5-Day Hanoi, Ninh Bình and Halong Bay Tour with Overnight Cruise

• Meet the driver at 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 sightseeing at places such as Hà Nội Train Street, Hà Nội Church, the Opera House, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and Lotte Mall with its Observation Sky Deck. You may also travel through the Old Quarter - the 36 ancient streets - by electric car or cyclo, or enjoy the traditional Water Puppet Show.

Overnight in Hanoi.

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

• Meet the tour guide and driver, who will pick you up from your hotel for a group tour to Ninh Bình at 7:00 a.m.
• Arrive at Mua Cave and begin ascending more than 500 stone steps to reach the summit. Inhale the crisp air and take in the breathtaking panorama of Tam Coc. (9:40 a.m.)
• Relax and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. (12:00 to 12:30 p.m.) Afterwards, visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lư, Vietnam's most significant remnant from the past. Here, you will discover the establishment of the first capital in Ninh Bình's Hoa Lư and 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 Tràng An, a must-do activity in Ninh Bình and the highlight of the journey. On the Tràng An tour, you will ride a bamboo boat through grottos filled with stunning stalactites while taking 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

• Depart for a 3.5-hour ride to Halong Bay, twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage site 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 during the tour briefing. A sumptuous lunch will be served on board while the ship sails further into the bay, giving you 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, calm water or go kayaking. Kayaking is easy for all levels and ages. Our expert and experienced guide will instruct you on the 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

• Continue your journey on Halong Bay in the early morning. A Tai Chi class on the sundeck is a must and should not be missed while 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, continue cruising past the fishing village with its unique way of life.
• Cruise back to the jetty at 10:30 a.m., and enjoy your last moments in the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
• Leave the boat around noon. Go ashore and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi.

Meals: B/Brunch

• 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 the Ho Chi Minh complex, including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex (it is closed for maintenance from 13th June until 15 Aug 2022), the final resting place of Vietnam's great father, or Uncle Ho; President Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, where Uncle Ho lived and worked from 1958 to 1969; and the Ho Chi Minh Museum, where tourists will learn about his devotion to Vietnam.
• Continue the trip to Trấn Quốc Pagoda, a Buddhist relic lying on one side of West Lake.
• Proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. Here, you can discover the diversity of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups, as the Vietnam Ethnology Museum is both a research centre 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 Vietnamese feudal times and education.
• Return to Hoàn Kiếm Lake to visit Ngọc Sơn Temple, which worships Van Xuong saint and Trần Hưng Đạo, the former general commander. You will also get to know more about the Vietnamese and French architecture around the lake. Before your departure flight, transfer to the airport 3-5 hours in advance to take your flight back home.

Meals: B/L

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