Vietnam - Specifically the North

Itinerary

1. Day 01

   HANOI ARRIVALWarmly welcome to Hanoi, the 1000-year capital ...
   HANOI ARRIVALWarmly 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. 
2. Day 02

   HANOI CITY TOUR (B/L)
   Breakfast at hotel.   Morning 07:15 – 07:30 Our modern limousine bus and professional tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter and transfer to Quang Phu Cau Incense Village. Here, you will witness the traditional incense-making process by local artisans, admire the vibrant colors of incense sticks drying under the sun, and capture stunning, Instagram-worthy photos. 11:15 Arrive at Train Street, one of Hanoi’s most unique attractions. Get ready to take photos or videos of the train passing through the narrow residential street — a true highlight of the tour. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a nearby local restaurant. 🔹 For half-day tour participants: After lunch, the driver will transfer you back to your hotel. ________________________________________ Afternoon Visit Hoa Lo Prison, also known as Maison Centrale or the “Hanoi Hilton.” This historic site once held Vietnamese revolutionaries and American POWs during the Vietnam War. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, founded in the 11th century. Learn about Confucianism and Vietnam’s traditional education system while admiring the Khue Van Pavilion and the Doctor Steles mounted on stone turtles. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside visit), where Vietnamese people honor their national hero. Continue to Ba Dinh Square, the historic site where President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence on September 2, 1945. Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, built in 528, to gain insight into Buddhism in Vietnam. 16:30 Enjoy a cup of Vietnam’s famous Egg Coffee — a perfect refreshment to end the day. 17:30 Transfer back to your hotel. Meal: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch with Hanoi specialties such as Banh Mi and Bun Cha with Complimentary Vietnamese Egg Coffee Please note:  -    Short/reveal clothing is not allowed to come in mausoleum and temple.  
3. Day 03

   HANOI – COOKING CLASS AT LOCAL FAMILY (B/L)
   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.  
4. Day 04

   HANOI – PU LUONG (B/L/D)
   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.  
5. Day 05

   PU LUONG (B/L/D)
   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.  
6. Day 06

   PU LUONG – HANOI (B/L)
   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.  
7. Day 07

   HANOI – HALONG/ LAN HA BAY OVERNIGHT CRUISE (B/L/D)
   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.
8. Day 08

   HALONG/ LAN HA BAY – HANOI (B/Br)
   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.
9. Day 09

   HANOI AT LEISURE (B)
   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.     
10. Day 10

    HANOI DEPARTURE (B)
    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.

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