Day 1 - Beijing - Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi on VN901 at 18:25, welcome by your guide and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi

Hotel: Sofitel Metropole 5* Located at the heart of Hanoi since 1901, the Sofitel Legend Metropole went through the tumultuous colonial and modern history of Vietnam as the luxury hotel where you could have met Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene or Jane Fonda.

Day 2 - Hanoi (B, L)

Hanoi is the charming capital of Vietnam, with ochre-collared colonial style buildings, tree-lined avenues and numerous lakes. This morning meet your guide at your hotel and depart on your tour after breakfast. Your first stop will be Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed Mondays and Fridays), as well as his private residence from 1954 until 1969. The wooden ethnic minority style house, which was built on stilts, is surrounded by peaceful gardens. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Enjoy lunch at Au Lac restaurant before continuing on to Hoa Lo Prison (formerly known as the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam war). Your tour will also include the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake (one of the oldest in Vietnam) and Quan Thanh Temple (Taoist, dating from the Ly Dynasty). The last stop of the day before returning to your hotel will be the Museum of Ethnology where you observe Vietnam's diverse culture through the Museum’s unique presentation of artifacts and dressed used in daily life. Enjoy a one hour tour by cyclo, a chauffeur-pedalled tricycle, through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets”. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Attend a traditional water puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history. Overnight in Hanoi

Hotel: Sofitel Metropole 5*

Day 3 - Hanoi - Duong Lam - Hanoi (B, L)

Depart your hotel at 08:30 and travel west of Hanoi to Duong Lam village, an agricultural village of the Northern Red River delta which still preserves many hundred-year-old houses. Visit Mong Phu temple in Mong Phu commune - the only hamlet whose original village entrance remains intact. Continue on through the narrow alleys to see the old laterite houses which make up this village. For lunch enjoy a local style meal in a 100-year old house. After your lunch, continue driving to Mia Pagoda (another hamlet of Duong Lam), built in the 15th century. Some 287 statues of all sizes can be seen here, among which are famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha and the statues of the ‘Eight Vajra Deities’. Then, visit Ngo Quyen temple and Phung Hung temple, dedicated to two national heroes - Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung.  On the way back to Hanoi stop at Tay Phuong Pagoda. The pagoda offers beautiful architecture, ancient and unique sculptures. It was one of the first pagodas built in Vietnam. Note the dragons and demons carved into the wooden roof. From here it’s a 45-minute drive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi

Hotel: Sofitel Metropole 5*

Day 4 - Hanoi - Hoi An (B)

Your morning is free for your own activities until transfer to the airport for your flight VN1517 to Danang departing at 16:35. On arrival at 17:50, pick up and transfer to your hotel for check in. Overnight in Hoi An

Hotel: Palm Garden 4*

Day 5 - Hoi An - Hue - Hoi An (B)

Depart your hotel this morning to Hue for your full day tour of Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Take a cyclo tour through this peaceful city, through beautiful streets & along the Perfume River which stops at the Thien Mu Pagoda. Then, drive to the mausoleum of the former Emperor Minh Mang. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before you continue your tour to the elaborate mausoleums of Emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh and the Imperial Citadel, from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Back to Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An

Hotel: Palm Garden 4*

Day 6 - Hoi An (B)

Today is free at leisure for shopping and exploring Hoi An, a protected UNESCO site. Hoi An is noted for its hand sewn tailored clothing and beautiful white sand beaches; an ideal day at leisure to simply enjoy the environment or relax by the pool. Overnight in Hoi An

Hotel: Palm Garden 4*

Day 7 - Hoi An - Hanoi (B)

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight VN1508 at 10:05 to Hanoi. On arrival at 11:15, pick up & transfer to your hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi

Hotel: Sofitel Metropole 5*

Day 8 - Hanoi - Beijing (B)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight VN900 departing at 10:00.