Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)

Arrival flight:   ……… Upon your arrival in French colonial Hanoi, your guide will welcome you at the airport and then transfer you to a local spa to enjoy a body massage treatment to assist your body in recovering from the long flight and jetlag. Then transfer to your hotel for check-in. 

After a short rest, enjoy a welcome dinner at a nice local restaurant where we will have our trip orientation. 

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Hanoi Sightseeing (B, L)

We start our full-day tour of Vietnam’s capital city at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday) and his nearby former residence. Continue visiting Vietnam’s first university, the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon: 

• Visit Thu Huong Lacquer Arts & Workshop where you will learn about the history of lacquer, when it appeared in the world and how it developed through centuries. You will also learn about the color that is made from tree bark and the technique of using it, making the difference between Japanese or Chinese lacquer with Vietnamese one, and get to know the reason why the traditional Vietnamese lacquer takes a long time to finish.
• Visit the Ethnology Museum (closed on Monday) where you can discover the diversity of Vietnam’s many ethnic groups.

Transfer back to the city center for a leisure walking tour around Hoan Kiem lake and its vicinity. 

In the late afternoon, you will enjoy a traditional water puppet show. Dinner on your own. 

Overnight at the hotel. 

Remark: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum closes from 08 September to 08 November for annual maintenance.

*All visitors to the mausoleum are required to wear clothes covering their knees and shoulders. This applies to both men and women

Day 3: Hanoi - Van Long - Ninh Binh (B,L)

Today we will drive out of town to Nho Quan – Van Long. Enjoy the beautiful landscape and take the opportunity to make some photos of the endless rice fields bordered by the mountain ranges. 

Upon arrival at a typical local house, we take a rest here and then enjoy a special local lunch prepared by the host family. This is a great possibility to join real life in Vietnam. 

After lunchtime and some relaxation, get on your bike and cycle along the dike one side is bordered by the lovely Hoang Long river and the other by immense rice fields. Following this experience, you will board a traditional sampan rowing boat in Van Long which takes you through marvelous scenery of limestone mountains that creates a surreal picture. Afterward, we head to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam from 938 to 1010 to learn more about the history of the country. 

In the late afternoon, check in to your hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel. 

Day 4: Ninh Binh - Halong Bay (B,L,D)

After breakfast, drive to Ha Long Bay, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site with its 3,000 islands of towering limestone dotting the bay and Gulf of Tonkin. We arrive at Ha Long harbor and board a beautiful non-private traditional junk (a traditional wooden boat fashioned for overnight cruising). We set off on our cruise on the magnificent Ha Long Bay. Enjoy an excellent menu of fresh seafood on deck. 

Overnight on board. 

Day 5: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)

After breakfast on board the boat, you’ll bid farewell to the crew before returning to Hanoi. Return to Hanoi passing a vast expanse of rice fields of the Red river delta. If time still permits make a stop en route to visit a ceramic village or But Thap pagoda – one of the finest and largest Buddhist temples in Northern Vietnam. Return to your hotel for check-in. The balance of the day is free at leisure. Meals on your own. 

Overnight at the hotel. 

Remark: The time for check out of your cabin on board is around 9.00-9.30 am. Disembark time is around 11.00 am.

Day 6: Hanoi Departure (B)

Free at leisure until your transfer to the airport (without a guide) for the departure flight. The room is at disposal until noon time only. Meals on your own. SERVICES END. Departure flight: ………..

Thank you for traveling with us!

Wishing You a Happy and Safe Journey

These services include

• Accommodation in the category chosen or similar (subject to availability).
• Meals as mentioned in the program. B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner.
• All local boat rentals and cycling as mentioned in the program. 
• Cruise on non-private junk in Ha Long bay.
• Transfer from and to the airports by private vehicle with A/C. 
• Transportation by private vehicle with A/C.
• All entrance fees and sightseeing as mentioned in the program.
• Local English-speaking guide(s) in Vietnam.

These services exclude

• Meals and drinks are not mentioned in the program.
• International flight tickets and airport taxes. 
• All internal/ regional flight tickets in economy class with departure tax.
• Visa Vietnam
• Tips & personal expenses. 
• Personal insurance. 
• Any service not mentioned in the program.