January 2 – January 9, 2023
Optional Addition: Seaplane from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay.
Price is subject to change if the minimum numbers are not met.
Call 1.888.722.3401 for more details (scroll down for journey details)
Prior to this unique journey, add on a 3-day departure to enjoy New Years in Asia or extend your journey to explore Cambodia.
Hanoi, Vietnam
Day 1 – Welcome to Vietnam! Immediately upon exiting the aircraft in Hanoi, you will be escorted to your transfer to Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel (approx. transfer time: 1hr).
Accommodations will be reserved for two nights and include breakfast. Occupying the Club Floors of the Opera Wing, your Grand Premium Rooms epitomize a world of cultured sophistication and creative luxury. Enjoy extra privileges during your stay such as access to the exclusive Club Lounge, including breakfast, high tea, evening cocktails and 24-hour Majordome service.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel
Street Scenes in Hanoi, Vietnam
Day 2 – This morning, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a Hanoi Half-Day Sightseeing Excursion.
You will visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The museum is packed full of information detailing traditional Vietnamese ways of life, from religious events to the symbolic rituals of all the Vietnamese ethnic groups, providing a rich tapestry of the cultural melting pot existing in Vietnam. The exhibition hall features everyday objects representing each group, a research center, library and auditorium. Here, you will learn about these ethnic groups, their cultural diversity and the uniqueness of each group and region, as well as traditional values throughout the country. Continue to the impressive Tran Quoc Pagoda, a Buddhist pagoda in the center of West Lake. Following your excursion, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy some time at leisure
This evening, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a Hanoi Old Quarter and Street Food Excursion, including dinner.
You will start your walking street food excursion from your hotel. Your local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture, including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. You will eat as you go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, you will tempt your tastebuds with famed Hanoi dishes such as Bun Cha and Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how these tasty dishes are put together.
Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, you will wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes, where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1,000 years ago. Your next two snack stops are at outdoor barbecue stalls. You will sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. It’s then time for dessert as you venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed!
Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to taste top some of the top ten street foods in Hanoi – Banh My, Vietnamese rice wine and the famous egg coffee. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow streets inside the Old Quarter of Hanoi. If coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!
At the end of this guided foodie excursion you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your evening at leisure.
Street Food, Hanoi Vietnam
Day 3 – After breakfast and checkout, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide and transferred to Hai Phong via the new highway to Got Ferry Terminal in Cat Hai Town. You will have a chance to experience the longest and newest bridge in South East Asia. Enjoy a special welcome tea at the Orchid Premium Cruises lounge before your transfer by tender to the Orchid Premium Cruise. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
Optional addition: This morning after breakfast and checkout, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide and transferred to the Hanoi Airport, where you will board your scenic private charter seaplane to Halong Bay. About 105 miles away from Hanoi is Halong Bay, one of the most beautiful places on earth. With its picturesque blend of land and sea, this is one of the world’s most precious natural attractions. Halong Bay covers an area of over 933 miles, dotted with thousands of rocky islands—a natural sculpture on a gigantic scale. You will enjoy a 45-minute flight to Halong Bay, with an additional 15-minute scenic flight over this stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get a bird’s-eye view of the thousands of limestone karsts jutting up from the jade green waters and see remote fishing villages as you come in to land at Tuan Chau Island Marina. This is an experience like no other!
Orchid Premium Cruise
You will be welcomed onboard the Orchid Premium Cruise and then check in, enjoy a welcome drink and receive the cruise briefing and safety instructions. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
Proceed to Da Chong islet, where you can see a lighthouse built by the French over 100 years ago. Have an international buffet lunch while passing via the islets of Con Vit area. These amazing limestone karst formations rise up out of the sea in an impressive manner. This area is untouched, as not many cruise ships use the route via the Cat Ba Island – Thoi Quyt area – Coc Ngoi islet – through Gia Luan area which belongs to Cat Ba National Park.
Progress to Trung Trang cave by bus on Cat Ba island, which is located in the middle of Cat Ba National Park with Kim Giao forest surrounding the cave. Trung Trang Valley is the largest valley on Cat Ba Island. The valley covers an area of approximately 741 acres, has a depth of 32ft to 98ft and is around 9mi in the middle of Cat Ba National Park. Trung Trang Cave measures 984ft lengthwise through the mountains. The cave was carved by nature for more than 2,000 years. The cave has many stalactites that take on various shapes that will awe and inspire visitors to use their imagination.
