Destination – Hanoi-Hao Lu-Tam Coc-Ninh Binh-Halong Bay
Duration – 5 nights 6 Days
Day 1: Hanoi – Arrival
Welcome to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.
Upon arrival, welcomed by the local tour guide and transfer to the downtown. Check in your hotel (normal check-in time is 14.00/15.00).
Rest day at leisure to explore place on own. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: HANOI – full day city tour
Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, visit Ba Dinh Square – the biggest square in Hanoi where all the biggest cultural, political events of the cities, especially demonstrations, take place. Start our visit at the Complex of Ho Chi Minh including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Monday and Friday), Ho Chi Minh’s house-on-stilts, his fishpond and the One-Pillar Pagoda. Then, the Temple of Literature which is considered as the first university of Vietnam. Afternoon, move on to the Museum of Ethnology, where you can find an excellent full collection of 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam and wonderful implications of artifacts and patterns from their traditional handicrafts and clothes. Return to downtown, have an overall view of the capital by a “walking tour” visit, which will go through the fascinating network of narrow alleys and shop houses also known as ‘The 36 Streets’ – each street being named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics to crafts and from medicines to tombstones. Drop by Hoan Kiem Lake. Visit The Huc Red Bridge and Ngọc Son temple. From here walking around the Old Quarter streets to visit St Joseph’s Cathedral from outside. We then Walking along the history Long Bien Bridge, view the sunset slipping down to Hong River. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: HANOI – hoa lu – tam coc – hanoi
Breakfast at hotel. A 90km driving south of Hanoi will lead you to Ninh Binh, the site of the one capital city of ancient Vietnam before Hanoi took its leading role in 11th century. The area is featured by lots of well-known sceneries, which include Tam Coc Caves and Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples dedicated to King Dinh & King Le reigned in 10th century. The visit in Ninh Binh starts by a boat trip in Tam Coc where spectacular limestone karsts jut out from the green paddy fields reminding about Guilin (China) and Halong Bay of Vietnam, which gives this scenery the name “Halong-bay-on-land”. Further discovery in Ninh Binh will be continued by visiting Bich Dong Pagoda. Afternoon drive back Hanoi, on the way, stop to visit Hoa Lu, the site that used to be the kings’ palace in 10th century and now famous for the wooden relieves of the shady Dinh and Le temples. Late afternoon back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight in Cruise
Breakfast at hotel then check out. Pick up from hotel between 07:45 AM to 08:30 AM to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994 and 2006. The road will pass by the Red River delta with green paddyfields and rural villages, where hard-work farmers are busy with their farming jobs, ploughing buffaloes or planting seedling. Upon arrival in Halong, check in the overnight cruise to discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch on board, we can visit the Grottos, stop for swimming or kayaking, passing floating houses and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Back to the cruise, enjoy cooking demonstration before having dinner. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the cruise.
Please note the program may be a little varied upon the cruise you choose.
Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi
You should wake up early to enjoy the dawn on the sea in the early morning. The Vietnamese call the “East Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. After breakfast our boat will continue to cruise in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent like Sail Island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet etc. Check out your room and have brunch on board while the cruise is coming back the pier. Disembark from the cruise, transfer back to Hanoi Hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 6: Hanoi – Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. Time at leisure until check out time and transfer to the airport (without guide) for the departure flight back to your sweet home.
For airport drop post 6PM, there will be additional surcharge applicable.
