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Destination: Hanoi - Cuc
Phuong - Ha Long - Cat Ba - Mai Chau
Highlights: Mix of
activities such as a culture tour in Hanoi with a visit to some famous temples,
museum, water puppet. Hanoi people are proud of its history and regard it as the
heart of Vietnam. You'll also can do trekking tour in Cuc Phuong Natinoal Park
and Cat Ba National. Time to enjoy tour in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage
Areas. Relax on the beach in Cat Ba island, ethnic tour in Mai Chau valley.
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 Chi 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/Cuc Phuong/Hanoi
(B, L, G)
8.00 - 10.00: Pick up at your
hotel and then drive to Cuc Phuong National Park
10.00 - 12.30: You’ll be able to
wander through a subtropical forest, rich in flora and fauna with
thousand-year-old trees and dripping vines, visiting the Prehistory Cave and the
Endangered Primate Rescue Centre en-route. The Endangered Primate Rescue Centre
is a temporary home for many gibbons and langurs that have been injured, or have
been orphaned by poachers. Among them are two of the rarest species in the
world, Delacourt’s Langur, now confined to two or three spots in North Vietnam,
and the elegant Cat Ba Golden Langur, now reduced to a colony of around 50
individuals in Cat Ba Island National Park. Strenuous efforts are being made to
conserve both species. When those in the rescue centre have regained their
strength, a carefully staged programme will release them into the wild.
12.30 - 13.45: You'll have lunch
at the park centre.
13.45 - 16.45: You'll visit a
Endangered Primate Rescue Centre en-route and return to Hanoi for your overnight
accommodation.
Day 4: Hanoi/Ha Long/Cat Ba
(B, L, D, 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.
9.30: You'll take a short break
at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.
10.00 - 11.30: You'll continue
driving to Ha Long Bay.
11.30: You’ll board your boat, a
wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. It will
take you first to the World Heritage area where you'll visit Amazing Cave.
You'll have time for swimming on the emerald water in Ha Long Bay. Your lunch
will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood. If you don't like
seafood during this trip, please let us know what you like so we can arrange for
you.
17.00: On arrival to Cat Ba
Island, you'll picked up by bus to your hotel. Your dinner will be served at the
local restaurant. You’ll spend the night in Cat Ba.
Cat Ba Island has a small
seafront town and a large National Park with mountains, lakes and the Cat Ba
Langurs, one of the most endangered species in the world - only 58 remain in the
wild, all on Cat Ba. There are two small sandy beaches which are nice but often
crowded.
Day 5: Cat Ba (B, L, D, G)
7.30 - 9.00: Breakfast at your
hotel and then drive to Cat Ba National Park
9.00 - 15.30: Your guide will
take you to the National Park to hike through the forest. Although the distance
is only about 18 km, it will take at least 6 hours to cover the undulating
terrain. On the way, you’ll have a break for a picnic lunch at Viet Hai village.
15.30 - 16.30: You'll follow the
path through some the farm, village and then to the harbour on the south of the
island.
16.30 - 17.30: You’ll finally
find a boat is waiting to take you back to the town’s harbour. On the way you
can enjoy your swimming on Lan Ha Bay. Your dinner will be served later on at
the local restaurant.
You’ll spend the night in Cat Ba.
Day 6: Cat Ba/Hanoi (B, G)
8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your
hotel, you’ll then be free to relax at Cat Co Beach.
15.00 – 16.00: You'll take a
short walk to the other harbour where you'll take a hydrofoil to Hai Phong
16.00 – 18.00: Arrive in Hai
Phong, you'll take a vehicles back to Hanoi. End of the services.
Day 7: Hanoi/Mai Chau (B, L,
D, G)
8.30 - 11.00: Pick up at your
hotel and drive to Mai Chau valley, you'll pass-through mountainous landscape on
the way.
11.00 - 12.30: You’ll ‘check in’
to a stilt house in Lac village, the home of a Thai ethnic minority group and
have lunch at the same house on stilt.
13.00 - 16.30: You can wander
around the houses to see the daily life of local people.
They specialise in weaving
brocade products, and are happy to show visitors their skills. The village is
operated as a community co-operative, set up by the people themselves.
16.30 - 19.30: Back to the
village for refreshment and free time for shopping brocade products and a dinner
will be served by the house holder.
20.00 - 21.00: You'll enjoy with
the performance of dancing of White Thai minority people.
You’ll spend the night at house
on stilt in Lac village.
Day 8: Mai Chau/Hanoi (B, G)
8.00 - 8.30: You can have
breakfast at local family or alternatively wake up very early to enjoy the fresh
air of the mountain valley.
8.30 - 12.30: You'll walk to
visit Mai Chau market to visit the local life culture of the Thai people. You'll
then continue walking to Van village - the village near by the mountain with
good atmosphere surrounding and then back to the Lac village for your lunch.
12.00 - 14.00: You'll be driven
to Hoa Binh to have a brief visit Hoa Binh Hydro Electricity
14.00 - 16.00: Return to Hanoi.
You'll spend the night at a hotel in Hanoi.
Day 9: 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$:
|
Number of people |
2 |
3-5 |
6-9 |
10-15 |
Supplement for single
occupancy |
|
Two stars |
893 |
782 |
589 |
491 |
120 |
|
Three stars |
977 |
866 |
673 |
575 |
204 |
|
Four stars |
1235 |
1124 |
931 |
833 |
462 |
|
Five stars |
1337 |
1226 |
1033 |
935 |
564 |
Valid until December 31, 2011
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.
-
Lunches and dinners, as
above, in the local restaurants and on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
-
Thai dancing show as listed
in the itinerary.
-
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)
-
Cat Ba: Cat
Ba Sunrise Resort (**** a secluded resort by beautiful mountain and beach -
private 8000 meters beachfront, Superior Room) or similar
-
Mai Chau:
House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)
Hotel list for Four Stars standard
-
Hanoi: Silk
Path Hotel (**** modern boutique hotel in the old quarter, Deluxe Room) or
similar
-
Cat Ba: Cat
Ba Island Resort (**** a walking distance to the beach, Deluxe Ocean-view
Room) or similar
-
Mai Chau:
House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)
Hotel list for Three Stars standard
-
Hanoi:
Thang Long Opera hotel (*** city centre,
walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake, Innova Superior Room) or similar
-
Cat Ba:
Holiday view hotel (***sea side, over
looking the beautiful Lan Ha Bay, Superior Room) or similar
-
Mai Chau:
House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)
Hotel list for Two Stars standard
-
Hanoi: Nam Hai hotel (*** in the Old Quarter, Standard
Room) or similar
-
Cat Ba:
Princes Hotel (** local standard, Standard Room) or similar
-
Mai Chau:
House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)
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. |