About the tour: Vietnam War

Fly to Hanoi.

Arrive in Hanoi, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, we visit private war remnants museum and enjoy a talk with veteran Nguyen Manh Hiep. Having taken great pains to visit old battlefields and scrap stores during the last quarter of a century, veteran Nguyen Manh Hiep has collected about 1,000 wartime memorabilia and pictures, which he displays at his private museum. The museum showcases wartime souvenirs and is a familiar destination for many people, especially veterans from the Tri Thien military zone.

A full day to explore Hanoi’s illustrious history. In the morning, we visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to explore the Military Operation Bunker (General Command Headquarter) and the D67 bunker – also called the Central Military Commission Bunker inside the Hanoi Citadel. In the afternoon, visit the 'Hanoi Hilton', nick name of the Hanoi prison where American pilots were kept during the war. Continue driving to sites related to the December 1972 B-52 bombing of Hanoi: the Kham Thien Street and the B-52 Memorial Lake, stop by the Downed Aircraft Memorial commemorating McCain’s shoot-down and capture.

• Included meals: Breakfast

Transfer to Noi Bai airport for our flight to Dien Bien Phu where the last First Indochina battle happened in 1954. Upon arrival at Dien Bien Phu airport, which was in the centre of the Dien Bien Phu Headquarter, you will be transferred to your hotel. Afternoon visit to the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum where photographs, war documents, weaponry and other items are displayed. Continue to the Dien Bien Phu war cemetery and the French soldier war memorial before exploring the local central market (time permitting).

• Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Drive to Muong Phang to visit the headquarter of Dien Bien Phu campaign. Explore the tunnel network, the bunker system where General Vo Nguyen Giap, his comrades and his Chinese advisors used during the campaign. Explore the watch tower on Pu Ca hill where you have a panoramic view of the Muong Thanh valley including the Dien Bien City and hills where former bases of the French army located. Return to Dien Bien City to visit the bunker of the French commander Colonel Christian de Castries before returning to our hotel.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We start our morning with a visit to the former French fortified hills where fierce fighting happened, such as Him Lam hill (Beatrice), Doc Lap hill (Gabrielle) and A1 hill (Eliane 2), before our return flight to Hanoi.

• Included meals: Breakfast

We travel through green rice paddy fields to Ha Long Bay where we board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy lunch while cruising. Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising out of the sea. (Please note, today's itinerary is subject to change without prior notice by the cruise operator).

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf. Transfer to Hanoi with a stop by Pha Lai Bridge.

• Included meals: Breakfast

Early morning, transfer to Hanoi airport for the flight to Dong Hoi. In Dong Hoi we visit Khe Gat Air Strip, Eight Ladies Cave, Ho Chi Minh trails, and Paradise Cave.

• Included meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, we drive to Hue visiting some significant war sites around the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Our first stop is the fascinating Vinh Moc Tunnels which villagers constructed to escape from frequent bombings. Continue to the Hien Luong Bridge which, for many years ,served as a symbol of the divided nation. Proceed to the Dakrong Bridge which was on the former Ho Chi Minh trail before visiting the former US Marine Base at Khe Sanh. Our next stop is Citadel, which changed hands several times, before seeing the Highway of Terror. We continue to Hue and to our hotel.

• Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we take a boat cruise on the peaceful Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, then visit the Imperial Citadel. In the 1968 TET offensive, Hue was considered as the bloodiest battle place. Continue to Vong Canh Hill before driving to Hoi An via the Red Beach 2 (where the US marines official landed, beginning America’s military role in Vietnam, crossing the line from advice and assist to warfare), My Khe Beach (known as China Beach for GI’S R&R). Arrive in Hoi An and our hotel. The remainder of the day is free.

• Included meals: Breakfast

Drive south towards the former Chu Lai air base with stops at the Nui Thanh battle memorial. Continue to visit the site of My Lai massacre before driving back to Hoi An where highlights include an ancient merchant house, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the vibrant riverside market. Afterwards, enjoy free time to further explore the old town.

• Included meals: Breakfast

We take the early morning flight from Danang to Saigon. Arrive in Saigon and drive to Cu Chi, where we will walk through the jungle area in Ben Duoc, known as 'the Mushroom' to US soldiers. Here we will have a chance to learn how Cu Chi guerilla fighters survived and resisted during the Indochina and Vietnam War. Try some of the tubers and tea that many tunnel-dwellers lived on After the tour, we transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City, making stops en route to view rice paddies and rubber plantations to learn about some of the agricultural products of Vietnam. We return to our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City with a chance to visit Reunification Palace.

• Included meals: Breakfast

Depart for the Mekong Delta. We start our visit with the major Battle site of Ap Bac which happened on 3 January, 1963, during the Vietnam war. We arrive in My Tho, once famous for the U.S. Brown Water Navy in the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a boat cruise along the river and take a short walk to a handicraft workshop where products are made from coconut trees. Experience an exciting ride to visit a local house where you will enjoy tea and taste home grown fruits. Board a sampan and drift along the narrow, tree-lined canals for further exploration of the Mekong Delta. After lunch, we visit the Secret Ammunitions Bunker and War Museum, and, time permitting, we visit the Dong Tam Snake Farm which was the main 9th infantry Division base camp.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for your overnight flight to the U.K.

• Included meals: Breakfast

Arrival in the U.K.