13-Day Beyond the highlights Vietnam & Singapore

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi

Upon arrival in Hanoi, as you depart the aircraft our team will be waiting to greet you and assist you through the airport. You will be fast-tracked through the passport procedures, assisted with your luggage when needed and then transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Remainder of the day is free to relax and recharge.

Meals Included: None
Accommodation: Sofitel Metropole Hanoi – 1x Premium Twin, 1x Grand Premium Triple & 1x Prestige Suite

Day 2: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay

Marina – Fishing Village – Viet Hai – Mooring

Embark on a unique journey, meeting at Heritage Line’s lounge at Tuan Chau Marina. A short speedboat transfer takes you to your luxurious floating home, the starting point for exploring the wonders of Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island. Lunch is served in the almost 360-, light-flooded, elegant dining room during we sail deeper into the bay. Unwind on the terrace deck or private balcony, soaking in the surreal seascape.

Mooring close to Cat Ba Island, we explore a floating fishing village with 70 houses and about 200 residents, including a stop at a family home. Afterwards we step on land heading to Viet Hai Village, nestled in a picturesque valley surrounded by jungle-cladded mountains. Cycling through this valley offers wonderful insights into the isolated life of the local inhabitants. The community, surrounded by thick forests and mountains, and only accessible by sea, is self-sufficient, cultivating vegetables, fruits, and fishing on the bay.

Returning to the ship, we sail to our overnight anchorage spot in Lan Ha Bay. Participate in a Vietnamese tea tasting, pamper yourself with spa a treatment, or enjoy some time in the sauna located in the ship’s vast spa area. After dinner offers you can opt for a guided “Singing Bowl Meditation” in the wellness studio or simply relax under the stars on the terrace deck or your private balcony to embrace the serenity of this surreal landscape.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Heritage Line Ylang Cruise – 1x Signature Suite Twin, 1x Signature Suite Triple & 1x Regency Suite

Day 3: Ha Long Bay

Lan Ha Bay Mooring – Cat Ba National Park – Lan Ha Bay Mooring

Begin your day with a Tai Chi session on the terrace deck, offering a rejuvenating experience under the morning sun. During breakfast time the ship sails toward the northern access port to enter Cat Ba Island and its national park. A short scenic bus ride takes you through the lush park and the starting point for a leisurely hiking outing to get to know this designated biosphere reserve better. The Park hosts about 1,500 plant species, 78 avian, 20 reptilian and 32 mammalian species including deer, macaques, and civets.

Returning to the ship for lunch and some enjoyable sailing time reaching eventually a secluded spot for the afternoon activities. The afternoon is “at your own pace” with options including relaxing or swimming at a natural beach, exploring the calm area with kayaks, or enjoying spa treatments, steam bath, or sauna back on board. Make the most of this unhurried afternoon, creating enduring memories in Lan Ha Bay.

As the sun sets, the ship sails to its overnight mooring spot. Savour a multi-course dinner and join again our guided “Singing Bowl Meditation” or retire to your suite to unwind on your private balcony.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Heritage Line Ylang Cruise – 1x Signature Suite Twin, 1x Signature Suite Triple & 1x Regency Suite

Day 4: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi

Wake up early and join the Tai Chi session on the terrace deck to ease your mind and muscles with the first rays of the sun touching the water. A traditional Vietnamese coffee, tea and breakfast pastries await in the dining room to start the day. It is time for Heritage Line Ylang to lift her anchors and cruise to a place called “Frog Lake”, a secluded area which is perfect for our energetic morning excursion. Go for a refreshing swim in the bay or explore this captivating marine landscape via kayak. The cliffs stretch vertically out of the water and you feel a sense of freedom while paddling through this labyrinth of jade-green water, rocks and vivid tree-topped islets.

Back on board, enjoy a hearty breakfast while cruising back to the cruise’s off-shore embarkation spot, from where you will be transferred back to the welcome lounge at the pier by speed boat.

Arrive back at the pier, your driver will be waiting to escort you back to Hanoi.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Sofitel Metropole Hanoi – 1x Premium Twin, 1x Grand Premium Triple & 1x Prestige Suite

Day 5: Hanoi

This morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby for your adventure out to explore Hanoi by jeep.

