tour of Hoi An, discover the historic town which used to be a prosperous seaport city during the 16th to 18th centuries. Visit Hoi An colourful local market, Tan Ky old house, Fukien Assembly Hall, and the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge. Travellers can also see local residents raise silkworms and produce silk for Hoi An's burgeoning textile industry. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Victoria Beach Resort & Spa (4*).

Day 7
Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City
Airport transfer between Danang airport and Hoi An with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. Fly from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy a private transfer with english speaking driver between Ho Chi Minh City airport and your hotel. Enjoy lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). You will be picked up by private car and english speaking driver for a half day city tour, which enables you to gain a sense of the rich tapestry that makes up this city of 8 million inhabitants. Ho Chi Minh City is a city full of contrasts, locals in their conical hats, women in their traditional "aodai" (Vietnamese dress) and a city full of the latest motorbikes. Your tour starts with a visit of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office. You will then visit the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Located in the heart of Saigon's business district, the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon offers first-class hospitality, comfortable rooms and modern amenities. After a long day, relax at the poolside terrace or enjoy a leisurely dinner at Kabin, known as one of the finest Chinese restaurants in the city. Take a dip in the rooftop pool and visit the Health Club for an invigorating workout with the latest gym equipment. Otherwise, simply enjoy the incredible views of the Saigon River and stroll to museums, galleries and other area attractions. You’ll find that the hotel’s central location, panoramic views and impeccable service makes this the ideal place to stay while visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is more modern than other Vietnamese cities, and has retained its French colonial influences. The streets are jam-packed with mopeds and scooters, often carrying whole families. Highlights in the city include the colorful Emperor of Jade Pagoda, an excellent example of a Chinese temple. The Hôtel de Ville is a wonderful example of French colonial architecture. The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. The War Remnants Museum bears witness to the suffering inflicted on the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s. Other sites relevant to that era are Re-Unification Hall and the former US Embassy. An interesting excursion from Saigon is a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels in which the South Vietnamese Communists concealed themselves and from which they launched attacks on US soldiers.

Day 8
Ho Chi Minh City
Tay Ninh is home to the unique Cao Dai sect. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at
Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The interior is truly engaging as statues of Jesus, Buddha and the Hindu god,
Brahma, stand side by side. Depart your hotel early morning by private vehicle and english speaking driver and take the opportunity to watch the worshippers in their white long tunics during noon mass. After lunch, visit Cu Chi tunnels, an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Renaissance Riverside (5*).

Day 9
Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy a private transfer with english speaking driver between Ho Chi Minh City airport and your hotel. Kensington Tours donates a portion of our proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities. Depart from Ho Chi Minh City International airport - end of itinerary.