A great adventure itinerary offers you the most authentic experience of northern Vietnam. This program will stimulate all of your senses!
Upon your arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you’ll be greeted by our guide and driver at the pickup lobby. You’ll then enjoy a 45-minute drive to the heart of Hanoi, passing over the Red River, where you can catch a glimpse of the city’s unique architecture and its famously bustling traffic. Once you arrive in the Old Quarter, the driver will drop you off at your hotel.
Notes: Hotel check-in time is at 2:00 PM. Early check-in is subject to hotel availability and may incur an additional fee.
Continue the day, tour guide will escort you walking around the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake to the Opera House, stopping at the statue of King Ly Thai To and Vietnamese Government Guest House, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi. Walk back to the Old town, visit some main streets before returning to your hotel.
Option: If your flight arrives late or you are jet lag after long flight, the walking tour will be moved to the city tour day.
8:00 AM: You will be greeted by our guide and driver at your hotel lobby for safety briefing, we then begin our adventure!
On the first part of the trip, we expose you the real Hanoi with a day in the life experiences, featured with the unknown parts of the city with slices of life in the maze of backstreets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets and black market, experiencing where & how locals live, work and play.
On the second part of the trip, we pass by & stop at the must-see places of our beautiful city such as Ho Chi Minh mausoleum - the Mecca of Vietnamese, The 1000 year-old Buddhist and Taoist Temples of Tran Quoc, Temple of Literature, the historical training track, the enchanting French Quarter, The hustling & bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem, West lake, Hanoi Opera House & famous Long Bien bridge etc.
On the third part of the trip, we also take you to the peaceful & allure out-skirts villages around West Lake and Truc Bach Lake to enrich your experiences about the contrast in harmony of life between the city center and her out-skirt.
Last but not least, en route, you gonna stop at different authentic restaurants, eateries and food stalls to savor the tastiest of the tasty dishes of Hanoi including family heirloom & secret recipe dishes, local delicacies and specialties.
End of tour, drop you back to hotel
8:00 AM: Meet tour guide and driver then depart to Mai Chau. On the way, visit a Muong village. Continue to Thung Khe pass where you can view magnificent panoramic views of the valley before arriving in Mai Chau town. Mai Chau is a beautiful valley located 145 km away from Hanoi. It is great place with harmonious landscapes, green mountain ranges, rice terraces and White Thai ethnic villages.
Arrival to Mai Hich village, check in your accommodation then enjoy lunch. In the afternoon explore Mai Hich by bike(optional) or walk along the trails and concrete roads. You will be seduced by the gorgeous landscapes as the villages, rice fields, mountains and streams are in perfect harmony with one another. Do not miss the opportunity to communicate with the friendly local people who are always willing to welcome you into their house to enjoy a cup of tea. Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon.
Have breakfast then drive to Xam Khoe. Visit the town market where you easy to catch pictures of minority Kinh, Thai people who come to trading with handicraft products and agriculture items such as: pigs, chickens, ducks, fishes, vegetable. Continue to trek along the Ma River, passing the rice field and small communities to Buoc village, a Thai village that is still not touristy. Enjoy the harmony of nature beauty and rich human culture. As you walking, meet and interact with friendly Thai people who always please to invite you come to visit their houses. At the end, pick up by driver at Cun Pheo People's Committee and go for lunch.
Walking distance and time: 12 km, 3h30.
Drive back to Hanoi in the afternoon. Check in hotel, end of services.
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.
07:30 – 8:30: Our driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter (for private transfer) or at our Shuttle Bus stop (for shared transfer). We will head to Halong city.
12:15: Arrival at Sunworld Harbor, where you'll have a short time to relax before boarding the Garden Bay Classic Cruise.
12:30: Transfer to Garden Bay Classic Cruise Boat by tender (5-10 minutes). Warmest welcome drinks, listen to safety briefing, then check into your cabin.
13:00: Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese Set Menu while our boat cruises leisurely to the heart of Bai Tu Long Bay, Cap La area.
15:30: Embark on a kayaking adventure to discover the breathtaking natural scenery of limestone islands and islets. You can also indulge in swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing.
17:30: Join the Sunset Party on the Sundeck while the boat cruises to the Cong Do area to anchor for the night (Happy Hour offer from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm).
18:30: Participate in a cooking class where you can learn how to cook traditional Vietnamese cuisines.
19:30: Indulge in a sumptuous BBQ dinner on the Sundeck (not available until October).
21:00: Free time to relax on the Sundeck or try your luck with squid fishing. Board games are also available.
06:30: Wake up early in the morning for Tai Chi exercise.
07:00: Have a light breakfast with Western styles while the boat cruises toward the most beautiful fishing village in Ha Long Bay.
07:30: Transfer to Vung Vieng Fishing Village by tender.
08:00: Ride on the rowing boat (rowed by the local fisherman) to explore the Vung Vieng fishing village and learn about the local fishing life.
09:00: Return to the main boat for the cruise back to the harbor by a different route.
09:30: Check out.
10:00: Have lunch onboard (Fusion style).
11:00: Disembark at Sunworld Harbor. Our driver will pick you up at the port, and bring you back to Hanoi. Expected arrival time in Hanoi at about 3:00 PM.
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).
Our driver will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter and take you to Noi Bai Airport. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes, whether you're heading to the international or domestic terminal, depending on your needs.
Notes: Hotel check out is before 12:00 PM. Late check-out is subject to hotel availability and may incur an additional fee. For international flights, it's recommended to arrive at the airport 3 hours before departure, and for domestic flights, 2 hours before.