On the first part of our Hanoi Jeep tour, we will take you to see the Hanoi Opera House – the biggest theatre in Vietnam, which is also considered as a historical and architectural landmark as well as attraction in Hanoi where a range of important events have taken place. We expose you the REAL HANOI with a day in the life experiences, featured with the parts-unknown of the city with slices of life in the maze of back streets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets and black market, experiencing where & how locals live, work and play. Other

During the tour, not only do we show you the good but we also expose the bad and the weird of your destinations as it is what it is. For us, the run-off-the mill tourist sites are only the tip of the iceberg, the majority of your destinations remains hidden in the parts-unknown.

On the second part of the adventure, we pass by & stop at the MUST-SEE places of our beautiful city. On the way we will pass through Ho Chi Minh mausoleum – the Mecca of Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, sacred place built to keep Ho Chi Minh’s body remained after he passed away so that he can somehow find contentment in seeing Vietnam united. After that, We take you go through the Thanh Nien street which lies between 2 beautiful lakes of Hanoi, one of the most beautiful street of the city. Then we move to banana island which we call The hidden charm of Hanoi where is just about 3,4 km far from the center but the scenery is totally different with to modern city. You have chance to visit their farm, see the local’s houses, talk with local people to know about their life style, enjoy the organic tropical fruits they grow by themselves and try the green tea. After that we also take you to the peaceful & allure out-skirt villages around West lake and Truc Bach lake to enrich your experiences about the contrast in harmony of life between the city center and the out-skirt. Then we go to visit and learn about Van Nien pagoda or also known as 1000-year-old Buddhist pagoda, it’s one of the most ancient pagoda in Hanoi.

On the third part of the day, while we are travelling, you will see Hoang Hoa Tham the most beautiful bonsai street in Hanoi street which will make you impress by the fresh green trees and colourful flowers. Our Jeep will take you go through the back street, see the small alleys of Hanoi as you would experience a hidden tranquil of Hanoi – B52 American aircraft which was shot down by Vietnamese people, a hectic of Hanoi with thousands of Skyscrapers in the new parts of the city. It is not only ride but a journey that you would learn about Hanoi before, now and then.

To conclude the day, you will stop at different AUTHENTIC restaurants, eateries and food stalls to savor the tastiest of the tasty dishes of Hanoi including family heirloom & secret recipe dishes, local delicacies and specialities.

This evening, experience the authentic soul of Hanoi through a bespoke 4-hour walking tour designed for the discerning traveller. We have curated a sophisticated path where plastic stool street food makes way for Michelin-recognised venues, polished timber interiors, and exclusive cultural encounters.

The Experience

Led by an expert cultural host, you will explore the historic Old Quarter. A highlight of this journey is the exclusive opportunity to meet the owners of these prestigious establishments, the custodians of Hanoian recipes, to hear the stories behind their generational success.

A Curated Tasting Menu

• The Master’s Phở (Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sý): Savour the legendary aromatic beef broth at this Michelin Bib Gourmand venue, served in a pristine, professional setting.
  As featured in: The Guardian: The world’s best noodle soups
• Artisanal Bún Chả (Tuyết Bún Chả): Enjoy premium charcoal-grilled pork and delicate noodles at a respected, Michelin-recognised establishment.
  As featured in: The Telegraph: The dish that captured a President
• Traditional Bánh Cuốn (Bà Xuân): Witness the artistry of handmade steamed rice rolls and chat with the family owners about their long-standing culinary heritage.
  As featured in: BBC Travel: Vietnam’s extraordinary steamed cakes
• Gourmet Bánh Mì (Bánh Mì Phố): A refined take on the iconic baguette, featuring house-cured meats in a stylish, contemporary interior.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (food tour)
Accommodation: Sofitel Metropole Hanoi – 1x Premium Twin, 1x Grand Premium Triple & 1x Prestige Suite

Day 6: Hanoi – Da Nang, Hoi An

At appropriate time, your driver will escort you to Hanoi Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and assisted through the airport for your flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival at Da Nang Airport, as you depart the aircraft our team will be waiting to greet you and assist you through the airport, and help with your luggage when needed and then transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Namia Riverside Retreat – 1x Nipa Pool Villa Twin, 1x Nipa Pool Villa Triple & 1 River Pool Villa

Day 7: Hoi An

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. In the morning, cycle through the rural scenery of Hoi An to a small vegetable growing village located on the banks of Tra Que Lagoon, 5 kilometres or 15 minutes cycling from Hoi An. Tra Que Village is known for its special aromatic herbs. Join together with the local people in their daily work of planting and watering vegetables. After the lesson, go inside and enjoy a traditional foot massage. Afterwards, your friendly host will teach you how to cook some local specialities, for example “Tam Huu” – combining shrimps, pork and aromatic herbs that were collected from the garden.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch (cooking class)
Accommodation: Namia Riverside Retreat – 1x Nipa Pool Villa Twin, 1x Nipa Pool Villa Triple & 1 River Pool Villa

Day 8: Hoi An

The morning is free at your leisure.

This afternoon, pick up at your hotel by minivan and transfer down to Cua Dai Fishing Village where you’ll board Jack Tran’s boat cruise and commence cruising on Cua Dai River. Enjoy Thung Chai basket boat demonstration by Jack Tran’s crews.

Learn to paddle the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats and join in a basket boat racing for fun while exploring waterways palm coconut canals waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers of both sides of V.C & US army. Enjoy your fun catching purple crabs.

Join local fishermen life on the river and enjoy hands-on experience cast net fishing. Enjoy learning and experiencing cultural folk music of singing and rowing Ba Trao with local fishermen. Arriving to an islet fisherman for big net fishing.

Back on-board, enjoy dinner on the boat, before returning to hotel for the evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Namia Riverside Retreat – 1x Nipa Pool Villa Twin, 1x Nipa Pool Villa Triple & 1 River Pool Villa

Day 9: Hoi An – Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City

At appropriate time, your driver will escort you to Da Nang Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and assisted through the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival in Saigon, as you depart the aircraft our team will be waiting to greet you and assist you through the airport and help with your luggage when needed and then transferring you to your hotel for check-in.

As you may know, Saigon is the largest and most vibrant city in Vietnam, home to over 10 million people and over 5 million scooters. The majority of Saigon residents commute by scooter or Vespa, and we would like to share with you an intriguing way to experience the city at night on a special vintage Vespa. This will be entertaining and will also transport you back to Saigon in 1950. In Saigon, are you trying to find anything special to do? Come on, join us!

First, you will be picked up from your hotel by an experienced driver in a vintage Vespa before being driven to our venue.

Then, we give you a tour of the city so you can see the city’s landmarks and narrow streets where locals go about their daily lives. We’d want to introduce you to some of our local favourite’s, such Vietnamese rice pancakes and spring rolls, at our first stop for dinner, a local eatery.

At the second stop, we invite you to enjoy delicious banana sticky rice from a local vendor. No table and chair to have a seat, we stand by the vendor, look how they make this sweet snack by enjoying their balanced and tasty food. Then, we continue our discovery of Saigon to local Seafood restaurant, another experience for you to taste the seafood with great ambience of the local. After that, along the Nhieu Loc canal, let’s chill with the fresh air, having a look at “Happy Road”, then stop at lovely local shop to savour Avocado ice cream – a trendy dessert.

The trip is not done yet, the fun things is still waiting for you after. Our last stop before gets back to the hotel will be a bar, where you can enjoy Live music performed by Vietnamese beautiful voices’ singers, now you can say you experience the Saigon Night Life.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner (food tour)
Accommodation: Park Hyatt Saigon – 1x Park Room City View Twin, 1x Park Suite Triple & 1x Park Suite

