2 - 14 November 2027 · 12 nights
Vietnam
A literary journey inspired by The Women by Kristin Hannah
From the energy of Ho Chi Minh City to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, imperial Hue, historic Hanoi and the extraordinary landscape of Halong Bay.
Booking Now OpenBooks in Places goes to Vietnam
A country behind the story
In November 2027, we're travelling through Vietnam with Kristin Hannah's The Women as our book.
The novel follows Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nurse who volunteers to serve in Vietnam during the war, and explores not only what she experiences there but the very different battle she faces when she returns home.
Reading the novel before travelling gives us a powerful starting point for exploring a country whose twentieth-century history is inseparable from the events in the book, but this journey is also about discovering modern Vietnam.
Over twelve nights we'll travel from south to north, experiencing enormous cities, peaceful waterways, ancient trading ports, imperial history, extraordinary food and one of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes.
We've also planned the route with comfort in mind. Longer journeys are made by internal flight where possible, while our sightseeing in Hue is by car, with a motorbike option available for anyone who would like to experience it that way.
Our book
The Women
A powerful story of courage, friendship and the women whose service in Vietnam was too often forgotten.
It is 1965 and twenty-year-old nursing student Frankie McGrath has grown up believing in a traditional version of courage and service. When her brother leaves for Vietnam, Frankie makes a decision that will change her life: she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows him.
Kristin Hannah's novel takes us into the experience of the women who served during the Vietnam War and follows Frankie through both the chaos of war and the difficult years that follow.
Reading the novel before we travel gives us a fascinating starting point for the journey. We'll encounter the modern country as it is today while also visiting places where the events of the twentieth century remain part of Vietnam's story.
The journey
Vietnam from south to north
Rather than staying in one place, this is a journey through Vietnam, giving us the chance to experience several very different sides of the country.
3 - 5 November
Ho Chi Minh City
Our first encounter with Vietnam begins in the energy, noise and colour of its largest city.
Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a fascinating mixture of old and new, East and West. French colonial influences sit alongside temples, markets, modern towers, street stalls and seemingly endless streams of scooters.
After arriving and settling into our hotel, we'll have a free day to begin exploring at our own pace. It is also our first opportunity to start connecting the Vietnam we've read about with the country around us.
5 November
The Mekong Delta
From the intensity of the city to the waterways and villages of southern Vietnam.
We'll travel south from Ho Chi Minh City into the Mekong Delta, often described as the rice bowl of Vietnam.
A private boat takes us through the waterways to Ben Tre, where we'll discover coconut gardens, tropical fruit and village life before enjoying lunch in the heart of the delta.
It's a chance to see a completely different side of Vietnam before returning to Ho Chi Minh City for the evening.
A day on the Mekong
- Private transport from Ho Chi Minh City
- Boat journey through the Mekong Delta
- Visit to Ben Tre
- Coconut gardens and local produce
- Village experience
- Lunch featuring regional specialities
6 - 8 November
Hoi An
Lanterns, historic streets and one of Vietnam's most atmospheric towns.
We take an internal flight north from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang before continuing by road to Hoi An, an extraordinarily well-preserved former trading port whose architecture reflects centuries of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European influence.
A guided walking tour introduces us to the Old Town, including its historic houses, Chinese assembly halls and famous Japanese Covered Bridge.
The following day is free. Wander through the Central Market, browse shops and stalls, visit one of Hoi An's famous tailors or simply find somewhere for coffee and watch the town go by.
Those wanting to explore further might choose to visit nearby countryside, the temples of My Son, cruise the Thu Bon River or spend some time at An Bang Beach.
Your holiday too
Time to make your own discoveries
Not every hour of this trip is organised.
Alongside the included visits and guided experiences, there will be free time to explore independently or head off with other members of the group.
You might wander a market, find a favourite café, visit a museum, browse bookshops, have clothes made in Hoi An or simply sit somewhere interesting with your book.
