Classic Vietnam Holiday

FLY TO SAIGON

Fly from Auckland to Sydney with Air New Zealand.

Connect with your flight from Sydney to Saigon with Vietnam Airlines.

As these flights are booked on one ticket, your baggage can usually be checked through all the way to Saigon, which makes the journey much easier and avoids the need to collect and re-check your bags in Sydney, unless airline staff advise otherwise on the day.

On arrival in Saigon, after clearing immigration and customs, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel by private car. The drive into the city is your first glimpse of Vietnam’s commercial capital, a city full of movement, energy and contrast, where colonial buildings, modern towers and endless streams of scooters all seem to exist side by side.

Once you’ve checked in, we’d suggest keeping your first evening easy and relaxed. If you feel like heading out, a gentle walk along Nguyen Hue Walking Street is a very good way to get your bearings and enjoy your first taste of the city. This broad pedestrian boulevard is one of Saigon’s most popular evening gathering places, with a lively atmosphere, attractive city lighting and plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby.

You could also continue for a short wander along Dong Khoi Street, one of the city’s best-known central avenues, lined with grand old buildings, shops and hotels. For dinner, choose somewhere simple and relaxed in District 1, then head back to your hotel for an early night after the journey.

SAIGON - MORNING CITY HIGHLIGHTS TOUR BY VINTAGE JEEP

This morning, discover the highlights of Saigon by vintage U.S. Army jeep, a wonderfully characterful way to see the city and a far more memorable experience than a standard car tour. Travelling in an open-sided jeep gives you a real sense of the energy of Saigon as you move between its grand colonial landmarks, wartime sites and busy local streets. It's a fun and easy introduction to the city, especially if you’d like to cover a good amount of ground without losing that feeling of being out in the middle of it all.

The tour brings together many of Saigon’s best-known sights in one well-paced morning. Stops include the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, the Central Post Office and the exterior of the Notre Dame Cathedral, along with the Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Street, Dong Khoi Street and the Opera House area. The mix works especially well because it combines history, architecture and everyday city atmosphere, giving you a broader feel for Saigon than you would get from visiting just one or two landmarks in isolation.

Part of the charm of this excursion is the jeep itself. Seeing Saigon this way makes the journey between the sights just as enjoyable as the stops, with the traffic, street scenes and changing neighbourhoods all becoming part of the experience. It feels lively, engaging and full of character, while your private guide helps bring the city’s past and present into much clearer focus.

This is a private excursion, with your own guide, driver and jeep throughout, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included for Districts 1, 3 and 4. Drinks on board, including beer and water, are also included, along with all taxes and entry fees to the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace. The excursion lasts around 3 to 4 hours, making it a very enjoyable and easy way to get to know Saigon.

MEKONG DELTA - FULL DAY TOUR

You’ll be collected from your hotel this morning and travel by private vehicle into the Mekong Delta, one of southern Vietnam’s most distinctive regions.

This full day excursion will take you beyond the city into a very different landscape of broad waterways, orchards, villages and river life, giving you a feel for the slower rhythm of the delta and the everyday traditions that still shape life here. The tour is private, which helps make the day more relaxed and flexible.

During the day, you’ll visit My Tho and Ben Tre, with time on the water as well as on land. The experience includes boat trips through the delta, visits to local producers such as a coconut candy workshop and bee farm, and a chance to see more of the region’s cottage industries and rural way of life. There is also a stop at Vinh Trang Temple, one of the best-known temples in the area, which adds a cultural element to the day alongside the river scenery and village visits.

A traditional Vietnamese lunch is included.

This is a great day if you’d like to see a greener, gentler side of southern Vietnam and balance your time in Saigon with something more rural and atmospheric. At the end of the excursion, you’ll return by road to Saigon and be dropped back at your hotel.

FLY TO DANANG – AFTERNOON SELF-GUIDED EXCURSION

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport.

Fly from Saigon to Danang with Vietnam Airlines.

On arrival in Danang, you'll be met and transferred by private car to your hotel in Hoi An. The drive usually takes around 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and is a straightforward and comfortable way to reach town.

Once you've checked in and had a little time to settle, spend the afternoon getting your bearings with an easy self-guided walk through Hoi An Ancient Town. This is a lovely way to start your stay and gives you the chance to explore at your own pace, without needing to pack too much into the first afternoon.

