North of Vietnam Holiday 5 days

Destination: Airport pick up - Hanoi - Ha Long

Highlights: Reveal the mystery of northern Vietnam in the 5-day journey with the two spotlights Hanoi city and Ha Long Bay. You'll join the city tour in Hanoi to admire its historical and cultural value. The traditional rural culture in the north of Vietnam will be well-briefly-introduced via the unique Water Puppet Show while the Ha Long Bay boasts a spectacular scenery of limestone karsts, breathtaking caves and beautiful beach.

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: Hanoi/Ha Long (B, L, D, G)

8.30: 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.

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

10.30 - 12.00: You'll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

12.00: You’ll board your boat, a wooden junk built from  the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels with sails, a wide transom and rectangular superstructure, that will take you first to the busy World Heritage area and then to some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Weather permitting, you’ll be able to swim, fish, climb a hill for an overview of the Bay’s remarkable seascape. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood.

You'll spend the night on the boat.

Day 4: Ha Long/Hanoi (B, L, G)

7.30: You'll have western breakfast on boat.

8.00 - 8.30: You'll venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan.

8.30 - 11.45: You’ll spend the morning cruising Ha Long Bay, followed by lunch just before docking to the harbor.

11.45 - 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’. 

You'll then drive back to Hanoi for overnight accommodation.

Day 5: Hanoi departure

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, 2011

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

Price include: 

• Breakfast and accommodation in twin or double room.

• Boat cruises as programme. Sharing cruise on Ha Long Bay in a high standard traditional-style junk with comfortable accommodation, good facilities and an experienced crew. 

• 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.

• 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

• Hanoi: Melia Hotel (***** modern high-rise building in one of Hanoi’s leafy boulevards in the city centre, uninspiring bland architecture, but high-quality facilities, restaurants, and service, ten-minute stroll from the city centre, Deluxe room)

• Ha Long: Bai Tho Boat (one of high quality boat in Ha Long Bay)

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Silk Path Hotel (**** modern boutique hotel in the old quarter, Deluxe Room) or similar

• Ha Long: Bai Tho Boat (one of high quality boat in Ha Long Bay)

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Thang Long Opera hotel (*** city centre, walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake, Innova Superior Room) or similar

• Ha Long: Bai Tho Boat (one of high quality boat in Ha Long Bay)

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

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

• Ha Long: Bai Tho Boat (one of high quality boat in Ha Long Bay)

Creating Unique Touring Experiences with Gia Linh Travel
  All the touring itineraries on this website have been carefully crafted by our in-country management teams and represent a series of experiences we can certainly recommend. However, we understand that every travel experience should be as unique and individual as each traveler. Our consultants are waiting to hear from you so that we can tailor or custom design a tour to your individual specifications.