It is often during this unstructured time that some of the best travel experiences happen.
8 - 9 November
Hue
Imperial history and one of the places where Vietnam's ancient and modern stories meet.
Leaving Hoi An, we'll cross the spectacular Hai Van Pass on our journey to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
Here we'll explore the Imperial Citadel and its Forbidden Purple City. The complex was badly damaged during the war, and traces of that destruction can still be seen among the surviving and restored buildings.
The following day we'll explore more of Hue by car, visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda before stopping for a vegetarian lunch at a convent or Buddhist monastery. We'll then continue to the beautifully situated royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc.
For those who would enjoy something a little more adventurous, there is the option to make this sightseeing journey by motorbike with your own driver instead. The motorbike is entirely optional, and anyone who prefers can travel by car.
In the early evening we'll take an internal flight from Hue to Hanoi. This replaces the overnight train journey and makes the journey north considerably more comfortable.
Motorbike option: If you choose to travel by motorbike, your travel insurance will need to cover riding pillion on a motorbike up to 125cc.
Book into place
Reading The Women in Vietnam
Books in Places is about what happens when the place you've been imagining on the page suddenly becomes real.
The Women tells an American story of the Vietnam War, seen largely through the experiences of the nurses and soldiers sent there.
Travelling through Vietnam allows us to encounter another perspective: the cities, landscapes, communities and culture of the country itself.
During the trip we'll make time to come together and discuss the novel, our reactions to it and how travelling through Vietnam has affected the way we think about the story.
9 - 13 November
Hanoi
Lakes, boulevards, temples and the wonderful confusion of the Old Quarter.
We'll arrive in Hanoi by air from Hue, giving us a much more comfortable journey than travelling north overnight by train.
Vietnam's capital has a very different character from Ho Chi Minh City. Tree-lined boulevards and peaceful lakes sit alongside ancient streets, Buddhist temples and the constant activity of the Old Quarter.
Our guided sightseeing includes the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and a walking tour through the historic streets and shop houses of the Old Quarter.
Hanoi is also our base for one of the great highlights of the entire journey: Halong Bay.
11 - 12 November
A night on Halong Bay
One of the world's great natural landscapes and a spectacular finale to our journey through Vietnam.
We'll leave Hanoi and travel to World Heritage-listed Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone islands rise dramatically from the emerald water.
We'll board our boat and cruise among the limestone karsts, visit one of the bay's remarkable caves and spend the night surrounded by this extraordinary landscape.
The following morning begins with the option of Tai Chi on deck before breakfast and more time to enjoy the scenery. After brunch, we'll return to Hanoi.
One last evening
Our farewell dinner in Hanoi
After returning from Halong Bay, we'll spend our final evening together over dinner at KOTO.
KOTO is a social enterprise that helps disadvantaged and at-risk young people in Vietnam develop skills and careers in the hospitality industry.
After almost two weeks travelling together, it feels like a particularly fitting place to share one final meal and talk about everything we've experienced.
At a glance
The Vietnam literary journey
Your holiday
What's included
The itinerary is currently being finalised and some activities, accommodation and travel arrangements may change before booking opens.
Coming on your own?
You can travel solo without travelling alone
Most Books in Places guests come on their own, so there is nothing unusual about arriving without a travelling companion.
See Vietnam together
From the Mekong Delta to Halong Bay, you'll have a group of fellow book lovers to share the experiences with.
Time for yourself
Free time is built into the journey, giving you the opportunity to relax or explore independently whenever you want to.
A ready-made connection
Everyone arrives having read the same book. It gives us something to talk about before we've even unpacked.
Vietnam · November 2027
Read the book.
Then discover the country.
Join Books in Places for twelve nights travelling through Vietnam, inspired by Kristin Hannah's The Women.
From Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta to Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and Halong Bay, this is a chance to experience one of our most ambitious literary journeys yet.
From £3,795pp