Vietnam - Specifically the North

Warmly welcome to Hanoi, the 1000-year capital of Vietnam! Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our local driver then transferred to Hanoi center to drop off luggage. Stay at leisure for refreshment after long flight.

Please note! 
Hotel check-in time is 14:00 
Depend on your arrival time, the program will be adjusted accordingly. 

08h00-08h30: We will pick you up from your hotel. In the morning, we will visit:

Tran Quoc Pagoda located on an east side isle of the West Lake (Tay Ho district), It is considered as the most ancient pagoda in Thang Long - Ha Noi with its historical progression in 1500 years. It has a harmonious combination between the majesty, hoariness architecture and peaceful landscape of the West Lake. From the period in the Ly and Tran dynasties, it had become the Buddhist center of Thang Long. 

Visit the complex of president Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (Mausoleum and Stilt house) - Where the great leader lived and worked until the last years of his life. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn about Uncle Ho's simple life. In addition, you will stop by One Pillar Pagoda to admire one of the 4 symbols of Hanoi.
Note: with departure days on Monday and Friday, Mausoleum Management Board will carry out maintenance of the mausoleum, you will visit only outside of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, stilt house and One Pillar Pagoda.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology: This is the most recent yet probably the largest and undoubtedly the most interesting Museums in Hanoi and Vietnam. There are both indoors and outdoors sections, while the in - housed exhibition is particularly informative, the outdoors display and activities make the museum stand out from the rest. There are a number of houses modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities, especially those who live in Northern and Central highlands.
On Monday, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is closed, instead of the Vietnamese Women Museum.

Noon: Return to the Old Quarter to have lunch at the restaurant. After lunch, you will see 36 streets from the car and listen to the guide tell stories about the streets of the ancient urban marketplace.

Afternoon: We will visit:

The temple of literature (The first university in Vietnam): Being an ancient school of Thang Long and the first university in Vietnam, Temple of Literature is acknowledged as an ancient historical-cultural heritage which gives tourists a deeper understanding about Hanoi's years of culture and tradition.

Hoa Lo prison: Built in 1899. The French held mainly political prisoners here, along with those awaiting sentencing at the nearby Court of Justice, as well as American pilots who had been shot down and captured as prisoners of war. The pilots sarcastically called it the "Hanoi Hilton. John McCain was held here at various times during his five and a half years as a POW.

16h00: End of Hanoi City Tour, the car will take you back to the hotel or depending on your needs, the car can take you to Ham Ca Map area to be free to visit and experience (all costs is not included) at one of the locations below, then return to your hotel at your own expense:

Free go for a walk to visit Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Hoan Kiem Lake, and learn about the architecture of Vietnam and France around the lake area. Visit Ngoc Son Temple to worship Saints Van Xuong and Tran Hung Dao - famous generals in Vietnamese and world history and Huc Bridge.

Rent a bicycle or tram to explore the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.

Buy tickets for the water puppet show.
Overnight in Hanoi.
 

This morning, we go to nearby central Hanoi, to meet a lovely host and chef. Madam Quyen and her family will receive us in their familial property in a neighborhood totally away from touristic spots. Madam Quyen will meet us and take us to the Thanh Tri Market. With the chef, we visit the local market which is only operated in the morning. She will give an introduction about the local life, the food and daily life of locals. She will then will instruct us on how to choose the freshest food of the day and assist us to pick some more food before starting a short walk of 2 km to the local family home 
Note: - for passengers who do not want to walk, there will be the option to be dropped at the host house directly and await the groups arrival. 

Mid-morning we arrive and are given an introduction to the house, its architecture and tradition and get a brief overview of what to expect during our private cooking class. We will enjoy the lunch we have prepared and of course, some delicious fruits and tea will be served for dessert. Say goodbye to the host family in early afternoon and then we will be driven back to the hotel. 
Overnight in Hanoi.
 

AM: 07:00 Pick up at your hotel and depart to Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Estimate a 4 hour drive without heavy traffic. 

Stop halfway for rest around 20 minutes. Drive for meander through roads that offer village landscapes seeing daily local activities somewhere along the way. 

Before noon, arrive at Pu Luong Nature Reserve and have lunch. After that, check in your reserved room (standard check-in time 14:00). Free to relax and wander around. 

PM: A whole afternoon trek. Difficulty level 4/5 
Transfer to Meeting Point and start a 10km trek. Conquer Kho Muong, an isolated village surrounded by a valley and the largest cave in Pu Luong by off-road trails via streams, mountain. Leave the village and head to scenic Bang village seeking for remote houses with gorgeous paddy fields. Transfer back to accommodation and relax at your own. 
Overnight in Pu Luong.
 

