Xin chao! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. Afterwards there will be an optional welcome dinner, a great chance to bond with your fellow travellers.

In the morning, visit one of the most important sites in Ho Chi Minh City, the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. These complex tunnels were used by the Viet Cong in the long war against the Americans and were instrumental to the Vietnamese victory. You will be amazed at the ingenuity of these dangerous tunnels. You will also visit a local home in this area. Later, in the afternoon, enjoy a Ho Chi Minh City tour stopping in at the War Museum, Cathedral, GPO and Ben Thanh market. Don't miss the chance to try some delicious street food at the market.

Head to Da Lat by bus today (approximately 7 hours). Although it's a long travel day, some of the scenery is delightful – take the opportunity to sit back and soak it up. You'll have free time on arrival to spend as you please. Explore this pleasant region and all it has to offer – lakes, palaces, flower gardens, pagodas and churches. You'll soon discover this is one of Vietnam's most beautiful cities.

Embark on a city tour today. One of the highlights includes Bao Dai's Summer Palace, the gorgeous 1930s villa built for the last king of the Vietnam feudal court. Explore its two storeys and some of its 25 rooms, including the impressive bedroom and balcony upstairs. You will also visit the vibrant Dalat Market. The upper level here is a great place to get a cheap and tasty bite of some local food. In the afternoon you will have free time to explore as you please. Perhaps take the train to Trai Mat Village and enjoy its peaceful ambience and fresh air spiked with the smell of pine trees.

Take a bus to Ban Me Thuot (approximately 5 hours). This region is known for growing some of the best coffee beans in the country so be sure to try some coffee while you're here. In the afternoon, visit the Ethnographic Museum to learn more about the Dak Lak province, which features stone artefacts, photography, musical instruments and quirky taxidermy that provide insight into the region's history.

Set out today on a group trek to Rai Village, the home of the Ede ethnic minority. Start with a bus transfer to the trek's starting point, around 90 kilometres away. From here the walk starts with a three-kilometre stretch before arriving at the village of Rai. Tonight's accommodation is a traditional long house built on stilts of wood and bamboo. It's simple yet clean and comfortable. Enjoy a home-cooked meal lovingly prepared by your hosts. Make the most of this opportunity to interact with the Ede, for whom music plays a key role in cultural life. Special Information

Continue on with a full day of trekking (approximately 18 kilometres), passing through temperate evergreen forests on the way to Buon Triet Lake. Climb to the top of Namka Hill (approximately 2 kilometres), spot wildlife in the green foliage and greet minority village folk on today's journey. Arrive at Buon Triet Lake in the afternoon, where you'll get to ejoy a peaceful cruise across the water in a paddle boat. Take the chance to enjoy a refreshing swim after a day of trekking, then relax in the evening at Jatu village with friendly M’Nong hosts.

In the morning, take a scenic bus ride to Lak Lake. Enjoy views of Vietnam's countryside, which is full of idyllic little villages, rice fields, cows, and softly flowing streams. Stop in and visit Jun Village for an insight into daily village life in the Central Highlands. Afterwards, return to central Buon Ma Thuot. Transfer to the airport for a mid-afternoon flight to Da Nang (approximately 1 hour). From here, take a bus to Hoi An.

Become versed in the colonial history of Hoi An on a walking tour with your trip leader around its Old Town. This is a place oozing with charm and, having largely escaped the destruction of successive wars, its streets and architecture are a delight to explore. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Old Town is packed with buildings of historical and cultural significance and boasts a number of streets that are off-limits to cars. Stroll past the many Chinese Assembly Halls – from the Cantonese Chinese Congregation, with its impressive main altar, to the Hainan Chinese Congregation. Stop by the Japanese Covered Bridge, which was constructed in the 1590s by the town’s Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream.he afternoon is free to explore at your own pace. Perhaps head to the nearby beach on ...

Make the most of a free day in Hanoi. Perhaps wander through the town's Central Market and its street stalls, where you'll find everything from paintings to woodwork, ceramics and lanterns. Hoi An is also famous for its talented tailors, who can make beautiful items within only a few hours. Bring your favourite piece of clothing, or even just a picture of what you'd like, and you'll usually be able to collect it the very next day. Alternatively, you might like to visit a local workshop to learn how to make your own rice paper. A Vietnamese cooking class is also a great way to familiarise yourself with some of the age-old culinary techniques (not to mention being able to feast on the fruits of your own labour). As this is a combination trip, your group leader and the composition of your group may change at this location. There ...

