LONDON - Fly into and commence our tour in London

PARIS - Eurostar train London to Paris

BAYEUX - Normandy via the picturesque village of Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claud Monet.  Bayeux is a small town built around the magnificent Cathedral of Notre-Dame and is home to the 200-foot long world famous masterpiece the Bayeux Tapestry. The largest military landing in history took place in Normandy.  We will arrange a guided D-Day tour.

LOIRE VALLEY. We will base near Tours, the city with wonderful Renaissance and neo-classical mansions and leisurely explore the Loire Valley often called 'The Garden of France" with its vineyards, Renaissance gardens, museums, majestic châteaux, castles and charming villages.

TURENNE -Dordogne- Limousin. An appealing medieval village

BORDEUX - UNESCO World Heritage Site and internationally renowned wine capital.

HONDARRIBIA - Basque Province of Spain. Historic walled seaside town complete with cobbled streets.

BILBAO - Basque Province. The home of the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Fine Arts and the Arriaga Theatre.

SALLIES de BEARN. Overnight in the small village midway between the Basque coast and th Pyrenese

CARCASSONNE - UNESCO World Heritage Site and France's famous medieval walled city. Stroll the streets, eat cassoulet and visit the Basee Ville.

BONNIEUX -One of the finest villages in the Luberon region of provence, Peter Mayle country.

BRIANCON - the highest town in Europe. Walled and fortified built originally to repel the Austrians.

TURIN - The capital of the Piedmont region of northwest Italy is full of gracious Baroque avenues and squares, opulent palaces as well as new pedestrian-only areas and 18 kilometres of arcades that crisscross the city centre.  Magnificent Royal Residences and imposing church domes plus Museo Nazionale del Cinema introduces one to the fascinating world of film.

CHIAVARI - A seaside village and  perfect base to explore Portofino, the Italian Riviera or take a walking tour of the villages of Cinque Terra.

LUCCA - Tuscany. This beautiful old Tuscan town is protected by massively thick 16th century walls. Today one can walk (or bike) around the city on the wide shaded walkways atop the walls.  We will base in Lucca to explore surrounding Tuscan villages.  Pisa, Florence are within easy distance.

SIENA -  Built on three hills and surrounded by well preserved walls, Siena is filled with fine examples of Gothic architecture and has one of the world's most unique piazzas - Piazza del Campo which is shaped like a shell with scolloped edges. The historic centre of Siena has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

PIENZA - A small Tuscan town and a rare example of best planned Renaissance town building.  The town core is the Duomo which was built by the architect Rossellino in 1459

ROME - Be enchanted by the exuberance and friendliness of the locals, by the weight of the history and by the sheer beauty of the Eternal City.

Our tour finishes in Rome. Tour length 35 days

Cost - $11995 per person twin share in quality accommodation

Single Supplement - $1980

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THE ITINERARY - We will see many different facets of this stunning country that nature has blessed with bold landscapes, dramatic coastline and vivid colours.   We have carefully selected the hotels for total comfort and location and have deliberately allotted plenty of free time to allow you to explore the various attractions and destinations at your own pace and to satisfy your personal interests.  

The HISTORY of the country is compelling.   Vietnam’s people have weathered many wars and endured colonialism and communism.   The first thing that most people think of when Vietnam is mentioned is the Vietnam War (known locally as the American War). There is no hangover from the war as far as the people of Vietnam are concerned.   The war is now a part of the country’s past.   Of course, all over the country there are interesting war memorials and reminders of a war that only ended in 1975.

The CUISINE is second-to-none and is rightly considered to be one of the healthiest and tastiest cuisines worldwide.   Best of all it is inexpensive.   We are fortunate that our dollars go a long way in Vietnam.    We have arranged two fabulous cooking classes on tour.

THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE warmly welcome tourists of all nationalities.  

HO CHI MINH CITY (formally Saigon) - home to 6 million people, most of whom you will see as they buzz around town on their motorbikes.    In this city, life is lived in the fast lane. The many historic sites are centrally located and within walking distance of each other. The French influence is evident in the French Colonial built Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral.   Not to be missed the War Remnants Museum, the huge indoor Ben Thanh Market which sells everything you can imagine including food, try noodles at Phoo 2000, famed as the place Bill Clinton ate noodle!   An excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels is totally fascinating.

HOI AN - this charming well preserved UNESCO world Heritage City was once a trading port.   One can visit the main sights on foot as nothing is far away.   There is no shortage of excellent restaurants, particularly along the waterfront.  There a hundreds of tailor shops in Hoi An where you can have a garment made to order.   The beach is only a bicycle ride from Hoi An.

HUE - the ancient capital and home to the UNESCO recognized Citadel, the former home of the country’s Emperors.   Cycle to the Royal Tombs and take a cruise up the Perfume River.  On the way to Hue, we will see marble Mountain, China Beach and Elephant Springs.

HALONG BAY - another UNESCO World Heritage Site and without doubt Vietnam’s most spectacular natural wonder.   We overnight on a luxury junk, cruising between some of the 3000 tiny islands which form a dramatic limestone seascape.   The scenery just gets better and better.

HANOI - the capital of Vietnam.   Expect the weather to be cooler than in the south. The main attractions are found around the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex.   To get a real feel of this vibrant city and it’s people, rise early and watch the locals exercise by the Hoan Kiem Lake, then leisurely stroll the streets in the old quarter dodging motorbikes, cyclo drivers and woman carrying kilos of fresh fruit on their shoulder baskets, bicycles laden with everything you would expect to find in a hardware shop and much more.    Great places to eat at very low prices.

Our tour finishes in Hanoi.   Tour length 13 days.

Cost - $3295 per person twin share in top accommodation, including airfares.

Single Supplement - $556

Terms & conditions
Read full itinerary
How to make a reservation