Hanoi - Ba Be - Halong Bay | Authentic Experience - 06 Days

Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. Enjoy 45-minute driving to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with city's briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine....Arrive in your hotel, check in and have a rest.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

Continue the day with a walking tour. Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da quietly located in a small alley - only few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by French colonialism since the 19th century. Your tour guide also takes you to typical streets of Hanoi such as Lan Ong Street selling traditional medicine, Lo Ren Street where metal items are produced ... Stop to visit the Dong Xuan central market - the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to the famous area for night activities and street food - Ta Hien street, where you can see the vibrant streets with a lot of the amazing local foods and drinks. Trying to taste some for an unforgettable experience.

9:00 AM: Get Pick up by tour guide to the Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly dynasty in 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage "stone steles” which shows the name of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered as the first national university of Vietnam.

Next stop at the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many ethnic groups. To fully explore this interesting museum, it takes you around two hours. 

In the afternoon you visit the French Quarter – it is a “little Paris” in Hanoi with tree-lined boulevards, government head offices and a big square. Visit (outside) Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live and work. Towards the unique One – pillar pagoda which is one of the city’s symbols. It takes us from 1 to 2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of traveler.

Come back to city center and have a rest before enjoying the water puppet shows that is the unique performances, first appeared in the 11th century. In these shows, the daily life, culture and belief of Vietnamese people are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well.

8:00 AM: Tour guide and driver will escort you on journey to the Ba Be national park via Thai Nguyen. Drive through countryside with rural villages, stop as your command to have nice pictures. On the way, make a visit to Tay community, interact with villagers to lean about their culture.

Continue to Ba Be, where you will be surprised by the magnificent nature where the mountains gently meet the valleys of rice terraces. Stop to film or take photos whenever possible. Upon arrival in Ba Be, check in at your accommodation at Pac Ngoi Village and go cycling through several villages of Tayethnic groups, continue along the river and part of national park to Hua Ma Cave (5km from the village). This is an attractive place with amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Go back to the village in late afternoon. 

In the morning, take a walk from the village to the pier to enjoy a boat trip on the lake (It is possible to swim in the lake). Stop to discover the Fairy Pond in the middle of the primitive forest. After the lake, move to Nang river. Walk along the river bank and be immersed in the beauty of wild and reach Dau Dangwaterfall.

Keep continue our boat trip in the opposite direction along the Nang River to Puong Cave home to thousands of bats inside the cave. The boat will go through the cave toward to Buoc Lom pier. Meet our driver for a transfer to Hanoi.

8:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy three hour drive from Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay. Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue your driving, arrive at the harbor around noon, get warmly welcomed at cruise reception.

11:30 - 11:45 AM: Arrive at our waiting lounge at Ha Long International Cruise Port. Take some time to relax while waiting for our captain to complete the registration process. Then, transfer by tender to our boat.

12:00 - 12:15 PM: Enjoy a welcome drink and receive a brief safety briefing about activities onboard before checking into our cabins.

13:00: Indulge in a delicious Vietnamese set menu lunch while leisurely cruising further into Bai Tu Long Bay.

15:00: Arrive at the kayaking area – Cap La Island. Enjoy kayaking through the karst formations and breathtaking scenery, as well as swimming and relaxing.

17:40: Return to the boat and enjoy our Sunset Party as our cruise sails to the overnight anchorage. Attend a Vietnamese cooking demonstration where you can learn to make a simple but delicious Vietnamese dish like Nem Cuon, or try your hand at fruit and vegetable carving.

19:00: Delight in a sumptuous set dinner onboard.

20:30 - 22:00: Enjoy free time to challenge yourself with Vietnamese puzzle games, gather your group/family for a board game, try your luck with squid fishing, or simply relax with a cocktail and soak in the quiet night on the bay.

06:30 AM: Participate in a sunrise Tai Chi session on the sundeck or enjoy the morning view of the stunning bay's landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.

07:00: Breakfast will be served in a Western style to prepare you for another day of exploration.

07:45 AM: Explore the well-hidden Thien Canh Son Cave.

09:00 AM: Return to the boat and enjoy about 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing.

09:30 AM: Check out.

10:00 AM: Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch on the boat.

10:30 AM: Return to the harbor.

11:15 - 11:30 AM: Disembark at Ha Long Cruise Port.

Welcome by driver at the harbor then enjoy travel back to Hanoi. Have a rest at the middle of the way. Drop off at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter).

Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby (Hanoi Old Quarter) for about 45 minutes to Noi Bai airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.

Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and domestic is 2 hours before departure time.