Begin by wandering through the old streets near the river, where you'll find rows of beautifully preserved merchant houses, mustard-yellow facades, shuttered windows and tiled roofs that have changed little over the years. Hoi An was once one of Asia's most important trading ports, and even a simple stroll here gives a real sense of its long history and gentle charm.

As you explore, make your way to the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of Hoi An's best-known landmarks. Built more than 400 years ago, it was originally designed to link the Japanese and Chinese communities living in the town. It's one of the most photographed spots in Hoi An, and it's worth pausing to take in the small details and atmosphere around it.

From here, continue on foot to one of the old Chinese Assembly Halls, known for their ornate gates, incense coils and richly decorated courtyards. These buildings offer a fascinating glimpse into the town's trading past and the traditions of the Chinese communities who settled here.

Allow time as well to browse some of Hoi An's small art galleries, handicraft shops and the lively local market, where you'll get a feel for everyday life beyond the heritage facades. Some of the quieter side lanes are often just as enjoyable as the main streets, so it's worth allowing yourself time to wander without too much of a plan.

You may like to finish your afternoon with a riverside coffee or an early dinner in the Ancient Town before returning to your hotel for the evening.

HOI AN - TRA QUE VILLAGE - WATER WHEEL COOKING CLASS

Nestled among the lush vegetable gardens of Tra Que Village just outside Hoi An, Tra Que Water Wheel Restaurant offers a genuine taste of rural Vietnam.

Surrounded by fields of aromatic herbs and crops, the restaurant blends a rustic, open-air setting with warm family hospitality, making it an inviting place to enjoy fresh, farm-to-table dishes.

Ingredients are grown in the surrounding organic gardens, so each meal celebrates the region’s traditions and seasonal flavours.

What makes Tra Que Water Wheel particularly memorable is its hands-on cooking classes, which give visitors the chance to step into the daily rhythm of the village.

Begin with a guided walk through the gardens, learning about local farming methods that have been passed down for generations.

You’ll then prepare Vietnamese favourites such as spring rolls, Banh Xeo pancakes, or fragrant noodle dishes under the guidance of friendly local chefs. The emphasis is on simple techniques, fresh produce, and learning through doing, so the experience is fun and accessible for all ages.

The cooking class at Tra Que Water Wheel offers a relaxed, authentic glimpse of Vietnamese food culture in a truly scenic setting.

HOI AN - MY SON SANCTUARY PRIVATE EARLY MORNING TOUR

This morning, set off early for My Son Sanctuary, one of Vietnam’s most fascinating historical sites and one of the most atmospheric excursions from Hoi An. Hidden in a lush valley surrounded by low green hills, My Son was once the spiritual heart of the Champa Kingdom, and even today the setting has a quiet, almost mysterious quality that makes it feel very different from anywhere else in central Vietnam.

Leaving early is a big part of the appeal. The morning light is softer, the site is cooler and quieter, and the whole experience feels more special before the heat of the day arrives. As you approach the sanctuary, the red-brick temple ruins begin to appear through the greenery, giving a first glimpse of a place that still feels deeply tied to the ancient world.

Travelling by private car from Hoi An, you’ll arrive with your own guide, who will help bring the site to life through the stories behind the towers, carvings and religious symbolism.

My Son is not just a collection of ruins. It is a place of real historical importance, shaped by centuries of Hindu influence, royal devotion and Champa artistry. Having your own guide makes the visit far more rewarding, as it helps turn weathered brickwork and scattered remains into something much more vivid and meaningful.

The sanctuary itself is easy to explore on foot, with paths linking the different temple groups through the valley floor. What makes it so memorable is the combination of history and atmosphere.

The old towers, the jungle-fringed setting and the quieter pace of an early visit all combine to make this a very evocative experience. It feels less like simply visiting a monument and more like stepping into a hidden piece of Vietnam’s distant past.

This is a wonderful half day excursion from Hoi An, especially if you enjoy ancient sites, older civilisations and places with a strong sense of place.

TRANSFER TO HUE

After breakfast, you'll be collected from your hotel and begin the journey north to Hue by private car with driver. Rather than travelling straight through, this is a lovely route to take slowly, with time to stop along the way and enjoy some of Central Vietnam's best coastal scenery.

