Vietnam Differently — Between Traditions, Rice Fields & Emerald Waters

The adventure begins long before landing. Meet at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport for boarding your Qatar Airways flight to Hanoi, with a stopover in Doha. Onboard, let the excitement build gently — on the other side of the world, Vietnam is already preparing its welcome. Overnight flight, lulled by the anticipation of an unforgettable journey.

🌙 End of day — Overnight flight | Qatar Airways via Doha

Landing at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport. The warm, humid air of the capital welcomes you with all the intensity of Vietnam. Your French-speaking guide is there to take care of you, and the first glances exchanged with this bustling city already give you an idea of what awaits you. Transfer to your 5★ Heritage Ham Long hotel to settle into your luxurious suites. In the evening, a welcome dinner at a carefully selected restaurant — your first discovery of Vietnamese cuisine, delicate, fragrant, and infinitely surprising.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hanoi | Heritage Ham Long 5★ | Meal plan: Dinner

Hanoi doesn't reveal itself at first glance. It unfolds, layer by layer, like a well-kept secret.

The day begins with the Museum of Vietnamese Women, a fascinating journey into the history and role of women in Vietnamese society through the centuries. Then, head to the Van Mieu — Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university founded in 1070, whose paved courtyards and wooden pavilions exude a timeless scholarly serenity. Next is the Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, located on the edge of West Lake, whose reflections in the water at sunset offer one of the most poetic images of the capital.

The afternoon takes you street by street through the legendary Old Quarter of 36 Guilds, a true living labyrinth where each alley is specialized in an ancestral trade: crafts, Buddhism, gastronomy, well-being, traditional tube houses. A total immersion into the authentic soul of Hanoi. The day concludes by the Hoan Kiem Lake for an enchanting show of water puppetry — a thousand-year-old traditional Vietnamese art, whose magic works with every performance.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hanoi | Heritage Ham Long 5★ | Meal plan: Full board

This morning, Vietnam invites you to leave the cities and dive into its deep countryside.

Departure towards Hoa Lu, the ancient imperial capital of the Dinh and Le dynasties, where the temples of Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh stand majestically at the foot of the karst mountains. Lunch at a local restaurant — your first real experience of Ninh Binh's regional cuisine.

The afternoon offers one of the most authentic and touching experiences of this trip: "I am a farmer at sunset". Feeding buffaloes, swimming in the river, riding a buffalo through the terraced rice fields, traditional fishing with locals, transplanting rice, bathing under a waterfall, visiting the Buffalo Cave. The day ends with a Vietnamese cooking class followed by tasting the dishes you have prepared yourself. A moment of rare grace and human connection.

👕 Practical tip: bring a change of clothes, socks, a swimsuit, and sunscreen.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Ninh Binh | Ninh Binh Hidden Charm 4★ | Meal plan: Full board

Today, Vietnamese nature offers you its greatest spectacles.

After breakfast, departure for Hoa Lu — this grandiose site is nicknamed "the terrestrial Halong Bay" for its vertiginous karst landscapes that emerge from endless rice fields. At Tam Coc, a rowing boat awaits you for an unforgettable river journey through three natural caves that pierce the limestone mountains in an almost sacred silence — a spectacle that is both sublime and soothing, which you will find nowhere else.

In the afternoon, climb to the Hang Mua viewpoint — nearly 500 steps climbed with effort and rewarded with a 360° panoramic view of the vibrant green rice fields, the Ngo Dong River, and the surrounding karst formations: one of the most striking photos you will bring back from this trip. The day concludes with a mysterious visit to the Bich Dong Pagoda, a Buddhist sanctuary carved into the rock of the mountain itself.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Ninh Binh | Ninh Binh Hidden Charm 4★ | Meal plan: Full board

There are landscapes that seem unreal, as if imagined. Halong Bay is living proof.

Early morning departure through the green countryside of Ninh Binh, heading for the coast. Upon arrival at the port, board your 5-star private junk Indochine Premium Cruise to begin your cruise in the heart of this natural wonder, a double UNESCO World Heritage site. Some 1,969 karst islets emerge from the water like verdant stone cathedrals — a panorama of such immense beauty that it becomes almost unreal. Onboard, your Junior Suite awaits with a bay view, while meals of fresh seafood are served in the panoramic restaurant. Sailing, discovering hidden caves, kayaking among the cliffs, and watching the sunset over the bay — a night in the heart of one of the world's most beautiful bays.

🌙 End of day — Overnight on board | Indochine Premium Cruise 5★ | Junior Suite | Meal plan: Full board

The morning still belongs to Halong Bay. Panoramic breakfast onboard and last activities on the junk — tai chi on the upper deck at sunrise, swimming in the clear waters, or simply contemplating in silence this landscape that will remain etched in your memory forever.

Disembarkation mid-morning and return to Hanoi for the domestic flight with Qatar Airways to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam and guardian of the country's royal soul. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your guide, check into the 5★ Indochine Palace, and have dinner at a local restaurant that introduces you to the refined flavors of Hue cuisine, recognized as among the most sophisticated in all of Asia.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hue | Indochine Palace 5★ | Meal plan: Dinner

Hue is a city that speaks in a low voice. But what it says resonates for a long time.

The day begins with a visit to the majestic Imperial City of Hue — the royal fortress of the Nguyen Dynasty, whose ramparts, ceremonial pavilions, and secret gardens transport you directly to 19th-century Vietnam. Then, board a boat for a romantic excursion on the Perfume River, whose green banks and pagodas emerge from the morning mist like a painting. Visit the sublime Thien Mu Pagoda — "the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady" — a seven-story Buddhist tower, the eternal symbol of Hue.

