The Vietnam War
From Defeat at Dien Bien Phu to the Fall of Saigon
Tour Introduction
Appealing to history and culture enthusiasts alike, this tour combines the key locations of the Vietnam war, with the stunning highlights of that country.
Vietnam offers a rich culture and history, combined with delicious local cuisine with a French twist. Hanoi, with its leafy tree lined avenues, plays host to fascinating, thought provoking museums and military sites.
Further north we explore the battlefield of Dien Bien Phu, which signalled the end of French Colonial rule and savour the breath-taking vistas of Ha Long Bay. We continue our journey south to the former DMZ, visiting the Citadel in Hue where some of the fiercest fighting took place during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
Enjoy some ‘R&R’ at China beach, cruise the Mekong Delta in the wake of the U.S. Brown Water Navy and explore the incredible Cu Chi tunnels, all in the company of our expert historian.
Finally, relax with a drink in the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel in Saigon, famous hangout of war correspondents and senior US military officials.
Highlights
- Visit the Site of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
- Explore Hanoi & Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
- Luxury Junk cruise in Ha Long Bay
- Epic sightseeing in the DMZ & Cu Chi tunnels
- Khe Sanh Marine Base
- Visit the fascinating Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum
- Vietnam Military History Museum
- Explore Hỏa Lò Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton
- The Muong Phang tunnels and bunker system
- The recently rebuilt Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum
- Examine the 1968 Tet Offensive
- Explore the site of the US Embassy and visit the War Remnants Museum
- Discover the history of the Reunification Palace
Tour Details
Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.
Expert Guides
Bill Allison
Bill Allison is a scholar of American military history and the American War in Vietnam and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on both subjects for over twenty-five years. He is Professor of History at Georgia Southern University, joining the faculty there as Chair of the Department of History in 2008. After earning a BA and MA in History at East Texas State University in 1989 and 1991, he completed his PhD in History at Bowling Green State University in 1995. He then taught at the University of Saint Francis (Indiana) before joining the Department of History at Weber State University from 1999-2008. During 2002-2003, he was Visiting Professor in the Department of Strategy and International Security at the USAF Air War College. Allison later served as Distinguished Professor of Military History at the USAF School for Advanced Air and Space Studies from 2010-2011, where he was a staff ride leader for the Battle of Normandy. He completed two years as the General Harold K. Johnson Visiting Chair in Military History at the US Army War College (2012-2014), where he led numerous staff rides at Gettysburg and Antietam. Allison is the author of My Lai: An American Atrocity in the Vietnam War (Johns Hopkins University Press), Military Justice in Vietnam: The Rule of Law in an American War (University Press of Kansas), and The Tet Offensive (Routledge). His other work includes American Diplomats in Russia: Case Studies in Orphan Diplomacy, 1917-1919 (Praeger) and The Gulf War (Palgrave Macmillan), and he is co-author with Janet Valentine and the late Jeffery Grey of American Military History: A Survey from Colonial Times to the Present (now in 3rd edition, Taylor and Francis). In addition to recent essays on Vietnam War remembrance and commemoration, his current research includes book projects on the Tet Offensive and America in 1968. Allison has presented and lectured at numerous conferences and universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Zurich, the Australian Defence Force Academy, the US Army Heritage and Education Center, and the USAF Air Command & Staff College. He is a former Trustee and Vice-President of the Society for Military History and was awarded the Society’s Edwin Simmons Award for Distinguished Service. He has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Military History and is series editor for Critical Moments in American History (Routledge) and Modern War Studies at the University Press of Kansas. Allison served on the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee and was awarded the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal in 2014. With colleague Prof. Brian Feltman, he hosts the Military Historians are People, Too! podcast. Born and raised in Texas, Allison lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with his wife Jennifer (Registrar–Wofford College) and 7-year-old black lab Tucker.
Background
On the 7th of May 1954, the Viet Minh were victorious at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, thus ending French involvement in Indochina.