Your first worthwhile stop is usually the Marble Mountains on the southern edge of Danang. This cluster of limestone hills is one of the region's best-known landmarks, with caves, pagodas and viewpoints tucked into the rock. If you'd like to stretch your legs after the drive from Hoi An, this is a good place to do it, although there are quite a few steps, so it suits travellers comfortable with a little walking. The site is open daily and is best visited earlier in the day before the heat builds.

From here, continue north and take the scenic road over the Hai Van Pass, one of Vietnam's most famous coastal drives. The road winds between mountain and sea, with sweeping views back towards Danang and along the coastline. On a clear day, this is one of the real highlights of the journey, and your driver can stop briefly at the top for photos and a chance to take in the setting.

After descending from the pass, pause around Lang Co and Lap An Lagoon, where the scenery changes again to broad water, fishing areas and mountain backdrops. This is a good place for a short break, a coffee, or an early lunch if you prefer to stop somewhere relaxed before continuing on to Hue. Lap An is particularly attractive for its still water and peaceful setting, and it makes a pleasant contrast to the more dramatic views from the pass.

From Lang Co, continue on to Hue and your hotel, arriving later in the day. The drive itself is not especially long, but with a few scenic stops it becomes far more enjoyable, turning a transfer day into part of the experience rather than simply a journey from one place to the next.

HUE - CITY TOUR - FULL DAY EXCURSION

Today you’ll discover the best of Hue with your own private guide and vehicle, making this a much more relaxed and rewarding way to explore Vietnam’s former imperial capital.

This full day excursion combines the city’s most important historical and cultural sights, taking you through the grandeur of the Nguyen Dynasty, the spirituality of the Perfume River, and the remarkable royal tombs that make Hue one of the most fascinating destinations in Vietnam. With private transport throughout, the day feels smooth and well paced, and having your own guide adds real depth to the experience.

Your day begins at the Imperial City, the vast walled citadel that was once the political and ceremonial heart of the Nguyen emperors. This is one of Vietnam’s great historical sites, and walking through its gates, courtyards and palace ruins gives a real sense of Hue’s imperial past.

The scale of the complex is impressive, but it is the stories behind it that bring it properly to life, from court rituals and royal power to the damage the city endured during later conflicts.

From here, continue to Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s most famous religious landmark. Set in an elegant position beside the river, this is one of those places that feels instantly recognisable and deeply tied to the identity of the city. The setting is peaceful, the architecture is graceful, and the whole visit offers a quieter, more reflective contrast to the grandeur of the citadel.

Later, head out into the countryside to visit two of Hue’s most impressive royal tombs. Minh Mang Tomb is beautifully balanced and serene, surrounded by gardens, pavilions and lakes that give it a refined, almost poetic atmosphere.

Khai Dinh Tomb is completely different, more dramatic and theatrical, with darkened stonework, elaborate stairways and a richly decorated interior that blends Vietnamese tradition with strong European influence. Seeing both in the same day gives a much richer sense of Hue’s royal heritage and the personalities of the emperors themselves.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant, and with your own private guide and vehicle throughout, the day feels easy, comfortable and far more immersive than trying to piece the sights together independently. It's an excellent way to experience Hue properly and one of the most rewarding days in the city.

HUE - NIGHT STREET FOOD SAFARI BY CYCLO

Today you can enjoy the day at leisure at Pilgrimage Village in Hue or explore Hue independently.

This evening, discover Hue through its food, its atmosphere and the simple charm of seeing the city by cyclo after dark. You’ll be collected from your hotel in Hue and set off at around 6:00pm for a relaxed evening exploring the city’s street-food scene in a way that feels both local and memorable.

Travelling by cyclo gives the whole experience a lovely sense of pace, allowing you to take in the evening streets, the changing lights and the character of Hue as you move between food stops. The excursion usually lasts around 3 to 4 hours.

Hue is one of Vietnam’s most interesting food cities, and this evening is all about getting to know its flavours properly. The experience focuses on local specialities and rustic dishes that are closely linked to the city’s identity, with time to enjoy both the food itself and the atmosphere around you. As you move through the city, you’ll have the chance to experience a more lively, everyday side of Hue that feels quite different from its imperial monuments by day.