In the afternoon, head to the village of Thuy Bieu for a deep immersion into the lives of the inhabitants: a bicycle ride through the alleys, a visit to the ancient worship house, discovery of incense making, a cooking class, vegetable planting, and a traditional foot massage in a herbal soak. The evening is reserved for one of the rarest gastronomic experiences in the world: the Com Vua Royal Dinner — an imperial banquet of the Nguyen Court, served with the solemnity and elegance of an ancestral ritual, in a setting worthy of the ancient royal palaces.

🍽️ "Com Vua" is a royal banquet that reflects the refined culinary art of the imperial court under the Nguyen Dynasty. Each dish is prepared with fresh and rare ingredients, presented with extreme elegance — a unique experience combining gastronomy and Hue culture.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hue | Indochine Palace 5★ | Meal plan: Full board

This day is a crossing — geographical and sensory.

After breakfast, visit the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, an architectural masterpiece blending Vietnamese and European influences, perched on the heights of Hue. Then, depart south along the coast, crossing the legendary Hai Van Pass — a mountain pass offering exceptional views of the bay and marking the border between former Annam and Cochinchina. Stop in Da Nang to visit the Son Tra Peninsula, also known as "Monkey Mountain", and the spectacular Linh Ung Pagoda with its 67-meter-high Goddess of Mercy statue, visible from the entire bay. Stop at DHC Marina for the famous Dragon-Carp Statue, an emblematic symbol of Da Nang on the Han River. Continue to Hoi An, a jewel city awaiting you for two nights of pure magic.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hoi An | Le Pavillon Hoi An Gallery 4★ | Meal plan: Full board

Hoi An is a city you don't just visit. You let yourself be enchanted by it.

The morning is dedicated to the village of Cam Thanh for a striking local life experience: navigating in traditional bamboo basket boats through the water coconut groves, hearing historical accounts from locals related to the Vietnam War, immersing yourself in aquatic nature and the serenity of a palm-lined landscape. A moment of rare authenticity, far from any standardized tourist circuit.

In the afternoon, dive into the Old Town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site: the 17th-century Japanese Covered Bridge, the yellow facades with Chinese influence, the Ancient House of Phung Hung, the lively market, and the Ancient Merchant Port where Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch merchants once mingled. If your stay coincides with the 1st or 15th day of the lunar calendar, the entire city lights up with thousands of multicolored lanterns in a magical atmosphere like no other. Free time in the evening to stroll at your own pace through these timeless alleys.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Hoi An | Le Pavillon Hoi An Gallery 4★ | Meal plan: Full board

This morning, Hoi An offers you a last free morning — take advantage of it for a final coffee by the river, a last souvenir from the silk workshops, or simply a last stroll through these alleys that have managed to stop in time.

Around noon, transfer to Da Nang Airport for a domestic flight to Saigon — Ho Chi Minh City, a metropolis of nine million inhabitants, the economic capital of Vietnam, and the most cosmopolitan, bustling, and energetic city in Southeast Asia. Upon arrival, check into the 5★ Mai House hotel in your Deluxe rooms, and enjoy a free evening to feel the pulse of this city that never sleeps.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Saigon | Mai House 5★ | Meal plan: Dinner

Today, Vietnam takes you to its secret garden.

Early morning departure from Saigon for Ben Tre, the living heart of the Mekong Delta — this network of canals, river branches, and rice fields that has nourished all of Vietnam for millennia. A boat trip allows you to glide between the mangroves and coconut trees, observe the rural life unfolding on the banks, visit artisanal workshops — ancestral brickworks, coconut processing workshops, local confectioneries — and taste the freshest local products you have ever tasted. A tuk-tuk excursion through the coconut groves, a visit to a traditional house, then a rowing boat ride on a shaded canal in absolute tranquility. Lunch at a local restaurant. Return to Saigon in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Saigon | Mai House 5★ | Meal plan: Full board

Saigon is a city that lives at a hundred miles an hour — and that irresistibly makes you want to follow its rhythm.

The day begins in the historic district of Cho Lon, the largest Chinatown in Southeast Asia, teeming with life, smells, and colors. Visit the Binh Tay Market, a true commercial labyrinth where spices, silks, handicrafts, and tropical fruits are piled high. Then, the Giac Lam Pagoda — one of the oldest in Saigon, whose architecture and decoration have remained intact since its construction in 1744, and the Thien Hau Temple, a Taoist sanctuary of striking beauty. Return to the city center for a visit to the FITO Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Museum, the Reunification Palace — a symbol of the country's reunification in 1975 — and the magnificent French colonial-style Central Post Office, an architectural masterpiece designed by Gustave Eiffel. Closing dinner to celebrate the end of this extraordinary journey together.

🌙 End of day — Overnight in Saigon | Mai House 5★ | Meal plan: Full board

The most beautiful journeys always leave a little of their light within you.

This morning, breakfast at the hotel and free time for your last-minute shopping or a final coffee facing the awakening city. Lunch, then transfer to Saigon Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your Qatar Airways flight to Casablanca via Doha. In the departure lounge, images flash by: the lanterns of Hoi An, the silence of Halong Bay, the green rice fields of Ninh Binh, the smile of the villagers of Ben Tre, the majesty of the Imperial City of Hue. Landing in Casablanca.

End of official program. But in reality, Vietnam will never quite leave you.

Yanis Travel thanks you for your trust and looks forward to your next adventure.

🌙 End of program — Return to Casablanca | Qatar Airways flight via Doha