AM: Wake up in refreshing mountain air. Breakfast is served from 6:00. Recharge and get ready by 8:00. Meet the guide at your hotel. 
Start a 6KM hiking along the iconic trai of Pu Luong, the accent is Don village famed for breathtaking paddy fields and Uoi – Lan Villages stood out with authentic life of Thai ethnic minority. Difficulty level 2/5. 

On the direction to Hieu waterfall, experience off the beaten track moments in jungle at Long, Doc villages. Estimated 8KM. Difficulty level 3/5. 

Another option is by bicycle with easier paths (optional). 

Walk up to the remotest part of Hieu Village and gradually follow the stream down to the main point of Hieu Waterfall - the alone waterfall in Pu Luong Nature Reserve and have a break there. 

PM: Have picnic lunch or at a local restaurant. Then explore Hieu villages. Trek to the largest waterfall and stroll around. Down to the stream, finish the trek at the main road and be transferred back to hotel by 4PM. For bikers, ride and visit some hamlets along the way back to Lan village before transferring back to your retreat.
Overnight in Pu Luong.
 

AM: Have breakfast and by 8:30 AM. 
Transfer to Ban Cong and start a 2.5km walk. Go across a suspension bridge to one of the most scenic villages at Pu Luong where the largest stream flows through. Along the river, you will have opportunities to see stuning landscape, rice fields and village life. Seek for and admire giant water wheels - the greatest creation of mountainous ethnic minorities in Vietnam. 

Arrive at Chieu Lau dam and join a bamboo rafting. Time to relax and have fun to paddle the raft upstream with locals. The raft lands at the other side of the river, then you continue enjoying another trek via rice fields and villages that makes a loop trail. Meet the transfer at the main road and go back your hotel. Finish your trek by 11:30 and check out your hotel. Difficulty level 2/5. 

PM: Time for lunch. Be ready for the bus to Hanoi. Drop at hotels by 18:00.
Overnight in Hanoi.
 

If you wish to see how the Hanoi people rise and shine in the morning, wake up early and run to a lake close by your hotel, you can join an exciting scene of hundreds of locals, passionately attentive in their morning exercises of Tai Chi quan, jogging, martial arts, classical dance and so on. After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Dinner with fresh seafood. Overnight onboard.
Please note: The program may change due to the weather without notice.

Morning wake up with a taichi-quan or yoga exercises guided by the crew before having breakfast whilst your boat goes on between Halong islets. Return to the Wharf to be back to Hanoi by shuttle bus at midday. Arrive in the city around 3-4pm. Overnight in Hanoi.

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy your whole day at leisure or book the optional tour as per wish. Overnight in Hanoi.

OPTIONAL TOURS:  FULL DAY BAI DINH – TRANG AN BOATING – MUA CAVE WITH BUFFET LUNCH

Itinerary:

07:00 – 07:30 – Our guide will meet you at your hotel/stay and start 110km modern bus-journey through verdant landscape of country side. Short-brake en route.

10:00 – Arrive Glimmering Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away. This pagoda complex is stunningly boasting an array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it takes a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones. Visit The Quan Yin statue with thousands arms and eyes, Visit Gautama Buddha statue. With sacred atmospheres and intriguing Buddhism story which presented by Go Asia Travel’s insider guide, you cannot fail to enchant.

12:00 – Enjoy the lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisines.

13:30 – Leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields. Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle. Embark on a traditional sampan gently rowed down the exquisite river through numerous caves: Lam Cave, Vạng Cave, Đại Cave, Thánh Trượt Cave…and Cao Sơn Temple, Suối Tiên Temple, Vũ Lâm Temple…

15:30 – Arrive Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa Long mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with specious view of the nature.

17:15 – Return to our Deluxe minu-bus and then come back to Ha Noi

19:30 – Drop you off at your hotel/stay.  

Services included: Deluxe minibus pick up - drop off at hotel, Boat trip as per program, Entrance fee, Electric car at Bai Dinh Pagoda, Lunch at local restaurant. English tour guide
Services not included: Personal drink during meals, Other expenses not mentioned above.     

After breakfast, free at leisure for relax or shopping (your own arrangement) before transferring to the airport for your onwards flight back home. End of service. 
Meal: Breakfast at hotel 
Please note: Hotel check-out time is around 12.00.