In the evening, the Orchid Cruise will arrive at the less populated area at Tra Bau, located in Lan Ha Bay. You will enjoy the green emerald and cool water by swimming.
Returning to Orchid Cruise, you can watch the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin. Onboard you may join a traditional cooking class. The chef will instruct you in the making of some Vietnamese dishes. Massage services are available for an additional fee. Please book with the Cruise Manager directly.
A sumptuous, deluxe, a la carte dinner will be served by candlelight. Enjoy delicious local cuisine in an intimate, romantic setting
Enjoy the landscape of the bay at night up on the top deck. Relax whilst enjoying drinks from the bar. Try your hand at night squid fishing and/or watch a movie in the restaurant. Overnight on board in the Tra Bau area.
Orchid Cruise – Cat Hai, Haiphong, Vietnam
As the pioneer and leading cruise to ever design an itinerary throughout Halong / Lan Ha Bay, Orchid Cruises guarantee to bring you to an amazing special journey.
You will have a chance to discover the untouched, less travelled route of Ha Long bay. Orchid Classic Cruises offer 14 most luxurious cabins with professional crew members that are eager to provide you with the finest & most personalized service.
On board, you immediately feel at home. The very large suite with your own balcony welcomes you with fresh fruits and cozy living quarters.
Discover a local floating fishing village or kayak in the bay
Day 4 – Rise early to witness the bay at its very best whilst enjoying an invigorating Tai Chi session on the sundeck; after which you will be served breakfast. After disembarking from the Orchid Cruise, you will be met by your local private guide and transferred to the Hanoi Airport to board a flight to Da Nang.
Upon arrival, you’ll meet your local private guide and transferred to Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai). Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Day 5 – After breakfast, meet in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a Cooking Class at The Field Restaurant, including lunch.
Ride a bicycle to Thanh Dong Organic Farm. Take a short stroll around the vegetable garden while listening to the life-changing stories of the villagers since they have been approached to teach methods of organic herb cultivation. Afterwards you will join the farmers and do some gardening activities like preparing and applying organic manure to the land, raking the ground, sowing, watering and picking vegetables.
Continue by experiencing a basket boat ride on the picturesque Co Co river, where you will have a chance to look at some unique fishing methods of the local fishermen. More interestingly, you may play some traditional Vietnamese folk games at the restaurant before the cooking class. Enjoy your lunch in a bamboo house surrounded by the sights of the river and rice paddies.
Take a walk through Hoi An’s Old Town, with its hundreds of historic houses, congregation halls, pagodas and other notable structures. Be prepared to greet a lot of people, as locals love to engage with outsiders, and are proud of their businesses that have grown up in these narrow alleyways. You then take a drinks break on a veranda overlooking the river. Watch fishing and tour boats glide through the waters, while enjoying a refreshing drink. From here you continue through the Old Town, while your guide tells you stories about the area, explaining local customs and fun facts about life here. You then pass over the famous Japanese Covered Bridge – your final stop of the afternoon. End with a visit to a local family who will show you the skills required to make your own handmade lantern.
Saigon, Vietnam
Day 6 – This morning you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide and transferred to the Da Nang Airport where you will fly to Saigon.
Upon arrival, collect your luggage and make your way to the arrivals hall, where you will be met by your local private guide and transferred to Park Hyatt Hotel Saigon. After dropping off your luggage, you will enjoy a day of sightseeing in Saigon.
Your first stop will be the Reunification Palace, the residence of South Vietnam’s former president before 1975. Later, you will head to the War Museum, one of Vietnam’s most popular museums, which focuses primarily on the American side of the Vietnam War. Next, you will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office. Please note that the Cathedral is undergoing restoration through 2023 and will only be open for church services during this time.
Saigon is the country’s most dynamic city – a vital economic hub bustling with life. The city could be described as a reconciliation of Chinese and American influences, while retaining its distinct Vietnamese charm and character.
