Is all train travel and accommodation included?

Yes. The price includes seven nights aboard the SJourney sleeper train, all meals, guided excursions, entrance fees, local English-speaking guides, and transfers mentioned in the itinerary.

What is the SJourney train?

The SJourney is a luxury sleeper train operated by Lernidee.de, with double cabins (Doppelzimmer/Zweibett-Abteil). Passengers stay aboard the entire journey from Hanoi to Saigon.

Is the tour guided or independent?

It is guided. An experienced English-speaking guide team leads the journey, and local English-speaking guides accompany excursions at each stop. The tour is described as an individual rail journey with English-speaking guidance.

What meals and drinks are included?

Full board: breakfast, lunch, and dinner aboard the train each day. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages are included during meals. Drinks outside mealtimes and off the train are not included.

When does the train depart and arrive?

The train departs Hanoi (Gia Lam station) on Day 1 after a 4:30 p.m. hotel pickup. It arrives in Saigon at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Day 8, with breakfast until 8:30 a.m. and checkout from 9:00 a.m.

What is not included?

Not included are private or extra transfers outside the itinerary, drinks purchased off the train, personal expenses, visa fees, travel insurance, and optional pre- and post-trip programs (which can be booked separately).

lernidee.de · Individual rail journey (Englisch geführt)

Mit dem Sonderzug SJourney von Hanoi nach Saigon

Eight-day luxury sleeper train journey from Hanoi to Saigon through Vietnam

Lernidee.de operates the SJourney, a luxury sleeper train that carries you from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City over eight days. You board at Gia Lam station in Hanoi on the evening of Day 1, checking into your double cabin for a welcome dinner. For the next week, the train is your home while you explore some of Vietnam's most significant cultural and natural sites. Each day brings a different stop: sampan boats through limestone karst at Trang An, boat rides into Phong Nha Cave in a UNESCO national park, ricksha tours through the imperial city of Hue with visits to royal palaces and a mausoleum, and guided walks through the ancient trading town of Hoi An. The itinerary also includes visits to craft villages, a pagoda atop Ta Cu mountain, and regional lunch stops with sea views. An English-speaking guide team leads all activities, and the train provides gourmet meals daily, with beer and wine included. You arrive in Saigon on the morning of Day 8. This journey suits luxury seekers and repeat rail travellers who want to experience Vietnam's heritage from a moving base, with all logistics and meals handled.

What to know before you look closer

The operator notes that the journey is generally not suitable for people with restricted mobility; confirm accessibility requirements before booking.
Visa fees are not included; arrange a Vietnam visa independently if required.
Single supplements apply; the pack does not state the single-berth surcharge.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Willkommen an Bord des SJourney!
Abholung vom Hotel gegen 16:30 Uhr, Empfang und VIP-Lounge am Bahnhof Gia Lam, Check-in und Einschiffung, elegantes Abendessen an Bord.
Day 2overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Ninh Binh
Frühstück an Bord, Sampan-Bootsfahrt durch Trang An (trockene Halong-Bucht, UNESCO), Besuch der alten Hauptstadt Hoa Lu, Mittagessen an Bord.
Day 3overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Quang Binh
Phong Nha-Ke Bang-Nationalpark (UNESCO-Welterbe), Bootsfahrt auf dem Son-Fluss zur Phong Nha-Höhle, optionale Kochvorführung, Abendessen inmitten der Reisfelder.
Day 4overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Hue
Rikscha-Fahrt durch die Kaiserstadt Hue, Königspalast der Nguyen-Dynastie, Mausoleum von Kaiser Tu Duc, Besuch des Räucherstäbchendorfs, Fahrt zur Lagune von Lang Co.
Day 5overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Hoi An
Zugfahrt durch den Hai Van-Pass, Jeep-Tour zu traditionellen Handwerksbetrieben, Besichtigung der Altstadt von Hoi An (UNESCO-Welterbe) und der japanischen überdachten Brücke.
Day 6overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Phu Yen
Besuch der Kirche von Mang Lang, Weberdorf Phu Tan, kulinarische Spezialität an der Küste, Weiterfahrt Richtung Binh Thuan.
Day 7overnight: Sonderzug SJourney
Phan Thiet
Ta Cu-Berg mit Linh Son Truong Tho-Pagode, Fischsoßen-Museum, Mittagessen mit Meerblick, Besuch der Po Sah Inu-Türme, Abschiedsessen.
Day 8
Saigon
Ankunft am Bahnhof Sai Gon gegen 5:00 Uhr, Frühstück bis 8:30 Uhr, Check-out ab 9:00 Uhr, Transfer zum Hotel in Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt oder zum Flughafen Tan Son Nhat.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Sampan boat journey through Trang An, a UNESCO-listed limestone landscape known as the dry Halong Bay, followed by a visit to Hoa Lu, the former capital.
Day 3Boat ride on the Son River into Phong Nha Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage site within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
Day 4Ricksha tour through the imperial city of Hue to visit the royal palace of the Nguyen Dynasty and the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc.
Day 5Train passage through Hai Van Pass followed by a jeep tour to traditional craft villages and the UNESCO-listed ancient town of Hoi An with its Japanese covered bridge.

Included

8-tägige Fahrt im Sonderzug SJourney mit 7 Übernachtungen an Bord
Erfahrenes englischsprachiges Reiseleiter-Team
Ortskundige Englisch sprechende Reiseleiter während der Ausflüge
Ausflüge, Besichtigungen und Transfers laut Reiseverlauf
Sämtliche Eintrittsgelder für die Besichtigungen laut Reiseverlauf
Mahlzeiten laut Reiseverlauf (F = Frühstück, M = Mittagessen, A = Abendessen)
Vollpension an Bord des Zuges SJourney inkl. nichtalkoholischen Getränken sowie Bier und Hauswein während der Mahlzeiten

Not included

Private oder zusätzliche Transfers außerhalb des inkludierten Programms
Getränke, die außerhalb der Mahlzeiten und außerhalb des Zuges konsumiert werden
Persönliche Ausgaben
Visagebühren
Reiseversicherung
Individuelle Vor- und Nachprogramme (auf Wunsch buchbar)

Questions travellers ask

Is all train travel and accommodation included?: Yes. The price includes seven nights aboard the SJourney sleeper train, all meals, guided excursions, entrance fees, local English-speaking guides, and transfers mentioned in the itinerary.
What is the SJourney train?: The SJourney is a luxury sleeper train operated by Lernidee.de, with double cabins (Doppelzimmer/Zweibett-Abteil). Passengers stay aboard the entire journey from Hanoi to Saigon.
Is the tour guided or independent?: It is guided. An experienced English-speaking guide team leads the journey, and local English-speaking guides accompany excursions at each stop. The tour is described as an individual rail journey with English-speaking guidance.
What meals and drinks are included?: Full board: breakfast, lunch, and dinner aboard the train each day. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages are included during meals. Drinks outside mealtimes and off the train are not included.
When does the train depart and arrive?: The train departs Hanoi (Gia Lam station) on Day 1 after a 4:30 p.m. hotel pickup. It arrives in Saigon at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Day 8, with breakfast until 8:30 a.m. and checkout from 9:00 a.m.
What is not included?: Not included are private or extra transfers outside the itinerary, drinks purchased off the train, personal expenses, visa fees, travel insurance, and optional pre- and post-trip programs (which can be booked separately).