Your Vietnam adventure begins in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital of over a thousand years. Since the rest of the trip is packed with organised activities, we’ve left your time here free to spend as you choose — whether that’s exploring historic sites, checking out the museums, or simply watching the locals practise chess and t’ai chi on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake. However you spend your day, we strongly recommend you leave the evening free to sample the street-food delights of the Old Quarter, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the locals as delicious snacks sizzle on food carts and aromatic steam billows out into the night sky.

Your adventure begins in earnest in Sapa as you head north from the capital on the sleeper train to Lao Cai, a remote mountain town on the Chinese border. From here a two-hour drive will take you off the beaten track and into minority country, where you’ll enjoy two days of trekking — passing through Red Dao and Xa Pho villages, valleys dotted with bamboo huts, and rice terraces backed by jungle. Your guide will introduce you to the locals, who’ll show you how they make rice paper, silver jewellery, and intricate embroidery. You’ll spend your nights at a boutique rural lodge, amid stunning mountain scenery, and have a full day free to relax and rest up for the next leg of your journey.

If you didn’t get enough of Hanoi before, now’s your chance, as you swing by for a night before flying south to Central Vietnam. Arriving in Phong Nha, you’ll soon see that the scenery couldn’t be more different from the far north, with jagged limestone karsts cloaked in thick, tropical jungle. You’ll spend the next two days on an exciting expedition into this landscape, hiking over mountains and descending into some of the most magnificent caves in the world. Forget floodlit, handrailed show caves: these are dark, wet, and infinitely more adventurous — requiring you to swim, scramble, climb and camp in the depths of the jungle. Prepare for an unforgettable, adrenaline-fuelled experience.

After a visit to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, where an entire village escaped American bombs by moving underground, arrive in Hue: the seat of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty. Though Hue lost a great deal of its heritage in the war, its Imperial Citadel and tombs remain as relics of the feudal era, and this is the best place in the country to get a sense of what life would have been like under imperial rule. Explore the citadel and tombs at your leisure as you enjoy a quieter day after your caving adventure, before jumping onboard a Vespa tonight for an evening food tour of Hue's regional specialities.

With your active streak almost at an end, it’s time to tackle the last challenge of the trip as you ascend the Hai Van Pass by bike, with its spectacular views over the rugged coastline of central Vietnam. From the top, it’s a thrilling cruise down to Lang Co Beach, where lunch and a swim awaits. Your final destination, Hoi An, is a 15th-century port town known for its picture-perfect riverfront strung with lanterns and lined with saffron-yellow merchant houses. We’ve left your schedule wide open here so you can explore to your heart’s content: get a tailor-made suit, relax on the beach or, if you haven’t had enough cycling, head out into the countryside by bike.