Vietnam Central Highlights

Xin chao and welcome to Vietnam!
Upon arrival at Danang International Airport, your Topas guide will welcome you and you'll transfer directly to your hotel in Hoi An.

Distance and activities: 45’ drive

8:00am Our local guide will greet you at your hotel and you'll set off to explore the local area by bicycle. First on the itinerary is Cam Thanh, where you can take a ride in a circular basket boat and experience the expert rowing skills of the locals. You'll learn about the daily life of Vietnamese fishermen, their families, and their communities. You can also join some local fisherman on the river to see how they cast their nets and even try your hand at making a catch.

10:00am Leaving Cam Thanh behind, you'll pass through picturesque rice fields and enjoy the cool fresh breeze of the countryside. Your guide will explain the rice cultivation process used by the local farmers. Continuing, you'll reach Tra Que vegetable village. Here your guide will introduce the history of the village and the riparian ecosystem the local people use. You'll have the chance to roll up your sleeves and help the local farmers with some farm work, such as laying seaweed to fertilize the land, dig the soil, construct beds for planting, transplanting vegetables and watering the crops. Afterwards, you can relax with a footbath made from herbs grown in the gardens.
Once refreshed, it will be time to head to the kitchen and learn how to make a Hoi An specialty, Banh Xeo a crispy Vietnamese pancake stuffed with herbs, prawns and pork, before tucking into a well-earned lunch. After lunch, you can rest in the shade and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village.

2:00pm In the afternoon you'll cycle to a nearby mask making workshop. Here you'll be given a brief introduction to the history of mask making, including the symbolism of the shapes and colors used as well as the creation process. The guide will explain how the color of the face depicts the background or personality of a character and their age is shown by the thickness of lines around the eyes. You'll have a chance to let your creative juices flow; painting your own unique design on a mask or following one of the traditional designs.

After the workshop, you'll cycle back to your hotel and spend the evening at your leisure, exploring the old town or simply taking time to relax.

Distance and activities: 5-hour cycling tour, basket boat ride

Hoi An is undoubtedly one of Vietnam’s most charming towns, with its pretty, narrow streets of faded yellow buildings adorned with lanterns swaying in the breeze and pink bougainvillea tumbling over the balconies. Enjoy spending the day at your leisure, perhaps cafe hopping, souvenir shopping or heading to one of the many tailors for a made to measure outfit. We suggest popping by the Reaching Out Teahouse, a lovely old-fashioned teahouse providing work for the hard of hearing and serving delicious tea and homemade treats.

12:30pm You'll have the morning to relax before being picked up at your hotel in Hoi An and taken to Danang train station. The train ride to Hue is incredibly scenic, and you'll be treated to panoramic views as the train winds its way along the coastline, passing through charming villages and verdant rice paddies. Along the route, you'll catch glimpses of historic landmarks and enjoy splendid natural scenery, including the Hai Van Pass.

Train: SE2 – 1:51pm 4:22pm – soft seats

Upon arrival in Hue, you'll check-in to your hotel and have the remainder of the day free to spend at your leisure.

Distance: 2.5-hour day train

Hue is a fascinating, multifaceted city, where visitors can gain a real sense of the country's imperial past. On this jam-packed full day tour, we'll dive into the past feudality of Vietnam, cycle through ancient villages where descendants of the former Mandarins live and sample the refined imperial cuisine in recipes passed down through generations.

8:30am Your guide will meet you at your hotel to begin a full day of exploring Hue's many captivating historical sites. First stop will be the Hue citadel, which provides an excellent introduction to Vietnam’s imperial history, the Mandarin culture and the country's former feudal system. We'll then enjoy a slow-paced visit to the Thien Mu pagoda, one of the most iconic religious buildings in Vietnam. Built in the early 1600’s, the seven-story pagoda is widely regarded as a symbol of Hue and features in various Vietnamese folk rhymes and literature.
Next, we'll cross the Perfume River on a small boat to reach Thuy Bieu village where we'll stop for lunch at a local house. The village is a maze of narrow alleys that lead to beautiful ancient houses with lush tropical gardens. The real treasure of Thuy Bieu village is its people, descendants of the Mandarins. We'll take a gentle stroll around the village, stopping to meet some of the villagers and taste locally grown fruits along the way.

On our way back to the city center, we'll visit emperor Tu Duc’s tomb and climb a small hill to gain a scenic view over the Perfume River. Back at your hotel, the remainder of the day will be free for you to spend relaxing or exploring more of Hue.

Distance and activities: 1.5h boat ride; 4h sightseeing tour

Bid farewell to the enchanting city of Hue as you are transferred to the airport for your departure flight. End of services.