Day 01
Explore Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An Complex
- Meet the tour representative at 8:00 a.m. and depart from your hotel for a 2-hour drive to Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the most impressive Buddhist centres in Vietnam.
- On arrival, walk along a path lined with 500 stone arhats leading to the main pagodas. Each of the large pagodas and huge statues is an example of artistic architecture.
- Take a lift to the viewpoint, a 13-storey tower believed to house part of Buddha's ashes. From here, enjoy a panoramic view of the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia, surrounded by an exquisite river valley dotted with limestone karsts.
- Break for lunch, then continue to Trang An, the world's first mixed Heritage Zone, recognized by UNESCO in 2014. On arrival at the pier, board a private traditional sampan boat gently rowed by a local.
- Cruise along a poetic river through a series of caves, some of them 300-400 m long. Each section reveals a new hidden world inside isolated valleys of tranquillity.
- Step off the boat for a walk through peaceful pagodas and temples dedicated to the most famous mandarins of the Tran Dynasty.
- Hike up for better views, then continue down to a movie set island where the latest iteration of the King Kong movie series, "Kong: Skull Island," was filmed. Return to the sampan boat and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature as you head back to the pier.
- Transfer back to Hanoi in the late afternoon.
Note: Loose clothing is ideal for boat trips. Cover your knees and shoulders when entering the pagoda.
