Vietnam South to North

After a private airport transfer, you’ll arrive at our hotel, in the Old Quarter, and right in the middle of the action. You’ll be able to check right in, even if it’s before official check-in time, so that you will be able to rest and refresh before our welcome dinner.

At 6 pm we’ll meet up with our fellow vegan travelers for a pre-trip information meeting and for everyone to meet each other. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy our first vegan meal together, ensuring a wonderful start to your tour.

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is Vietnam’s largest city and the former capital of South Vietnam. Still known as Saigon to many locals, Ho Chi Minh offers much to do.

After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning enjoying a local city walking tour, exploring Ben Thanh Market, the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office, the Independence Palace, and the War Remnants Museum.

After lunch, we will visit the famous, or infamous, Cu Chi Tunnels. This network of tunnels was home to around 10,000 people who lived underground for several years during the war. It has living rooms, kitchens, hospitals, weapon factories, storage facilities, and command centres.

At its largest, the tunnel system stretched over 250 kilometers from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. Today the remaining tunnels have been preserved, giving visitors a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the Vietnam/American war must have been like.

The next morning, we’ll depart for Hoi An via a flight to Danang and transfer to the nearby picturesque town of Hoi An. Hoi An is widely considered one of the most colorful and beautiful towns in Vietnam.

Largely spared of any major damage during the Vietnamese conflict, the old trading port of Hoi An is a UNESCO Heritage Site offering an amazing central old town with small, friendly streets dotted with an abundance of family-run shops, restaurants, and coffee shops.

Whether you want to stop for a nice, cheap Bia hơi (fresh beer) while watching the sun set over the river, or simply wander the quaint streets of this pretty town, Hoi An has it all within a short walking distance.

In the afternoon, we’ll set off on a vegan food tour.

On Day 4, we’ll enjoy a slow-paced bicycle tour through the countryside and rice paddy fields, ending up at the beach.

One of the biggest highlights of Hoi An is the many tailors found around every corner. If you love clothes or shoes and want something special or unique, Hoi An is the perfect place. Take a photo to show the tailors or pick an outfit from the brochures and have it ready the next day.

Hoi An is also known for offering some incredible local cooking classes. This afternoon we’ll visit the local markets and learn the secrets behind classic Vietnamese spring rolls or other local delicacies, before trying our hand at cooking wonderful Vietnamese vegan dishes ourselves.

The next morning we’ll transfer to Hue over the Hai Van Pass, with several scenic stops along the way, including Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co Bay, and Marble Mountain.

Upon arrival in the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a vegan food experience and a Buddhist tour.

On Day 6, we will fly to Hanoi. Hanoi offers a beguiling combination of tranquillity and chaos, from the elegance of its crumbling colonial architecture and tree-lined boulevards to the boisterous cacophony of street vendors and motorcycles.

Much can be absorbed of daily life by wandering the streets of the Old Quarter, exploring local markets, and people-watching. Culturally, Hanoi has so much to offer, with museums, temples, and tombs providing a rich and interesting insight into this wonderful city’s history and character.

In the afternoon, we’ll attend a performance at the water puppet theater.

The next day we’ll enjoy a full-day history tour of Hanoi. We begin at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, paying our respects to Vietnam’s famous leader.

Afterwards, we visit the peaceful Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, followed by a delicious vegan Vietnamese lunch featuring authentic local dishes.

In the afternoon, we explore West Lake and the historic Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of Hanoi’s oldest temples. Our final stop is the Ethnology Museum, where we learn about the cultures of Vietnam’s diverse ethnic groups.

This tour offers a wonderful mix of history, culture, and local cuisine, providing a great overview of Hanoi’s main attractions.

On Day 8, we leave behind the bustle of Hanoi and venture south into the wide, flat rice fields, flowing rivers, small local communities, and towering limestone karsts of Ninh Binh, a UNESCO-protected region with deep historical significance.

After a brief stop to leave our bags at tonight’s hotel, we begin our explorations at Hoa Lu, the former ancient capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and early Le dynasties (968–1009).

Walking through the Dinh and Le temples, the worn stone and lingering stillness make it impossible to ignore the centuries of history here.

Refueled after a local vegan lunch, we head to the back roads. To truly appreciate the scale and beauty of the landscape, we leave our vehicles behind and enjoy a gentle bicycle ride through the rice paddy fields, passing grazing buffalo and local homes set beneath the towering karsts.

Often referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land,” Tam Coc feels truly special. To make the most of our afternoon, we board small boats and glide along the Ngo Dong River, passing through limestone caves and vivid green rice fields made famous as a backdrop for the movie Kong: Skull Island.

While many visitors return to Hanoi, we stay overnight in Tam Coc, settling into our local hotel to enjoy the quiet and stillness of the valley as the day fades. Staying overnight offers a rare chance to see the village as the sun dips behind the karsts.

After time to unwind by the pool terrace, we take a short stroll into the village for a relaxed dinner at a local vegan restaurant, before an early night ahead of tomorrow’s journey to Ha Long Bay.