12-day VIETNAM WAR LUXURY

Passengers are greeted at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and transferred to their hotel. After an orientation dinner, we start the tour in the heart of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, the blender of everything old and new. While walking amongst the French colonial buildings, we learn about the consequences of the Vietnam War through visiting the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, where South Vietnam surrendered in 1970. We will recall how thousands of U.S. personnel and South-Vietnamese families were evacuated during the fall of Saigon. On our next day, we get to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, a 125-mile underground network where the Viet Cong hid troops, laid traps, and launched surprise attacks—complete with hospitals, and living quarters, offering a striking glimpse of life beneath the surface. The next day, we travel to the Mekong Delta for a boat cruise, where vibrant markets, rice fields and smiling locals navigating the canal reveal the region’s rich culture.

After catching an early domestic flight to Hue, we explore the former imperial capital, following the Perfume River to visit Hue Citadel, and nearby wartime bunkers. During a battlefield tour of Hue, you will see what role the battle for the city played during the TET Offensive in 1968 and how it changed American public opinion regarding the war. We will then take a day trip from Hue to visit the old border area, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which divided the communist North and the Free South until the end of war. We walk part of the original Ho Chi Minh Trail and visit iconic heritage site of the American Khe Sanh Combat Base as well. The next morning, we take on one of the most scenic roads in Vietnam, the Hai Van Pass and pass by the famous China Beach in Da Nang, which provided rest and recreation for the American soldiers who were even surfing here during the war. We will spend a night at the ancient, lantern-lit UNESCO town of Hoi An where Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and French influences mingle, offering vibrant streets, riverside markets, and a living window into the country’s rich history.

We fly to one of the world’s oldest capitals, Hanoi, to experience all the North has to offer. We visit the Museum of Hoa Lo Prison — nicknamed “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs — for a sobering look at Vietnam’s wartime history, from French colonial executions to American POWs, including Senator John McCain. The Vietnam People’s Air Force Museum and the Vietnam Military History Museum provides a comprehensive view of Vietnam’s conflicts through aircraft, weapons, and extensive exhibits. We will drive by the mausoleum of Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. We also explore the city’s cultural heritage, from the elegant French Quarter to the bustling Old Quarter and iconic sites such as St. Joseph Cathedral and Train Street. Before our farewell dinner, we enjoy a full-day trip to Ha Long Bay, cruising among its towering limestone cliffs - one of Vietnam’s most breathtaking natural wonders. The following morning, passengers are transferred to Noi Bai International Airport for their return flights.