Glance At Northern Vietnam, 5 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 explore 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. This landmark  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 head towards 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. There are no stops planned as it is simply a glimpse of the cityscape. We attend a fantastic water puppet show  of Hanoi and round off our city tour with  a pleasant walk from  Hoan Kiem Lake into the bustling old quarter streets.

The incredible limestone outcroppings form a spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, making it an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam. Today,  we travel by road to Halong City and explore this famous bay on two day cruise. The overland journey takes anything between three and four hours, passing through the beautiful countryside  to the stone formations of Halong Bay. We are  welcomed on board  with refreshing drinks and get some information about the watercraft and the activity program. 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 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 exploring 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 Halong 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.