• 15 Breakfast (B)
• 8 Lunch (L)
• 5 Dinner (D)

• Bangkok: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Danang: Vietnam is wonderful to visit year-round. But the best time to visit depends on what you wanna do, and where in Vietnam you wanna go.Generally, April & May are thought to be the best months to visit Vietnam because of the beautifully bright weather. Between December and March is a slightly cooler period. So if hiking, or city-dwelling is what you want, that’s the best time to visit. And if you wanna avoid the crowds, off-season tends to be between April and June or September to November.
• Danang: The currency used in Vietnam (that can buy you a wholesome, delicious bowl of Pho) is the Vietnamese dong (?).
• Danang: Planning to visit Vietnam to taste all the wholesome flavours? Aren’t we all?You’ll find plenty of street food stop-offs, serving up freshly made gems including rice, noodle and battered pancake-based dishes, plus the world-famous Pho. Pork is a common feature of Vietnamese cuisine. Generally, Vietnamese food isn’t too spicy (except if your dish has fresh chillies in it!) Oh, and the best thing about the food here? It’s very very cheap.
• Danang: When you travel with Contiki, your accommodation, in-country transport and breakfasts are all included with the cost of your trip. So when it comes to budgeting, you only need to worry about your shopping! Luckily, Vietnam is heralded as an extremely affordable tourist destination too. As a rough guide, you should easily get by on US $50-80 a day.
• Danang: We’ll be visiting some traditional tourist hotspots – so don’t forget to keep your shoulders covered (it’s customary in Vietnam, and will probably be insisted). For all that beach exploration, it’s generally acceptable for tourists to dress in the swimwear of their choice.Vietnam tends to get very hot & humid, so make sure you pack lots of loose-fitting clothes made from a lightweight and breathable material. Big up the baggy shirts!
• Danang: Tipping is pretty common in Vietnam’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Usually you’ll pay 10% of the total bill, which will amount to roughly $1-5.
• Danang: On some days, the Free Time Add-Ons will be during different times. So you’ll be able to do them all! But on some days, you might have to pick just one. Don’t worry, your Trip Manager will do their best to manage all of this for you, and will be able to give you all the details you might need.
• Danang: You can bring one bag or suitcase of 73cm x 50cm x 25cm (29” x 20” x 10”), with a max weight of 20kg (44lbs) – plus one piece of hand luggage suitable as a carry-on for flights. Since our trips have included flights, your luggage needs to meet the weight & security restrictions imposed by airlines. On this trip, it’s necessary to use an overnight bag on the occasional nights when it’s not possible to access your luggage (overnight trips to Special Stays). It’s a good idea to bring an overnight bag, or hand luggage that’s big enough to double up as an overnighter when needed.
• Danang: Currently, the Golden Hands Bridge isn’t included on our itinerary. But that means, you get a free day to explore Hoi An – which you REALLY don’t wanna miss out on.The Bridge is part of a theme park called ‘Sun World Ba Na Hills’ and is about a 2-hour drive away from where we stay in Hoi An (and tends to be incredibly crowded!). But if you really wanna visit the bridge, you can always ask your Trip Manager who’ll sort it out for you!
• Ha Giang Loop: Nope. We explore Ha Giang in style and safety using mini-coaches, overnight buses, local boats, plus hikes and kayaking. This way, you still see all the epic scenery without the risks of riding a motorbike. It’s adventure, comfort, and peace of mind all in one.

• Mekong River Delta: Grab your buddies and take a shot at catching an elephant ear fish for dinner. FYI: it tastes better than it looks. 
• Mekong River Delta: Watch and learn as local craftspeople make rice wine, tea, sweets and more local delicacies. 
• Ho Chi Minh City: Brave this subterranean world. The hand-dug tunnels were built by the Viet Cong to hide out during the war. 
• Ho Chi Minh City: Tick off all of the landmarks on your bucket list – Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office and the Presidential Palace. 
• Ho Chi Minh City: A meaningful reminder of the atrocities of the Vietnam War and its impact on local people and wildlife. 
• Ho Chi Minh City: Passports at the ready folks.
• Hoi An: This 15th century port and UNESCO site is best explored on two wheels with a local expert. Don’t forget your Go-Pro! 
• Da Nang: Next stop, Hanoi. But before we hit the streets, it’s time to hit the sky one more time.
• Hanoi:
  Step inside KOTO Restaurant  and enjoy a high-quality meal with a twist where you’re helping young, at-risk Vietnamese trainees sharpen their hospitality skills. KOTO (AKA  Know One, Teach One) is Vietnam’s first social enterprise, offering a 24-month free training program for disadvantaged youth, with a special focus on empowering women. 

