Hanoi City Tour

This tour takes you around Hanoi's most interesting sights, including the Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets and the Ho Chi Minh Complex. Also on the tour - the Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature and one of the city's museums, either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum.

Itinerary

08.00 - Pick up at hotel and visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex which includes his Mausoleum and former residences, as well as the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Museum.  

10.15 - Continue onto Vietnams first University, The Temple Of Literature, built in 1070.

 11.30 - Have lunch at one of Hanoi’s many fine restaurants.

13.30 - Visit either the Museum of Ethnology or the History Museum.

15.30 - Visit the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake.

16.45 - One hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter.

17.45   Return to your hotel or watch a performance of the famous Water Puppet Theatre. (Optional)

HALONG BAY CRUISE - day trip

Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin, covers an area of 1,500 square km. With more than a thousand limestone peaks rising up from its crystalline emerald waters this area is one of the natural wonders of Vietnam and now one of four World Heritage-listed sites. Visitors have constantly marveled at Halong Bay's natural beauty. The tiny islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves that provide an excellent backdrop for swimming or just lazing about on deck.

You will depart Hanoi at 07.00 for the drive to Halong City, approximately 4 hours away. Once at Halong City you will board our private boat for a five-hour cruise of this stunning area, stopping along the way for a swim as well as a visit to one of many limestone caves in the area.

Whilst on board you will be served a sumptuous local seafood lunch.

HOA BINH & HILL TRIBE VILLAGES- day trip

Hoa Binh is only 2 hours from Hanoi. This province is home to the Hmong, Muong, Dzao and Thai ethnic minorities. The area has changed a lot since the largest hydropower plant in Southeast Asia was built here, turning the Da River into a lake. Still, even today the province boasts some of Vietnam's most beautiful scenery. We leave Hanoi at 08.00 for the drive to Hoa Binh. Once there we will visit a Muong village and have a picnic lunch an hours drive off the main road.  After having met the local villagers we continue on for a look at the enormous dam. On the way back we will stop to visit the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum arriving back in Hanoi around 16.30.

HOA LU, THE ANCIENT CAPITAL - day trip

Hoa Lu, situated 100 km south of Hanoi, was the capital city of Vietnam under the Dinh Dynasty between 968 and 980 AD. Some of the sanctuaries and tombs have survived the years and can still be seen today. Apart from the historical interest, the area is also one of astounding natural beauty with limestone peaks whose splendor is often said to surpass that of Ha Long Bay. It is true that this area is often referred to as the Ha Long Bay on land. The tour includes being rowed along the Boi River, which makes for a truly unforgettable experience, passing between towering limestone peaks. We leave Hanoi at 07.00 and head south for a 2-hour drive along Highway One. We spend one hour visiting the Dinh and Le sanctuaries and then move on to Tam Coc for a 3-hour boat trip along the Boi River. Along the way we will visit caves and ancient temples. After lunch we visit Bich Dong Cave before making our way back to Hanoi (arriving around 18.00).

PERFUME PAGODA (CHUA HUONG) - day trip

The Perfume Pagoda is one of the highlights of the Hanoi area and one of the most important religious sites in Buddhist Vietnam. Every spring, after the Vietnamese New Year, thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims come here to pray for all the health and prosperity they need to get them through the year.  The pagoda itself is built into limestone cliffs and can only be reached by boat or on foot as there are no roads into this area. You will have the chance to glide along scenic waterways and walk up steep mountain paths visiting the pagodas and temples that were built in this area over the centuries. 

Departing Hanoi at 07.30 we have a two hour drive through the picturesque countryside and back roads to the village of Duc for some refreshments before boarding our boats for a 1.5 hour ride along the scenic Yen river. After this we will walk to the Thien Tru Pagoda (Heavens Kitchen) and the Perfume Cave and Pagoda - an hours walk in total. On our way back we visit Giai Oan and Tuyet Son Pagodas. Lunch will be at one of the little food stalls near Thien Tru Pagoda. After lunch the boat will take us back to our bus for the drive back to Hanoi.  We arrive in Hanoi around 18.00.

TAM DAO HILL STATION - day trip

This tour is for those interested in simply relaxing without having to rush from one place to another. Tam Dao, situated 80 km from Hanoi, was created at the beginning of the 20th century by the French as a holiday resort for the well to do. It is located north west of Hanoi at an elevation of almost 1,000m. Because of this the temperature stays pleasant and comfortable year round. These days Tam Dao is popular with day-trippers from Hanoi who wish to escape the stress of city life.

We leave Hanoi at around 07.30 for a 2-hour journey along highway 23. Once we turn off the highway the road becomes narrow and very winding as we climb into the mountains. We spend the day at Tam Dao lazing by the swimming pool, hiking to the Silver Waterfall and visiting a Temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Jungle.  We leave Tam Dao around 16.00.

What is included:

Trip includes transportation, English speaking guide, lunch and admission fees.