Part of the route includes the Citadel area, which adds another layer of character to the evening and helps place the food experience within one of Hue’s most historic districts.

The combination of cyclo transport, night-time street scenes and a series of local food stops makes this an enjoyable and easy-going way to spend an evening in the city.

FLY TO HANOI - AFTERNOON SELF-GUIDED - EVENING PRIVATE STREET FOOD TOUR

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport.

Fly from Hue to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines.

On arrival in Hanoi, you'll be met and transferred to your hotel by private car.

You’ll have time to settle in and enjoy an easy first look at the city before heading out again this evening. A good way to spend the afternoon is with a gentle walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, which sits at the heart of the old city and offers a pleasant introduction to Hanoi’s rhythm and character.

From here, you might like to wander across to Ngoc Son Temple, browse some of the nearby streets at your own pace, or simply stop for a coffee overlooking the lake and watch the city go by. If you’d prefer to include a cultural highlight, an afternoon performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre can be a very enjoyable and distinctly Vietnamese experience, and it’s an easy addition if timings work well.

Keep the afternoon fairly relaxed, as Hanoi is best enjoyed at an unhurried pace, and this will leave you fresh for your food tour this evening.

This evening, you’ll be collected from your hotel and head into the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter for a private street food experience.

Exploring on foot with your guide, you’ll discover a side of the city that’s best experienced after dark, when the pavements fill with diners, the small local kitchens are at their busiest, and the atmosphere becomes one of the highlights of Hanoi itself.

Over the course of the evening, you’ll stop at a series of well-chosen local eateries and street-side favourites, trying a range of classic Hanoi dishes and snacks along the way.

Rather than a formal restaurant meal, this is a more relaxed and authentic way to eat in the city, with each stop offering a different flavour, setting and glimpse into everyday life.

Your guide will introduce the dishes, explain a little about the food culture of Hanoi, and lead you through the lanes and corners of the Old Quarter that many visitors would never find on their own.

This is a very enjoyable way to spend an evening in Hanoi and works particularly well near the beginning of your stay in Hanoi, as it gives you a better feel for the Old Quarter and helps you get your bearings for later exploring. It’s also an excellent introduction to the city’s food culture, which is one of the real pleasures of time in Hanoi.

HANOI - MORNING BACKSTREET JEEP TOUR - AFTERNOON TO NINH BINH

This morning, travel through Hanoi in a classic Army Jeep with an English-speaking guide and experienced driver, combining the city’s headline sights with the everyday corners most visitors miss. With hotel pick-up and drop-off in the Old Quarter, it’s an easy half-day option that still feels properly immersive.

You’ll typically begin with Hanoi’s most significant landmark area, the Ho Chi Minh Complex. Depending on opening times and queues, you may visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, then continue around Ba Dinh Square, the Presidential Palace area, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and the atmospheric One Pillar Pagoda. It’s a powerful introduction to modern Vietnamese history and the symbolism of Hanoi’s civic heart.

From here, shift gears to older Hanoi at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university. The courtyards, gates and stone stelae are a calm counterpoint to the city’s traffic, and your guide will help bring the stories and traditions to life.

A favourite stop is Hanoi Train Street, where the railway slices through a narrow residential lane. The timing depends on the day’s train schedule and local access rules, so this is always approached flexibly and with care. When it works, it’s one of Hanoi’s most memorable photo moments, but it’s also a place where you’ll want to follow your guide’s lead and keep safety front of mind.

The second half of the tour leans into “hidden gems”, riding through back lanes, local markets and neighbourhood streets where Hanoi’s daily life is on full display. It’s the sort of sightseeing you simply wouldn’t attempt alone, and the Jeep gives you a great vantage point for people-watching without feeling intrusive.

You’ll also loop around the lakeside roads by Truc Bach Lake and West Lake, stopping at Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi’s oldest Buddhist temple, for a breezy change of scenery and wide-open views. Finally, pause at a tucked-away café for a classic Hanoi egg coffee, served with water and a few light snacks, before returning to your hotel.

After your morning in Hanoi, your private car will collect you from your hotel at 1.30pm for the drive south to Ninh Binh. The journey takes around two hours, leaving the city on the expressway before the road opens out into the flat agricultural plains of the Red River Delta. By the time the landscape shifts to limestone outcrops rising from the paddies, you are close.

