Slow Luxury Retreat
10 days · North, Central and South · Gentle pace
Fewer places, longer stays: Hanoi, Hoi An and the quiet island of Con Dao.
Overview
A private journey for two, shaped around you. Start here; every day can change.
Ten days with only three bases, so you unpack three times and never feel rushed. Two nights in Hanoi, four in Hoi An and three on Con Dao, one of Vietnam's most peaceful islands, with plenty of time simply to rest.
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Regions
- North, Central and South
- Pace
- Gentle
- Best months
- Mar–May
- Places
- Hanoi, Hoi An, Con Dao
Day by day
10 days, 9 nights
Times are approximate, and every day can change: slower, shorter or in a different order.
1Day 1
Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Your driver meets you at Noi Bai airport for the 45-minute drive into the city. Nothing else is planned.
Overnight: Hanoi
2Day 2
Day 2: Hanoi at your pace
A short morning with your guide around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature, with a stop for egg coffee. The afternoon is free.
Overnight: Hanoi
3Day 3
Day 3: Fly to Hoi An
A flight of about an hour and twenty minutes to Da Nang and 45 minutes by road to Hoi An. The evening is for the lanterns by the river.
Overnight: Hoi An
4Day 4
Day 4: The old town, early
The merchant houses and the Japanese Bridge in the quiet of the early morning. Back at the hotel before the heat of the day.
Overnight: Hoi An
5Day 5
Day 5: A free day
Nothing planned: the pool, the beach or a book. Your guide is a message away if you would like to go out.
Overnight: Hoi An
6Day 6
Day 6: The countryside and its makers
A gentle morning with craftspeople in the villages around Hoi An and a long lunch in a garden. The afternoon is yours.
Overnight: Hoi An
7Day 7
Day 7: To Con Dao
A longer travel day: Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, and a short flight on to Con Dao, about an hour. Your driver meets you for the short drive to the sea.
Overnight: Con Dao
8Day 8
Day 8: Island quiet
A free day on one of Vietnam's calmest islands, much of it a national park. The beaches are long and nearly empty.
Overnight: Con Dao
9Day 9
Day 9: The island's history
A short guided morning to the island's old prison sites and the small town of Con Son, told with care. The afternoon is free.
Overnight: Con Dao
10Day 10
Day 10: Depart
A last slow morning, then the short flight to Ho Chi Minh City for your onward journey.
Overnight: none (departure day)
Pace and walking
Gentle pace
- One to two hours of easy walking on the guided days, with the car close by; several days have nothing planned.
- Very few steps, and every visit can be shortened.
- Three flights: Hanoi to Da Nang (about 1 hour 20 minutes), and Da Nang to Con Dao through Ho Chi Minh City, a longer travel day.
Tell us about any mobility needs: we shorten visits, add rest and plan the days around them.
Best months
Mar–May
- March to May is the gentlest time for this route: spring warmth in Hanoi, dry days in Hoi An and calm seas on Con Dao.
- That is spring for travellers from the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, and autumn for those from Australia and New Zealand.
- From June the North and Centre grow hot; from September the Central coast is wet.
Where you'll stay
Nights, place by place
The hotels depend on the tier you choose, and we check them with you for your dates before you book. Swapping a hotel for another of the same tier is part of the free planning.
Below are hotels we often use in each tier; our coordinator team suggests the ones that suit you.
- Signature
- Five-star hotels in Hanoi and Hoi An and a secluded five-star island resort on Con Dao, with a pool villa where available.
- Heritage
- A boutique heritage hotel in Hanoi, a riverside hotel in Hoi An and a calm beachfront resort on Con Dao.
- Essential
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels and a comfortable beach hotel on Con Dao.
Hanoi
2 nights
Signature
Capella Hanoi
Art-filled luxury hotel in Hanoi's French Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake
or Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Photo: Capella Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Apricot Hotel
Art-themed boutique hotel steps from Hoan Kiem Lake, with an indoor pool
or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Photo: Apricot Hotel · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Hotel du Parc Hanoi
Calm city hotel with a pool, a short drive from the Opera House
or Silk Path Hanoi Hotel
Photo: Hotel du Parc Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Hoi An
4 nights
Signature
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Hoi An
Beachfront villa resort, a short drive from Hoi An's old town
or Hotel Royal Hoi An, The Legacy by the River
Photo: Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Hoi An · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Anantara Hoi An Resort
Low-rise riverside resort a few minutes' walk from the old town
or La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa
Photo: Anantara Hoi An Resort · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Allegro Hoi An Little Luxury Hotel & Spa
Small boutique hotel with a pool, a short walk from the old town
or Hoi An Historic Hotel
Photo: Allegro Hoi An Little Luxury Hotel & Spa · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Con Dao
3 nights
Signature
Six Senses Con Dao
Villa resort on Dat Doc beach in Con Dao's national park
Photo: Six Senses Con Dao · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Poulo Condor Boutique Resort & Spa
Hillside boutique villas near Dam Trau beach
Photo: Poulo Condor Boutique Resort & Spa · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
The Secret Con Dao
Seafront hotel in Con Dao town, a short walk from the museum
Photo: The Secret Con Dao · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Three ways to travel
One journey, three levels of comfort
Every tier is private, and the days are the same. What changes is the style of hotel, how you are guided and the touches along the way. You book each part with the provider that offers it.
The finest
Signature
The finest stays and the most private way to travel, with room in the days for the special touches.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Five-star hotels in Hanoi and Hoi An and a secluded five-star island resort on Con Dao, with a pool villa where available.
- Guiding
- A senior private guide for the whole journey, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car or van with a driver for every transfer, timed around you.
- Also with Signature
- Every special touch listed for this journey, where it can be booked for your dates
- Early check-in or late check-out requested at each hotel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Most chosen
Heritage
Characterful stays and a private guide in each region: the balance most travellers choose.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- A boutique heritage hotel in Hanoi, a riverside hotel in Hoi An and a calm beachfront resort on Con Dao.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide in each region, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Heritage
- One or two special touches, chosen with you
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
The essentials, privately
Essential
Comfortable, central stays with private transfers and a guide on the sightseeing days.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels and a comfortable beach hotel on Con Dao.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide on sightseeing days; the other days are yours.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Essential
- Our own suggestions for the free time, sent before you travel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Moments that may be part of it
- A private dinner in a Hoi An heritage house (may include, where it can be booked)
- A morning with a Hanoi painter or lacquer artist in their studio (may include, where it can be booked)
- A guided night walk to see sea turtles nesting on Con Dao, in season (may include, where it can be booked)
Nothing is charged today
Asking is free. When your plan is ready, you book each part on the provider's own site and pay it directly, after reading its terms. Tripora never takes your payment.
Make it yours
Slow Luxury Retreat, your way
Most travellers change something. Change any day below, then send us your version.
Your version: 10 days, 9 nights · as planned
Request this journeyNothing is booked or charged. We plan your version and price it in our reply.
Bigger changes
Add a few days
Stay longer where you are happiest, or add a region: the North, the Centre or the South.
End by the sea
Finish with quiet days on the central coast, Phu Quoc or Con Dao, depending on the season.
Slow it down
Fewer places, two nights or more in each, and afternoons with nothing planned.
Start somewhere else
Begin in Ho Chi Minh City instead of Hanoi, or join the journey from a stay in Singapore or Bangkok.
In the plan
What the plan covers
In the plan
- A hotel for every night of the journey, at the level of your tier
- Private transfers between places, including the airport
- Private guided tours as described for your tier
- The boat trips, visits and meals named in the itinerary
- A booking link for each piece: you book and pay each partner directly
- Free planning help from Tripora, reachable by WhatsApp or email while you travel
Not in the plan
- Flights, international and within Vietnam: booked separately, and we suggest the flights that fit the journey
- Vietnam visa (most travellers apply online for an e-visa)
- Travel insurance (strongly suggested)
- Meals and drinks not named in the itinerary
- Tips and personal spending
Cancellation
Each booking follows the change and cancellation terms of the partner you book it with, shown on its site before you pay. Ask us if you need help finding them.
Travel insurance
Please take out a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, once your journey is confirmed.
Add tours, or book the pieces yourself
Lay this route out on your dates, add well-reviewed tours to any day, and book hotels and tours on our partners' sites, or send it to us and a person fine-tunes it with you, free.
Plan it day by dayPractical answers
Heat, walking, food and safety
The questions travellers ask us most, answered plainly. More questions and answers
- How hot will it be?
- Vietnam is warm and often humid, and the heat is what most travellers find hardest, more than the walking. We plan sightseeing for the cooler mornings, keep the middle of the day for rest, and every transfer is in a private air-conditioned car. The months listed for each journey are the most comfortable ones.
- How much walking is there?
- Each journey says plainly how much walking there is, where there are steps, boats or uneven ground, and which days are long. Any visit can be shortened or swapped for a drive or a boat. Tell us about any mobility needs and we plan around them.
- What about the food?
- Vietnamese food is fresh and mostly gentle: chilli is usually served on the side. Your guide chooses restaurants they know well, every hotel serves Western dishes too, and you can tell us about any diet or allergy before you travel.
- Is Vietnam safe for visitors?
- Vietnam is generally a calm and welcoming country to travel in. The main things to watch are the traffic and pickpockets in busy places. With a private car door to door and a guide beside you in the old quarters, you rarely handle either.
- Do I need travel insurance?
- Yes, please. Choose a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, and check its age limits and terms. We do not sell insurance, so we cannot advise on a policy, but we will gladly tell you what the journey includes.
Plan with people who know Vietnam
Plan with Tripora's coordinator team
An experienced team based in Vietnam
Our coordinators are an experienced team who know Vietnam well, from the far north to the islands, and the hotels, drivers and guides there.
They plan each journey with you, check the days before sending you the booking links, and stay reachable while you travel.
Speak to us
Plan Slow Luxury Retreat with us
A few questions, then a reply from a person. We design the days with you and send them back with a booking link for each part.
Nothing is charged today.
We reply within one business hour, 8:00–18:00 Vietnam time (UTC+7), Monday to Saturday.