Thanks to the tropical climate, the long coast and gigantic range of mountains, Vietnam is blessed with numerous varieties of culinary offerings and maintains a reputation as one of the healthiest, tastiest cuisines in the world.

Vietnamese food relies on fresh fish, vegetables, rice and a myriad of verdant herbs and spices; lemongrass, ginger, basil and lime all play an important role in the cuisine. The Chinese and French influence is felt throughout the country, where you are just as likely to be offered a banh mi (stuffed baguette) as you are a hot bowl of pho (noodle soup).

Be sure to seek out the national beverages: Vietnamese coffee is served iced and sweet with condensed milk (a real sugar and caffeine hit) and beer hoi (local beer, brewed daily) is served on most street corners in the north out of large plastic jugs that are perfect for sharing.

Food is cheap in Vietnam, and you can generally avoid the spicier food if you wish. Western food is readily available almost everywhere, with the exception of the night in the Mekong Delta.

Vegetarian food is widely available; however, the offering will be fairly similar in most places. Please advise at the time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.

Walk the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Hoi An, where lantern-lit lanes link timber merchant houses, riverside warehouses and graceful assembly halls. Pause at the Japanese Covered Bridge and admire the carved altars and incense haze within historic Chinese assembly halls.

Once a bustling Silk Road port, Hoi An blends Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influences in an intimate, human-scale streetscape. Your leader unwraps trading-era tales and craftsmanship traditions still visible in workshops, tiled roofs and the riverfront quays that shaped the town’s character.

Roll up your sleeves and learn to cook Hoi An specialities with chefs who make the process fun for all ages. Chop herbs, balance sweet-sour-salty notes and roll fresh spring rolls as fragrant steam and the click of ladles animate the kitchen.

Discover how regional produce and time-honoured techniques shape central Vietnamese dishes, from delicate dipping sauces to noodle textures. Share your creations around the table and swap tips, leaving with recipes—and confidence—to recreate favourites at home.

Board a wooden boat to snorkel clear waters over coral gardens teeming with bright reef fish. Between swims, relax on deck and savour a fresh seafood lunch as you cruise past a fishing village and quiet, pine-backed coves.

Local seafaring culture comes into view with the small Whale Temple set on a nearby islet, an emblem of fisherfolk devotion. Warm tropical currents and sheltered bays make this an easy, family-friendly marine adventure.

Meet your Tour Director and fellow families over a convivial Vietnamese feast, where children can practice chopsticks and adults toast with iced tea or local beer. A curated menu introduces balanced northern flavours—herbs, lime and fresh greens—served in generous, shareable plates.

Settle into the rhythms of Hanoi’s dining culture as your leader outlines practical tips and family-friendly insights for the days ahead. This warm welcome dinner sets a relaxed tone, mixing orientation with the aromas of wok-tossed dishes and fragrant bowls of noodles.

Cruise Ha Long Bay on a traditional junk, gliding between limestone towers that rise from jade-green water. A fresh seafood lunch is served on board before you kayak beneath limestone cliffs into sheltered coves and grottoes where the bay turns mirror-calm.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, the bay’s karst formations and hidden lagoons create a dreamlike seascape. As the light softens, enjoy a serene deck view and the glow of sunset over the bay, with distant fishing boats bobbing against the rocks.

Cycle quiet country lanes past lush paddy fields, village markets and schoolyards where friendly waves greet the group. The ride ends at Cua Dai Beach, where palms fringe pale sand and gentle surf offers a refreshing dip.

Along the way, see water buffalo grazing, incense curling from small shrines and fishermen tending nets on shaded canals. Family pacing keeps the route relaxed, with time to pause for photos and reflection amid the green quilt of rural Hoi An.

Step into the Cu Chi Tunnels, a vast underground network used during the Vietnam War. Guided sections reveal hidden entrances, air vents and cooking spaces that sustained guerrilla fighters—an eye-opening look at subterranean life and resourcefulness under pressure.

