These are 10-day trips, perfect for those who by choice or by necessity, can only afford a short time out.  Generally one week bracketed by 2 weekends, our QuickEscapes provide the nimble and rejuvenating getaway.  And because they are our condensed itineraries especially designed to show you the best of each region, they can also be taken as extensions to other longer trips.  Either way, our Quick Escapes are specially designed to provide you with a unique glimpse of your chosen area of the world under our attentive care.   

Outline Itinerary

Day 1: DEPART USA

Day 2: ARRIVE HANOI

Day 3: TO HALONG BAY - Drive through the Red River Delta to the phenomenally beautiful and picturesque Halong Bay, “where the dragon descends into the sea” (the literal translation of “Halong”). Here you will board a traditional wooden junk and cruise among the countless small islands and islets that dot the Bay, including a visit to Sung Sot Cave. You spend the remainder of the day and overnight onboard the boat.

Day 4: HALONG BAY & TO HANOI - After cruising Halong Bay, disembark your vessel and drive back to Hanoi. Visit the hilltop Tay Phuong pagoda en route to Hanoi. This evening you can enjoy a traditional Vietnamese water puppet performance.

Day 5: EXPLORING HANOI & TO HUE - Hanoi still retains much of its French-colonial feel and influence, so feel free to brush up on your French, as many of the city’s residents still speak the language. In Hanoi, you can see the Van Mieu Pagoda, dedicated to Confucius and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. You can also explore Hanoi’s old town, dating back to the 13th Century. This area is full of great shops and boutiques, where the streets are still named after the old guilds that inhabited them. This evening, transfer to the airport for your flight to the lovely old imperial city of Hue, one time capital of the Viet and Nguyen dynasties.

Day 6: EXPLORING HUE & TO HOI AN - Set on the banks of the Perfume River, Hue is still renowned as the intellectual center of Vietnam, and has maintained its imperial and colonial ambience to this day. Take a cruise on the Perfume River to explore the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Imperial Tombs. After lunch, make the drive down the Vietnamese coast to Danang, visiting the Marble Mountain and Cham Museum, before reaching the scenic World Heritage Site of Hoi An.

Day 7: EXLORING HOI AN – Hoi An was a major trading port in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Walk through the preserved ancient houses and shops displaying a wide range of items and crafts. In the afternoon you can explore the pottery, boat building and carpentry villages or attend a lantern making class.

Day 8: TO HO CHI MINH CITY – This morning make the return drive to Danang, where you will board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). This afternoon explore this city, formerly known as the “Pearl of the Orient” under its previous French-colonial guise. Sights in HCMC include the Reunification Palace, where culminating events in the Vietnam War took place, as well as the Chinatown area with its bustling marketplace. You can also see the Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest in Saigon.

Day 9: THE MEKONG DELTA – Drive through the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City and the rich farmlands of the Mekong Delta. On arrival, board a wooden boat to explore the Delta, where you can see the local cottage industries and sample some fabulous Vietnamese cuisine. Afternoon return to Ho Chi Minh City, where the evening will be at your leisure.

Day 10: ARRIVE USA

Call us toll free at 1-800 MY INDIA (1-800-694-6342) or email us to request a detailed day-to-day itinerary.