  By eating here, you’re supporting more than just a meal. KOTO equips trainees with hospitality, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills, opening doors to long-term careers and breaking cycles of poverty. Each year, over 100 young people get a shot at realising their dreams—all while serving up delicious, expertly crafted dishes.

• Hanoi: Listen up culture-lovers. This shrine – dedicated to ancient philosopher Confucius – is known as ‘Vietnam’s first university’. 
• Hanoi: Take a look at the resting place of Vietnamese revolutionary leader and President Ho Chi Minh. This is where he, along with his party, declared the independence of Vietnam.
• Ninh Binh: Cool tropical breeze. Lush-green landscapes. And an unforgettable view of the sunrise over the shimmery silhouette.
• Halong Bay: Grab your new BFFs and hang out in this mini paradise. The powdery sand and turquoise waters will bless you with #islandvibes 
• Halong Bay: The best way to drift off into dreamy sleep? Drifting along the Gulf of Tonkin in a traditional Chinese-style Junk Boat, of course!
• Halong Bay: Yet another work of art from Mother Nature. These huge underground caves are made for exploring. But can you spot the ‘mammoth’?
• Ha Giang Loop: Check out the incredible views from Heaven Gate – a popular stop off on the Ha Giang loop.
• Ha Giang Loop: Stop by to get a view of the winding roads that resemble a massive snake making its way down the slope!
• Ha Giang Loop: Walk like a royal around this ancient palace that’s made with green pebbles, pine woods, terra-cotta tiles and even sugarcane! (Seriously.)
• Dong Van: Meet the incredible women at the Lung Tam Linen Cooperative who are working to preserve the craft of H’mong linen weaving. You’ll see all the complicated stages of weaving, learn how they make high-quality fabric here and support local communities too.
• Ma Pi Leng Peak: Lace up your boots! You’ll take a challenging but short trek towards the Ma Pi Leng peak, passing by H’mong villages on the way.
• Nho Que: Feast on a delicious lunch with incredible views of the Nho Que river. It’s a photo ops hotspot!
• Nho Que: Go with the flow on a local boat cruise as you check out one of South Asia’s largest canyons.
• Nho Que: Paddle through the turquoise waters of this beautiful river with views of scenic rice fields and mountains along the way.
• Dong Van: Ever heard of a Qeej? It’s a sacred instrument that was used to call the spirits (or at least that’s what the legends say!). Today’s your chance to witness a local man playing it.
• Dong Van: Ready? We’ll trek all the way up to ruins of the Lung Ho French Fort – a beautiful stone structure built during the French colonisation.
• Du Già: Cool off with a dip in crystal-clear waters surrounded by jungle greenery, with nothing but the sound of rushing falls and birdsong echoing through the valley. Stunning.

Join a walking tour of central Ho Chi Minh City to see landmarks including Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the former Presidential Palace, now known as the Independence Palace. Their contrasting architecture reflects the city’s colonial and modern history.

Visit the War Remnants Museum for a sobering account of the Vietnam War and its effects on people and the environment. Photographs and exhibits add difficult but important context to the city’s streets.

Contiki

Explore the Mekong Delta by traditional boat, travelling past riverside homes and lush, cultivated banks. Visit local craftspeople to see how rice paper and other regional products are made, and sample rice whisky.

The delta’s waterways sustain a distinctive way of life built around farming, fishing and trade. There is also a chance to try catching elephant ear fish, a local freshwater species often served whole.

Experience a local homestay in the Mekong Delta and share a home-cooked meal accompanied by live local music. Staying in a family-run setting offers a closer look at everyday life beside southern Vietnam’s waterways.

Food, hospitality and music give this evening its character. It is an opportunity to enjoy the delta beyond its river scenery, in the company of local hosts rather than from the deck of a passing boat.

