Romantic Rhine with Swiss Alps, 3 Nights in Lake Como & 1 Night in Lucerne (Northbound)

Founded on a dragon's auspice in 1010 AD, Hanoi is Southeast Asia's most historically layered capital — a city where French colonial boulevards wrap around ancient temple islands and where the morning ritual of phở bò at a pavement stall carries the weight of a thousand years of tradition. Venture to Halong Bay's limestone karst seascape or explore the lantern-lit lanes of Hội An via nearby Chan May. October through April brings dry, pleasant weather ideal for exploring Vietnam's storied north.

Founded on a dragon's auspice in 1010 AD, Hanoi is Southeast Asia's most historically layered capital — a city where French colonial boulevards wrap around ancient temple islands and where the morning ritual of phở bò at a pavement stall carries the weight of a thousand years of tradition. Venture to Halong Bay's limestone karst seascape or explore the lantern-lit lanes of Hội An via nearby Chan May. October through April brings dry, pleasant weather ideal for exploring Vietnam's storied north.

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of nearly two thousand limestone karst islands rising from emerald waters in Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin. Must-dos include an overnight junk cruise through the karst formations, kayaking into hidden lagoons, and exploring the cathedral-scale Sung Sot Cave. October through April offers the best weather, with spring mist adding an ethereal quality to the already otherworldly scenery.

Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

Vinh Long is a river town at the heart of Vietnam's Mekong Delta, renowned for its bustling Cai Be floating market, lush fruit orchards on river islands, and the delta's distinctive cuisine. Must-dos include a dawn sampan visit to the floating market, tasting crispy elephant ear fish wrapped in rice paper, and visiting island orchards and coconut candy workshops. November through April's dry season offers the best weather for delta exploration.