You'll arrive at Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh, set on the edge of the Van Long Nature Reserve, at around 3.30pm. Check in, drop your bags and take a few minutes to get your bearings - the resort is large and unhurried, with lotus ponds, frangipani and low-slung pavilions spread across 16 hectares of gardens.

Then head straight to Van Long. The pier is just a five-minute walk from the resort entrance, so leave your room by 4pm at the latest. Buy your ticket at the small booth by the water's edge, step into a traditional bamboo sampan, and let your rower take you out onto one of the quietest waterways in Ninh Binh.

Van Long Nature Reserve is a broad mosaic of wetlands, limestone cliffs and still water that sees a fraction of the visitor numbers at the busier Tam Coc or Trang An sites. There are no vendors on the water, no tour groups, and no background noise beyond the dip of oars and the occasional call of a bird from the reeds. The boat trip takes around 90 minutes, drifting beneath cliff faces reflected cleanly in the water and passing through a landscape of extraordinary stillness.

The late afternoon timing works in your favour. The limestone cliffs catch the softer low light beautifully, and this is when the critically endangered Delacour's langur - one of the world's rarest primates, found almost nowhere else - is most likely to appear on the rock faces above.

Around 120 of the estimated 200 remaining animals live in Van Long, so keep your eyes on the cliff edges. Herons, egrets and kingfishers are common throughout. Your rower will return you to the pier as the light fades.

Walk back to the resort for a freshening up before dinner at the Sen Restaurant, where the kitchen serves a wide spread of Vietnamese and regional dishes from the buffet. The resort's goat dishes are a local speciality worth trying - goat raised in the limestone hills around Ninh Binh is one of the area's most celebrated ingredients, and you'll see it on menus across the province. Settle in for an early night ahead of a full day exploring the area tomorrow.

NINH BINH — TRANG AN, HOA LU AND MUA CAVE

The limestone landscape of Ninh Binh is one of northern Vietnam's great surprises - a province of dramatic karst towers, slow rivers and ancient temples that most travellers underestimate until they arrive. Today covers its three finest experiences in a single well-paced day.

Your guide will collect you from the resort at 8.30am for the short drive to the Trang An Eco-tourism Complex, about ten km from the resort in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage landscape.

At the jetty you will board a traditional bamboo rowing boat with a local oarsman and set off along a series of interconnected waterways that wind through the karst. The Trang An boat trip takes around two hours and passes through six cave passages carved through the limestone over millions of years, each one opening into a new valley of still water, paddy fields and towering cliffs. Temples and shrines appear along the riverbanks between the caves - the complex has been a place of spiritual significance since the Dinh dynasty in the tenth century, and the landscape has barely changed in the centuries since.

What makes Trang An distinctly rewarding is the variety of what you see. Each cave is different in height, length and character, and the sections of open water between them give you time to take in the scenery and the silence. Rowers navigate using both oars and feet in the traditional style, leaving you free to simply watch the cliffs pass and the light change on the water. It's a genuinely peaceful experience, and one of the best boat trips in northern Vietnam.

Back on land, your guide will drive you to Hoa Lu, Vietnam's first imperial capital, established in 968 AD by King Dinh Tien Hoang among the limestone hills of the Red River Delta. The site is compact and atmospheric rather than grand: the sprawling citadel that once stood here has been almost entirely reclaimed by the landscape, but two beautifully preserved temples remain - the Dinh King Temple and the Le King Temple, both dating from the 17th century and set against a dramatic backdrop of forested karst.

Carved dragons, lacquered pillars and stone stelae fill the courtyards, and the setting, with cliffs rising on three sides, gives a vivid sense of why this valley was chosen as the seat of a dynasty.

Lunch is taken at a local restaurant before the afternoon's highlight: Mua Cave, also known as Lying Dragon Mountain, a short drive from Hoa Lu. The name refers to the cave at the base of the hill, but the reason most people come is the climb - around 500 stone steps cut into the hillside leading to the summit ridge, where a dragon statue marks the highest point.

The view from the top is the single best panorama in Ninh Binh. The entire Tam Coc valley spreads below: the Ngo Dong River threading through a patchwork of rice paddies, the limestone towers rising in every direction and the late afternoon light catching the water far below. On a clear day the scale of the landscape is quite extraordinary. Allow time at the top - it earns it.

