2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

Roam

  • From Hanoi to the Highlands

    Vietnam, the North 2024

    September 21 – 28, 2024

    ?

    From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits, the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north. We’ll track down the roots of phở from black cardamom fields to water buffalo markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best.

    Sold Out
    Nathan Thornburgh

    R&K Host

    Co-Founder, Journalist
    Nathan Thornburgh

    Daniel Nguyen

    Trip Guide

    Activist, Distiller, Researcher
    Daniel Nguyen

Overview

Vietnam, the North 2024

From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dzao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits—namely Daniel Nguyen and his partner Nhung Trang Nguyen—the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north.

We’ll track down the roots of phở from black cardamom fields to city markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best.

  • Vietnam
  • September 21 – 28, 2024
Map
  • Vietnam
  • September 21 – 28, 2024
Vietnam, the North 2024 Sold Out

DISCOVER Vietnam:
Day-to-Day Itinerary

Day
1

WELCOME TO THE CAPITOL

  • Metropole Hanoi
  • 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
  • +842438266919
  • Private transfer airport to the opulent Metropole Hanoi
  • Welcome cocktails at the Metropole with Nathan, Daniel and Nhung
  • Classic Hanoian dinner on Trúc Bạch Lake
Day
2

LEARNING THE RHYTHMS

  • Metropole Hanoi
  • 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
  • +842438266919
  • Stroll through Hanoi’s buzzing wet market with a tasting of the best market snacks
  • Visit Mr Le Dinh Nghien, last remaining artist of Hang Trong painting
  • Siesta!
  • Taste Vietnamese cocktail culture at Ne for an aperitivo
  • Dinner of Chả Cá—imperial sizzling fish—a must-have classic of Hanoian cuisine
  • Private modernist cocktails with Richard McDonough – a renown molecular mixologist “Mood Therapist”
Day
3

NOODLES FOREVER

  • Early morning Jeep tour of the Old Quarter and French Quarter
  • On to Phở Thìn Lò Đúc for the king of breakfasts—Phở—in the glorious delirium of an early-rising, high-energy city
  • Egg coffee experience next to Hoan Kiem Lake at the cafe of the creator’s daughter
  • Rest! Second full day is always hardest to acclimate
  • Lunchtime lesson in how to eat Bun cha Hanoi-style at Ngo Tram Alley
  • Siesta, or optional spa time at Hotel Metropole
  • Dinner with the best of Bia Hoi snack and beer culture
  • Head to the hills where Phở was born with private berths on our sleeper train
Day
4

DAWN IN THE HIGHLANDS

  • Wake up in the mountains, transfer to our van to visit the Hmong corn markets in Bắc Hà, Lao Cai province
  • Private lunch of Hmong specialities
  • Transfer to Sa Pa, the blinking, blistering technicolor good-weird jewel of the north
  • Swim in the gaudy hotel pool complex or relax in the in-house spa or just do cocktails
    or do nothing
  • Dinner of Sa Pa speciality grilled meats
  • Stagger to bed, full, tired, happy
Day
5

MOUNTAIN LIFE

  • Wake early to head to the Red Dzao village near Sa Pa
  • Roam fields of black cardamom, a key foundational ingredient of phở
  • Forage with Red Dzao elder Ly May Chan
  • Visit to a traditional Red Dzao home
  • Celebratory Red Dzao lunch feast featuring ancient mastery of black pig and forest rodent
  • Transfer to Topas Ecolodge, a stunning and sustainable paradise in the hills
  • Light dinner of regional specialities at Topas
Day
6

RICE AND RELAX

  • Wake up late, no rush, no fuss
  • Rice masterclass at the resort, complete with rice cooking and ample rice wines
  • Infinity pool, infinite chill
  • Rice cocktails at the poolside bar, for those who celebrate
  • Dinner of suckling pig and hotpot in a local favorite eatery
Day
7

BACK TO THE LOWLANDS

  • Metropole Hanoi
  • 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
  • +842438266919
  • Wake slowly in Topas Ecolodge
  • Swim, sulk, smile, say farewell to the mountains you’ve come to love
  • Transfer to Hanoi with halfway northern Vietnamese lunch stop
  • Last night epic farewell meal, a private dining experience in Hanoi with chef Sam Tran. She became the first female chef to win a Michelin Star in Vietnam, and her food is an epic vision of the north.
Day
8

GOODBYE HANOI

  • One last breakfast at the Metropole Hanoi
  • Private transfer to Hanoi Airport

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners except when itinerary explicitly says “Independent Meals”
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Snacks and beverages between meals
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Host

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Co-founder, Journalist

Nathan Thornburgh, a former TIME Magazine senior editor and foreign correspondent, co-founded Roads & Kingdoms in 2012 and ran the independent media company with Matt Goulding and Anthony Bourdain for years. He is an Emmy- and National Magazine Award-winning producer and editor and has reported everywhere from Russia to Iraq. R&K’s League of Travelers is his latest attempt to marry travel, journalism, and la dolce vita.

Daniel Nguyen

Local Guide

Daniel Nguyen

Activist, Distiller, Researcher

If you want to understand Vietnam’s present-day culinary landscape, you’d be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable guide than Daniel Nguyen, an activist, distiller, researcher, and League of Travelers host. Raised in California by Vietnamese parents, Nguyen came to Vietnam a decade ago to work with farmers in the Mekong Delta, work that eventually led to the cofounding of Sông Cái Distillery, which partners with multi-generational foragers and farmers to source botanicals for a range of craft spirits, including the first gin ever distilled in the country. His extensive work with farm communities in a country where two-thirds of the population is rural has also given him rare insight into the way Vietnamese actually eat—and live—today, insight that he tapped to help us build this extraordinary journey. You can read more about Daniel on Roads & Kingdoms.