The ensuing Geneva Conference in November of that year divided the country in two along the 17th parallel.
North Vietnam continued the fight as an extension of their desire for independence against colonial rule, supported by China and the Soviet Union.
The United States and her allies, who feared the rise of communism in Southeast Asia, sided with the South and thus ushered in a new war.
American involvement began in earnest in the spring of 1965 when 3,500 US Marines landed near Da Nang; the number of US ground troops then rose rapidly to 200,000 by December of the same year.
By this time the North Vietnamese Army and insurgent National Liberation Front (otherwise known as the Viet Cong) controlled large portions of the rural South.
The Tet Offensive of 1968 saw the beginnings of a shift to fighting in more urban areas, with the major cities of Hue and Saigon enduring fierce fighting with regiment sized forces opposing each other.
Urban areas increasingly became the focus of later operations conducted by the North, such as the Easter Offensive of 1972 and their final Spring Offensive of 1975.
Numerous atrocities were committed by both sides, including the use of chemical and biological weapons such as Napalm and Agent Orange.
By the end of the war on 30th April 1975, more than 58,000 Americans and an estimated 1.5 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians had lost their lives.
What's Included
- 3 & 4 Star Hotels
- Return flights from London (optional)
- Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
- Dedicated Tour Manager
- The company of like-minded travelers
- All lunches
- Buffet breakfast each morning
- Dinner parties hosted by your expert historians and tour manager
- Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
- Helpful and friendly travel advice
- Access to the Cultural Experience app
- Tour information booklet
- Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach
- Internal flight(s)
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Hanoi
Day 1 - Arrive Hanoi
Arrival at Hanoi airport and check-in or if making your own travel arrangements meet us at the hotel from 14:00. Free afternoon to recover from flights. Evening introductory talk over welcome drinks prior to dinner. (D)
Day 2 - Hanoi
Day 2 - Hanoi
Visit the fascinating Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum dedicated to the system of trails, displaying American weaponry and thought-provoking photographic displays. This afternoon we explore the recently opened military history museum housing an interesting collection documenting the period between 1954 and 1975, including aircraft along with French, American, Chinese and Soviet military equipment. (B,L,D)
Day 3 - Hanoi
Day 3 - Hanoi
Today we begin with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, comprising the imposing marble Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's wooden stilt house and the nearby One Pillar Pagoda. After lunch we continue our exploration of central Hanoi including the small museum at Hỏa Lò Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton and the bunker of the General Command Headquarters. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu
Day 4 - Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu
Transfer to Hanoi airport for your flight to Dien Bien Phu. Visit the Victory Monument for an orientation of the battlefield and visit the battlefield museum which houses an eclectic collection commemorating the 1954 battle, including photographs, weaponry, the bathtub of General de Castries and a bicycle that could carry 330kg of ordnance. Our exploration ends at the Viet Minh cemetery from where we watch the sunset. Check in to our hotel for 2 nights. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - The Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1954
Day 5 - The Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1954
Enjoy a full day exploring the well-preserved battle site of Dien Bien Phu, starting at the Muong Phang tunnels and bunker system of the Viet Minh commander General Vo Nguyen Giap. This afternoon we visit the amazing and extensive recreated French trench and bunker systems atop the three hills of the Beatrice position and climb Hill A1 (Eliane 2) to witness the last stand of the French and the huge mine crater thereon. (B,L,D)
Day 6 - Dien Bien Phu - Hanoi
Day 6 - Dien Bien Phu - Hanoi
We see the site of the French surrender at General de Castries bunker, visit the French cemetery, cross the extant French-laid Bailey Bridge and climb up the Anne-Marie defensive position. We return to the hotel for lunch before transferring to the airport for our return flight to Hanoi. (B,L,D)
Day 7 - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
