Our Vietnam holidays begin with two days in Hanoi.

When you arrive at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport, one of our staff will be waiting to greet you and whisk you off to relax in your hotel. A 'Welcome' dinner at a good restaurant in a colonial building awaits you, and in the evening, you'll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry. Your guide will arrive in the morning to show you the sights of Hanoi - the Van Mieu Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son temple, and Hanoi's Old Quarter.

How you get around is up to you. You can be driven, walk, ride in a cyclo, or sightsee from the back of a motorbike. The list is ranked in order of adrenalin output.

Twenty-four hours on Ha Long Bay and another night in Hanoi:

It's about a three-hour drive to Ha Long Bay, but a comfortable car and a guide to explain the rural life of the Red River Delta makes the time fly past. Your "floating hotel" will be a traditional-style wooden junk or the Emeraude, a luxury replica of the paddle steamers that once plied the Bay during in colonial times. A junk will to take you the islands and caves with time for swimming, fishing, taking spectacular pictures, or venturing into some of the sea level grottoes in a small sampan, all weather permitting, of course.

The Emeraude is a classic cruise boat that pauses only for a couple of hours to swim or visit a cave - the rest of the time is spent gently meandering through the Bay's remarkable seascape. Both serve Ha Long's famous seafood plucked fresh from the Bay - it's a revelation!

Two nights in HueThis is Emperor Khai Dinh's tomb:

After your noon flight to Hue, a car and our guide will be waiting to drive you to the Imperial City of Hue. The Citadel, Dong Ba market, the Royal Tombs and the unique "garden houses" are just some of its attractions. You'll have dinner in one of the garden houses on your second evening. The owner will be cook, waiter and interpreter of the distinctive characteristics of classic Hue cuisine.

Two nights in Hoi An then off to Ho Chi Minh City:

You'll enjoy the road journey to Danang. On the way you'll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van - the splendid views of Lang Co beach, village and lagoon, and later on, Da Nang itself, makes the extra distance worthwhile - better than driving through the shorter, but boring, Hai Van Tunnel. Your programme includes visits to Danang's Cham Museum, the Ancient Town of Hoi An and the mysterious My Son Sanctuary.

The Jade Emperor presides over one of the best temples in Vietnam Four nights in Ho Chi Minh City and one on the Mekong Delta An afternoon flight takes you to bustling Ho Chi Minh City, and from there to your hotel in the heart of the city in the midst of the shops and nightlife.

You'll tour some of the main attractions - the History Museum, the Museum of War Remnants, Ben Thanh market, the Jade Emperor Temple, and a workshop making high quality lacquerware furniture and articles. The drive to the Mekong involves battling with Ho Chi Minh City's notorious traffic jams, but your nerves should be soothed by peaceful Vinh Long. There, you'll cruise the Mekong River to visit the Cai Be floating market, fruit orchards, traditional family-run brick kilns, and wide range of varied cottage industries. A workshop making the huge coffins unique to the Mekong is particularly interesting. You"ll spend that night in Can Tho, the "capital" of the Mekong.

Back in Ho Chi Minh City, a morning drive will take you to Tay Ninh in time to watch the mid-day ceremony at the Cao Dai Holy See followed by a visit to the famous Cu Chi tunnels.

Time to leave!

You'll end your tour with a free day until your car arrives to take you to Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport.