Day 1. Hanoi [Arrival]

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Vietnam, we will pick you up at the airport and transfer you back to your hotel in the Old Quarter. Leave the luggage and have some rest. Then, our tour guide will pick you up to join in a 3-hour guided walk through Hanoi Old Quarter with a local guide. Gain insight into the traditions of Vietnam’s food culture.

Stop at a local restaurant to try bánh cuốn (filled rice noodles) and watch as skilled chefs demonstrate how this tasty dish is created. Next, enjoy phở (noodle soup), which is Vietnam’s most famous dish. Try both the beef and chicken versions. Other food specialties you’ll sample include crab rolls, pillow cakes, fried rice balls, and fresh rolls – served with a dish of raw vegetables and a special sauce.

Visit a hidden street food restaurant to taste bánh mì (a Vietnamese sandwich) and the famous Vietnamese egg coffee. Later, we can take a cyclo ride where you can relax and take in the scene while your driver takes you through the maze of shops and streets. Finally, the guide will bring you to enjoy a Water Puppet show, which is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition and is a Vietnamese tradition dating back to the 11th century.

Supported by a large rod placed under the water and manipulated by experienced puppeteers, the wooden puppets appear to be dancing over the water, telling folk tales. It’s entertaining and suitable for all audiences. At the end of your Hanoi tour, you are free to continue exploring the area, or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

• Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour

Our friendly guide will pick you up at the hotel to start exploring Hanoi City.

First, we will visit the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, established in the 11th century. The guide will then take you to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important pilgrimage site for many Vietnamese. This traffic-free area comprises botanical gardens, monuments, memorials, and pagodas, usually crowded with Vietnamese paying their respects. Within the complex are Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

The next stop is the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university built in the 10th century under the Ly Dynasty, greatly influenced by Confucianism. At Hoan Kiem Lake, you’ll have time for photos before embarking on a 30-minute car or cyclo tour around the Old Quarter to experience local daily life. A cup of coffee will be served afterward.

• Afternoon Tour

The guide will pick you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter for a tour of famous highlights in Hanoi, including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh House on Stilts, and the Temple of Literature.

After a rest, we’ll head to a hidden coffee shop for a Unique Egg Coffee class. Meet the teacher who will introduce everything, from history to culture. Roll up your sleeves, prepare the ingredients, and follow step-by-step instructions to make your coffee. Some recipes we’ll discover include:

• The internationally famous egg coffee, labor-intensive but satisfying.
• Hanoi-style espresso-strength milk coffee with small details that make it great.
• Saigon-style milk coffee, a tad sweeter than Hanoian with 3 secret drops.

After class, feel free to stay, enjoy, and compare your creations on our balcony or open front sidewalk area as you plan your next adventure. If you need any making materials for take-home, we carry everything and can set you right up pronto.

• Overnight in Hanoi
• B, L.

Day 3: Excursion to Halong Bay

8:00 – 8:30: Our tour guide will pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, and then we’ll depart to Halong Bay via the Expressway Transfer.

10:30: Take a short 20-minute break to relax.

12:00 – 12:30: Arrive at Tuan Chau Harbor. Welcome to Premium Cruise. We will embark on a 6-hour journey via a 2-day-sleeper boat cruise route renowned for its striking passages, uninhabited islets, and outcrops with imaginative names given by the locals due to their perceived shapes. Enjoy a buffet lunch on the boat.

14:00: Visit Surprising Cave to see numerous stalagmites and stalactites with different shapes resembling sea life.

15:00: Explore Titop Island with a sandy beach leading to the towering limestone mountain, offering an excellent backdrop of the bay. Climb up Titop Peak for a panoramic view of the bay, resembling paradise.

16:00: Engage in kayaking or take a bamboo boat ride in Luon Cave to discover the beautiful lagoon.

17:00 – 17:30: Cruise back to Tuan Chau Harbor. Enjoy a sunset party with Red Wine, Tea, Cakes, sunbathing on the upper deck with music, and relish the great fun of touring fellows amidst the world’s iconic natural scenery.

18:00 – 18:30: Board the bus to return to Hanoi via the Expressway. Take a short break for 20-30 minutes.

21:00 – 21:30: Arrive at the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter. The trip concludes.

• Overnight in Hanoi
• B, L.

Day 4. Excursion to Ninh Binh

07:30 – 8:00: Get picked up by our friendly guide, then depart for Ninh Binh province.

09:15: Take a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax.

10:30: Visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. Learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under the Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasties.

11:45: Enjoy a buffet lunch in the restaurant featuring local foods such as goat meat, fish, chicken, and fried rice. Vegetarian options are always available in the buffet lunch.

13:00: Explore Tam Coc by a 1.5-hour bamboo boat ride. Be surprised by the charming beauty here with paddy fields, river, water, clouds, sky, and a stunning cave system during the boat trip. All create a masterpiece that the Vietnamese people call “Ha Long Bay on land.”

14:30: Continue the tour for 45 minutes – cycling around the village to discover the life of the local people.

15:30: Return to the van/limousine, then head to Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps to reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain and have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

16:30: Get on the van/limousine to return to Hanoi.

18:30: Back to your hotel and enjoy your free time!

• Overnight in Hanoi
• B, L

Day 5: Hanoi [Departure]

Enjoy breakfast at hotel.

Spend your leisure time in the city until we transfer you to the airport for departure flight.

• B.

End of the tour!