Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Vietnam – Laos – Hanoi – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh – Bai Tu Long Bay – Luang Prabang
100% customisable for you
The countdown is over, the bags are packed and the passports are at the ready – today's the day you’re off to Vietnam. Head to the airport, breeze through security and settle into the lounge for some fizz and nibbles before boarding.
Your first flight will take you to a hub in Asia, where you’ll have a short stopover before your second overnight flight to Hanoi. All in all, the journey will take around 17 hours, so queue up the films and try to catch some Z’s before you arrive the next day.
When you touch down in the capital, you’ll be whisked away to your hotel in the heart of the city, your base for the next three nights.
Feeling peckish after the journey? Follow the irresistible aromas to the nearest street food market and dive chopstick-first into Vietnam’s legendary culinary scene. Then, head back to your hotel for an early night – tomorrow promises plenty more excitement.
Rise and shine early this morning to beat the jet lag, then do as the locals do and set off on a sunrise saunter to Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can join a rejuvenating tai chi session.
Inner zen officially found, meet your private guide for a tour of the historic centre, where weaving scooters zip through colonial streets lined with sizzling street food stalls and incense-swirled pagodas.
Escape the chaos with another stop at Hoan Kiem Lake, ambling around the ornate Ngoc Son Temple, perched on a small island in its centre. Fancy a pick-me-up? Round off the tour at a local café where a barista will whip you up a traditional Vietnamese egg coffee. Wonderfully rich and crowned with a custard-like foam, it’ll have you heading back to your hotel with a spring in your step.
If all that exploring’s worked up a hefty appetite, we can arrange a Vietnamese cooking class, where you’ll rustle up a feast before tucking right in.
This morning, meet your private guide for another day of discoveries.
First up is the Temple of Literature, a serene sanctuary that once served as Vietnam’s first national university. After exploring its peaceful courtyards, continue to the One Pillar Pagoda and watch as worshippers adorn the temple grounds with offerings of fruit and flowers.
Feeling hungry? You’re in for a treat this evening. With your guide leading the way, follow the neon lights and the clamour of pots and pans into the Old Quarter’s buzzing street food scene. Hop from stall to stall, where cooks splash oil into searing-hot woks, chop ingredients at lightning speed and fill the air with irresistible aromas.
After polishing off a bia hoi (beer), sink your teeth into classics like banh cuon (steamed rice rolls) and bun cha (grilled pork with noodles), before ending the evening on a sweet note with che (a traditional coconut dessert).
Bid a warm farewell to the capital this morning and meet your local driver for the four-hour drive to Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Strap in, tune into our destination-specific playlist and let the singalong commence...
When you arrive, check into your charming guesthouse, your home away from home for the next two nights. Spend the next couple of days exploring Pu Luong’s rolling rice paddies and sleepy villages with a private guide, keeping your eyes peeled for water buffalo and traditional conical hats bobbing among lush crops.
Fancy some R&R? Slow things down with an afternoon by the pool, immersing yourself in a good book and soaking up the glorious Vietnamese sunshine.
End each day with a delicious home-cooked meal, then turn all eyes to the skies. With barely any light pollution here, the night sky puts on quite the show – who’ll be the first to spot Orion’s Belt?
Another day, another adventure. This morning, it’s onwards to Ninh Binh, with a local driver taking care of the three-hour drive east. Along the way, pass through Tam Coc, affectionately known as Ha Long Bay on Land, where towering limestone karsts rise above rolling rice fields.
When you arrive in the ancient city of Hoa Lu, a home-cooked lunch awaits (lucky you). After you’ve refuelled, hop on two wheels for a bicycle ride through the Van Long Nature Reserve, then board a traditional sampan boat and drift along its shimmering waterways, where birds skim the surface and fishermen cast their lines into the still waters.
Arrive in Ninh Binh this evening and check into your hotel for the night. After a jam-packed day, bypass any dinner deliberations with a restaurant recommendation from our Concierge – pho (aromatic noodle soup), anyone?
Meet your private driver and hit the road once again this morning for the four-hour journey to Hon Gai Port. From here, it’s all aboard a traditional wooden junk boat for a cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay. Often overshadowed by its famous neighbour, Ha Long Bay, this UNESCO-listed seascape is every bit as dazzling, with thousands of jungle-cloaked islets rising from emerald waters (and a far smaller flotilla of tourist boats on the horizon).
Find a sunny spot on deck and soak up the seafaring way of life, gliding between rocky outcrops, peeking into mysterious sea caves and passing fishing boats chugging across the water. As evening falls, enjoy dinner on board, clinking glasses of rice wine as the setting sun casts the bay in a golden glow. Cheers to that.
A day on the water is bound to lull you to sleep, so retreat to your cosy cabin for an early night.
Sunrise, sparkling views and a sea breeze – not a bad way to start the day. Head up to the deck and dig into some breakfast as you set sail back towards Hon Gai Port.
From here, grab your last Vietnamese coffee fix before you’re whisked away on the four-hour drive to Hanoi Airport. For your final unofficial challenge in Vietnam, spend the journey playing ‘spot the most improbably overloaded motorbike’ and prepare to question the laws of physics...
Later, arrive at the airport and board the one-hour flight to Luang Prabang, Laos.
When you touch down, you’ll be privately transferred to your hotel in the heart of the historic centre, your home away from home for the next three nights.
As dusk falls over the city’s gilded temples, make a beeline for a local restaurant and discover the fiery flavours of Laotian cuisine.
The best way to explore dreamy Luang Pabang? By bicycle, of course. With your private guide leading the way, pedal along the banks of the Mekong River, passing saffron-robed monks making their way to the temple for their morning worship.
As you cycle, stop to step inside the National Museum, housed within the former Royal Palace, for a glimpse into Laos’ regal past. Then, continue your tour with a trio of Luang Prabang’s most intricate temples: Wat Visoun, Wat Aham and the mosaic-embellished Wat Xien Thong.
Finally, embark on the climb to Mount Phou Si, passing Buddhist shrines on your way to the summit. Here, sweeping views across the city and river make every puff and pant worthwhile.
After all that oohing and aahing, it’s time to turn your attention to dinner. Head somewhere local and slurp on a steaming bowl of lao khao soi, a fragrant noodle soup, elevated by a generous squeeze of lime.
Early alarm clocks are much easier when there’s a morning of magic ahead. At sunrise, witness the Tak Bat ceremony, a sacred daily ritual, during which barefoot monks collect offerings from kneeling locals in a silent procession.
If you’d like to take part, you’re welcome to offer fruits or flowers to the monks. Prefer to simply observe? Watch as Laotians place freshly prepared sticky rice into the alms bowls – an enduring tradition of generosity and devotion.
After some breakfast at your hotel, head to Wat Xieng Thong pier, where you’ll take to the Mekong aboard a traditional boat. Pull in at a local temple and embark on a guided hike to Xieng Mene Village, passing banana plantations and peaceful monasteries along the way.
For your last night, leave dinner plans in the hands of your Concierge, who’ll know just the spot for a celebratory final meal.
Time flies when you’re having fun and, sadly, your adventure across Vietnam and Laos has come to an end.
This morning, you’ll be privately transferred to Luang Prabang Airport for the one-hour flight to Hanoi. From here, board your overnight flight back home, arriving the next day.
All in all, you’ll spend around 17 hours in the air: plenty of time to flick through your photos, relive the highlights and start dreaming up your next big escape...
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire now
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire now
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
