Breakfast at the hotel.
It is your day to visit the Capital of Vietnam today. Let's start with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his simple house-on-stilts, and the One-Pillar pagoda near Ba Dinh Square, where the most solemn ceremonies of Hanoi take place. Go on to Tran Quoc pagoda and the Temple of Literature, the very first high school of Vietnam Scholars.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we will visit Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart and soul of Hanoi.
If today is not Monday, move on to the Museum of Ethnology. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays, and dioramas are labeled in Vietnamese, French, and English. Displays portray a typical village market, the making of comical hats, and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There's also a Centre for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures.
If today is Monday, depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 km away from Hanoi, this is a pottery village with a half-millenary historic development. Back to your hotel in Hanoi later on to relax. Overnight in Hanoi.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Please note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes on Monday and Friday, late September to November for annual maintenance.