Modern office skyscrapers, next to Chinese pagodas, street markets, food vendors and imposing colonial buildings – they all create a fascinating dynamic urban landscape.
A bit further, you come across The Café Apartment, an old nine-story apartment building that residents have converted into funky, stylish coffee shops and boutiques.
At The Café Apartment, there is a perfect place to relax for a traditional Vietnamese tea-tasting experience. You might not be a tea connoisseur, but you will find it fascinating all the same.
Following your excursion, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Saigon by Motor Bike
Day 7 – This morning, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, including a light breakfast and lunch.
After being transferred from your hotel to the pier, you will ride in a 5-star speedboat to Cu Chi. Along the way you will be served a light breakfast of pastries, sandwiches and fruit. You set out early to avoid the large tour groups, ensuring that your boat arrives before everyone else.
You will have an opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a vast network of underground passageways built and used by the Viet Cong to evade detection as they moved troops and supplies throughout Ho Chi Minh City’s northern district. During the visit, an English-speaking 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 boat trip. Enjoy a window into traditional Mekong river life and wonderful photo opportunities.
After a short documentary, your guide will lead you through the historic Cu Chi tunnels, dug by resourceful guerrilla fighters to provide communication, hospitals, food, and weapon caches during numerous conflicts. A traditional Vietnamese lunch of local specialties like lemongrass chicken and caramelized clay pot pork will be served after your visit to the tunnels. You will then board your boat for the scenic trip back to Saigon.
Upon arrival back at the hotel, enjoy the remainder of your afternoon at leisure.
This evening, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a Vespa Foodie Experience, including dinner.
First stop at Café Zoom to relax and watch the world go by while enjoying a cocktail and appetizer. You then head to a favorite local eating spot where you can experience Saigon’s nightlife the way locals do – all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter.
Take a ride to Chinatown and then head to District 4 through busy streets and alleyways for nightlife and street seafood – places where you will not see any foreigners. Leave District 4 and head to District 3. Passing through downtown Saigon, you can take in the sights on the way to Banh Xeo, where locals go to eat out. Then continue on to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop for a taste of local music. After this continue on to a lively bar to enjoy drinks and live music.
Following your foodie experience, you will be transferred back to the hotel
Day 8 – This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight
Call Jolene DiRocco at 941-951-1801 at extension 106 now to reserve your space on this unique journey today! You may e-mail at jolene@admiraltravel.com
Cancellation: All payments are non-refundable. We highly recommend trip insurance to protect your trip investment. We are happy to assist with this, please just let us know.
A $50 per person Admiral Travel booking fee will apply.
Optional: Seaplane from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay
Inclusions:
- Overnight accommodation is inclusive of hotel tax, hotel service charges and includes daily breakfast
- 2D1N Orchid cruise (Shared cruise/private cabin)
- Private transfers and transportation on tour
- Sightseeing with Local English speaking guides (escort guide)
- Entrance fees and boat rides
- Meals as specified (included soft drink/ mineral water)
- Airfares: Ho Chi Minh City/Danang and Danang/Hanoi
- Cold towels and water on sightseeing days
- Welcome pack
- International Airport Assistance Service on arrival in Saigon
- Vietnam visa letter and stamping fee
Exclusions:
- Other Airport Assistance Service
- Alcoholic beverages on Orchid Cruise
- Other meals where not mentioned in the program
- Other flights & airport taxes
- Hotel early check in/ Late check-out
- Overweight luggage
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Tips & gratuities
- Other services not listed in inclusive column
PLEASE NOTE:
- All payments made to or on behalf of Admiral Travel are non-refundable unless stated otherwise
- Founder’s Journey will always be priced at or below published rates, but never higher.
- Travel with like-minded individuals on these exclusive departures.
- Enjoy a welcome cocktail party to meet your fellow travelers.
- A hosted dinner will be offered during one night of the trip with the Hiltons.
- On many occasions, optional shore events are offered as an option that only our group is invited to join.
- Special global relationships that the Hiltons have formed over the years will allow you privileged access opportunities.
- Trips are offered well in advance to give ample time for your future planning.
- Minimum numbers must be met in order for the Hiltons to host the journey.
- The Hiltons reserve the right to adjust the duration of their participation should any schedule conflicts arise.