CMB Bandaranayake International Airport (Google Map)
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. The transfer distance is approximately 40 munites.
Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.
Late afternoon, visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple located on an islet in the lake. Hoan Kiem Lake is the center point of Hanoi and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species. Its name “Returned Sword” comes from a legend of a sacred sword being lent to an ancient Vietnamese King by a holy turtle from the lake and later returned to the turtle. Shop or walk at leisure in the Old Quarter of 36 ancient streets.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: A hotel used in Hanoi
Morning, start a half day city tour beginning with Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese. The area surrounding the complex is a traffic-free zone filled with botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas, and includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum. Travel back in time, you will visit the simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his humble beginnings as a revolutionary. Walk on a green path planted with mango trees on side, see the pond full with fish, pass a few blocks out of the Ho Chi Minch Complex to the 11th century Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda, an elegant construction rising from the center of a square shaped lotus pond on a solitary pillar. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars. Have lunch and take a rest before a transfer to Ha Long Bay.
Afternoon, transfer to Ha Long Bay which is about 160 km or 3.5 hour drive away. Moving through the countryside on the way will bring you a clear perspective of a country’s whose 80% of population live on farming. Have a quick rest stop en route before reaching Ha Long City. Check in hotel then spend time at leisure.
Note: Hochiminh Mausoleum close on Monday, Friday morning and every afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: A hotel used in Ha Long
For Group 1-9pax: Sharing boat and Lunch at local restaurant
Morning, breakfast at hotel between 6-7 AM, transfer to the dock for boarding a sharing boat to explore the legendary Ha Long Bay. Ha Long means Descending Dragon in Vietnamese as legend has it that a holly dragon landed down here from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The boat will stop at Dau Go Island for you to visit Thien Cung Cave (Heaven Palace) and Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes). Dau Go Cave in 13th Century was a depot to store pointed wooden stakes, which later were used by Vietnamese great military commander Tran Hung Dao to trap and puncture Mongolian naval boats in famous battles of Bach Dang. Return to the dock, disembark. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch travel back to Hanoi.
Afternoon, drive back Hanoi and shopping in Hanoi Old Quarter. Evening at leisure.
For Group 10pax up: Private boat and lunch on cruise
Morning, breakfast at hotel between 6-7 AM, transfer to the dock for boarding a cruise boat to explore the legendary Ha Long Bay. Ha Long means Descending Dragon in Vietnamese as legend has it that a holly dragon landed down here from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2. The boat will stop at Dau Go Island for you to visit Thien Cung Cave (Heaven Palace) and Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes). Dau Go Cave in 13th Century was a depot to store pointed wooden stakes, which later were used by Vietnamese great military commander Tran Hung Dao to trap and puncture Mongolian naval boats in famous battles of Bach Dang. Continue cruising while fresh seafood lunch is served on board. Return to the dock, disembark and travel back to Hanoi.
Afternoon, drive back Hanoi and shopping in Hanoi Old Quarter. Evening at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: A hotel used in Hanoi
Option1: Full – day Tam Coc & Bich Dong
Morning, transfer to Ninh Binh province – located 110km from Hanoi to the South. Tam Coc – Bich Dong is a popular tourist destination near the city of Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam. Along Hoang Long River, vast limestone cliffs rising out of the rice paddies make Tam Coc somehow similar to Ha Long Bay, or on-land Ha Long Bay as described. A river trip to Tam Coc and through the three caves of Tam Coc is so wonderful for photo hunters, especially when ripping rice season is coming. Next to Tam Coc is Hoa Lu, the relics of the ancient capital of Vietnam during 10th century. Remains of this capital town are temples dedicated to the two heroes: Dinh King and Le King who were the founders of Hoa Lu as the citadel.
Option2: Full – day Trang An
Morning, depart from your hotel for Ninh Binh province, 98 kilometers South of Hanoi. You will call in a Buddhist complex called Bai Dinh, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, which consists of an original old pagoda and a series of newly built pagodas in Gia Vien District. It boasts hundreds of statutes and a variety of architectural works.
Proceed to visit Trang An Eco-tourism Complex where a boat trip will take you through a scenic landscape of mountains, fields and rivers to a series of caves including Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou. Trang An is also called “an inland Ha Long” for its strikingly similar terrain of rugged rocky mountains rising up from the lush wetland and constituting a magnificent maze. Have lunch at Anh Dung restaurant with local specialties such as goat meat, pork and crunchy rice crust.
Afternoon, transfer back to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: A hotel used in Hanoi
Free at leisure or you can go shopping around Hanoi Old Quarter before transfering to airport for departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast
