The place

Hanoi to Hoi An

Vietnam's north is where the country's landscape gets serious: limestone islands standing straight out of the water at Ha Long, terraced valleys around Sapa, and a coast road south that would be worth the trip on its own. The route runs Hanoi to Hoi An with a night on the water and a night on a sleeper train, ending in a town that closes its old quarter to traffic and lights it with lanterns. It suits travellers who will happily plan a day around one meal.

How it runs

A sleeper train links Hanoi and the northern hub of Lao Cai for the Sapa days, a small junk takes the group out to a quiet arm of Ha Long Bay for a night aboard, and a driver covers the coast road south. Accommodation is homestays with H'mong and Tay families in the north and family-run hotels on the coast; most dinners are cooked with a local family rather than at a set restaurant.

What you do

• —Night aboard a junk in a quiet arm of Ha Long Bay
• —Two nights in H'mong and Tay village homestays near Sapa
• —Sleeper train between Hanoi and Lao Cai
• —Street-food walk through Hanoi's old quarter
• —Lantern night in Hoi An's traffic-free old town