Japan and Vietnam: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An in 13 Days

On arrival at Narita or Haneda airport, you are met and taken by private car to your hotel in central Tokyo. After check-in, take time to rest. In the early evening, walk around your neighborhood, perhaps to the lights of Shinjuku or a small izakaya for grilled skewers and a cold drink. Your guide will contact you to confirm the plan for your days in Japan and give you a transport card for the trains and subway.Overnight: Tokyo

Meet your guide and travel by subway to Asakusa for Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, reached through the Kaminarimon gate and the stalls of Nakamise Street. Continue to the Meiji Shrine in its forest, then walk through Harajuku and Omotesando. End the day at the Shibuya crossing and look down on it from one of the viewpoints above. Your guide will show you how to use Tokyo's trains with ease along the way.Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B

Send your main luggage ahead to Kyoto and take the train to Hakone. Visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum, then ride the ropeway over Owakudani, a steaming volcanic valley, and cruise across Lake Ashi, where Mount Fuji may appear above the hills on a clear day. Walk to the red torii of Hakone Shrine on the shore. Spend the evening at your ryokan, with hot-spring baths and a traditional kaiseki dinner.Overnight: Hakone · Meals: B, D

Take the Shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto, about two hours. Meet your Kyoto guide and visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, where thousands of red torii gates climb the slopes of Mount Inari. In the late afternoon, walk up the old lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka to Kiyomizu-dera, the hillside temple with a wooden stage over the city. In the evening, stroll through Gion, the old geisha district, along the Shirakawa canal.Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B

Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, reflected in its mirror pond, and the Zen rock garden of Ryoan-ji. In the afternoon, head west to Arashiyama to walk through the tall bamboo grove and visit Tenryu-ji, whose garden frames the hills behind it. Cross the Togetsukyo bridge and explore the riverside before returning to the city. In the evening, try the small restaurants along Pontocho alley.Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B

Take the train to Nara, Japan's first permanent capital. Walk through Nara Park, where deer roam freely, to Todai-ji and its giant bronze Buddha, and on to Kasuga Taisha with its hundreds of lanterns. In the afternoon, travel to Osaka, where your luggage awaits. Spend the evening in Dotonbori, the city's neon-lit food district, trying takoyaki and okonomiyaki, the dishes Osaka is famous for.Overnight: Osaka · Meals: B

Transfer to Kansai International Airport for your direct flight to Hanoi, about five and a half hours. Your Vietnamese guide and driver meet you at Noi Bai airport and take you to your hotel in the Old Quarter. In the evening, take a first walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and the red Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple, and sit down for a bowl of pho or bun cha at a local eatery.Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B

Visit Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum from outside, the simple stilt house where he lived and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070. After lunch, explore the Old Quarter on foot or by cyclo, its streets once each devoted to a single trade. In the evening, join your guide for a street food walk and, if you like, a water puppet show.Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B, L

Drive about two and a half hours to Halong Bay and board your cruise boat around midday. Lunch is served as you sail out among the limestone islands. In the afternoon, visit one of the bay's caves or paddle a kayak through a quiet lagoon, and swim from a small beach when the weather is warm. Watch the sunset from the deck, then enjoy dinner on board as the boat anchors for the night among the islands.Overnight: Halong Bay · Meals: B, L, D

Start the day with tai chi on deck in the morning light. After breakfast, the boat visits one more cave or bay area before returning to the harbor, with brunch on board. Your driver takes you to the airport for the flight to Da Nang, about 80 minutes. On arrival, you are driven 45 minutes to your hotel in Hoi An, on the riverside or close to the beach, for a quiet evening.Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B, L

Explore Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with your guide. Cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, built by Japanese merchants in the early 17th century, and visit Chinese assembly halls, old merchant houses and the central market. In the afternoon, rest or visit one of the town's tailors. As darkness falls, the streets fill with silk lanterns, and you can take a small boat on the Thu Bon River to float a candle lantern.Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B, L

Cycle on quiet paths through rice fields to Tra Que, a village where farmers grow herbs and vegetables in neat beds, and meet a family who works the land. Then visit the Cam Thanh water coconut forest and ride a round basket boat through its channels with a local boatman. Return to your hotel for a free afternoon at the pool or on An Bang beach, and a farewell dinner of your choice in town.Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a final breakfast and a free morning in Hoi An, depending on your flight. Your driver then takes you to Da Nang International Airport, about 45 minutes, for your journey home or onward. If you have more time, we can add the imperial city of Hue, a few days on the beach or a trip to the Mekong Delta in the south.Meals: B