Highlights of Northern Vietnam Tour

After being greeted by our guide upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, you will be driven to your hotel so you can check-in after a long trip to relax.

Stay overnight in Hanoi

The entire day is spent touring some of the most famous attractions in Hanoi, including the magnificent Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Uncle Ho's final resting place, his modest stilt house, which provides insight into his morally upright lifestyle, and the One Pillar Pagoda, which was constructed in 1049 using wood and rests atop a stone pillar in the shape of a lotus blossom. Discover the history of the city by visiting a neighboring historical lake that houses a B-52 relic and spending some time at a witness's home to hear an untold story of how the people there dealt with the aftermath of the war. Vietnam's earliest university, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam), was constructed in the style of Vietnamese architecture from the 11th century. Cyclo (rickshaw) rides around the Old Quarter's "36 streets of 36 wares" are a great way to see the vibrant, busy, and sociable environment of Hanoi.Finding out about the Vietnamese coffee legend known as "Egg Coffee" is one of the day's pleasures. Learn about coffee culture and prepare your cup of coffee at this hidden café run by a famed egg coffee artist. After that, have some classic Hanoian fare.

Stay overnight in Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast

Notes:
• Tour duration: 7.5-8 hours (08.30-17.00)
• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is CLOSED on Mondays, Fridays, and all afternoons.

Optional Tour: MY VILLAGE SHOW 44$ per person
Depart from your hotel late this afternoon to watch "My Village Show," a cirque-style performance with entrancing folk music and a blend of arts that highlights the serene rural life and beautiful surroundings of Vietnam. Baskets and bamboo pipes are used throughout the show. This 60-minute presentation will astound and amuse you while providing you with a wonderful glimpse into the tranquil and picturesque Vietnamese villages.

Notes:
• Tour duration: 2 hours (17.30-19.30), including transfer time and show
• Venue: Hanoi Opera House or Tuong Theater
• Public show
• Inclusion: transfer, show ticket

Optional Tour: HOME-HOSTED DINNER WITH A LOCAL FAMILY 45$ per person
There's nothing more fascinating than staying with a local family to learn about their culture and way of life. Spend your leisure time at a local family in downtown Hanoi instead of dining at an exclusive restaurant with impeccable service to gain insight into the lifestyle of a true Hanoian and to experience a traditional home-style meal, which holds great significance in Vietnamese culture. It would be the hosts' pleasure to share their life tales with you in order to make your visit special and unforgettable.

Notes:
• Tour duration: 3-3.5 hours (17.30-21.00)
• Capacity: 12pax
• Inclusion: transfer, food and drink fee

Enjoy a two-hour excursion this morning from central Hanoi to Ninh Binh, a site known for its breathtaking karst mountains, spooky tunnels, and historic relics that was inducted as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014. Your first destination should be Hoa Lu, or the Old Capital, Ninh Binh's most well-known location. Here, you may discover more about the Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasties—Vietnam's first three centralized feudal states. See Bich Dong Pagoda, dubbed "Vietnam's second most beautiful grotto" by a king.

Tam Coc, or "three caves" in Vietnamese, is referred to as "Ha Long Bay on Land" and was created by the Ngo Dong river flowing through a mountain. This afternoon, you will be taken on a gorgeous rice-paddie-lined river by a talented local rower. Explore these caves surrounded by high mountains and take in the breathtaking vista of the karst formation. To get to the Thai Vi temple, get off the boat and proceed down a village path. Admire the breathtaking rural scenery as you go by the never-ending rice fields and the enigmatic grotto that houses a holy shrine.
Stay overnight in Ha Noi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Notes:
• Tour duration: full day (08.30-17.00)
• March-April is the beginning of the rice farming season in Ninh Binh. The fields are greenest here around April and early May, turning golden in late May and early June when the harvest starts.
• Walking distance from disembarkation point to Thai Vi temple: 200meters, on the flat road
• You can choose to enjoy a leisure cycling trip around the Tam Coc-Bich Dong area (7km, easy terrain flat road). The bike is available for hire on the spot with an approximate extra cost of US$ 3 per bike
• You need to walk up 150-250 steps to explore Bich Dong grotto and pagoda

Ha Long Bay, with its 3,000 islands rising out of the crystal-clear, green waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. It is a naturalist's paradise.
The 2.5-hour scenic drive from Ha Noi to Ha Long is full with magnificent scenery as you pass through luscious fruit orchards and apparently endless green paddy fields. After arriving, board the boat and take a 4-hour tour around the stunning limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay to view Thumb Islet (also known as Ngon Cai Islet), Fighting Cock Islet, and Incense Island—all of which may be seen on the 200,000 dong banknote used in Vietnam.
Explore Thien Cung-Dau Go cave, the bay’s largest cave with exquisite stalactites and stalagmites. While floating back to the dock, have a seafood lunch on board. Disembark and return to Hanoi City.

Stay overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Notes:
• Tour duration: 9-10 hours (07.00-17.00, including 5 hours for roundtrip transfer and 4 hours cruising on the bay)
• This itinerary is subject to change without prior notice if adverse weather or tide conditions occur.

Transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast

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