5-Day Experience Tour: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay

Welcome to Hanoi. Enjoy a pleasant walking tour around the Old Quarter.

Upon arriving at Noi Bai airport, our tour guide and driver will greet you at the pickup point and take you to your hotel located in the Old Quarter. During the 45-minute drive from the airport to the city center, you will get a brief introduction to the cuisine, traffic, culture, and the main attractions of the city. On arrival at your hotel, check in and have a rest.

Please note: The check-in time for the hotel is 14:00.

For the remainder of the day, our guide will take you to visit the Ba Da Pagoda, which is tucked away in a small alleyway, built in 1056. This sacred ancient pagoda is just a few steps away from the Great Cathedral (St Joseph’s Cathedral), associated with legends from the time of the Le Dynasty. Continue your walk through the typical streets of Hanoi like Lo Ren Street (well-known for its metal items) and Lan Ong Street (famous for the sale of traditional medicine)… Stop to explore Dong Xuan Market, Hanoi’s biggest market. Then take a stroll to Ta Hien Street – a popular area for nighttime activities and street food. Here you can experience the vibrant pace of life, feel the energetic atmosphere of Hanoi, and enjoy the local cuisine.

Return to your hotel.

Please note: If your flight arrives late or you’re suffering from jet lag after a long journey, the walking tour will be postponed to the city tour day.

Explore the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam), visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, take a walk in the French Quarter, and discover the Old Town.

9:00 AM, our guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to visit the Temple of Literature, a must-see destination in Hanoi. This historic site was built during the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century for worshiping Confucius and educating royal children, and nobles. Take a stroll in the Giam Garden (Garden of Literature) and go to the Khue Van Cac (the symbol of Hanoi). Visit monuments like Quoc Tu Giam (Vietnam’s first university), 82 Doctor’s Stelaes (a world documentary heritage), the House of Ceremonies, and Thien Quang well…

The next destination is the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays), which provides an in-depth look at Vietnamese culture through the traditional houses, costumes, musical instruments, and tools of different ethnicities in Vietnam on display here. You will need about 2 hours to explore this interesting museum.

In the afternoon, explore the French Quarter, which is likened to a ‘little Paris’ in Hanoi with tree-lined avenues, a spacious square, and government headquarters. See the exterior of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. Stroll the botanical gardens, then visit the Presidential Palace and Stilt House (where Uncle Ho lived and worked). Continue to visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a unique architectural masterpiece and one of the symbols of Hanoi. It usually takes 1-2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of visitors.

End the day with the delightful experience of watching a water puppet show. This is a traditional art form of performing in Vietnam, that combines puppetry techniques, water effects, and traditional music, having first appeared in the Red River Delta in the 11th century. These performances are usually based on historical events and legends, or describe the culture, beliefs, and rural life of Vietnam through puppets on the water.

Take you back to the hotel.

Cycle to Thung La Temple, enjoy an authentic drumming performance, boat trip in the nature reserve of Van Long.

8:00 AM, collect you at the hotel in the old quarter. Then transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, passing through the picturesque countryside of the Red River Delta with rice and vegetable fields.

Cycle 15km or walk through the villages (depending on your preferences). Traveling along the dyke, you’ll see beautiful landscapes of paddy fields, a river and limestone mountains. There are several stops on the way to take photos or meet the locals. Continue walking to Thung La temple – a sacred temple dating back to the 11th century, located in a deep valley surrounded by five large mountains. Travelers can meet and converse with Mr. Tuong (the temple guardian) to learn about the history of the temple, breathe pure air, and admire the serene beauty of mountains and forests. Then enjoy a 20-minute drum show.

Take a trip on a sampan boat around Van Long Lagoon (known as “waveless bay”) through the limestone mountains to explore the beauty of Van Long Nature Reserve. At this well-known ecotourism site, you can enjoy a peaceful ambiance, and immerse yourself in the pristine natural scenery. If lucky, you can see egrets and white monkeys on the cliffs. 

Following the boat trip, visit an embroidery village and participate in an embroidery class taught by Mrs. Lam, a local craftswoman. She will instruct and explain to you about the techniques of traditional embroidery. This is a great chance for you to practice embroidering on fabric like a true craftsman.

Transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi at the end of the day.

Transfer to Lan Ha Bay, take in the beautiful seascape and uncover the Dark and Bright caves.

9:00 AM, pick up from your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and take you to Lan Ha Bay. Drive from Hanoi to Tuan Chau harbor on the national Highway No5B for about 2.5 hours, passing through a series of villages and paddy fields in the Red River Delta. On the way, there is a stop for drinks and a toilet. Upon arrival at the harbor around midday, you will be greeted warmly at the cruise reception.

At 12h30, you will be taken aboard our support vessel at the wharf and transferred across the bay to board the luxury Peony Cruising. Fresh welcome drinks, cold towels, and a special lunch including fresh food and many delicacies will be served. After enjoying a delicious meal, we will begin our journey to Lan Ha Bay, which has been recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

At 15:30, start exploring the Dark and Bright caves located at Lan Ha Bay in the Cat Ba archipelago. Inside the mysterious cave is a large lake surrounded by limestone mountains of diverse shapes, famous for its pristine beauty, poetic seascape, and rich natural environment. Take photos to capture the charm of the local sights during your exploration. This is an ideal destination for travelers to swim, kayak, or row bamboo boats to discover the bay. Besides, you can also relax in the mini pool with a jacuzzi on Peony Cruise.

At 17:30, return to the Peony Cruise to enjoy the sunset party at Lan Ha Bay. This is an ideal opportunity for photography enthusiasts to take photos of the beautiful sunset over Lan Ha Bay.

At 19:30, relish a romantic dinner at the restaurant on Peony Cruise.

At 21:00, take in the nightlife of the bay from the top deck. Sip cocktails at the bar, listen to music, watch famous films, and relax on the cruise. Otherwise, you can also join sailors fishing and squid fishing, admire the bay from the balcony, or simply rest in your room.

Overnight on the cruise.

Visit Trung Trang Cave, enjoy a relaxing cruise, and swim in the lesser-visited areas of Frog Pond (Ao Ech). Return to Hanoi and depart.

Between 6:30 and 7:30, enjoy breakfast at Peony Cruise restaurant.

At 8:00 AM, the cruise will take you to Frog Pond, a famous unspoiled destination belonging to Lan Ha Bay. This tranquil area is surrounded by a wide variety of flora and fauna and Cat Ba National Park ecosystems. It’s a great place for swimming, playing water sports, kayaking to explore the stunning pristine land with the majestic rocky mountains, and taking impressively beautiful photos. Lan Ha Bay’s four-season mini-pool is also the perfect place to relax.

9.30 AM: Check out of your room. Then enjoy lunch served for you in the restaurant. Please pay the additional fee (if any) at the reception while transferring to the port.

11:15 – 11:30: Return to the harbor.

11:30-11:45: Arrive in Tuan Chau International Marina.

The driver will wait and pick you up at Tuan Chau harbor, then it takes 2.5 hours to drive back to Hanoi on the new highway No.5B. Drop you off at your hotel (situated in the Hanoi Old Quarter).

Our private driver will collect you from your hotel lobby in the Old Quarter and continue driving you to Noi Bai Airport for 45 minutes (international or domestic hall depending on your need). Thanks for visiting our city.

Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours before departure, and domestic flights require 2 hours.