OFFER Signature

Signature Vietnam In Fabric & Folklore

Overview

From scholarly halls to mountain hearths, Vietnam speaks through craft, ritual, and lived knowledge

Explore the story of Vietnam on a journey shaped by private invitations, personal stories, and genuine insight. Led by your handpicked Signature Guide, travel from Hanoi’s historic heart into high mountain communities, where artisans, distillers, and hosts share knowledge rarely opened to outsiders. Walk ancient courtyards after hours, forage forest botanicals, trace textile languages, and gather around family hearths.

Venture to the very heart of each destination on our Signature Collection, where every journey is shaped by our unrivalled local connections and insider expertise. Step beyond the ordinary with private invitations, rare encounters, and experiences few will ever share. So when someone says, “I’ve been there,” you’ll simply smile, knowing you’ve experienced it differently.

Signature Experiences:

Unlock Vietnam’s first university after hours, exploring the Temple of Literature with a leading historian
Forage wild botanicals with Vietnam’s craft gin pioneer, learning H’Mong fermentation and distillation inside a mountain home
Join Lu female artisans to practise indigo dyeing and hand-spinning, sustaining ancestral textile traditions in Lao Chai

Signature Day: Experience our distinctive Signature Day, choosing between optional activities such as a cooking immersion, H’Mong textile workshop or a mountain hike on the Sky Road.

Signature Stay: Unwind at Topas Ecolodge with private stone bungalows overlooking terraced mountain valleys, part of this trip’s refined accommodation portfolio

Signature Guide: Let your handpicked Signature Guide lead you to the country’s soul — sharing their home, heritage, and heart

Key Information

Activity: Culture
Activity Level: Easy & Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Comfort Level: Premium
Trip Code: LVA
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Vietnam
Carbon Footprint: 101.2kg CO2e per person per day

Signature Exclusive Inclusions

Elegant, hand-picked hotels and a Signature Stay in Topas Ecolodge, a refined mountain retreat focused on sustainability
All breakfasts, four lunches, and five dinners, featuring restaurants that capture the authentic cuisine of Vietnam
Your preferred Signature Day experience, selected and prebooked ahead of travel
Named Signature Guide with outstanding knowledge and guest satisfaction
Complimentary transfers on arrival and departure, plus comfortable transport throughout
Gratuities for local support staff so every detail of your journey feels effortless

Positive Impact

We donate to our Foundation and rewild 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller. Find out more about how our adventures support nature and people to thrive.

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Signature Experiences

Signature Vietnam | In Fabric & Folklore

Unlock Vietnam’s first university after hours, exploring the Temple of Literature with a leading historian

Forage wild botanicals with Vietnam’s craft gin pioneer, learning H’Mong fermentation and distillation inside a mountain home

Join Lu female artisans to practise indigo dyeing and hand-spinning, sustaining ancestral textile traditions in Lao Chai

Signature Travel Expert

Thanh Vu

Signature Guide: Vietnam

Destinations

Vietnam

Thanh was born and raised in the rural outskirts of Hanoi, where an early fascination with geography and history sparked a lasting curiosity for the landscapes and heritage of Vietnam.

Itinerary

First Destination: Hanoi
Next Destination: Hanoi

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Dinner

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:Topas Ecolodge Premium
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Topas Ecolodge Premium
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Garrya Mù Cang Chải
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Garrya Mù Cang Chải
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Hanoi
Next Destination: Hanoi

Our journey begins in Hanoi, where tradition shapes daily life. Complimentary arrival transfers ensure a seamless arrival as you settle into your hotel overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake.

Those arriving early can join an optional excursion, stepping into a private Old Quarter townhouse to meet a descendant of Nguyen Mai Hanh, guardian of Hanoi’s silk flower tradition. In a hands-on session, learn how simple fabric is transformed into lifelike blooms, shaping and colouring your own silk petals to create a keepsake that carries this fading craft forward (available to prebook on request).

As evening falls, gather for our welcome reception at Hanoi’s Michelin-recognised Vien Dining, where innovative chefs reinterpret Vietnam’s rich culinary heritage through a refined tasting experience showcasing the country’s finest seasonal ingredients.

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Dinner

Begin on foot through the Old Quarter as morning life unfolds along historic guild streets. Pause for local snacks before stepping into the calm of a lesser-known temple courtyard.

After free time for lunch, we walk to Giang Café for a private egg coffee masterclass hosted by the founder’s descendants in the establishment in which it was created, revealing the origins of this iconic drink.

This evening, dine at KOTO, a pioneering social enterprise, where meals are prepared by at-risk youths. Each dish directly supports their education, turning a culinary experience into a direct catalyst for social change.