Above ground, exhibits show trapdoors, camouflage techniques and wartime artifacts. Choose to enter widened passages or stay topside; either way, the visit offers context for Vietnam’s modern history and the region’s forested landscapes.

Survey the energy of Saigon with an orientation that links the Saigon River, tree-lined boulevards and key landmarks. Step through the 1960s interiors of Reunification Palace, admire the red-brick facade of Notre Dame Cathedral, and weave into the bustle of Ben Thanh Market.

From colonial-era architecture to neon-bright storefronts, your leader decodes the city’s layers and flavours—silversmiths’ alleys, street-food aromas, and the ceaseless choreography of scooters—offering an engaging snapshot of modern Ho Chi Minh City.

Cruise the Mekong Delta along broad, brown-green channels lined with palms and stilted homes. Go ashore to visit village workshops where artisans craft popped rice, delicate rice paper and chewy coconut candy—often with a chance to sample coconut candy fresh from the mold.

Known as Vietnam’s Rice Bowl, the delta’s waterways move harvests, market boats and everyday life. This gentle circuit showcases practical ingenuity and the convivial pace of riverside communities.

Share a home-cooked dinner at a simple guesthouse tucked among fruit trees, where family recipes spotlight southern flavours—fresh herbs, river fish and fragrant rice. Low-key surroundings and shared platters invite conversation and laughter.

As night settles over the garden, experience Delta hospitality in its most genuine form: hosts proud of their cuisine, children curious and playful, and a calm that contrasts the big-city buzz. A gentle insight into daily life on the river.

Slip into narrow waterways aboard a wooden boat to navigate narrow canals by sampan, where nipa palms arch overhead and kingfishers flash along the banks. Step ashore to walk through fruit orchards, breathing in the scent of citrus and blossom.

This calm interlude reveals the delta’s micro-world of family plots, shaded ditches and small footbridges. It’s a relaxed, close-to-the-water perspective that highlights how river and land intertwine.

En route across the delta, visit a Cao Dai temple, centre of an indigenous faith that blends Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. Vivid murals, dragon-trimmed columns and the all-seeing eye symbol create a kaleidoscopic, contemplative space.

Your leader explains the movement’s 20th-century origins and ideals of harmony. It’s a striking cultural contrast—ornate, colourful and unexpectedly serene amid the hum of southern Vietnam.

One evening, enjoy a traditional water puppet show, a northern Vietnamese art where lacquered marionettes skim a shimmering pool to folk tales of rice harvests, dragons and village life. A live folk orchestra sets the tempo with drums, wooden flutes and gongs.

This family-friendly performance is at additional cost and bookable on tour. It offers a charming window into rural storytelling, music and humour unique to the Red River Delta.

Take a Thu Bon River boat trip to watch fishermen cast circular nets and river life unfold beneath coconut palms. Drift past boatyards and see riverside craft villages where carpenters, weavers and woodcarvers work by open doorways.

This relaxed excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour. It’s an easy way to appreciate Hoi An’s trading heritage from the water, with soft light ideal for photos of boats, bridges and the Old Town skyline.

Swap city streets for a splashy day where you can splash through slides and wave pools, float the lazy river and cool off beneath palm-shaded spray zones. Families will find gentler attractions alongside thrill slides for braver teens.

This outing is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Your leader can advise on transfers and timing so you enjoy this family-friendly water park with ease during your free time in Ho Chi Minh City.

Join a guided city tour taking in the Ho Chi Minh area, his tranquil stilt house, the lotus-like One Pillar Pagoda, and scholarly courtyards of the Temple of Literature. Hear stories at Hoa Lo Prison (the ‘Hanoi Hilton’), where exhibits reveal Vietnam’s complex 20th-century history.

Later, ride a cyclo through the 36 Streets of the Old Quarter as shopfronts spill spices, silk and steam onto lively pavements. Bells ring, scooters weave and vendors call, offering a sensory portrait of a city where guild traditions still shape everyday life.