Enjoy the drive to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and the views of the beautiful scenery of the Red River Delta and its farming activities. Stop for photos at Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam and a cultural symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism. Start your walking tour at the important Ba Dinh Square, dominated by the impressive marble and granite Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Pass the former French Governor's residence and the tranquil lotus ponds at the entrance to Ho Chi Minh's Cottage. You’ll find the rebuilt One Pillar Pagoda, its origins shrouded in legend. Drive to the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucianism. Enjoy walking through the tranquil five walled courtyards and see the pavilion where "men of letters" once recited their poetry. Local delicacies are served for lunch at a local restaurant.

Visit Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the "Hanoi Hilton". You’ll see where John McCain and Douglas B. Peterson, ex-Ambassador to Vietnam, were imprisoned. Drive to Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can see the Ngoc Son Pagoda perched on a tiny island in the middle of the lake and learn about the legend from which its nickname originated. Your walk also takes you to the ancient quarter, or 36 Street District. The streets here are named after the tradesmen that worked in them such as Tin Street, Paper Street and Silk Street.

Visit a Dao community in the mountainous Binh Lieu district, where you will mingle with the residents, whose ancestors immigrated from China beginning in the 12th century. Life here is largely agricultural, and the Daos have terraced the landscape over the centuries to grow rice. After pausing for photos at an expanse of terraced rice paddies, you will visit a highland village and begin your immersion into the Dao’s way of life. You will stop in homes and stores to discuss the rural lifestyle and perhaps visit a nursery school. Daos in this area typically raise buffaloes, cows and pigs, which you may have the opportunity to feed. In addition to rice, corn is commonly grown and you will sample wine made from it. You will see many of the crops grown here in an open market, along with spices. The Daos are one of 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam, and this experience will present a typical day in their lives.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Spend the day in a Dao community in the mountainous highlands of Vietnam.
• See how the Daos have transformed the landscape to grow rice in terraced paddies.
• Mingle with the Daos in their homes, markets and around the village.
• Enjoy the opportunity to feed the community’s pigs and sample corn wine.

Cruise serene Halong Bay on a traditional junk until landing on Cat Ba Island, where you will hike through a national park and plant a tree. So visually spectacular that it has been deemed a World Heritage Site, the bay contains nearly 2,000 islands that rise precipitously out of the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The largest island is Cat Ba, another World Heritage site with spectacularly dramatic natural features, including rugged limestone hills and narrow valleys blanketed with vegetation. The park’s bio-diversity is extraordinary, especially with regard to plants, many of which have medical uses. Even though the land is protected, more than a million people visit annually and affect the environment. You can do your part to reverse some of the damage by joining a forest clean-up. Afterwards, you will plant a tree in an area with minimal foot traffic so it can thrive for years to come. Following lunch at a local restaurant you will return to the ship via local ferry and coach.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise on a traditional junk through Halong Bay, an island-dotted World Heritage site.
• Walk through the forested national park on Cat Ba island, another World Heritage site.
• Help protect the natural environment by participating in a light forest clean-up.
• Leave your mark in a positive way by planting a tree in the national park.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Join a hands-on culinary workshop and learn to create some of Vietnam’s most traditional dishes, which you will savor for lunch. The setting for this immersion into Vietnamese cuisine will be a lovely garden house in Hanoi, where everything you need for class is provided. The chef will show you step-by-step how to make each dish from scratch using only the freshest seasonal ingredients. The recipes will be ones handed down through the generations. The chef will also regale you with entertaining stories about the origins of the dishes and the unique qualities of the ingredients. The highlight will be dining on the concoctions that you have created in class. A cup of coffee typically follows meals in Vietnam as you will discover during a coffee-making demonstration in Hanoi’s atmospheric Old Quarter. The coffee will likely be made from low-acidic Robusta beans, which contain significantly more caffeine than Arabica beans.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Make several iconic Vietnamese dishes in a hands-on cooking class.
• Learn about the origins of the ingredients and the dishes from the chef.
• Savor the dishes that you have created for lunch.
• Watch a coffee-making demonstration and enjoy a cup of bold Vietnamese coffee.
• Admire the gorgeous countryside during the 2.5-hour drive to and from Hanoi.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Behold some of Hanoi’s most revealing landmarks as a prelude to a calligraphy class, a tea ceremony and a traditional Vietnamese lunch. After a leisurely and spectacularly scenic drive through the countryside, you will arrive at O Quan Chuong, the 18th-century east gate into the Old Quarter. While walking through this wonderfully atmospheric district, you will pause to admire icons such as the Cantonese Assembly Hall – once a gathering place for Chinese immigrants – and the former residence of the Governor of Tonkin, a grand French colonial building. A lunch of classic Vietnamese dishes follows after which you will sit in on an enlightening tea ceremony. You will see firsthand how the tea is infused and discover how this ritual differs from other tea ceremonies. Vietnamese calligraphy also features its own characteristics, which you will learn during the hands-on class as you practice this expressive art form with a traditional fine-tipped brush.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See landmark buildings in Hanoi that reflect its French and Chinese influences.
• Enjoy a ritual Vietnamese tea ceremony and a traditional lunch.
• Try your hand at the ancient art of Vietnamese-style calligraphy.
• Admire the gorgeous countryside during the 2.5-hour drive to and from Hanoi.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Hanoi, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie expert guide will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Selfie sticks and photo frames are also available. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you travel through Hanoi, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:

