ITINERARY
Our Highlights of the North Vietnam takes you on a scenic adventure full of culture and stunning bay of decent Dragons. Experience local street foods in Hanoi fascinating Old Quarter, pay a visit to Bai Dinh – one of the largest glimmering pagoda complex in South East Asia, enjoy breathtaking views of Trang An – a complex ecosystem of mountains, caves, river-valleys, woods as well as cultural and historical relics, and sail on the World Heritage Site of Halong Bay but less visited route.
Day 1 – Hanoi Arrival.
Welcomed by Vietnam Travel’s local driver and transferred to Thien Thai, a luxury boutique hotel on a quiet side street yet close to Hanoi’s Old Quarter and business district. Take an orientation walking tour to visit the Opera House, Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple, St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Then experience the sights, the sounds, the culture and of course the awesome Hanoi street foods as you walk around the heart of the Old Quarter.
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2 – Hanoi – Ninh Binh (Bai Dinh & Trang An).
After breakfast, your tour guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel then journey southward to Ninh Binh Province where presents you an ancient land enriched with cultural and geographic wonders that were recently World Heritage Site listed.
Upon arrival at approximately 10:00 A.M, you will start your tour by visiting Bai Dinh Pagoda complex, one of the largest pagodas not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asia. This place is scenically set on the foothill of Dinh Mountain, surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below, and dotted with limestone karsts, which will take your breath away. The pagoda complexes stunningly boast an array of the most massive and magnificent refined Vietnamese architecture, which will take a full day to explore. With sacred atmospheres and an intriguing Buddhism story told by your guide, you cannot fail to be enchanted. Some of the highlights are:
– 500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),
– Two huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, the other 36 tons,
– Three bronze statues of “Tam The” (50 tons each).
The visit ends with a walk up the summit mountain to see the 100-ton bronze statue of Buddha Sakyamuni and a chance to enjoy the panoramic view of the picturesque landscape dotted with limestone mountains.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you will leave for the Trang An Grottoes, a UNESCO-listed series of grottoes carved from the region’s striking natural monoliths of limestone, which rises dramatically out from the rice paddy fields. Deep among the towering mountains, are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle. Embark on a traditional sampan gently rowed down the exquisite river through numerous caves: “Hang Toi” (Dark Cave), “Hang Sang” (Light Cave) and “Hang Nau Ruou” (Cave of Distillery). Every passage brings a new hidden inside isolated valleys of tranquility, which perhaps transformed to another world and time. The fauna and flora is rich, and a scene of a goat jumping from one cliff to the other is a common sight. Enjoy the sunset over the lime karsts while cruising on the clear water back to the main tourist boat terminal. The boat trip in Trang An is around 2.5 hours and through 9-11 caves like a circle.
At the end of the tour, transfer to The Reed Hotel, an ideal place to stay, to experience local atmosphere and explore the spectacular Ancient Capital of Vietnam, for overnight.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.
Day 3 – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay – Lan Ha Bay – Overnight on cruise.
Following the breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive through the Red River Delta provinces to Halong where you will board the cruise on an enchanting journey throughout the beautiful bays of Halong and Lan Ha. On arrival, welcome drinks, cruise briefing and safety instructions are delivered by the cruise manger, followed by your cabin check in. Apart from exploring the natural beauty of many islets in a leisure pace, the today program also includes more activities such as swimming or kayaking on the vast sea, cooking demonstration onboard to challenge your skills in preparing a very famous Vietnamese dish (activities depend on weather, season and the specific cruise). All fresh seafood meals are on-house as well.
Before returning to your cabin tonight, perhaps you may like to head to the bar, the spa or join the crew for some squid fishing.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.
Day 4 – Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure.
Wake up to fresh coffee, doing Tai Chi before cruising back to the shore. En route the junk weaves through impressive rock formations where you can enjoy kayaking. After having a brunch, farewell the crew team and disembark at the tourist harbor. Head to Hai Phong City on a complimentary tour of Vietnam’s third largest city that Vietnam Travel specially offers for those traveling on this special package.
Hai Phong is not only famous as a major industrial port city but there is also enormous potential for tourism. It preserved many architectural delights, including traditional architecture such as pagodas, temples and French neoclassical architecture of the old neighborhood. Once you arrive in Hai Phong, start the city tour with the Opera Theatre, also called Municipal Theatre, one of three theatres built by the French in Vietnam, the cultural structure typical of Port City. Next, visit Flower Stall & Le Chan Statue – one of the female generals under the command of the Trung Sisters (Hai Ba Trung) rose against Chinese rule in the year 43 C.E. Walk along the tree lined streets of this beautiful city for the orientation. Conclude your city tour of Hai Phong at Du Hang Pagoda, the ancient architecture originated during the Early Le dynasty. Admire the many valuable Buddha statues, horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences bearing the art style of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Later in the afternoon, drive to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport on one of Vietnam’s most modern freeways for your onward flight. Tour concludes.
If you need any further tour arrangements, accommodation booking or excursions, please contact Vietnam Travel’s consultant for assistance.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A.
PRICE INCLUDES
• 4-star accommodations with daily breakfast.
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Private car with A/C for all transfers.
• 5-star cruise on Halong & Lan Ha Bay (2D1N package).
• Kayaking.
• Onboard insurance, taxes and service charges.
• Sightseeing ticket & boat trip.
PRICE EXCLUDES
• International flight into and out Vietnam.