Where You’ll Stay

Metropole Hanoi

Metropole Hanoi

French Quarter Marvel

Wide tree-lined boulevards leading down to Hoan Kiem lake. The opera house with its peak neo-classical style. Those are landmarks of Hanoi’s French Quarter, as is our home there, the Metropole Hotel. This timeless white-walled marvel, built by the French in 1901, is our favorite base for exploring the northern capital. Beyond the impeccable service and physical beauty, the hotel’s true value is as an oasis of refined calm in a teeming, technicolor city

Hotel de la Coupole

Hotel de la Coupole

Sa Pa Beaux-Arts

For those who might have visited Sa Pa decades ago, when it was still a misty, sleepy hill station, a place like the Hotel de la Coupole might have seemed impossible. It’s an imposing new hotel, gaudy even, and sometimes overcommitted to its Beaux-Arts style. But my goodness, those views. And that pool. And the rooms are incredibly comfortable, so forget what you’ve heard about the old Sa Pa, lean into the growing city, and the Hotel de la Coupole, our home there for the night.

Topas Ecolodge

Topas Ecolodge

Hilltop Bungalows

You may thank the Danes—yes, the Danes—for the excellence of Topas Ecolodge, perched on twin hills in the dramatic countryside outside of Sa Pa. It was Danish government funding for sustainability that drove some of the eco touches here: sourcing local granite, incorporating Dzao people and culture into the design and delivery, and above all, making sure that each of the luxurious bungalows fits perfectly into the natural environment. It’s stunning, and small wonder that it topped NatGeo’s list of 50 best ecolodges on earth.

  • We’re so happy that we took a leap of faith and invested in this adventure with Roads & Kingdoms.

    Jean M.
    Asturias Unconquered 2023

  • The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.

    Amanda C.
    CDMX Under the Volcano 2024

  • It was the savvy hosts, delicious food, curated experiences, and cooking together in a small group setting that made it magical.

    Nalini S.
    Morocco from Sky to Sea 2024

Discover Vietnam:
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Vietnam, the North 2024 Sold Out
R&K League of Travelers

Ready for a new adventure?

Inquire Now.

    Fill out the form to join the waitlist. We’ll reach out if space opens up.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How large are your groups?

    We have a maximum of 12 travelers for each trip. Our guiding light: how many people could cram into a perfectly-sized bar in Ginza? That’s how many we want to travel with, that’s how we came up with that number. Each trip has at least two members from the R&K team.

    Do I really have to do an interview?

    Yes! We don’t offer a way to book online, because we want the chance to talk to each of you about how you like to travel, and about what we do on our trips. That includes spouses and partners! Don’t sweat it, we have an appropriately high acceptance rate, but it is a requirement, whether by Zoom or by WhatsApp.

    Is there a solo traveler supplement?

    Yes, we have an $1800 solo traveler supplement ($1o00 for four-night trips).

    Should I get travel insurance?

    Roads & Kingdoms is a fully insured travel provider but we recommend you purchase travel insurance for yourself to cover costs you might incur through change of plans, flights, etc. We do not have a recommended provider, but there are many reputable providers available online and the signup process is not onerous.

    What is included in the price?

    Our journeys are meant to free you from any financial decision-making whatsoever during the week, if you choose. You’re responsible for your own international airfare to our starting city. But then we take care of everything else, from tipping to transportation to hotels and meals and drinks along the way. You’re only responsible for personal bar tabs (when not with the group), personal laundry, or personal spa services.

    What happens if R&K cancels a journey?

    This has not happened in the post-acute-COVID period—nor do we anticipate it happening—but we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone a trip up to 100 days before departure. In that case, you would receive a full refund, including the $1500 deposit.

    CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE VEGETARIANS?

    The short answer is yes! Any trip can be adapted, but some work better than others. Salamanca and the World of Jamón, for instance, would probably not make sense for a vegetarian, whereas Tbilisi and the Western Winelands works well. Animal products do feature heavily throughout our journeys, and many include whole-animal barbecues, ceremonial slaughter, or other traditional culinary methods that might be off-putting to those who abstain.

    Traveler Rights And Responsibilities

    The League of Travelers is meant to be that: an intimate group of travelers who accompany us to some of our favorite places to spend time with some of our favorite people. That is why we interview all potential travelers. These trips are not for everyone, and we just want to be sure the vibe matches. Mostly, for you, that means treating the people who make these trips possible, from drivers to somms to waiters to hotel staff, with decency. We will do our best to accommodate special requests, but we don’t have fulltime concierge or waitstaff on these trips, we have chefs and writers and storytellers. Our groups are a diverse bunch, so please also come with an open mind and heart for your fellow travelers. And in exchange, we pledge to open all doors we can to you. We promise we will have poured our whole selves into these journeys, and we will do everything in our power to make it a wondrous experience.

    Refund And Deposit Policy

    We require 50% downpayment to secure a spot. Second payment due 60 days after first payment. If you cancel up to 60 days before the start of the trip, the trips are fully refundable except for a nonrefundable $1500 deposit. Within 60 days we will refund everything except the $1500 deposit if we are able to replace your seat, otherwise you must contact us to see if a transfer to a later journey is possible. If we cancel a trip for any reason, the entire trip, including the $1500 deposit, is fully refundable.

    Dates

    2024

    2025

    Destinations

    Europe

    Asia-Pacific

    Latin America

    Africa