OVERVIEW

Essential North Vietnam

This 7 days tour is arranged by Asia Top Travel's tour expert taking your family to some of the most popular destinations including Hanoi, Hoa Lu, Trang An, Cuc Phuong and Halong Bay. The trip offers various activities such as hiking, boating, cruising. This tour can be customized to meet your specific needs.

ITINERARY

 Hanoi | Hoa Lu | Trang An | Cuc Phuong | Halong Bay

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Day 01

Hanoi arrival

Welcome to Hanoi

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Not included

Upon arriving in Hanoi, our tour guide will personally meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is time at leisure.  
You may consider to take our optional evening street food tour or enjoy a cultural show in Hanoi.
Day 02

Hanoi City Tour

Enjoy a full day discovery Hanoi

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

8:30am, our guide and driver will pick you up at hotel lobby for a full day city tour.
Today, we will visit Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh Complex that completed in 1975. The complex includes the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, One pilar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. After that we will visit the Temple of Literature that was originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education.
Have lunch at a nice restaurant.
After lunch, we continue our trip to visit Museum of Ethnology: This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the ground. Then, we back to the center of Hanoi to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan KiemLake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. The Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends. 45 minutes Cyclo Tour through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 s names’ was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities.
Conclude your day with the Water Pupet show at Thang Long Theater. 
The day finishes at your hotel at about 17:00
Day 03

Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Trang An

Leaving Hanoi to Ninh Binh Province and visiting its'attractions

Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

8.00am: Asia Top Travel tour expert pick you up at your hotel, travel to Hoa Lu. Along the way, we may take some stop-over for photo and refreshment while enjoying rural stunning scenery on the way. Arrive in Hoa Lu which is the former capital of Vietnam (968 – 1009) under Dinh and Le dynasties. Visit Dinh temple, Le temples and surroundings.
Have lunch at local restaurant with local food.
After lunch, take the amazing boat trip to visit Trang An grottoes which is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam. While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.
Then we head to hotel and check in hotel for relaxing. 
Day 04

Ninh Binh - Cuc Phuong - Hanoi

Visit Cuc Phuong National Park

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Having breakfast at hotel then 09:00am our guide and driver pick up to visit Cuc Phuong National Park. Firstly, you will visit the langurs and the monkey, gibbons in the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, witnessing them in their natural environment. Here, professional staff protect monkeys and langurs from becoming extinct. The environment is kept as close to their natural habitat as possible. Afterwards, you enjoy a typical lunch at jungle restaurant, recommended by your guide.
Take a trekking trip into the heart of the jungle come the afternoon. You will trek inside the jungle to visit the One-Thousand-Year-Old Tree and then The Pre – Historic man’s cave if we have enough time. In the afternoon, we leave Ninh Binh for Hanoi.
Arrive your hotel in Hanoi at about 17:00. Check in and be free at your leisure.
 
Day 05

Hanoi - Halong Bay (Sample itinerary of 3* cruise)

Visiting Halong bay by an overnight cruise

Accommodation: Halong Bay Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

09:00′: Pick up at your hotel in Ha Noi.After that we leave Hanoi for a 2.5 hour to reach Halong Bay.
12:00′ – 12:30′: At Tuan Chau International Marina, a tender boat will take you to our Halong Phoenix Cruiser. A refreshing welcome drink is served and you can check into your cabin.
13:00′: When you are putting all of your stuffs into your cabin, our boat starts gliding out to the centre of the World Heritage Site. Your lunch, at the boat’s restaurant, is would be served with fresh local seafood, but vegetable menu is always available at your request. From the marina area, our cruiser passes by Dog Head and Swan Islands, Ba Hang Floating villages (with floating houses), Incense Burner then Thumb Islands before reaching to Luon cave area for kayaking.
14:30′ – 15:00′: We have time to gear up for one hour kayaking around Luon cave area .Our guide will show you some basic safety guidelines and techniques to paddle before helping you to sit on our brand new sit-on-top kayaks. After that our boat will help you visit the Titop Island one hour for swimming, sun-bathing or getting a panoramic view on island peak.
17:00′: As the sun sets over the bay, we head back to our cruise and relax. Coffee, tea and fruits will be available on the sundeck or you can order your favorite drink while our boat cruises to the night’s anchorage area.
19:00′: Dinner will be served with local seafood. After dinner you may choose to enjoy drinks from the bar or top deck or experience squid fishing before retiring.
Day 06

Halong Bay - Hanoi

Enjoy your last minutes in Halong Bay

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

07:00′ – 07:45′: Enjoy the morning view of the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee or tea. Have breakfast in the fresh air.
08:00′ – 09:00′: You will visit the impressive Cave of Halong Bay – Surprising Cave (Sửng Sốt) with your tour guide, a truly awesome and amazing cave to experience.
10:00′: Check out of your cabin and settle your bill as our boat begins cruising back to the harbor. Experience more views of Halong Bay such as Fighting Cocks Island (Symbol of Halong Bay), Incense Burner and Stone Dogs Islands.
10:20′: A cooking demonstration onboard shows you how to make authentic Vietnamese Spring rolls. You will learn about the recipes and techniques that create this popular dish of Vietnamese people.
10:45′: Lunch is served on board during cruising towards the harbor.
11:20′: Depart the Halong Phoenix Cruiser and travel by tender boat back to Tuan Chau International Marina where you then board the car/van for your return journey to Hanoi 
Tour ends at your hotel at about 15:00.
Day 07

Hanoi Departure

Say goodbye Hanoi Capital

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast

You are free at your leisure until being transferred to Noi Bai airport for your flight back home.

Price

  • We can customize this itinerary to meet your specific needs. 
  • Please click the yellow button Send Enquiry This Tour to get our free quotes.

TOUR INCLUSIONS

For your peace of mind, our tours are designed to include as much as possible in the price, but also to give you the freedom to find a special place to eat or to seek out an independent adventure that especially appeals to you.
Trip Inclusions
  • Hotel accommodation 
  • Entrance fees
  • Meals as indicated
  • Professional English speaking tour guide
  • Private transportation
  • Cruise trip in Halong Bay
  • Boat trip in Trang An
  • Tax and service charges
Trip Exclusions
  • International flight ticket
  • Entry visa fee
  • Tips
  • Drinks

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