Hanoi & Its Sounding Tours 7 days

Destination: Hanoi - Village around - Ninh Binh - Perfume pagoda - Ha Long

Highlights: Arrive in Hanoi, capital of  Vietnam and then visit surrounding areas including Bat Trang, a village famous for its fine ceramics, Van Phuc, specialized in weaving and dying silk, Dong Ho, a traditional paintings, Dong Ky, furniture inlaid with pearl. Outside that you'll visit the the former capital of Vietnam and row along a gentle river between paddy fields on a river. Also visit Halong, an UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Details Itinerary:

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the good local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi City tour (B, L, G)

9.00: You'll be picked up at your hotel to start a Hanoi city tour.

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state (closed on every Monday & Friday and October & November). You’ll see the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. You’ll continue to visit the One Pillar Pagoda and hear the legend of its construction, born from the love of an emperor in the 11th Century.

10.30 - 11.00: You’ll drive to visit the serene Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s West Lake.

11.00 - 12.00: You’ll also call the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and the dedicated to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from the busy streets outside and later become Vietnam’s first university.

12.00 - 13.30: Lunch at local restaurant

13.30 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Pass by Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake , also known as Lake of Restored Sword from the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city’s fascinating museums.   

16.15 - 17.15: You’ll then take to the streets by cycle ride tour of the Ancient Qurter of 36 streets District. This densely populated corner of the city was once a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a particular guild. Still a thriving community of sellers today, you’ll see streets name such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street. Ancient homes and temples are interspersed with stores in this souvenir hunter’s paradise.

You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Exploring villages around Hanoi (B, L, G)

8.30: Drive and guide will pick you at your hotel to Van Phuc silk village

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll arrive in Van Phuc village, a small village where families have specialized in weaving and dying silk over centuries, once the creators of fine material for the robes of the Royal court.

10.30 - 12.00: Drive to Bat Trang - a village famous for its fine ceramics. You can stroll through the narrow streets to watch the manufacturing process and meet the craftspeople.

12.00 - 13.00: You'll have lunch box in the village.

13.00 - 14.30: You'll then be picked up to drive to visit the Dong Ho handicraft village, famous for its traditional wood-paintings, and spend time in an artist’s house to watch the creative process.  

14.30 - 16.15: You’ll drive to one of a traditional village in the North of Vietnam to enjoy its traditional Quan Ho music performed by villagers in the commune house. The singers have recently been officially designated as part of Vietnam’s ‘living heritage’. 

16.15 - 17.15: You'll visit Dong Ky village where most of the local families produce furniture inlaid with mother of pearl. It’s a good example of how the villagers work co-operatively on different stages of the manufacturing process. 

You’ll return to Hanoi to spend the night.

Day 4: Hanoi/Perfume Pagoda (B, L, G)

8.00 - 9.30: Pick up at your hotel and drive to Perfume pagoda

9.30 - 10.30: On arrival, you’ll be rowed through rice fields along a gently flowing scenic waterway to the Perfume Pagoda, a complex of pagodas and shrines built into the limestone cliffs of the Mountain of Fragrant Traces.

10.45 - 13.30: You'll hike up to visit Perfume Pagoda and Huong Tich cave.

13.30 - 15.00:  You'll have a a picnic lunch and have a brief look at the Thien Tru Pagoda (Heaven Kitchen).

15.00 - 17.45: Take rowing boat back to Duc Harbour and and drive back to the city. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi/Ninh Binh/Hanoi (B, L, G)

8.00 - 10.00: Pick up at your hotel and drive to Ninh Binh (110 km)

10.00 - 11.00: On your arrival in Hoa Lu, the former capital of Vietnam. You’ll visit Dinh and Le temples, which dedicated to Emperor Dinh and a memory of Emperor Le. You'll follow by a brief visit to the remains of the Old Palace

11.00 - 12.30: You'll be driven to Tam Coc (three grottoes) and have lunch at the local restaurant.

12.30 - 14.30: You’ll be rowed along a gentle river between paddy fields and through the Tam Coc, You'll enjoy a peaceful valley among limestone ‘karst’ hills on the way. 8.00 - 10.00: Pick up at your hotel and drive to Ninh Binh (110 km)

14.30 - 17.00: Drive back to Hanoi. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi/Ha Long/Hanoi (B, L, G)

7.30: You’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape.

9.00: You'll take a short break at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.

9.30 - 11.00: You'll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

11.00 - 16.00: you’ll board a traditional-style boat for five-

hour cruise on the bay to visit some of the less well-known grottoes and caves and a beach. Weather permitting, you’ll be able to swim, and climb hills for an overview of the Bay’s remarkable seascape. Your lunch will be served with seafood on the boat.

16.00 - 19.00: You’ll return to Hanoi for your overnight accommodation.

Day 7: Hanoi departure (G)

You'll be free to shop at some of the local market before being driven to the airport for your international departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Valid until December 31, 2013

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation in twin or double room.
• Boats cruises as programme. 
• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced, safe driver.
• Experienced English-speaking tour guide as indicated in the itinerary.
• Entry fees for all sightseeing as mentioned in the programme.
• Private traditional "Quan ho" music show
• Lunches and dinners, as above, in the local restaurants and on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
• Government Taxes.

Price do not include:

• Flight tickets and airport tax.
• Visas.
• Dinners except as specified above.
• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.
• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard

o    Hanoi: Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi (***** city centre, Deluxe room)

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

o    Hanoi: Sunway Hotel Hotel (**** comfortable hotel about a fifteen-minute walk from the city centre, Superior room) or similar 

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

o    Hanoi: La Belle Vie Hotel (*** good location, Superior Room) or similar

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

o    Hanoi: Nam Hai hotel (*** in the Old Quarter), Standard Room) or similar

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