Vietnam: Golf & Culture Journey

Arrive into Hanoi, where a Trails of Indochina representative welcomes you through immigration and transfers you to your hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter. Settle in and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Play a round at BRG King’s Island Golf Resort, King’s Course, set on a private island ringed by the Red River Valley and Ba Vi mountain range. Lush fairways, subtle elevation changes and strategic bunkering make for a tranquil, well-groomed round suited to every playing style. In the afternoon, meet a local Hanoian chef for a walking tour through the capital’s food stalls and markets, learning to roll pho cuon, a fresh rice-paper spring roll, and sampling banh cuon, a beef-and-papaya nom salad, and a spread of Vietnamese desserts along the way.

Transfer to Tuan Chau Marina and board a speedboat out to your private balcony suite aboard a luxury cruise, sailing deeper into Lan Ha Bay as lunch is served in the light-filled dining room. Moor near Cat Ba Island and step ashore at Viet Hai Village, cycling through a valley of jungle-clad mountains that shelters a self-sufficient fishing and farming community reachable only by sea. Return to the ship for an overnight anchorage in Lan Ha Bay, with time for a Vietnamese tea tasting, a spa treatment, or an evening Singing Bowl Meditation beneath the stars.

Begin with a Tai Chi session on the terrace deck as the ship sails toward Cat Ba Island’s national park, home to some 1,500 plant species and rare wildlife including langurs, macaques and civets. A scenic drive leads to a gentle hike through this UNESCO biosphere reserve, before returning to the ship for lunch and an afternoon entirely at your own pace — swim in the bay, relax on a secluded beach, or unwind with spa treatments on board. As evening falls, savour a multi-course dinner before another Singing Bowl Meditation or a quiet night on your private balcony.

Rise early for Tai Chi and Vietnamese coffee before setting off by kayak into Frog Lake, a hidden lagoon walled in by sheer limestone cliffs and dotted with jade-green islets. Return on board for a final breakfast as the ship sails back to disembarkation, then transfer to Hanoi airport for your flight to Danang, continuing on to your hotel in Hoi An.

Play a round at Ba Na Hills Golf Club, a Luke Donald-designed mountain course set against the Truong Son range, its wide fairways and dramatic elevation ensuring no two holes feel alike. In the afternoon, join a chef at Red Bridge Cooking School, wandering Hoi An’s central market to select fresh ingredients before a short boat ride to the riverside school for a hands-on cooking class, finished with a meal of your own creation overlooking the water.

Spend the morning wandering Hoi An’s UNESCO-listed old town, once the trading port of Faifo, where Chinese, Japanese and European merchants once anchored. Explore its atmospheric lanes on a guided walk taking in centuries-old merchant houses, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and the ornately carved Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation, before browsing the colourful market for silk and local specialties. Transfer by road to Danang and fly onward to Saigon, where you’re met and transferred to your hotel.

Play a round at Long Thanh Golf Club just outside the city, its 36 holes of tropical parkland golf winding through rolling fairways, mature trees and water features. As evening falls, hop on the back of a motorbike for a flavourful ride through Saigon’s streets and alleys, starting at a 40-year-old bánh mì stall before continuing to a canal-side eatery, a craft beer tasting, and a final stop at a hidden speakeasy or rooftop bar for cocktails above the city lights.

Transfer south to the beachfront enclave of Ho Tram, arriving in time to settle in before a private dinner served on the sand as the sun sets over the Sea.

Play a round at The Bluffs Ho Tram, a Greg Norman-designed course perched atop coastal dunes with panoramic sea views from nearly every hole. Dramatic elevation changes, natural sand hazards and a constant coastal wind make for one of Southeast Asia’s most celebrated, and demanding, rounds.

Transfer back to Saigon, bringing your Vietnam golf and culture journey to a close.