Signature Experience: Unlock the gates of Vietnam’s first university, the Temple of Literature. In this after-hours visit, we walk the courtyards with leading historian, Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc, whose scholarly insight reveals hidden details of this 1,000-year-old Confucian sanctuary that are lost to the daytime crowds.

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Journey north to Hop Thanh commune and meet a young Tay entrepreneur helping to shape the future of community-based tourism. Through personal stories and insights into sustainable farming, discover how local traditions, ethnic identity, and digital storytelling are working together to preserve culture and create new opportunities for rural communities.

Continue onward toward the mountains, arriving at Topas Ecolodge, our Signature Stay, set high in the Hoang Lien Son range. The afternoon is yours to settle into this elevated retreat, where sweeping valleys stretch below your private terrace.

As dusk approaches, experience a private Khen panpipe performance, music central to H’Mong spiritual life, believed to bridge earthly and ancestral worlds. Conclude the evening for dinner at the lodge’s 360° Grill.

Accommodation:Topas Ecolodge Premium
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Signature Experience: Follow Daniel Nguyen, pioneer of Vietnam’s craft spirits, into the remote village of Seo My Ty. Hand-forage wild botanicals alongside him, learning how altitude, soil, and season shape the character of his award-winning drinks. The immersion deepens inside a H’Mong elder’s home, where you take part in traditional fermentation and distillation methods rooted in daily mountain life. This is a rare entry into a closed lineage of knowledge, shared through practice rather than performance. A private family-cooked lunch follows, paired with a curated tasting of Daniel’s aged reserve, each sip reflecting years of patience and landscape.

This evening, dine in privacy at Topas Ecolodge, either beneath open stars or within a secluded restaurant space, preserving the valley’s quiet rhythm.

Accommodation:Topas Ecolodge Premium
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Signature Experience: Depart Sapa via the O Quy Ho Pass, stopping in Lao Chai village for an intimate introduction to the Lu people’s textile traditions. Join female artisans in indigo dyeing and hand-spinning cotton, supporting a women-led effort to preserve embroidery and silver-adorned design languages passed through generations.

Continue onward for lunch inside a Thai family’s stilt house, sharing a private home-cooked meal that offers a quiet window into valley life.

We end the day arriving into Mu Cang Chai, surrounded by fresh mountain air, terraced hillsides, and the enduring traditions of one of northern Vietnam’s most untouched regions.

Accommodation:Garrya Mù Cang Chải
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Today is your Signature Day, where you can select an authentic, curated experience to connect deeply with Vietnamese culture. You could:

Master ethnic culinary traditions, collecting forest ingredients before wood-smoking buffalo and blending Cham Cheo inside a family hearth (9am-1pm)
Decode H’Mong textile language, tracing ancestral symbols onto hemp using wax and indigo techniques then have a moment for a short blessing ceremony with the village’s elder (2pm-6pm)
Hike the Sky Road to Nam Kim village, walking along ridgeline trails and peaceful rural paths before savouring a mountaintop picnic overlooking cascading rice terraces (8am-3pm)

This evening, regroup for a charcoal grilled dinner where open flame, herbs and shared plates define the region’s cuisine.

Accommodation:Garrya Mù Cang Chải
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Begin the morning among centuries-old Shan Tuyết tea trees, learning how their leaves are cultivated in Vietnam’s northern highlands. A guided tasting ceremony reveals the tea’s history and distinctive flavour, shaped by altitude, cool air, and careful handcraft.

Continue towards Hanoi, pausing for lunch in a local family home and one final experience of rural hospitality.

This evening, gather at LABRI for a beautifully considered farewell dinner, where French technique meets the flavours of Asia. Raise a glass to the people, landscapes, and shared moments that have shaped your journey.

Accommodation:La Siesta Premium Lakeside
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your final morning is left unhurried. Depending on your flight time, enjoy a relaxed breakfast, a final Vietnamese coffee, or a gentle stroll nearby before your complimentary transfer to the airport.

This chapter may have come to an end, but Vietnam’s story continues – woven through memory, craft, and the relationships shaped along the way.

Alternatively, open a new chapter of discovery by speaking to your Signature Collection travel expert about extending your stay.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Need flights or extra nights? Book through us and fly with confidence

Call us: 020 3733 5948

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Accommodation

For nights as memorable as days

Every aspect of the Signature Collection is meticulously planned to take you deeper into the destination. That means your accommodation is a refined showcase of local hospitality, whether you’re staying in a pioneering luxury hotel or enjoying privileged access to a characterful stay designed to fully immerse you in the local culture.

Below are the accommodations we use on this adventure:

Hanoi: La Siesta Premium Lakeside (nights 1-2 & 7)

Signature Vietnam | In Fabric & Folklore

Moments from Hoan Kiem Lake, this boutique hotel pairs neoclassical design with contemporary comfort, offering polished service and an elegant base within the Old Quarter’s historic rhythm.

