North Vietnam

Upon arrival to Hanoi airport, after clearing custom, you will be warmly welcomed by Vietnam Great Tours, transfer to hotel, approximately a 35-minute drive from the airport.

The afternoon is at leisure to recover from the long trip.

Start Vietnam North Tour today by picking up at your hotel (join tours will free pick up all points in Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). Then visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 – the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. We then continue on to the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda on the West lake (One of the oldest pagoda in Vietnam) and the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam. We’ll also see Vietnam’s first university, constructed in 1070 – it’s gardens and well-preserved architecture will offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s pas.

After lunch, explore daily life of traditional ceramics village of Bat Trang. Visit showrooms and see how they model the products. We will then take you past Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful waters, and the beauty of Ngoc Son temple. After that, you will be free for walking through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where you’ll then have a chance for some shopping and exploration.

Early departure for Halong Bay, a World Heritage with thousands of limestone and dolomite island and islets. You will take a 3.5-hour bus drive through fertile rice fields to Halong Bay. Have a break en-route in Hai Duong City to free your legs.

Arrival Tuan Chau Harbor, we board the cruise and take 4-hour cruise the bay to visit its breathtaking seascape created by rocky islands and emerald serene water, with stopovers to discover grottoes inside islands and swim.

A lunch with Vietnamese dishes will be arranged on board. You will enjoy kayaking, bamboo boat rowing or relaxing and visit Thien Cung cave (Heaven Cave), one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Halong Bay. Enjoying afternoon tea before we come back to Hanoi in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, our guide will meet you at your hote and start 100km modern bus-journey through verdant landscape of country side. Short-brake en route.

Arrive Glimmering Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away.

This pagoda complexes stunningly boast a array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it take a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:

500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats)
2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones
Three bronze statues of Tam The (50 tons each)
The visit ends with a walk-up the summit mountain to see the 100 tones statue of Buddha Sakyamuni made of bronze and enjoy the panoramic view of picturesque landscape dotted with limestone mountains.

After lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant, we leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields.Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle.

Embark on a traditional sampan gently rowed down the exquisite river through numerous caves: Hang Toi ( Dack ) cave, 320 meter long, Sang (light) cave, 90 meter long, and Hang Nau Ruou (Cooking wine) cave, 250 meter long… Every passages bring new surprise of mystery hidden inside isolated valleys of tranquility that likely transformed to the other world and time. The fauna and flora is rich and a scene of a goat jumping from one cliff to the other is a common sight.

Leisure cycling on rural roads alongside the extensive canal network and through small villages with back drop of a maze of limestone mountains before we come back to Hanoi.

It is your own time today. At leisure for relaxation or shopping until your driver comes to transfer you to the Noi Bai airport for your onward flight.