This special trip will introduce you to some of the best of North Vietnam - its diverse ethnic groups, a variety of different crafts, the traditional medicines of the land, and some of the best scenery in the country. Arriving in Hanoi, you will tour the city and its shops as well as visit the Museum of Ethnology. Then, you will head west to the area around Mai Chau to tour the hill tribe areas and spend the night in local home become acquainted with the friendly Thai tribe people. Continue to Ninh Binh, Tam Coc passing Cuc Phuong National Park, you will then head up to Halong Bay for a night on a luxury cruise.
Price from: US $ 830 /pp
Start city: Hanoi
End city: Hanoi
Durations 6 Days 5 Nights
Departure: Daily, upon your request.
Cities to visit: Hanoi, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu & Trang An), Halong Bay
Extendable with optional tours from Hanoi
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour.
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau.
Day 4: Mai Chau – Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu & Trang An).
Day 5: Ninh Binh – Haiphong – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise.
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure.
For groups of more than six people, please get in touch with us or complete a form to request a free quote and access our best offers.
| GROUP SIZE | Price/Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Persons | $620 | Reservation |
| 4 Persons | $680 | Reservation |
| 2 Persons | $830 | Reservation |
| > 6 Persons | Contact us for even better offer | |
Prefer to speak with a Destination Expert?
Call 0084 982 661 133
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival.
Welcome to Hanoi: Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Your driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon enjoy a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter’s narrow streets lined with French colonial buildings – followed by a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. Savor a welcome dinner at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants.
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour.
Today you have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and one of the city's museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum).
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau.
Wake early and enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting off on your drive to Mai Chau – a yawning valley, cradling picturesque rice paddies and boarded by looming karst rock formations. Enjoy picturesque views of the scenic landscape, sown with pagodas and rural villages. Stop along the way to visit the Muong tribe and then at Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of Mai Chau Valley. After lunch, spend the afternoon trekking off the typical tourist track, along the Song Ma River. Trek through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the White Thai people, living in the region. Stop at a Thai village for the night, having dinner with a local family and enjoying a homestay in their long house.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau.
Day 4: Mai Chau – Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu & Trang An).
Enjoy breakfast at homestay before journeying to Hoa Lu, Vietnam's first capital. Visit to temples and walk hundred steps up to top of a mountain for a panorama view of the old capital. After lunch, enjoy a leisure cruise to visit Trang An, a nature reserve similar to Tam Coc however less visited. Limestone hills surround a peaceful river which passes through a series of caves (one which takes 15-minutes to pass through in darkness). It is an “eco-tourism” area, the only interruptions here are the sound of birds and the gentle paddle of the oar upon the crystal clear river. Overnight at Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort & Spa which is set within a prime location on the edge of the Van Long Nature Reserve's jungles.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.
(The below itinerary is a sample and it will be different between cruises. Our travel consultants will provide the exact schedule and program if you book other junks such as Halong Violet, Halong Jasmine, Paradise Luxury Cruises, Indochina Sails, Au Co Cruise, Starlight Cruise etc.)
Discovery of Halong Bay’s best of different formulas on a junk will take you to a ride amidst the magic archipelago; and depending on the length of the cruise, you’ll enjoy a global overview of different wonders that this UNESCO World Heritage site has to offer.
After breakfast at hotel, your driver will take you on a 4-hour drive passing the countryside of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay.
12:00 – 12:30 Check in to a cruise.
12:30 – 13:00 Transfer to cruise by tender.
13:00 – 13:30 Welcome on boat, enjoy welcome drink and follow Operation Manager briefing safety on boat as your cruise heads to “Cho Da” Stone Dog, Ga Choi "Fighting Cock", Hoa Cuong village.
13:30 – 15:00 Having lunch.
16:00 – 17:15 Visit Bat cave by:
- The 1st option: Kayaking (included).
- The 2nd option: Visit Bat cave by bamboo boat (included).
17:15 – 18:15 Back to the cruise to find safety place for overnight. Free time on cruise.
Option: Massage service available. Please book with Cruise Manager directly (please see massage menu).
18:00 – 19:00 Cooking demonstrations on sundeck, Happy Hour (buy one drink, get one free).
19:30 – 21:30 Having dinner.
21:30 – 23:00 Entertainment activities:
- The 1st option: Join squid fishing, film entertainment ( included).
- The 2nd option: Massage service available. Please book with Cruise Manager directly (please see massage menu).
23:00 Overnight on cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.
06:15 – 06:45 Tai Chi instruction on sundeck.
07:00 – 07:45 Having breakfast.
07:45 – 08:45 Exploring Surprise cave (about 60 minute on foot).
09:00 – 09:30 Check out, payment in reception area.
10:00 Having light lunch.
11:30 Back to Tuan Chau pier.
Your driver will transfer you to Noi Bai International Airport for your departure flight. Good bye & Safe travels!
Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels.
- Private tours, transfers and all services as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Services of a private driver and air-conditioned vehicles.
- Service of English speaking guide as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited.
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary.
- A 2 day/ 1 night package on cruise.
Other Culture & History
- Hanoi, Sapa, & Halong Bay: Your 6-Day North Vietnam Itinerary
- Hanoi - Sapa Adventure - 7 Days
- Highlights of Vietnam - 8 Days
- Vietnam Vacation: 13 Days Itinerary of Culture, History and Highlights
- Grand Vietnam - 18 Days
- Essential Vietnam - 9 Days
- Vietnam Discovery - 14 Days
- The Uncrowded Alternative to Halong Bay - 6 Days
- Vietnam Insight - 12 Days
- Highlights of South & North Vietnam - 10 Days
