A Romantic Getaway Through Vietnam – 14 Days

Begin at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where the granite Mausoleum stands beside the modest stilt house in which the country’s founding father lived and worked. Nearby, the One Pillar Pagoda rises from its pond like a lotus flower, and the yellow Presidential Palace shows the French side of the city. Continue to the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 to honour Confucius and later home to Vietnam’s first university, where students still come to pray for luck before their exams.

At the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, homes, costumes and everyday objects from the country’s 54 ethnic groups reveal a nation far more diverse than most visitors expect, with traditional houses rebuilt in the garden outside.

End in the Old Quarter, where many streets are still named after the goods once sold there, from silk to silver and paper. Wander its narrow lanes of tube houses, family workshops and tiny cafes, with your camera always within reach.

Leave Hanoi on one of Vietnam’s most modern highways and cross Southeast Asia’s longest sea bridge to Cat Hai Island, about two hours away, where your cruise is waiting.

Step aboard to a welcome drink as the boat sets sail past Da Chong islet and its century-old French lighthouse. Lunch is served as you glide between Con Vit (Duck) and Gia Luan islets, a remote corner of the bay that few other boats reach.

On Cat Ba Island, a short ride takes you into the national park and Trung Trang Cave, a 300-metre passage through the mountain hung with stalactites. Later, swim in the cool, clear water at Tra Bau, tucked away in the quieter Lan Ha Bay.

Watch the sun go down over the Gulf of Tonkin, or join the chef to learn a few Vietnamese dishes. After dinner, linger with a drink on the top deck or try your hand at squid fishing under the stars.

Greet the day with a gentle tai chi session on deck, then enjoy coffee and pastries as the sun rises over the islands.

A day boat, then a small rowing boat, carry you to Ba Hang, a fishing village of around 50 people where life still follows the rhythm of the tides. Continue to Sung Sot, the “Surprise Cave”, whose vast chambers of stalactites and stalagmites are among the most impressive in Halong Bay, before returning on board for lunch.

Swim or simply relax on Ti Top Beach, a sweep of soft white sand named after the Soviet cosmonaut who visited with Ho Chi Minh in 1962. Back on The Orchid, watch the sunset spread across the bay before dinner on board.

Rise early for tai chi on the sundeck, then paddle by canoe through the still water around the Dark and Bright Cave. Brunch is served as the boat makes its way slowly back to Dinh Vu Pier.

Transfer to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport for the short flight to Da Nang, where your driver will be waiting to take you to Hoi An, a peaceful riverside town whose old quarter has been beautifully preserved.

Walk the lanes of the ancient town with your guide, from the incense-filled Chua Ong Pagoda to the ornate Chinese Assembly Hall, where traders once met and worshipped far from home. Step inside the 200-year-old Tan Ky house, still lived in by the same family, and cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, the town’s best-known landmark and a reminder of the Japanese community that once lived here.

After lunch, a short boat ride brings you to a nearby island village known for its ceramics, where potters shape clay on the wheel much as their families have done for generations.

As the lanterns come on along the river, the evening is yours to enjoy Hoi An at leisure.

Spend the day as you please: browse the town’s art galleries, have something made to measure by one of its skilled tailors, or linger over coffee by the river. For a taste of local life, a cooking class is a lovely way to learn the secrets behind the dishes you have been enjoying.

Enjoy a last morning in Hoi An at leisure, perhaps with one more walk through the old town before the day warms up.

Transfer to Da Nang International Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still known to most locals as Saigon. Once you have checked in, the rest of the day is yours to settle in or explore at your own pace.

Begin in Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, where Binh Tay Market buzzes with traders and Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the goddess of the sea, is wreathed in the smoke of giant incense coils. Visit the Fine Arts Museum, set in an elegant colonial mansion that blends French and Chinese styles, then browse the stalls of Ben Thanh Market.

Learn about the country’s recent past at the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, where the war came to an end in 1975. Then see the red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, passing the Opera House and City Hall along the way.

After an early breakfast, drive to the riverside town of Cai Be. Along the way, stop at a small family workshop to watch local sweets being made by hand, then relax in an orchard garden with a performance of traditional southern music.

Lunch is served at a riverside restaurant overlooking the Mekong.

Cross the river by motorboat to explore its quiet islands, then cycle along shaded country lanes past fruit gardens and village homes. Your driver meets you at Vinh Long jetty for the onward drive to Can Tho, the largest city in the delta.

The evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Board a motorboat at first light for Cai Rang, where traders hang samples of their pineapples, pumpkins and melons from tall poles so buyers can spot them from afar. Continue to the delta’s orchards to taste fresh tropical fruit straight from the trees.

Head deeper into the countryside, past traditional houses of wood and palm leaves, for a glimpse of everyday life along the canals.

Fly to Phu Quoc and settle into your hotel.

Spend the day exactly as you like. Snorkel over colourful coral gardens in crystal-clear water, cycle to a nearby fishing village where children wave from the roadside, or simply stretch out on the sand with nothing to plan.

Let the day unfold slowly on the beach, then end it at a beachfront bar with a drink in hand as the sun sinks into the sea.

Enjoy a final breakfast and a last morning at leisure.

At the agreed time, transfer to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City and your onward journey home.