Ride through Hoi An with a local guide, visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge, a traditional ancient house and the central market. Travelling by bicycle lets you take in the town’s lanes, shopfronts and everyday bustle at a measured pace.

Hoi An’s well-preserved old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shaped by centuries of regional and international trade. Its historic houses and bridge reveal the cultural exchanges that made this former port distinctive.

Enjoy a meal at KOTO Restaurant in Hanoi, where young Vietnamese trainees develop their hospitality skills while serving guests. The visit turns lunch into a direct way to support a local social enterprise.

KOTO stands for “Know One, Teach One.” Its training programme helps disadvantaged young people build skills for long-term careers. The food offers a taste of Vietnam, while the people behind the service give the experience a wider purpose.

Visit Hanoi’s Temple of Literature, a peaceful complex of courtyards, gateways and pavilions dedicated to Confucius. Walk through a site closely associated with scholarship and learning in Vietnam.

Founded in the 11th century, the temple later housed the Imperial Academy, often described as the country’s first university. Its stone stelae honour successful scholars and offer a tangible link to centuries of education and imperial tradition.

See the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi’s Ba Ðình Square, an important national landmark dedicated to Vietnam’s revolutionary leader. The visit focuses on the mausoleum and its place in the capital’s civic landscape.

Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in Ba Ðình Square in 1945. Standing here connects the monument with that defining moment in the country’s modern history; entry inside the mausoleum is not specified as part of this experience.

Climb approximately 500 steps to the Múa Cave viewpoint in Ninh Bình for a sweeping look across limestone peaks, waterways and cultivated fields. The steep ascent rewards walkers with one of the region’s most recognisable panoramas.

The landscape forms part of the limestone scenery that has earned the area its “H? Long Bay on land” nickname. Bring a camera for the layered karst silhouettes and the changing light over the valley.

Visit Ti Top Island in H? Long Bay and take in its small beach and surrounding limestone-island scenery. This stop gives travellers time away from the junk boat to experience the bay at shore level.

The island’s pale sand and clear water contrast with the steep, green karsts nearby. It is a compact but memorable part of the bay, offering a different perspective on the seascape seen during the overnight cruise.

Explore the Hà Giang Loop by van, taking in mountain roads, deep valleys, terraced fields and limestone formations in Vietnam’s far north. The route includes viewpoints such as Heaven Gate, the Twin Mountains and the winding Th?m Mã slope.

This is a scenic exploration rather than a motorbike ride. Travelling by van leaves room to focus on the changing mountain landscape and the villages of a region with a rich mix of local cultures.

Meet the women of the Lùng Tám Linen Cooperative and learn how H’Mông textiles are made. See the stages involved in transforming plant fibre into woven fabric and hear why these skills matter to the local community.

Linen-making is both a practical craft and a form of cultural expression in H’Mông communities. This visit highlights the time and expertise behind the finished cloth while supporting the people working to preserve the tradition.

Join a locally guided trek along the Sky Path towards Mã Pí Lèng peak. The short but challenging walk passes H’Mông villages and cornfields, with views across steep limestone cliffs and the Nho Qu? River valley.

Mã Pí Lèng is one of northern Vietnam’s most dramatic mountain landscapes. Exploring on foot gives you time to appreciate the scale of its ridges and the communities living among them, rather than seeing the pass only through a van window.

Meet a local H’Mông musician and listen to the qeej, a traditional free-reed instrument with a distinctive layered sound. The encounter offers an introduction to a living musical practice in the northern highlands.

The qeej has an important place in H’Mông cultural and ceremonial life. Hearing it played by a local musician adds a human dimension to the region’s mountain scenery and gives travellers a chance to connect with a tradition carried through generations.

Visit a waterfall near Du Già, surrounded by the greenery of Hà Giang’s mountain valleys. Listen to the rushing water and, where conditions allow, cool off with a dip in its clear pools.

This natural stop shows a softer side of the region’s rugged scenery. The sound of the falls and the sheltered setting provide a close-up experience of the landscape beyond the loop’s high passes and roadside viewpoints.

Choose an optional cruise in Nha Trang for time on the water along Vietnam’s south-central coast. It offers a different perspective on this beach city and its surrounding seascape.

