Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival Hanoi

   • Meet the tour guide and driver at the Noi Bai Airport, who are ready to welcome you. 
   • Enjoy the 45-minute drive to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with the city's briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine. Arrive at your hotel, check in (check-in timing: 14:00) and have a rest.
   • Continue the tour by walking around the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake to the Opera House, stopping at the Statue of King Ly Thai To and the Vietnamese Government Guest House, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi. 
   • Walk back to the Old Town and visit some main streets before returning to your hotel.

   (Option: If your flight arrives late or you are jet lag after a long flight, the walking tour will be moved to the city tour day.)

2. Day 2: Hanoi City

   • Meet the guide and driver at 8:00 a.m. at your hotel lobby for the safety briefing; we begin our adventure!
   • Start to explore the unknown parts of the city with slices of life in the maze of backstreets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets and the black markets, experiencing where and how locals live, work and play.
   • Pass by and stop at the must-see places, in the second part of the tour, of our beautiful Hanoi city, such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - the Mecca of Vietnamese, the 1000-year-old Buddhist and Taoist Temples of Tran Quoc, Temple of Literature, the historical training track, the enchanting French Quarter, the hustling and bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem, West lake, Hanoi Opera House and the famous Long Bien bridge etc.
   • Go to the peaceful and alluring out-skirts villages, in the third part, around West Lake and Truc Bach Lake, to enrich your experiences about the contrast in the harmony of life between the city center and her out-skirt.
   • Stop at different authentic restaurants, eateries and food stalls to savour the tastiest of the tasty dishes of Hanoi, including family heirlooms, secret recipe dishes, local delicacies and specialities.
   • Return to the hotel.

3. Day 3: Hanoi - Ba Be (230 km)

   • Start for Ba Be National Park via Thai Nguyen at 8:00 a.m.
   • Drive through the countryside with rural villages. We will stop at your command to have nice pictures. On the way, visit the Tay community, and interact with villagers to learn about their culture.
   • Continue to Ba Be, where you will be surprised by the magnificent nature, where the mountains gently meet the valleys of rice terraces. Stop to take photos whenever possible. Upon arrival in Ba Be, check in at your accommodation at Pac Ngoi village and go cycling through several villages of Tay ethnic groups; continue along the river and part of the national park to Hua Ma cave (5km from the village). This is an attractive place with amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. 
   • Go back to the village in the late afternoon. 

4. Day 4: Ba Be - Hanoi (230 km)

   • Take a walk from the village, in the morning, to the pier to enjoy a boat trip on the lake (it is possible to swim in the lake). 
   • Stop to discover the Fairy Pond in the middle of the primitive forest. After the lake, move to Nang river. Walk along the river bank and be immersed in the beauty of the wild, and reach the Dau Dang waterfall.
   • Continue our boat trip in the opposite direction along the Nang River to Puong Cave, home to thousands of bats inside the cave. The boat will go through the cave toward the Buoc Lom pier. 
   • Meet our driver for a transfer to Hanoi.
   • Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Check-in at your hotel and enjoy some free time after the mountain getaway.

5. Day 5: Hanoi - Bai Tu Long Bay

   • Meet the guide at your hotel around 8:00 a.m. Enjoy three hour's drive from Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay. Your journey will pass a series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for drinks and restrooms. 
   • Continue your driving, arrive at the harbour around noon, and get warmly welcomed at the cruise reception.
   • Embark cruise and enjoy a welcome drink onboard the cruise boat (12:30).
   • Cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay and have lunch with Set Menu (13:00).
   • Explore Vung Vieng Village: Guests choose to discover the daily life of the fisher communities with a bamboo boat (one hour) or kayaking around the Vung Vieng area (one hour) (15:00). Enjoy swimming, sunbathing and relaxing at Ban Chan Beach.
   • Relax and enjoy the sunset cocktail while the boat is cruising to Cong Dong - Cong Do area. (17:30) Docking for overnight.
   • Have BBQ dinner at 19:30. Have a free evening or take part in some activities of board games or squid fishing, or karaoke (on request). Taste the variety of drinks at our luxury sundeck bar (chargeable) with wines, cocktails, brandy, and juices.
   • End the day tour by 23:00.

6. Day 6: Bai Tu Long Bay - Hanoi

   • Engage in doing exercises with Tai Chi on the sundeck at 06:30.
   • Enjoy a light breakfast while cruising to the Hon Co area (07:15).
   • Explore the Thien Canh Son Cave. Located at the centre of the World Heritage Area- Halong Bay, Thien Canh Son Cave treats tourists to the wild and mysterious beauty of nature (8:00).
   • Return to the boat for check out and relaxing on sundeck or watching the fruit carving demonstration (09:30). Enjoy the last of the Ha Long Bay scenery over lunch as the boat cruises back to shore.
   • Transfer by tender to the pier, relax inside our waiting lounge and wait for the return transportation (11:45).
   • Travel back to Hanoi. Have a rest in the middle of the way. Drop off at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter).

   Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and 2 hours (domestic) before departure time.