Vietnam Family Holiday

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. When you arrive at the airport, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. Your adventure begins in Hanoi – famous for its beautiful lakes, shaded boulevards, public parks and thriving Old Quarter. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 5 pm tonight to meet your trip leader and the other families you’ll be travelling with. If you arrive early, why not head out and explore the Old Quarter at your own pace, maybe searching for a fresh banh mi or a cup of refreshing nuoc mia (sugarcane juice). After the meeting, you might like to head out to dinner with your family and fellow travellers – your local leader will be ready with some great recommendations.

Get off to a great start with a full day of exploration today. Visit the Museum of Ethnology to learn more about the diverse heritage of Vietnam, then head to the Temple of Literature – an oasis of calm in the heart of Hanoi. Enjoy some lunch at KOTO restaurant, where you’ll contribute to The Intrepid Effect as you savour plates of traditional Vietnamese fare like fresh rice paper rolls. This social enterprise equips disadvantaged young people with skills to build sustainable careers in hospitality. In the evening, sit down to a traditional water-puppet performance the kids are sure to love. This northern tradition, dating back nearly a thousand years, is performed alongside traditional Vietnamese music that features drums, wooden bells, horns and bamboo flutes.

Travel by minibus today to the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-listed site of Halong Bay. This breathtaking and secluded harbour is home to about 2000 limestone islands that jut out of the waters of the Bac Bo Gulf. When you arrive, hop aboard your private boat and cruise among the dramatic limestone peaks. Today, you’ll also have an opportunity to explore caves filled with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. Spend a peaceful night on board, beneath a sky alive with stars.

If you’re keen, wake up for sunrise this morning and head to the deck where you can watch the bay come alive with light. Have breakfast on the boat, then maybe head out for an optional early-morning kayak. Return to Hanoi by bus, then board an overnight train bound for Hue. Although conditions are basic on your train journey, overnight trains are a classic South East Asian experience you’ll all enjoy the chance to travel like a local. Lie back and enjoy the ride! Most trains have a dining carriage serving simple food, but it's a good idea to stock up on supplies like fresh bread, cheese and fruit before you head off.

Wake up in Hue early this morning and transfer to your hotel for breakfast and some free time to freshen up. Hue is the former imperial capital of Vietnam and holds the treasures of the country’s royal past. This afternoon, you’ll experience it on a cyclo tour, spinning through the streets, travelling around the citadel and passing through the local fruit and vegetable markets. Then, stop at Ho Chi Minh’s house – this traditional stilt house, with a fishpond and garden, was preserved following the late president’s death in 1969. Your evening is free – maybe ask your leader for their recommendations on the best local restaurants for dinner.

Today, you and the kids will step into Hue’s regal heritage. Start the morning at the Imperial Citadel – the best-preserved remnant of the royal centre that once existed on this fortified site. You’ll also visit the Forbidden Purple City, which was almost completely destroyed during the Tet Offensive of 1968. See Emperor Tu Duc’s tomb and the central lake, then visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery and one of Hue’s best-known landmarks. Later, stop by a local organisation that supports Hue’s deaf community. Meet the hosts and learn a few words in sign language so you can communicate. You’ll also take part in a paper flower-making workshop. Your hosts will help you and the kids make a few that you can keep as a reminder of your time here.

Hop aboard the bus this morning, heading south through coastal rice paddies, then through the Hai Van Pass in the mountains to Hoi An. Recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An is beautifully preserved and is perfect for strolling, with many beautiful Japanese houses and Chinese temples lining the narrow lanes. Parts of Hoi An look exactly as they did more than a century ago! It's also a shopping haven – even the kids are sure to love the many shops and markets selling original paintings, handcrafted woodwork, ceramics, embroidery and lanterns. Later, maybe grab an ice cream and take a stroll to enjoy Hoi An in the evening, all lit up with lanterns.

After breakfast, spend the morning at a local beach lying back on the palm-fringed white sands and taking in the views of the Cham Islands. Transfer back to town and pop into a local restaurant where you’ll learn how to make banh bao banh vac (AKA ‘white rose cakes’) – a Hoi An specialty. These tasty savoury dumplings are made with rice paper filled with minced shrimp or pork and are named after their resemblance to a white flower. Once your local instructors have taught you how to make these delicious parcels, sit down together and tuck into your creations for lunch. This hands-on experience gets the whole family involved!

Today is a free day to explore Hoi An’s Old Town at your own pace. Maybe take a cooking class and learn the secrets of preparing local specialties like cao lau (dark pork broth with thick yellow noodles, sliced pork, bean sprouts, green vegetables and croutons). For something more active, hire some bikes and take the family out on a cycling trip into the gorgeous surrounding countryside. Or, take the kids out on a bamboo basket boat ride down the waterways of the jungle. To organise any optional day trips and activities, just chat to your leader.

Take a short flight today to the economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City – the city is characterised by its beautiful parks, French architecture and ancient pagodas. Check out Ben Thanh Market and fill up on a local lunch of street food during an orientation walk with your leader. After, you're free to explore the city on your own. Your leader will have plenty of interesting and fun ideas for you and the kids. Consider scooting off on cyclos to Cholon – the Chinatown area of Ho Chi Minh City – for a bit of temple-hopping.

Head down to the Mekong Delta and visit Ben Tre, where coconut is everything! The fertile delta is famous for its abundant harvests of tropical fruits and flowers. When you arrive at the ‘rice bowl of Vietnam’, board your private boat and cruise along the maze of waterways to visit some local cottage industries. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the local economy. Then, head to your homestay for the night, by the water, where you’ll be invited into a family home for a true local experience and a chance to see daily life from the inside.

Life in the delta wakes with the sun, so embrace an early start today. Head to a local market before making your way back to Ho Chi Minh City for one last night. You should arrive in the afternoon, which will give you time to explore at your own pace and check out anything you didn’t have a chance to do the first time. Tonight, why not head out with your fellow families for an optional farewell dinner, where you can celebrate a trip well-travelled!

With no activities planned after breakfast, your adventure comes to an end this morning. If you’d like to extend your stay in Ho Chi Minh City, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.