Sapa: Topas Ecolodge (nights 3-4)

Signature Vietnam | In Fabric & Folklore

High in the Hoang Lien Son mountains, our Signature Stay has private stone bungalows overlook terraced valleys, combining thoughtful sustainability with seclusion, stillness, and expansive mountain views far removed from modern life.

Mu Cang Chai: Garrya Mù Cang Chải (nights 5-6)

Garrya Mù Cang Chải

Unwind among the rice terraces and mountain valleys of northern Vietnam. Garrya Mù Cang Chải pairs contemporary comfort with architecture inspired by H’Mong heritage, using sculptural bamboo forms and natural materials throughout. From its hillside setting, rooms look across the valley, creating a quiet base for a deeper connection with this remote region.

Enhance your stay: Personalise your experience with curated room upgrades and additional nights tailored to your travel plans.

Essential Information

We have graded this trip Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page.

Driving times: The longest overland journeys take place on Day 3 (eight hours), Day 5 (6hr 30 min) and Day 7 (5hr 30min). All other road journeys are under three hours and are paced with meaningful stops to break up travel.

Signature Day: Select from a curated menu of optional experiences to create a day that is personal to you, or choose to slow the pace and enjoy the facilities of your accommodation. Simply prebook your chosen experience at least 60 days before departure through your Signature Collection travel expert. Additionally, those arriving early on Day 1 or departing late on Day 8 can prebook optional excursions.

Hike the Sky Road: Good fitness levels and experience hiking on natural trails recommended:

Elevation: 2,001ft (610m)
Distance: 5mi-6mi (8-10km)
Duration: Approximately three hours of walking

As with all adventures in the Signature Collection, we take care of your arrival and departure transfers, allowing you to fully relax and immerse yourself in the local culture.

Arrival airport: Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
- Your adventure begins with a welcome reception at 6pm on Day 1 at our first accommodation.
Departure airport: Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
- Your adventure concludes after breakfast on the final day.

Complimentary arrival and departure transfers are included between the airport and the tour’s designated start and end hotels on the first and last day of your tour. If you book additional pre-tour or post-tour nights at the designated start or end hotel through Exodus, your complimentary transfer will also be valid for those arrival and departure dates.

Additional charges may apply for transfers on different dates or to and from alternative hotels within the same city. To ensure arrangements can be made, complimentary transfers must be requested through your Signature Collection travel expert at least two weeks before your tour departure date.

Vietnam

UK passport holders normally do not need a visa to enter Vietnam for visits up to 45 days, while those with a US or Irish passport normally do need a visa to enter. Visa requirements for EU citizens vary by country.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Flying into Vietnam:

Online Arrival Declaration

All foreign nationals arriving in Vietnam by air are required to complete Vietnam’s online Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) declaration within 72 hours before arrival (only use the official government website).

The process is free and usually takes less than five minutes. You need:

Your flight information
Passport details
Visa information (if required)
Name and address of your first hotel in Vietnam

Please note: If you are travelling on a passport that does not require a visa, you must still complete the declaration. During the process, you will be asked for your ‘Visa Type / Purpose’ – in this field, please select ‘Unilateral Exemption’.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/vietnam
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/vietnam
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Vietnam.html

This journey is designed to deepen your connection to Vietnam through its food and drink. In Hanoi, sample local snacks, learn the story of egg coffee from the family behind Giang Café, and dine at restaurants that combine culinary craft with social impact. In the northern highlands, share family-hosted meals, forage wild botanicals with a pioneering craft distiller, and taste flavours shaped by mountain landscapes and local traditions. From private lunches in village homes to refined dinners at Topas Ecolodge and LABRI, each experience brings you closer to the people, places and stories behind the food. Where meals are not included, your Signature Guide will be on hand with considered recommendations, whether you choose to dine together or enjoy the evening at your own pace.

Northern Vietnam experiences cooler mountain temperatures and warmer lowland days, with fresh evenings at elevation in Sapa and Mu Cang Chai. Conditions vary by altitude, creating shifting climates that mirror the country’s geographic and cultural diversity.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

We also weave Signature Legacy moments into your itinerary, so the positive impact of your trip lasts long after your stay. These are moments to remember which help people and nature thrive, ensuring you build a harmonious, positive connection with the places you visit.

On this journey, you can:

Participate in a permaculture masterclass at Lavie Vu Linh on Thac Ba Lake, supporting regenerative land stewardship that restores ecosystems while sustaining local culture and livelihoods.
Spend time with Lu women artisans learning indigo dyeing and hand-spinning cotton, helping preserve a rare textile tradition central to the community’s cultural identity.
Dine at KOTO, a pioneering social enterprise, where your meal supports hospitality training and long-term vocational opportunities for at-risk youth.