Begin your family exploration on the streets of Vietnam's lively capital; Hanoi.

On arrival into Hanoi you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the next couple of nights. The remainder of the day is at leisure before venturing out to explore the capital on day two.

Step into the home of Mr. Liem, a passionate seventh-generation puppet maker and performer for a private performance in his small theatre and a hands on lesson joining in with the puppeteers to learn the basic techniques of using bamboo rods to move puppets through the water. Then return to the workshop and paint your very own puppet. Using a range of typical bright colours to create a one-of-a-kind puppet, all the while learning more about this local art form.

Enjoy lunch at KOTO, a local NGO training restaurant before exploring the lively streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter and 11th Century Temples of Literature.

Overnight: The Lapis Hotel

From bustling streets to quaint villages, journey through the picturesque countryside to Ky Son.

On the morning of day three, leave the lights of Hanoi behind as you travel past rice paddies and rural villages to Ky Son. Upon arrival, you will have a little time at leisure to explore the beautiful homestay and surrounding bucolic landscape before rolling up your sleeves in the spacious, bright kitchen for a cooking class, learning the secrets of sumptuous Vietnamese food, sitting down afterwards to eat the fruits of your labour.

After lunch relax, take a leisurely bicycle ride or casual walk to discover Ky Son village and surrounding farming communities, stopping at a family home for a cup of tea and chat with local people about their daily life and farming. You will also have the opportunity to help with ploughing, making rice beds, transplanting seedlings or harvesting rice, cassava, corn, or sweet potatoes depending on the harvest season. Also collect tea and medicinal herbs from the gardens to use back at the home stay.

Return to the home for some local tisane (herbal tea) and enjoy a traditional steam bath with the fragrant herbs gathered before dinner.

With an optional early wakeup call on day four, join with your hosts in Yijinjing exercises and traditional Vietnamese worship customs honouring ancestors with morning rituals.

After breakfast, drive or cycle 6km to Duong Lam Ancient village to explore this incredibly beautiful corner of Vietnam and have lunch in an authentic local house. Continue on to the Mia Pagoda and explore small hamlets as you slowly wind your way back to Ky Son.

In the late afternoon, you will have some free time to enjoy the stunning natural surroundings, relax in a garden hammock, take pictures in traditional Vietnamese garb, or fish until dinner.

Overnight: Moon Garden Homestay

Continue through the Vietnamese countryside to the stunning Mai Chau Valley.

After a leisurely breakfast on day five, transfer southwards through dramatic countryside scenery to the picturesque Mai Chau Valley, surrounded by spectacular karst rock formations and rice paddies. On arrival at your hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure to soak up the beautiful surrounding landscapes and relax by the pool.

On day six enjoy a full morning leisure cycle through some of the ethnic villages in the region, past rice paddies and karst mountains, before enjoying the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Sol Bungalows

Travelling through beautiful rice paddies and dramatic mountain scenery arrive at Ninh Binh; “Halong Bay on land”

After an early breakfast on day seven, prepare for one of the most scenic drives in Vietnam as you head eastwards via Cuc Phuong National Park to Ninh Binh.

Cuc Phuong National Park was the first national park of Vietnam and is one of the few remaining tropical rain forests left in the country. Hundreds of species of animals and plants can be found here, and the park is also home to the Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Centre which homes species like the Delacour's Languor, Golden-headed Languor, Tonkin Snub-nosed Languor and Black Crested Gibbon.

Visit the park, take a short trek and tour around the interesting Visitors Centre which will introduce you to some of the area's valuable natural resources and its unique environment before taking a simple, local style Vietnamese lunch. Continue to Ninh Binh arriving mid-afternoon.

Following breakfast on day eight, depart for Van Long Nature Reserve where you will hop into a boat to explore the area. Covering an area of nearly 3,000 hectares, Van Long is the largest wetland nature reserve in the North of Vietnam and a 1.5 hour boat trip by traditional sampan is the perfect way to discover the area. Van Long's fauna includes 39 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Some of these species have been classified as globally endangered animals such as the white-breeched languor which can be seen occasionally early morning or late afternoon.

After the boat trip, hop on to two wheels cycling through a spectacular scenery of rice fields, karst formations and quaint rural villages. A choice of routes is available and your guide will discuss the options with you on the day.

