Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi

   • Meet the driver at the Noi Bai airport and transfer to the hotel. Early check-in with breakfast is available for you. 
   • Enjoy a free day on your own. You can go for local sightseeing such as Ha Noi Train Street, Ha Noi Church, The Opera House, Hoan Kiem Lake, Lotte Mall with Observation Sky Deck and travel through the Old Quarter – the 36 ancient streets in an electric car or cycle or enjoy the traditional Water Puppet Show.

   Overnight in Hanoi.

   Recommendation: You should go to Hanoi at the weekend. At the weekend, we have a walking street in the Old Quarter (the area of your hotel), which is very busy and fun with pubs and activities.

2. Day 2: Explore the Highlights of Ninh Binh and Hoa Lu

   • Meet the tour guide and driver, who will pick you up from your hotel for a group tour to Ninh Binh at 7:00 a.m.
   • Arrive at Mua Cave and begin ascending over 500 stone steps to reach the summit of Mua cave. Inhale the crisp air and take in the breathtaking panorama of Tam Coc. (9:40 a.m.)
   • Relax while enjoying lunch at a local restaurant. (12:00 to 12:30 a.m.) Afterwards, visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Vietnam's most significant remnant from the past. Here, you will discover the establishment of the first capital in Ninh Binh's Hoa Lu. Learn about the remarkable and distinctive architecture found in the temples of King Dinh and King Le, who made significant contributions to an ancient kingdom. (13:15)
   • Enjoy a boat ride from Trang An; the wharf is a must-do activity in Ninh Binh, as it is the journey's highlight. On the Trang An Tour, while you ride a bamboo boat through grottos filled with stunning stalactites, you'll be able to take in the breathtaking scenery. (14:15)
   • Get in the car and return to Hanoi at 17:00.
   • Drop off at your hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi by 19:00.

   Meals: B/L

3. Day 3: Cruise on the Halong Bay

   • Depart for a 3.5-hour ride to Halong Bay (twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO) with the driver, who will pick you up from the hotel at 8:00 a.m.
   • Embark on the cruise upon arrival and enjoy a welcome drink while having a tour briefing. A sumptuous lunch will be served on board while the ship sails further to the Bay. Make your time to admire its dramatic limestone islands.
   • Rest at your leisure on the sundeck or in your cabin. In the afternoon, you will have time to swim in the warm and calm water or get on the kayaks of your choice. Kayaking is very easy for all levels and ages to do. Our expert and experienced guide will surely instruct you on basic paddling steps before leading you to explore the extraordinary beauty of Halong Bay. 
   • Return to the cruise (after 1-hour of exploring the bay) for relaxation before attending a cooking class in the late afternoon.

   Enjoy the superb dinner and stay overnight on board.

   Meals: B/L/D

4. Day 4: See the Sung Sot Cave

   • Continue our journey on Halong Bay in the early morning. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck is a must that you should not miss when on the cruise.
   • Sit on the upper deck to relax and enjoy sightseeing while taking photos of the magnificent beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay.
   • Explore Sung Sot cave - one of the finest and widest grottoes of Halong Bay after breakfast. Next, keep cruising and passing the fishing village with its unique way of life.
   • Cruise back to the jetty at 10:30 a.m., and you will enjoy the last moment in the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
   • Leave the boat around noon. We will go ashore and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi.

   Meals: B/Brunch

5. Day 5: Go Sightseeing in Hanoi

   • Have breakfast at the hotel and then check out. The guide will pick you up from the hotel at 8:30 a.m. to start the Hanoi city tour.
   • Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, including Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex (it is closed for maintenance from 13th June until 15 Aug 2022) - the final resting place of Vietnamese great father or Uncle Ho, President Ho Chi Minh's stilt house - where Uncle Ho lived and worked from 1958 to 1969, then visit Ho Chi Minh Museum where tourists will learn about his devotion for Vietnam. 
   • Continue the trip to Tran Quoc pagoda - a Buddhist relic lying on one side of West Lake.
   • Proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. We can find out the diversity of 54 ethnic groups in the Vietnam Ethnology Museum, which is both a research center and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam.
   • Have lunch at noon and drive to the Temple of Literature - Confucius Temple and the first University of Vietnam. Learn about the Vietnamese feudal time and its education.
   • Return to Hoan Kiem legend lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple, which worships Van Xuong saint and Tran Hung Dao, former general commander. We will also get to know about the Vietnamese and French architecture around the lake. Before 3-5 hours of your departure flight, transfer to the airport to take the flight back home. 

   Meals: B/L

   Sincere thanks for travelling to Vietnam with us, hope that you have enjoyed your Vietnam trip and look forward to seeing you again!