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Vietnam: History, People, Food - From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh
13
days
from
A$16,130
Book today with a deposit from
A$2,420
27th February 2027 - 11th March 2027
Tour highlights
- Two millennia of history, told through temples, palaces, museums and street food.
- Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from Ha Long Bay to Hoi An.
- Hue’s Imperial Citadel before opening hours; the Cu Chi tunnels with a veteran.
- Three nights each in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City; fine hotels throughout.
- Led by Dr Dana Healy of SOAS, who first visited Vietnam in 1983.
- Combine with Cambodia by River, 12–26 March 2027.
A thousand years enslaved by China/A hundred years trampled by France/Twenty years of civil war day by day’. Those lines by the songwriter Trinh Cong Son sum up what Vietnam has endured. It was a vassal of China from 111 BC until 938, and a French colony from the mid-19th century. It declared independence in 1945 and defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. It was then divided by the Cold War and not reunified until 1975, after the conflict known in the West as the Vietnam War and in Vietnam as the American War. Yet the country you find today is dynamic and forward-looking, and still anchored by its customs. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism coexist here in a tradition known as the Three Teachings from One Source. Alongside the majority Viet (Kinh) people, 54 officially recognised ethnic groups live within its borders.
The tour runs the length of the country, and the itinerary gives each place time and a particular way in. Hanoi, the capital since 1010, gets three nights: Confucian temples, colonial boulevards, and a morning spent exploring the Old Quarter through its food. At Ha Long Bay we sail on from the busiest port to Lan Ha Bay, which is just as spectacular and far less visited. In Hue, the Nguyen emperors’ capital from 1802, we enter the Imperial Citadel before dawn, ahead of the public. We also visit a princess’s former garden house with one of her descendants. Hoi An, a trading port shaped by Chinese and Japanese merchants, is largely closed to traffic, and three nights allow time to enjoy it on foot. Nearby, the Cham sanctuary of My Son sits in a forested valley. In Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, a speedboat up the river takes us to Ben Duoc, the more extensive and less crowded of the two Cu Chi tunnel sites. There, a veteran who fought in the tunnels gives a first-hand account.
Food is a thread throughout. There are street-food walks in Hanoi and Hoi An, a vegetarian lunch prepared by the nuns of a working pagoda, and an optional cooking class.The lecturer, Dr Dana Healy of SOAS, first went to Vietnam as a student in 1983. She has spent her career teaching and writing about its literature, cinema and culture.
Itinerary
The tour begins with lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, a cyclo (bicycle rickshaw) ride through the Old Quarter’s guild streets gives a gentle introduction to the city. The night of 26 February is included, so rooms are available from 3.00pm the day before (see Practicalities). First of three nights in Hanoi.
The National Museum of Vietnamese History traces the country from prehistory to the August Revolution of 1945. On Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword), the red Huc Bridge leads to the Temple of the Jade Mountain, and the Turtle Tower rises from its own islet. The Temple of Literature was founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, and in 1076 it became the site of Vietnam’s first university. We also see the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh’s House, from outside.
Eating on the street is central to Hanoi life, and this morning’s walk explores the Old Quarter through its food. Along the way we pass French colonial landmarks, including the cathedral and the Post Office. In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Ethnology, which has costumes, artefacts and full-size traditional houses representing all 54 of Vietnam’s ethnic groups.
We drive to Ha Long Bay (c. 3 hours), where nearly 2,000 limestone islands rise from the sea. The bay was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. We board our ship at Tuan Chau, the bay’s busiest port, then leave the crowds behind for Lan Ha Bay. Overnight on board.
We take a bamboo boat to a floating fishing village, where the houses are surprisingly spacious, and visit caves hung with stalactites. We disembark mid-morning, drive back to Hanoi and fly to Hue (Vietnam Airlines), arriving in time for dinner. First of two nights in Hue.
A dragon boat on the Perfume River takes us to Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady), founded in 1601. It is Hue’s best-preserved religious monument and still a working monastery. We then visit a private garden house, once the home of a princess, where one of her direct descendants shows us objects from the imperial court. In the afternoon we see several royal tombs, including that of Minh Mang, the second Nguyen emperor, renowned for its symmetry and grandeur.
We rise before dawn for a visit to the Imperial Citadel before it opens to the public. It was laid out according to geomantic principles after Hue became capital of a unified Vietnam in 1802. After breakfast at the hotel, we leave by coach for Hoi An in the late morning. On the way we stop at a working pagoda, where the nuns prepare a Buddhist vegetarian lunch. First of three nights in Hoi An.
