Arrive to Vietnam’s capital on the shore of the Red River, a city known for its tree-lined boulevards, hordes of motorbikes, and French colonial architecture. Your private local guide will be waiting to take you to Ba Dinh Square, site of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and his nearby spartan wartime residence. Continue to the unique One Pillar Pagoda, then on to the Confucian academy known as the Temple of Literature, considered Vietnam’s first university.

This afternoon, continue your exploration with a cyclo tour of the Guild District, where each of 37 small streets and alleyways features one traditional craft or profession and its wares. This excursion concludes at the city’s traditional center, Restored Sword Lake, with a tour of Ngoc Son Temple.

Wander the streets of Hanoi or enjoy optional excursions, such as a street food walking tour, Hanoi alleyway tour by Vespa, or a visit to Hanoi’s Fine Art Museum or the Ethnology Museum. In the evening, you may want to take in a traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet show.

Set off for lovely Halong Bay, a scenic drive of about 3 hours, and board your cruise boat. Set sail into the beautiful scenery of Halong Bay, where limestone “karst” formations create an archipelago of over one thousand pinnacle-shaped islands dotting the sea. Enjoy lunch, dinner, and an overnight onboard your ship.

Enjoy morning activities on the water before disembarking around midday. You will be transferred by private car to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang, where your private guide will be waiting for you. This ancient capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom was the center of religious life in Laos, and is today a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Begin your day with a look at Laos’ most traditional Buddhist temple, Wat Xiengthong, before boarding your motor canoe for a two hour scenic cruise upstream on the Mekong River to visit the Pak Ou caves, set in a lime stone cliff opposite the mouth of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from a mere centimeter to two meters in height. Along the river typical local villages are barely visible behind a screen of foliage. Slender canoes bobbing by the shore, bamboo poles and floats mark the location of nets and fish traps. Our first stop will be at Ban Muangkeo, a well-known village for Lao traditional rice whisky. After a simple lunch, return to Luang Prabang to visit the local weavers at Ock Pop Tok or stroll through the streets to enjoy the special historic architecture, shops and numerous cafes.