CULTURAL & CULINARY 7 DAYS TOUR HANOI – HALONG – NINH BINH

Go Asia Travel driver will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to hotel in Hanoi, checkin hotel, free and easy to discover Hanoi Old Quarter. Hanoi is one of Asia’s most delightful cities.
It is rich in culture and history. Its diverse city draws its influences from both French and Chinese culture. No meals are included on your first day.
Night 1: Overnight in HM Hotel or similar

Hoan Kiem Lake – Hanoi Center

From 07:45 Pick-up at hotel and start the scenic, 3 and ½ hour drive to Halong Bay.
12h30 Embarking on Lavender Cruise*** followed by a short cruise briefing.
13h30 Enjoying lunch as the ship cruises among the limestone islands.
14h30 Exploring the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay.
16h30 Kayaking among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Drum Cave area. Returning to the main boat and continue cruising to the quiet area while enjoy beautiful seascape on the way.
From 17:30 Enjoying Sunset Party on sundeck and admire the best moments of the day when the sun starts to set.
19:00 Dinner is served. Socializing with other guests, take part in board games, squid fishing…
Night 2: Overnight on Cruises*** in Halong (Lavender Cruises or similar)

Halong cruises

Twin room

06:30 – 07:30 Warming up your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunting.
07:30 Having breakfast on board with the peaceful morning of Halong Bay.
08:30 Cruising to Titov island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Titov or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay.

Kayaking in halong

09:30 Returning to the boat, refreshing and checking out of your cabin.
09:30 Keeping on exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more.
10:30 While heading back to the harbor, watching the fruit carving demonstration and participate in the Cooking Class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
11:30 Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi.
16:30 Rechecking in hotel.
Night 3: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Railway by the street

08:00 Picking up from hotel/stay and driving to Ninh Binh Province (120 kms South of Hanoi)
10:00 Arriving at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, visiting King Dinh and King Le’s temples.
11:00 Approaching Mua Cave and trekking up to Ngoa Long Checkpoint with spectacular view.

Checkpoint Ngoa Long

12:45 Having nice lunch with Vietnamese Cuisines and relaxing
14:00 Getting on Sampan boats in Trang An sanctuary (Natural Wonder of the World) through caves, historic relics locating by the bank of river with spectacular view.

Trang An boating

17:30 Going back to Trang An Wharf to chill out and checkin Trang An bungalow with swimming pool.
Night 4: Overnight in bungalow in Ninh Binh

07:00 Enjoying breakfast with countryside landscape
80:00 Cycling on country road around village, visiting Thai Vi temple and Bich Dong pagoda (the oldest pagoda in the region).

Cycling in Ninh Binh

11:00 Joining cooking class in Trang An bungalow with our Chef to learn how to make stir-fried Goat meat with herbs/springrolls, or to make fruit cakes.
12:30 Having lunch at restaurant and relaxing
13:30 Keeping on exploring Tam Coc by cycling and coming back to bungalow to refresh.
17:00 Getting on bus to go back to Hanoi, having dinner by yourself.
Night 5: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Day 6: Hanoi city tour and street food tour (B/L)
Option 1: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
07:45 After a short drive, you will visit your first stop of the day, Tran Quoc Pagoda. The pagoda is a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake.
09:00 Visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of Vietnam’s greatest father. You will walk along Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived and worked from 1958 to 1969.
One Pillar Pagoda – the one modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi city and the colorful features of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam in the Ethnology Museum.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

13:00 Having lunch at local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter.
14:00 Visiting Temple of Literature – the most famous temple situated in Hanoi, also functioned as Vietnam’s first university. It was first constructed in 1070 under King Ly Nhan Tong and dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars. The temple is a vast structure that has existed to present day.

Temple of Literature

15:30 Visiting Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Van Xuong saint, and former general commander Tran Hung Dao for his struggle against Mongolians.
You also see the beautiful Vietnamese and French architecture around the lake then return to your hotel to refresh.

Ngoc Son Temple

07:45 You will visit Tran Quoc Pagoda. Experience Vietnam’s national heritage and the beautiful Buddhist relics on the West Lake, a sacred place to recall President Ho Chi Minh’s life and career in Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum,
the Stilt-house where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1958 to 1969.
10:30 Visiting One Pillar Pagoda – the one modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi city in present days and the Temple of Literature – considered as the first university of Vietnam. The temple was first constructed in
1070 under King Ly Nhan Tong and dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars.
12:30 Enjoying Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter.
14:30 Driving back to Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Van Xuong Saint and Tran Hung Dao General Commander for his struggle against Mongolians and return to your hotel to refresh.

Hanoi Street Food Tour

17.30 Starting to walk in old quarter “36 streets” to visit some famous and specialized – food families or stalls and local restaurants, shops

Food streets

where they run their business every day. You will certainly get to watch and taste some particular dishes (Asia Queen Travel can customize vegetarian food or according to your special requirements). The old quarter in Hanoi is over one thousand years old and today retains much of the old flavor that made the area special in earlier times, each street was the exclusive domain of one trade so there are whole streets of blacksmiths, silver shops, paper shops, headstone makers and more. Originally there were just 36 streets in the old quarter but today there are more than 60 streets. Although many of the streets are short, the area is rather compact.

21:00 Tour guide will say goodbye to you at your hotel. Trip ends.

Breakfast at the hotel then you spend time on your own to discover the Old Quarter until you get pick up to the airport.