The itinerary does not specify the cruise route or activities, so details should be confirmed with the tour team. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Join a Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An and prepare up to four traditional dishes. Working with local ingredients and cooking techniques offers a hands-on way to explore flavours encountered across the trip.

Hoi An’s food culture draws on the produce and culinary traditions of central Vietnam. The class is at additional cost and bookable on tour, making it a choice for travellers who want to take practical cooking knowledge home.

Try a ride in a Vietnamese bamboo basket boat during your time in Hoi An. These round, woven vessels offer a playful introduction to a traditional form of small-boat travel.

Basket boats are associated with coastal fishing communities in central Vietnam. The itinerary presents this ride as a choice rather than an included activity; it is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Check the route and arrangements with the tour team.

See the capital from a different angle on an optional Hanoi After Dark Vespa ride, with street-food stops and views of the city’s neon-lit evening streets. The experience pairs a ride through Hanoi with tastes of its lively food scene.

Hanoi’s street stalls and busy roads are central to its after-dark atmosphere. This add-on is at additional cost and bookable on tour; confirm the route and food stops with the tour team.

Cycle through villages near Vân Long before taking a sampan ride through Ninh Bình’s waterways. The combination of quiet roads and a low-slung boat offers two ways to appreciate the area’s green fields and limestone formations.

Often likened to “H? Long Bay on land,” this landscape has a slower, more rural character. The adventure is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Explore the C? Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City and see concealed entrances, traps and sections of the extensive hand-dug network. Travellers who feel comfortable in confined spaces can descend into a narrow tunnel for a firsthand sense of its scale.

Used by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War, the tunnels formed part of a subterranean system for shelter, movement and resistance. The visit brings the ingenuity and hardship of wartime life into sharp focus.

Cruise H? Long Bay aboard a Chinese-style junk boat and spend the night on the water. Watch forested limestone islands, sheltered lagoons and rocky grottoes pass by from the deck.

This UNESCO-listed seascape is renowned for its thousands of karst formations rising from the Gulf of Tonkin. A seafood dinner and the changing light over the bay make the boat itself an integral part of the experience, not simply a way to get around.

Explore S?ng S?t Cave, also called Surprise Cave, within H? Long Bay’s limestone islands. Walk through its large chambers and look for the varied rock formations that have made it one of the bay’s best-known caves.

Water and time have shaped the cave’s stalactites, stalagmites and spacious interior. Its enclosed, sculptural landscape offers a striking contrast to the open-water views of the bay outside.

Visit the Vuong Family Palace in the Ð?ng Van region and examine its courtyards, timberwork and distinctive mix of building materials. The historic residence provides a close-up encounter with the heritage of Hà Giang’s northern highlands.

Associated with the influential Vuong family, the complex reflects a period when local leadership, trade and borderland politics shaped life here. Its stone, wood and tiled details make it a rewarding contrast to the vast mountain scenery outside.

Take a local boat cruise on the Nho Qu? River and view the sheer walls of Tú S?n Canyon from the water. The river’s turquoise colour stands out against the towering limestone of the Hà Giang highlands.

The cruise also provides access to the riverside camping area. Seen at water level, the canyon feels markedly different from the mountain viewpoints above, with its cliffs rising directly beside the narrow river corridor.

Spend a night camping beside the Nho Qu? River, with tent views towards the water and surrounding mountain landscape. Share dinner and music with fellow travellers in a setting far removed from Vietnam’s busy cities.

The campsite makes the river more than a passing scenic stop. Its waterside location offers time to notice the quiet and the changing light in this remote part of Hà Giang, while resting between the area’s guided outdoor activities.

Kayak on the Nho Qu? River, paddling through turquoise water with views of mountains and cultivated slopes. This active experience brings you close to the river landscape at your own pace.

The highland setting gives the paddle its distinctive character: steep terrain rises around a narrow ribbon of water, while patches of farmland reveal how local communities use the valley. It is a quieter, more hands-on way to experience the scenery than a viewpoint stop.

Trek to the ruins of Lung H? French Fort, a stone structure associated with the colonial period in Hà Giang. The walk combines a specific historic site with the surrounding highland landscape.

The remaining walls recall an era when this remote border region held strategic importance. Exploring the ruins on foot offers a different perspective on the Hà Giang Loop: alongside its celebrated mountain views are traces of the people and powers that shaped its history.