Sensational Vietnam and Laos (Luxury Gold - Summer 2017)
Overview
Highlights
- Hue: Join a private dinner fit for royalty! At the Ancient Hue Restaurant, dress in traditional royal costume and savour an unforgettable dinner of dishes typically served to royalty.
- Hue: Visit Dong Thuyen pagoda and dine on a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by the Buddhist nuns. Chat with them and learn about their beliefs and practices.
- Hoi An: Meet a local chef who will lead a hands-on cooking class, learn how to create some of the local specialities.
- Hanoi: Join a local foodie to experience the best of Hanoi's street-food vendors on a walking tour of some of the most interesting areas of the city. Try local tastes, such as rice paper rolls and com cake.
- Hanoi: Your Celebration Dinner will take place at the History Museum after it closes to the public, with a cocktail reception in the museum itself, before heading to the elegant courtyard to toast your newfound friends and enjoy dinner.
- Luang Prabang: Join your Travelling Concierge for a Welcome Reception with drinks and a light meal, along with the chance to meet your travelling companions.
- Luang Prabang: Enjoy a delicious dinner of local treats as well as an exclusive Q&A session with Mr Francis Engelmann - a UNESCO consultant who has worked at the Luang Prabang Conservation Authority. Mr Engelmann will answer your questions about Lao culture, history, customs and the natural environment.
- 13 Buffet Breakfasts (BB), 1 Continental Breakfast (CB), 5 Lunches (L), 1 Highlight Lunch (HL), 1 Dinner (D); plus 1 Welcome Dinner (WD), 3 Highlight Dinners (HD), 1 Dine-Around Evening (DA) and 1 Dinner (DW) all with wine, plus tea or coffee.
- Saigon: See the major landmarks of Saigon, as well as local side-streets and a presentation on Vietnamese coffee culture.
- Mekong Delta: Meet Mr Sau Tuong, a former soldier who survived 4 years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Hear his tale and see how he and his wife make their living making rice paper.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- Be escorted by the crème de la crème of Insight Travelling Concierges - handpicked for every departure. This skilled guide will act as consummate organiser and be your 'friend in a foreign land'.
- Enjoy the unique comfort of Insight's luxury air-conditioned 40-seat coach, with extended leg room and an on-board restroom. It's Business Class comfort, complete with complimentary bottled water for you to enjoy during your luxury coaching tour.
- A personal radio headset gives you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating insights and commentaries.
- At every hotel, you'll be treated to seamless baggage handling with prompt delivery to inside your door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. Plus, we include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- With Insight Flourishes, from time to time, your Tour Director will enchant you with local tidbits, each representing authentic food or beverages unique to the destination.
- Included airfares Saigon - Hue, Hoi An - Hanoi and Hanoi - Luang Prabang. Private airport transfers between the airport and your Insight tour hotels.
Popular Trips
Itinerary
Board your overnight flight (not included).
On arrival at the airport, you will be greeted and transferred to the hotel. At 19:00, join your Travelling Concierge for a cocktail reception with traditional dance performances at the Art Salon Saigon, followed by your Welcome Dinner, enjoy a sophisticated atmosphere with live music for a night to remember!(WD)
(Relaxed Start) Start the day sightseeing at high speed in our private chartered speedboat. See the changing faces of Vietnam from the glittering skyscrapers to the green paddy fields along the Saigon River. Your destination is the Cu Chi tunnels dug in 1948 for guerr...
Cruise the Mekong Delta to see coconut production and processing and enjoy a taste of the freshest juice possible. See locals creaking bricks as they have for centuries with their small brick kiln. Take a tri-motor cycle along the village roads and stop at a rice nood...
(Relaxed Start) In the morning, board your flight to Hue for an unforgettable journey. Enjoy a cyclo ride through the rice fields to Thanh Toan village to the agriculture museum for an insight into rice production. At night, enjoy the royal treatment at Ancient Hue Restaurant. Dress in traditional costume and savour an unforgettable dinner with typical dishes served to royalty.(BB / HD)
Rise early to visit the UNESCO Heritage Listed Imperial Citadel in a private session before it opens to the public. A renowned local historian will take you through the towering main gates to hear about the intrigue of the former royal court. After breakfast, visit th...
Enjoy a scenic drive to Hoi An over the spectacular Hai Van Mountain pass. During your walking tour of Hoi An, visit the old merchant's houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and Assembly Hall. Finally, visit the market with stalls brimming with local specialities. Enjoy...
(Relaxed Start) Visit Cam Thanh Village, once a shelter for local people and soldiers during the Vietnam War, and now a village supplying seafood, vegetables and rice to the area. Board a bamboo basket-boat to ride to the Thanh Dong village and learn from the villager...
Board a morning flight to Hanoi where in the afternoon you will enjoy an electric cart ride, seeing the Opera house, French Avenues, Sword Lake and the Jade Mountain temple. Then, join a local foodie for a taste of the street-food culture. On your guided walk, learn a...
Journey to Halong Bay to board your deluxe junk by lunchtime. Visit the mysterious Tien Ong Cave, and the Cua Van area. In the evening the choice is yours; participate in a cooking demonstration with the on-board chef, or relax on the top deck to watch the sunset.(BB / L / D)
Greet the day with Tai Chi on the upper deck or take an early morning swim in the Bay before returning to Hanoi. Stop at Dao Thuc village to meet a traditional artisan puppet maker and see a water puppet performance in a lotus pond. The art dates back to the 10th c with a live orchestra playing the accompanying music.(BB)
(Relaxed Start) Start the day with a visit to the Temple of Literature, where you will meet a renowned scholar to hear about this institution - the first University for the sons of mandarins. Learn about Hanoian culture and Vietnamese architecture before you tour the ...
Your tour comes to an end after breakfast with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Transfer to the airport for your included flight to Laos. On arrival you are transferred to your hotel where the afternoon is at leisure. In the evening enjoy a light meal with your fellow travelling companions and Travel Concierge.(BB / DW)
Start the day with a walk to the top of Mount Phousi to admire spectacular views across the Mekong and Khan rivers. Then, enjoy a UNESCO walk of the Heritage site, with plenty of time for you to see the sites as you want to. Your Travelling Concierge will take you thr...
For the early risers, this a real treat! Embrace the opportunity to offer alms to the hundreds of saffron-robed monks - a truly awe-inspiring sight! Afterwards, see the town come to life during a visit to the bustling morning market. Following breakfast, head to Kuang...
Your tour draws to a close after breakfast, with private airport transfers timed to meet your onward flight.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check current availability, prices, specials & more.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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As the global leader in premium tours, Insight Vacations delivers all the sights and insights of destinations up close and personal. Each tour is crafted in true comfort and style with premium 5 and 4 star hotels, small groups and customized coaches with extra leg room. The brand’s category leading dining options including the unique dine-around and dine-at-home experiences means that guests enjoy a culinary journey through the places they visit. An extensive Vegetarian option across all tour series further compliments the elevated dining offering. With a Make Travel Matter Experience®, that creates a positive impact for both the visitor and visited, plus also supports the United Nations sustainable Development Goals, included on each and every trip, Insight Vacations leads the way in immersive responsible travel.
Insight Vacations is part of the family-owned and run The Travel Corporation (TTC), driven by service for over one hundred years.
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