Today there will be the option to head out on another walking tour of Hoi An with your leader. Alternatively, you can skip this tour and enjoy a day to do as you like. Perhaps head to the nearby beach on a rented bicycle if the weather's fine.

Travel by bus to Bho Hoong, a small village located in the Truong Son mountain range that's home to the ethnic Co Tu people (approxiamtely 150km). This village came into existence during the closing stages of the Vietnam War, when the Co Tu, their hill country homelands largely destroyed in the fighting, migrated here from near the Laos border. The Co Tu practice a traditional way of life characterised by small-scale agriculture, weaving, the holding of harvest festivals and building of stilt bungalows. The drive here will include stop-offs at tea plantations. During an evening here you'll be treated to a traditional dance performance and home-cooked dinner.

Following a morning walk around the village, hop back in the bus for the onward drive to Hue (approximately 195 km). Packed with temples, tombs, palaces and pagodas, the former imperial capital of Hue is an eclectic mix of busy streets and peaceful beauty. After lunch you will visit the Imperial Citadel – a sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, gates, and walls. The Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace and the Ancestral Altars are still impressive, and the complex must have been awe-inspiring during its heyday in the 19th century. In your free time you might like to visit Dong Ba Market, which offers locally made goods, fresh produce and tantalising street food. This is a good place to try the specialties enjoyed by Emperor Nguyen such as the banh khoai royal rice cake.

Today’s adventure will be on the back of a motorbike! You’ll have your own driver who will take you on a drive around the Imperial Citadel, including the Forbidden Purple City. The latter was almost completely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War, but its humble, foliage-covered ruins remain a testament to its proud history. Here you'll gain some insight into the horrific damage endured during the war. Then it's on to the Thien My Pagoda, the unofficial symbol of Hue. This site dates back to 1601 and is still an active Buddhist monastery. You’ll also see the scar left by a monk who set himself alight in protest at the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. Hopping off the motorbike, board a dragon boat for a cruise down the Perfume River. After the 40-minute journey, get back on your motorbik...

The drive to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park includes two interesting stop-offs along the way: Hien Luong Bridge and the Vinh Moc tunnels. Hien Luong Bridge, a 178-metre long bridge that spans the Ben Hai River, marked the division between north and south Vietnam from 1954 until 1975. While it's not the most impressive sight you'll ever see, this humble piece of architecture came to symbolise a country's desire for reunification. Not far off, Vinh Moc is an underground tunnel complex dug by a local village in response to the American bombs that fell from above. Between 1966 and 1972 it's believed 60-odd families lived down here. After creeping through the tunnels, continue on to your night's accommodation at Chay Lap Farmstay. Once settled in and refreshed, head out to see Paradise Cave. Special Information

Today you'll be trekking to Tu Lan Cave. Travel by bus to the starting point of our walk (approximately 1.5 hours). Tu Lan cave system is one of the smaller ones in the area, however it has an impressive array of stalagmites and stalactites. You'll also visit Ken Cave, Kim Cave, Hung Ton Cave and To Mo Valley but will be sleeping outside the cave in hammocks strung between trees alongside a waterfall. Special Information

Spend the morning exploring more of this unique underworld, then travel by bus back to Chay Lap Farmstay for another night spent amid bucolic surrounds.

In the morning, travel by bus to Dong Hoi for an onward flight on to Hanoi. This afternoon, take a guided half-day tour of Hanoi that encompasses the beauty and history of Vietnam's laid-back, tree-lined capital. You’ll visit major sights including the Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda and the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. You’ll also pass by the Hoan Kiem Lake and enter the ’36 Streets’ of the historic Old Quarter. If you have some free time this afternoon, you may like to visit the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. This Museum plays a crucial role in maintaining and promoting the cultural heritage of Vietnam’s ethnic communities. Hanoi has a huge array of excellent eateries, from buzzing streets stalls to upmarket restaurants. Perhaps ask your leader for suggestions on where to enjoy a final group dinner. 

There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. If you're planning to stick around in Hanoi a while, our immersive Urban Adventures are a great way to get to know the city. Head to urbanadventures.com to check out the range of day tours on offer.