• One Pillar Pagoda
• Temple of Literature
• Thang Long Imperial Citadel
• Hanoi Opera House
• Hoan Kiem Lake

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies during free time at the most photogenic attractions in Hanoi.
• Follow tips from your selfie expert guide to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Enjoy an enlightening walking tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
• Dine on traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

Travel off the beaten path and discover what lies beyond the urban areas of this destination. Meditate in the serene setting of a Buddhist monastery.

Embark on a scenic drive that takes you into the lush green countryside, passing small villages that are surrounded by bamboo fences and limestone walls, rice fields and water buffaloes.

Visit a monastery dedicated to Zen Buddhism and learn the history of Vietnamese Buddhist Zen. After fighting a fierce war with Kublai Khan's troops in the 13th century, King Tran Nhan Tong gave up his throne to become a Buddhist monk, establishing a sect of Buddhism in this area. During your visit, the monks will show you how to meditate and restore your energy through using Zen techniques.

You'll enjoy a walk through the streets of a small village observing a real Vietnamese community, its homes, village temples and market. Visit the home and garden of a local farmer where you’ll learn about life on the farm, growing crops are how the various farm animals are raised. You’ll be offered tea and seasonal products to taste.

Journey to the Royal Park Theater for a water puppetry performance devised more than a thousand years ago by villagers to celebrate the end of rice harvests, mark religious festivals and entertain the royal court. Water puppetry has evolved over the centuries from folk art to a more established art form. An important part of Vietnam's cultural heritage, this theatric form not found anywhere in the world but Vietnam, has a traditional link to the earth, water and the local rice farmers.

The puppets range from 12 to 40 inches in height and from two to ten pounds. Many of the puppets are so heavy and complex that they require two or three puppeteers. During the performance, the puppeteers hide themselves behind a long screen and manipulate the wooden puppets with bamboo rods and strings while standing chest-deep in water. The show depicts Vietnamese life like weddings, domestic animals and school examinations accompanies by the music of bamboo flutes, drums, bells and single-string violins.

Witness the breathtaking scenery from the decks of an iron boat. Gliding through the gin-clear waters of the bay, absorb one of the most magnificent natural splendors of the Far East. Arriving to the pier in Ha long city, begin your fascinating cruise through Ha Long Bay, one of the world's outstanding natural wonders, resembling a geographic work of art with thousands of limestone islets soaring dramatically from the clear emerald waters. This densely concentrated zone of kharst islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See tiny islands dotted with rock arches, sheer cliffs, innumerable white sand beaches and peaceful coves. Like sculpted cartoon characters, these limestone islands have fanciful names: Heavenly Gate, Tortoise Rock, Man Head Rock, The Isle of Wonders, Tea Pot Rock and Devil's Face. A stop is made at impressive Thien Cung Cave, with a chance to climb up. Continue to enjoy this relaxing cruise through the stunning landscape.