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City

This morning, you will enjoy a join-in trip exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels in an exciting way: accessing Cu Chi by shared boat instead of car and observing local life outside the city and alongside the river of Saigon. Embark on your speed boat from Ho Chi Minh City’s pier. Your guide will introduce you to life along the banks of the Saigon River as your boat gracefully slips through knots of floating water hyacinths on this scenic one-hour boat trip. As the city fades into the background, witness life along the river and the many new ‘weekend’ homes being built by the Saigonese. The cramped tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive, and they didn’t escape damage. American B52 bombers dropped hundreds of missiles leaving huge tell-tale craters behind. The tunnels also have “mantraps” – large, camouflaged holes dug deep into the ground that ensnared enemy soldiers by bamboo spikes. But don’t worry, you won’t step in one! You’ll also discover the remains of an American tank that was destroyed by a landmine which you can climb on for great photos. The Cu Chi experience can be emotionally draining for some visitors, but it offers fascinating windows into the hardship and traumas of war.

Enjoy a delicious traditional Vietnamese lunch by the river, consisting of authentic fried spring rolls, chicken and beef dishes and soup, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Return to your hotel, afternoon is free at your own leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Park Hyatt Saigon – 1x Park Room City View Twin, 1x Park Suite Triple & 1x Park Suite

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast at your hotel. 08:00, Departure from your hotel for a journey to Ben Tre. A short 2-hour drive will take you to the pristine natural beauty that is Ben Tre Province. Known as “Coconut Island,” many of its people still rely on tradition and centuries old methods of production. Our program focuses on the Giong Trom and Phong Nam districts, areas untouched by commercial tourism. We showcase the amazing local people, the villages they call home and the peaceful Rivers they use as a part of their daily lives. Continue with a short walk to Huu Phuoc Bridge, where you will start your boat trip through small canals with beautiful tropical scenery. On board the boat, enjoy a welcome drink and tropical fruits while cruising.

The cruise will first stop at a Coconut processing family owned business. Here you will learn what Ben Tre is known for and the hundreds of uses of each single coconut. Return to your boat and cruise across the water to a brick making factory, where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to make the bricks by hand.

After our team rows you through the quiet canal, reconnect with your Day Cruiser and enjoy a cruise to a private riverside restaurant. It is time for you to relax and enjoy lunch of local specialties. Relax and have a walk around the lush garden setting. Then continue your cycling trip to My Long to visit Mr Sau Tuong, a former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. Now he and his wife live on making rice paper which is the most famous speciality of My Long village. Have a chat with him and enjoy the crispy rice paper made by his wife and see how it is made. After the visit, the boat will be waiting for you at the pier nearby to bring you back to Ben Tre city where your car will be ready to take you back to Saigon.

It is a long day, so please bring your sunglasses, rain jacket and some insect-spray.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Park Hyatt Saigon – 1x Park Room City View Twin, 1x Park Suite Triple & 1x Park Suite

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City – Singapore

At the appropriate time, your driver will meet and escort you to Tan Son Nhat Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and assisted and fast-tracked through the passport and immigration procedures for your flight to Singapore.

Upon your arrival at Changi Airport in Singapore, after going through immigration/custom formalities and collecting your luggage, you will be warmly welcomed by your driver at the exit hall (holding placard with your names at the door immediate after baggage collection and clearance) and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore – 1x Marina Bay View Twin, 1x Marina Bay View Triple & 1x Premier Collyer Suite King

Begin your journey in the trendy neighbourhoods near Ann Siang Hill and Keong Saik Road, where a variety of modern cafes, bars and boutiques are housed. Following this, we will head to Chinatown Complex, home to many renowned hawker stalls, and where you have the opportunity to try some local delicacies.

Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum next, a stunning temple recognised for its intricate architecture and rich history. Here you’ll learn more about the Buddhist culture in Singapore and observe some of their traditions.

Next you’ll visit Little India and Serangoon Road, a vibrant enclave filled with colourful rows of shophouses and traditional Indian cuisines. Explore Tekka Centre and take in the sights and smells of our Indian delicacies.

Our journey then takes us to Kampong Glam, the historic Malay quarter of Singapore. Here we’ll traverse through vibrant shophouses and picturesque murals along each street. Along the way, you’ll also see the unique blend of traditional Arab food right next to modern fusion food, crafted by our younger generations of today.

At the appropriate time, your driver will pick you up at your hotel and escort you to the airport for your flight home (for 4pax only).

Meals Included: Breakfast