Late morning head to the nearby Tam Coc Town for lunch before joining your guide for an in-depth exploration of the ruins of Vietnam's first capital. Learn about the Dinh (968-980) and Le (980-1009) Dynasties and about the history of the site, visiting ancient tombs and the ruins of the once-imposing Citadel.

To end the day (if feeling fit!), there is an option to climb into the limestone karst hills. The half-hour walk is rewarded with spectacular views over Hoa Lu and its surroundings.

Overnight: The Emeralda Hotel

Travel onwards to the Vietnamese coast for an overnight cruise around Halong Bay.

Depart early on day nine for the four hour transfer to Halong Bay. On arrival at the pier you will board your overnight cruise and enjoy lunch as the boat sets sail into the bay. In the afternoon, explore Lom Bo area and stop for a visit of one of the most beautiful caves in the bay where you can climb to the summit for incredible panoramic views of the area.

There is also the option to take a kayak out to explore further before sunset drinks and dinner on board. End the evening with your fellow passengers casting the line out squid fishing as the boat sets anchor for the night amongst the karst formations.

Overnight: La Fairy Sails

Fly to the ancient capital of Vietnam; Hue.

Wake up to spectacular views on day ten with the option to join in with a Tai Chi class early in the morning before enjoying breakfast and visiting Titov Island for a chance to swim in the ba. After packing up your luggage you will cruise back to the port and after saying farewell you will disembark and travel back to Hanoi for the short flight down to Hue.

The morning of day 11 is free with the option of taking a hands on kite making workshop before embarking on a fascinating tour of ancient Hue in the afternoon. Begin with a visit to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. After exploring the ruins of this wonderful monument, hop onto a cyclo to enjoy a ride through the ‘Old City' to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax. End the afternoon visiting the beautiful 17th Century Thien Mu Pagoda before transferring back to your hotel.

Overnight: Pilgrimage Village

End your adventure learning traditional farming techniques and getting creative with local artisans in the historic port town of Hoi An.

After a leisurely breakfast on day 12, you will be taken to the train station for a fun and scenic 2.5 hour train journey over the Ha Van Pass to Danang. Here you will be met and transferred the short distance to Hoi where you will enjoy the afternoon at leisure by the beach or getting the chance to wander Hoi An's ancient streets independently.

On day 13 you will take a fun and friendly full day out amongst the rice fields and into the heart of Hoi An's old town. Begin with a short and scenic bicycle ride into the rural countryside, pedalling along quiet laneways passing by water buffaloes lazing in the fields. Arriving at a farm you will meet with a local farming family in their typical rural house where you will receive an introduction to the different steps of rice cultivation by your hosts or the day. Then, in order to get a deeper understanding of the process, don traditional farming clothes and head into the fields! Join local farmers in the rice paddies, learning how to plough and sow the fields, pulling up the rice seedlings and transplanting them to larger fields. Depending on the season, the activities may vary slightly but, as growing rice is a year-round process, there is always something to do. During the time in the fields, chat with the friendly farmers to discover more about Vietnam's fascinating rice cultivation.

Once the rice is grown, it must then be cooked! Return to the house and learn how to cook rice in the traditional way. Your hosts will teach you how to prepare tasty local pancakes and having worked up an appetite in the fields, a home cooked lunch is served before returning to Hoi An early this afternoon.

The day's fun doesn't end here. Arriving into Hoi An, pay a visit to the Lifestart Foundation in the heart of the old town. Meet with Mr. Sinh Trong, an enthusiastic local artist who, although disabled, has been given an opportunity to work as a teacher thanks to Lifestart. Here you will enjoy a hands-on craft course, making a painted card using the traditional techniques taught by Mr. Sinh.

Continue this rewarding arts adventure with a short hop across the scenic Hoi An River to a lantern-making workshop. Joining with members of the Lifestart team, learn how the foundation is working to improve the lives of disadvantaged people and under the artisan's guidance, create a personalised, handmade lantern – a lasting memory of the afternoon's insightful visit.

After nearly two weeks filled with fun, interactive and hands on activities, day 14 is completely at your leisure to relax by the pool, on one of Hoi An's beautiful beaches or further explore the old town independently before transferring to the airport for your flight home.

Overnight: Boutique Hoi An Resort