In the morning we explore the old town on foot. It is largely closed to motor traffic, and its Chinese assembly halls, merchants’ houses and Japanese covered bridge record centuries of trade. The afternoon is free, or you can join an optional cooking class (details to follow).
The Cham civilisation ruled central Vietnam from the fourth to the 13th century. Its Hindu sanctuary at My Son, c. 40 km inland, has the most extensive temple remains to survive. Only about 20 of some 70 structures still stand, but the setting, in a valley ringed by mountains and streams, is beguiling. In the evening we explore Hoi An’s street food.1975. The War Remnants Museum presents the American War from the Vietnamese perspective; some of its exhibits are distressing.
The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang holds the world’s largest collection of Cham art. We fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam Airlines), arriving in the early afternoon. Later we visit [name] contemporary art space, housed in a restored French colonial building. First of three nights in Ho Chi Minh City.
Today’s walk covers the colonial-era Opera House and the Central Post Office (completed 1891). We also see Notre Dame Cathedral, built of red brick shipped from France. The Reunification Palace was the seat of South Vietnam’s government until April 1975. The War Remnants Museum presents the American War from the Vietnamese perspective; some of its exhibits are distressing.
A speedboat up the Saigon River takes us to Ben Duoc, the more extensive and less visited of the two Cu Chi sites. This vast network of tunnels was used by the Viet Cong during the war. Our guide here is a veteran who fought in the tunnels, offering a first-hand account few visitors hear.
The tour ends after breakfast.
If combining this tour with Cambodia by River, the night of 11th March is included in Ho Chi Minh City.
Expert speaker
Dr Dana Healy
Senior lecturer in Vietnamese studies at SOAS, University of London. Dana specializes in modern Vietnamese cultural studies, including literature, film, religion and gender. She studied Vietnamese Studies at Charles University in Prague, where she also completed her PhD. She first visited Vietnam as a student in 1983 and has been engaged in teaching and research relating to the country ever since. Her academic work embraces a broad spectrum of topics: she lectures on Vietnamese language, literature and culture and has published widely on modern and contemporary literature and cinema, literary representation of war, gender and the Vietnamese diaspora.
Practicalities
Two sharing: A$16,130. Single occupancy: A$19,660. International flights are not included.
Domestic flights (economy class) with Vietnam Airlines (Airbus 321): Hanoi to Hue, Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City; transport by air-conditioned coach; airport transfers to meet your chosen international flights; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 9 lunches and 8 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admissions; all tips; all taxes the services of the lecturer, tour manager and local guides.
It is possible to arrange additional nights at the hotels before or after the tour. The night of 26th February 2027 is included in the price of the tour to allow for early check-in on Day 1. Airport transfers are included in the price of the tour – we will ask for your flight details at a later date.
International flights from London to Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh City to London are not included in the price of the tour.
We will send recommended flight options from London with your booking confirmation, which will be available to book in March 2026.
Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi: a Hanoi institution and one of the finest hotels in Asia: 5-star luxury blending French and Vietnamese influences. Orchid Cruises, Ha Long Bay: a traditional wooden junk, not luxurious yet authentic and adequately comfortable. La Residence, Hue: 5-star riverside hotel in the former residence of the French Governor, exceptionally restored in an Art Deco style. Anantara Hoi An Resort, Hoi An: a peaceful 5-star resort on the banks of the Thu Bon river and a stone’s throw from the historic centre. Hotel des Arts, Ho Chi Minh City: 5-star boutique hotel in the city centre, modern but authentically Vietnamese. Single rooms are doubles for sole use throughout.
Visas are not required for UK citizens for stays of 15 days or fewer. Most other foreign nationals require a visa, which is not included in the tour price. We will advise on the process.
This tour involves a good deal of walking, often in town centres where coaches can’t go, and long periods of standing in museums and at sites. Expect uneven ground and irregular paving. To enjoy it fully, you will need to be fit, comfortable with everyday walking and stairs, and steady on your feet. Some coach journeys are long, and facilities along the way can be basic. The tour covers over 1,500 km from north to south, so the weather varies: it can be chilly in Hanoi and very hot in Ho Chi Minh City. Average distance by coach per day: 42 miles.
Between 10 and 23 participants.
Before booking, please refer to Smartraveller to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting. As a British company we follow the advice of the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Cambodia by River, 7–21 March 2026 & 12–26 March 2027
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
27th February - 11th March 2027
Speaker:
Dr Dana Healy
Price:
from A$16,130
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“Lecturer Dana’s knowledge of the country and language shone through and her lectures were appropriately pitched for a non academic group.
”
“Dana Healey's lectures informed us of the country's complex history and influences in a manner intelligible to all of us. Her willingness to be further grilled "after hours" was much appreciated.
”
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