Itinerary

1. Hanoi Highlights

   • 8.00: Pick up from the hotel to take part in Hanoi city tour. 

   • Firstly, visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. His stilt house, the botanical garden and presidential palace while learning about his life and revolutionary activities. This used to be the residence of the Governor of Indochina. After 1954, it was named the presidential palace and became where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked until he passed away in 1969.

   • On the way, visit One Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda was constructed in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong according to his dream of Bodhisattva seating on a lotus flower and led him to the pagoda. In 1954, the pagoda was destroyed by the French before their withdrawal. After taking over the city on October 10th 1954, Vietnam Ministry of Culture restored the pagoda. The pagoda design that you see today is the same since this restoration. 

   • Around 10.30, arrive at the Temple of Literature. This is the combination of the Confucius Temple worshipping Confucius, built-in 1070 and the first Royal National university in Vietnam built six years later in 1076. Considered as “an escape” from the bustling city, this temple. And its beautiful garden provides an opportunity to learn more about education in Vietnam since 1000 years ago until recent history.

   • 12.00: Eat lunch in a local restaurant with local Vietnamese traditional Cuisines

   • 13.00: Continue to visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum. Located west of the city center, this museum offers an informative and well-documented display of the country’s 54 ethnic groups, including elaborate and colourful hill-tribe costumes, weaving designs, musical instruments, fishing implements, work tools and other functional objects. The display continues to the garden outside with fascinating examples of minority housing from the King’s to the ones of the ethnic groups in Central Highlands.

   • 15.30: Visit Hoan Kiem Lake (Restored Sword Lake) and Ngoc Son temple. Situated in the heart of Hanoi, the lake got its name according to a legend story. In the 15th century, during the Ming Chinese invasion, General Le Loi was presented with a holy sword. With this sword's help, he expelled the Chinese from Thang Long, present-day of Hanoi and proclaimed himself as king Le Thai To. One day, when the king was sailing on the lake, suddenly a golden turtle emerged from the water and claimed back the sword which has been believed given to him by God. Since then, the lake has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem or the lake of the Restored Sword. 

   • On the island at the northern part of the lake is Ngoc Son or Jade Mountain temple, one of the most beautiful and religious sites in the capital. The temple was established by a mandarin named Nguyen Van Sieu and is dedicated to the spirits of the soil, medicine, literature, and Tran  Hung Dao, the general who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century.

   • 17.00: Take a pedicab ride around the "36 meandering streets" of the Old Quarter.

   • 18.00: Come back to the hotel; the trip ends!