Tonight we arrive in Hanoi and get together with our tour leader for a welcome dinner and a run through the trip itinerary together.

After breakfast we depart Hanoi for Mai Chau. After lunch in a traditional Thai-style stilt house we drive for around one hour to Sa Linh village where our trek starts. We set off heading for Hang Kia village, home of the Hmong minority people where we stay overnight in a traditional long house. It affords us an initial opportunity to discover something of their lifestyle and culture.

Today we trek through tropical rainforest using local tracks and trails well-known to local people. Passing through cornfields we descend to Mai Chau valley. Today’s trek takes around 7 hours and there is some steep going in places. Lunch will be provided en route, and if weather permit, we will have a picnic near a small brook at the foot of the valley. Tonight we will be the guests of the White Thai Van villagers, toasted as honoured guests and sample some of their homemade rice wine!

This morning we’ll trek for a couple of hours passing through several more Thai minority hamlets, walking on the valley floor and surrounded by rice paddies and beautiful scenery. At the small village of Khoe we meet up with our waiting vehicle and drive back towards Mai Chau. Lunch is again provided in Mai Chau and there is also the chance to do a little souvenir shopping before we return to Hanoi.

After a good nights sleep and hearty breakfast we head out on the 3-hour drive to Halong Bay. Today we embark on a two-day cruise gives us the chance to enjoy the spectacular limestone scenery of the bay’s rock outcrops from the luxury of our junk. We board at noon and enjoy lunch on board then, in the afternoon, explore some of Halong Bay’s limestone caves. At some point our captain will find a secluded spot for swimming and sun-bathing before dinner. For night owls there is the option of a little night-fishing!

Rising early in the morning we have time for a dip followed by breakfast. Later we continue to cruise around the bay to find more secluded areas to either swim or kayak in.

Halong Bay is all about appreciating the scenery and the relaxing nature of our time here is a great reward after our trek and before our long journey south.

At midday we will return to the main harbour for a 3-hour journey back to Hanoi.

Today we enjoy a free morning in Hanoi today for shopping, exploring the amazing Old Quarter or some of the city’s many temples.

In the late morning, we transfer to Hanoi airport for the short flight to Hue.

On arrival we transfer to our hotel then set out to visit the Citadel, containing the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City - the Emperor's private residence – and the vibrant riverside Dong Ba market.

After breakfast we set out to enjoy a boat trip on the romantically-named Perfume River, visiting Thien Mu Pagoda and one of royal Nguyen Tombs.

Following lunch we set off south first to Danang and then on to Hoi An, via the scenic Hai Van Pass – check out the great views from the top of the pass! On arrival we check in and enjoy a free evening.

Hoi An is a charming little town, explored on foot. More than any other place in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feeling of centuries past and is a favourite with all travellers. Today we can look forward to a half day tour of this ancient trading town where we’ll learn of its history and be able to appreciate the wonderful old buildings.

A free day to explore further. You can wander the town, head down to the market, explore neighbouring villages by local ferry boat and bike or head to Cua Dai ‘China’ beach – with a long stretch of sandy beach and the warm sun you can easily spend the whole day relaxing, enjoying the seafood restaurants that can be found all along the coast.

This morning we’ll transfer to Danang and take the one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City – Saigon! We will have an early lunch before an afternoon tour of the city including the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and Ben Thanh Market – all in all a great intro to this cosmopolitan powerhouse of modern Vietnam.

Heading out of the city we drive through the Mekong Delta to the town of Cai Be, well-known for its floating market. Here we will board our private boat for a cruise along the maze of waterways and canals to Vinh Long.

We will stop at the home of a bonsai gardener for a sumptuous Delta lunch, including the popular dish of 'Elephant ear fish', before continuing our exploration of the tributaries and canals of this watery region.

Towards the end of the day we arrive at the home of a local family whose house is built on stilts over the water. These people will be our hosts for this evening and will tell us more about life in the Delta and, as when trekking, give us an insight into another facet of Vietnamese life.

Rising early to the sounds of the Delta coming to life for another day, we’ll have breakfast before boarding our riverboat once more for a cruise to Vinh Long town, stopping along the way to visit some local cottage industries.

Following this we will have rendezvous with our vehicle for the drive to the town of My Tho, where we will visit the Vinh Trang pagoda, before our return to Ho Chi Minh City. Tonight we enjoy a traditional music performance at the house of Linh and Mai. Following the performance we dine at a local restaurant in the city to celebrate the end of a great trip’

We will say goodbye after breakfast and you have time to do your last shopping before we check out and transfer to airport for the flight home.