Unseen Countryside, 6 days

On arrival at Hanoi Airport, you are greeted  by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You will have some time free to relax or explore at your own leisure. The capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi is a fascinating blend of East and West, combining traditional Sino-Vietnamese motifs with French flair. The building boom has made Hanoi a rapidly developing city in Southeast Asia. However, it still retains an old charm brought from a thousand year of history, with many interesting cultural and historic monuments, beautiful lakes, shady parks, bustling street markets, funny shops and open air eating spots jostled in ancient houses, and historic temples adjoining colonial style structures. They offer both local and foreigner visitors an endless exploration. You might like to stroll through the fascinating old quarter containing many vibrant streets which are named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. The lively atmosphere in Hanoi old quarter runs from the early hours until late at night  with many street vendors calling, horns honking, and chaotic traffic with waves of motorbikes you’ve never experienced.

Today, we spend our time to discover Hanoi, taking a short drive through diverse streets encompassing a millennium of the city culture and evolution to the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This remarkable site overlooking the Ba Dinh Square contains the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Mon. and Fri. and Oct. to Nov), Presidential Palace and  Ho Chi Minh Residence. We queue up for a walk past silent sentries, paying a homage to Ho Chi Minh before we go to his residence, a simple stilt house set in a well-tended garden. He has lived and worked in this residence until his final days. We visit it and follow the footpath to  the One Pillar Pagoda, of which the origins date back to the foundation of Hanoi City. Upon leaving this area, we see the Temple of Literature, one of the scenic landmarks in Hanoi. This  well-preserved temple  is now dedicated to the scholars of Confucius but  was once the first university of Vietnam. The successful candidate records are still found in various stone steles set over giant stone turtles in the temple ground. We continue touring the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (close on Mon.) where display in both outdoor and indoor sections, various documents, images and objects focusing on 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. The sightseeing tour also takes us past  various attractions, including Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, West Lake, Long Bien Bridge, and Opera House. We finish a round of city tour  with a fantastic water puppet show followed by a pleasant walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, one of the major scenic spots in Hanoi.

arrival, we visit  Bai Dinh, the largest pagoda  complex in Vietnam. This landmark was built  over  Dinh Mountain and houses thousand  Budda images of various sizes, one of which is over 10 meter high. The walkway uphill is strenuous at times, however you can take an optional electric car ride with small extra fees. We spend our time to visit the Buddha prayer place and the statues  terrace, which make for  the marvelous and majestic features  of Bai Dinh Pagoda. The adventurous fervours can climb up the  mountain summit  to see the giant  statue of Buddha Sakyamuni and catch the panoramic view of the limestone karst formations. Upon leaving Bai Dinh Pagoda, we take a short drive to Trang An to explore one of the most beautiful and charming karst sceneries in the world. This incredible wonder is different from Ha Long Bay since Trang An is mostly dominated by large karst mountains. They stand in isolation and are connected by rice paddies and small rivers, making them more dramatic in appearance. There are possibilities to cycle, drive or even walk around the mountains, but most people choose a boat tour to visit  Trang An. The boat excursion takes us through the  splendid scenery. The trip pace completely changes as we take a funny bike ride along the rural roads and through small villages to discover the authentic life of local people.

The incredible limestone outcroppings form a spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, making it an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam. Today, we set off on a drive to Halong City, a base for our exploration of this famous sight. This journey takes anything between three and four hours, passing through the beautiful countryside  to the stone formations of Halong Bay. The cruise team will welcome us on board with refreshing drinks and provides some information about the watercraft and the activity program. We check in our private cabin and unpack for a two-day cruise. The exciting excursion begins as our boat  zigzags itself in Halong Bay. Along the way, we feast on a huge lunch (veg. meals also available on request), catching some beautiful views of the bay with a blend of the sky and limestone islets jutting out from the clear and emerald water. These rocky outcrops are usually named by their distinctive shapes and littered with tiny beaches and beautiful caves. You spend this afternoon to simply admire the splendid scenery unfolding beyond your eyes or go for some activities; rowing boat excursion, swimming and kayaking (optional). We can improve our culinary skill while participating in a cooking class in the flavor of the sea. The master chef will show the guests how to make some traditional Vietnamese delicacies. We follow it  with a sumptuous dinner and enjoy some evening entertainment at the dining room. There are also possibilities to try your hand at squid fishing from our boat.

The early light begins washing the night away, unveiling the marvelous beauty of Halong Bay. You can participate in a Taichi exercise on the sundeck and may get a chance to catch some wonderful photos of the sunrise over Halong Bay. The boat trip continues past many imposing  islands, giving us a new exploration of this beautiful bay.  We can spend our time at leisure or step onto a tender to visit Sung Sot, one of the many beautiful caves hidden beneath towering cliffs. The uphill walkway with nearly 100 steps is somewhat arduous; however, the panoramic view from nearby boat pier to rocky islands in the far distance, makes the hardship all worthwhile. We admire this splendid landscape before we start the exploration of Sung Sot Cave. This remarkable cave is naturally adorned with countless stalactite and stalagmite formations. They stretch amazingly from floor to ceiling, forming various pillars to support the cave dome. The illuminating spotlights of various colors within the stone formations add more enchantment to this beautiful cave. We come back to our cruise and weave our way through a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars towards Tuan Chau Marina. The wonderful time in Haling Bay is followed by a drive back to Hanoi. Along the way, we make stop at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and see many local villagers making excellent craft objects in traditional ways. 

There are no activities planned on this final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Hanoi City, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Hanoi Airport for  your departure.