Your guide will return you to the Emeralda Resort in the late afternoon, with time to rest before dinner.

LAN HA BAY CRUISE

After breakfast, you’ll be collected from your hotel in Ninh Binh by private car for the journey east to Tuan Chau Marina, the gateway to your Peony Cruise in Lan Ha Bay. The drive usually takes around 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

You'll check-in from around 11:30 at their lounge at No. 34, Tuan Chau Marina. 

On arrival at the marina, you’ll be welcomed by the cruise team and have a little time to freshen up before boarding. Once on board, settle into your cabin and enjoy your first views as the cruise begins to glide out through the limestone scenery of Ha Long Bay and into the quieter waters of Lan Ha Bay. Lunch is served on board as you cruise, which makes for a very relaxed start to the experience.

During the afternoon, the cruise heads towards the Tra Bau area of Lan Ha Bay. This is one of the highlights of the first day, with time to enjoy the bay more actively. Depending on conditions and the day’s programme, this usually includes kayaking and the chance to swim in the bay, or simply relax on board and take in the scenery from the sundeck or jacuzzi pool.

Later in the day, there is usually happy hour and a Vietnamese cooking demonstration, which adds to the feeling that the cruise itself is as much part of the experience as the landscape outside.

As evening falls, the boat anchors for the night in Lan Ha Bay and dinner is served on board. Afterwards, the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure. You may like to relax on deck, enjoy a quiet drink, or try squid fishing, which is sometimes offered in the evening depending on the season.

LAN HA BAY CRUISE - FLY TO HUE

Wake early if you’d like to make the most of the bay at its quietest. The second day usually begins with an optional Tai Chi session on the sundeck at sunrise, followed by a light breakfast as the boat starts to move again through the limestone scenery of Lan Ha Bay. It’s a peaceful start, and one of the nicest times to be out on deck before the day gets underway.

Later in the morning, you’ll head off for the main excursion of the day, which is normally a visit to Trung Trang Cave on Cat Ba Island. This gives the second day a different feel from the first, with a chance to get off the boat and explore one of the bay area’s natural highlights before returning on board.

After the excursion, brunch is served as the cruise makes its way back towards Tuan Chau Marina, and you’ll have time to enjoy the last views from the deck before disembarkation. Peony’s published 2 day, 1 night itinerary shows return to the marina around 11:30 to 12:00.

After disembarking, you will be transferred back to Hanoi where you'll have the rest of the day at leisure.

FLY TO SYDNEY

Today is intentionally left easy and unhurried, giving you time to enjoy a more relaxed final day in Hanoi before your late-night flight home.

As you have use of your room until 6:00 pm, there is no need to rush. You can enjoy a slow breakfast, take your time packing, and make the most of the hotel before the journey back to New Zealand. Your private car transfer to the airport will collect you at 8:30pm, which leaves plenty of time for a final afternoon and an early dinner in the city.

As you’ve already had a busy trip, today works best as a day of small pleasures rather than more sightseeing. A gentle walk around Hoan Kiem Lake is still one of the nicest ways to spend a little time in the city, especially if you would like one last feel for Hanoi’s rhythm without doing too much. From there, you could wander through part of the French Quarter or along Trang Tien and the quieter streets near the lake, stopping for a coffee or simply enjoying the atmosphere. It's a good area for an easy final afternoon because everything feels elegant, central and manageable on foot.

For the most relaxing part of the day, a spa treatment would be a lovely idea. Le Spa du Metropole at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is one of the city’s best-known luxury spa options, with a refined and peaceful setting that feels ideal for the final day of a longer journey. Otherwise there are plenty of local spa options.

For your final dinner in Hanoi, Le Beaulieu at the Sofitel Legend Metropole would make a very good choice if you’d like somewhere polished and memorable for the last night of the trip. A bit of a splurge but a nice way to finish off the trip.

After dinner, return to your hotel, collect your bags and prepare for your private transfer to the airport. It makes for a smooth and civilised end to the trip, with time to enjoy Hanoi one last time without overfilling the day.

You'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to the airport by private car for your onward flight.

Fly from Hanoi to Sydney with Vietnam Airlines to connect with your Air New Zealand flight back to Auckland.

ARRIVE AUCKLAND

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