HANOI – HA LONG – NINH BINH / 5-DAY NORTHERN VIETNAM HERITAGE REGIONS

Welcome to Vietnam!

Upon Arrival, we pick you up at Noi Bai Airport and take you transfer to the center of Hanoi for your journey with a visit to Ba Dinh Square, where there are many important landmarks associated with Vietnamese history, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of the father of the nation ( Take Photos below ), visit the Garden Trees and Fish Ponds in Uncle Ho’s Stilt House – the great president of Vietnam.

Next, visit the famous One Pillar Pagoda with its impressive architecture and spiritual values.

Noon: You have lunch at the local restaurant.

Then, departs to Ha Long (about 2 hours & 30 minutes).

Arriving in Ha Long, you check in the hotel and rest a bit.

Overnight at the hotel in Ha Long

• Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, you take a cruise ride along Ha Long Bay, the World Natural Heritage recognized by UNESCO in 1994, going around thousands of islands with many different interesting shapes. The cruise stops and takes you to explore Sung Sot Cave. The path to the cave is under the forest canopy and stone steps.
• Continue sailing to visit Titop Island with its long white sand beach, next to the towering limestone mountains with beautiful views of the bay.Then kayak or bamboo boat into Luon Cave to explore the beauty lagoon.
• Noon: Lunch will be served on the cruise.
• Then, the cruise returns to the dock.
• Next, you watching the famous Vietnamese Water Puppet Show.
• After dinner, you are free time for enjoy Vietnamese Coffee at a local coffee shop and shopping at the Local Night Market. ( own expenses )
• Overnight at the hotel in Ha Long

• Morning: After breakfast, you check out from the hotel, and depart for Ninh Binh (about 3 hours).
• Upon arrival, you visit the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. Visit the Temple of King Dinh and the Temple of King Le from the 10th century. Learn about the heroic history of the two kings and their roles in Vietnam’s Feudal Dynasties.
• Noon: You have lunch at the local restaurant.
• Afternoon: You take a boat along Trang An Stream to visit Trang An Cave Complex, a World Natural Heritage Site including Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou Cave and admire the mountain, green fields and river scenery.
• Then, return to Trang An wharf to transfer for Mua Cave. Climb 500 stone steps, you reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain to enjoy panoramic views of Tam Coc, the countryside with rice fields, water, clouds, sky, and beautiful cave systems during the boat trip. All create a masterpiece that Vietnamese call “ Ha Long Bay on Land”
• 17:00 Move back to Hanoi (about 2 hours).
• Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi 

• 08:00 Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on Golden Fish Island in West Lake. This is the oldest temple in Hanoi built in the 6th century.
• 09:00 Continue to visit the Temple of Literature, a temple dedicated to Confucius and also Vietnam’s First National University recognized as a World Documentary Heritage by UNESCO.
• 10:00 Next visit Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword Lake, a legendary freshwater lake in the center of Hanoi.
• 11:00  Visit the train street. If you’re lucky enough, you might catch a train passing by! Otherwise we will just drink beer or soft drinks to rest. The train passes through these families’ backyards several times a day.
• 12:00 Have lunch at the restaurant and break time
• 13:30 Leave for St. Joseph’s Cathedral and visit one of the first buildings built by the French colonialists during the period of expansion in Indochina and still intact in Hanoi after two fierce wars.
• 14:00 Move to Hoa Lo Prison Relics. The prison was built by the French in Hanoi, when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. The French call Maison Centrale Prison ‘Central House’, which is still the name for prisons for dangerous or long-term detainees in France. It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, especially political prisoners campaigning for independence, who were regularly tortured and executed.
• 15:30 Enjoy 30 – 40 minutes of cycling around the commercial area in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, which is considered a miniature model of the city. In the 11th century, the old town had 36 streets, each named after the traditional goods produced and traded on them such as sugar, bamboo, leather, comb or silver. Although some streets have been renamed, many still retain their ancient features.Then, stroll around Hanoi’s Old Quarter on a food tour with a local guide. Learn about Vietnam’s Culinary Cultural Traditions as you sample local specialties such as Vietnamese bread, traditional desserts, and signature egg coffeeFirst, stop at a local restaurant to try a combination of spring rolls, pho, pillow cakes, shrimp cakes, sweet donuts or deep-fried fermented meat, served with a plate of raw vegetables and fish sauce.Next, keep walking to try Vietnam’s Signature Pho, a soup consisting of broth, noodles, herbs and meat. Taste the specialty pho mixed with special sauce. Soup can definitely give you a whole new perspective on flavor.Visit the restaurant to enjoy bread with typical pate filling. And you can’t miss the traditional dessert sweet soup or pudding, which can vary depending on the season.Last but not least, join Hanoi’s Unique Egg Coffee Class to learn 3 types of coffee and try our Vietnamese Egg Coffee. This is a must-try dish when coming to Vietnam.

  End your tour by discovering the flavors of about five different Vietnamese dishes.

  Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi

• Morning: Breakfast at the hotel
• Free to relax until the time to go to the airport for your flight