Day 7 - Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
After breakfast we drive to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site recognised for its biodiversity and geology. The stunning scenic rock formations of 1,969 limestone islands, set in emerald water, jutting imposingly skywards, is a must do when visiting Vietnam. Join our traditionally styled luxury junk for an overnight cruise. Once onboard, enjoy lunch while you set sail into the myriad of islands, visit Thien Canh Son cave, go Kayaking or simply relax onboard and enjoy the constantly changing scenery. Dinner and overnight onboard. (B,L,D)
Day 8 - Ha Long Bay - Fly Hue
Day 8 - Ha Long Bay - Fly Hue
Enjoy the morning cruising through the bay and explore an island. After lunch disembark and transfer back to Hanoi Airport for your flight to the old imperial city of Hue, check in to our hotel for a 2-night stay. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - The Demilitarized Zone and Khe Sanh
Day 9 - The Demilitarized Zone and Khe Sanh
An early start for a full day tour of the DMZ. We drive to Quang Tri Province and visit the former Marine base at Khe San, where one of the longest and deadliest battles of the Vietnam War was fought. Travelling on Road 9, originally part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail linking the DMZ to the neighbouring Laos, we see historic war sites such as The Rockpile and Ta Con Airfield. We cross from 'South' Vietnam to the 'North' walking over the Hien Luong Bridge. A visit to the Vinh Moc tunnel complex offers an authentic insight into the life of the Viet Cong, and villagers of Vinh Linh. (B,L,D)
Day 10 - The Battle for Hue 1968
Day 10 - The Battle for Hue 1968
This morning we explore Hue Citadel, focusing on the fighting that took place here during the 1968 Tet Offensive. 11 battalions of the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam (ARVN), 4 US Army battalions and 3 US Marine Corps battalions fought a vicious house to house battle with 10 battalions of the People's Army of Vietnam and Viet Cong. In the afternoon we drive via Red Beach 2, where the US Marines first landed, to China Beach on the outskirts of Danang where we check-in to our hotel for one night and enjoy some R&R in the same vicinity as the US troops. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - The Cu Chi Tunnels
Day 11 - The Cu Chi Tunnels
Fly Danang to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and then drive to the incredible Cu Chi tunnel complex north of Saigon, an immense network of connecting tunnels used by Viet Cong troops. As well as being used in combat, they also served as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapons caches, and living quarters. Explore inside the tunnels and imagine the conditions faced by both sides; tunnels were often booby trapped and examples of traps used are on display. (B,L,D)
Day 12 - Mekong Delta - My Tho and Ap Bac
Day 12 - Mekong Delta - My Tho and Ap Bac
This morning we drive to the little changed battlefield of Ap Bac, a pivotal battle of the Vietnam War and a potent for the eventual failure in South Vietnam. Thence to My Tho, a centre of operations for US and Australian troops, to explore the Mekong Delta by boat to learn more about the US Brown Water Navy. This evening we set out for dinner and drinks at the famous Rex Hotel, Saigon! (B,L,D)
Day 13 - The Fall of Saigon
Day 13 - The Fall of Saigon
Discover the history of the Reunification Palace where, in 1975, a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through the main gates, effectively ending the Vietnam war. We make a stop at the site of the US Embassy and visit the War Remnants Museum, containing exhibits from the French Indo-China War and the Vietnam war. Depart for Saigon airport for the return overnight flight to London unless you have made your own travel arrangements. (B)
Recommended Reading List
- Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam published by Picador USA (2000)
- Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam published by Presidio Press (2014)
- Hanoi's War: An International History of the War for Peace in Vietnam published by University North Carolina Press (2016)
- The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family published by Oxford University Press USA (2017)
- The Vietnam War: A Concise International History published by Oxford University Press (2010)
- The Vietnamese War: Revolution and Social Change in the Mekong Delta, 1930-1975 published by M. E. Sharpe (2006)
- Vietnam's American War: A History published by Cambridge University Press (2018)
- Westmoreland's War: Reassessing American Strategy in Vietnam published by Oxford University Press (2015)