Mystique Vietnam Vacation by Vietnam Tour 247 – 8 Days

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam!

On your first day, you can arrive in Hanoi at any time as the only activity scheduled is the airport pick up. The driver will be waiting for you at the airport to take you to your hotel. Once you have checked in, the rest of the day is free for you to rest or explore the city and form your own first impressions of Vietnam. The airport transfer is included in the itinerary, so you don’t have to worry about arranging transportation on your own.

Stay overnight in Hanoi and get ready for an exciting adventure!

• Meal: NA
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Visiting a World Heritage site, a city museum, traveling to the French Quarter and the Ho Chi Minh complex, taking a leisurely stroll around West Lake and the Old Quarter, and enjoying a water puppet show

9:00 AM: Tour guide will pick you up and take you to the Temple of Literature, which was established in the 11th century during the Ly dynasty to honor Confucius and teach Royal children. Take a stroll through the garden to the city’s icon, Khue Van Cac. Then you’ll see the World Heritage “stone steles” that display the names of excellent students. Continue your exploration of the Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam’s first national university.

After that, go to one of the city’s museums (select from the National History Museum, Hoa Lo, Museum of Ethnology, or Fine Art Museum) before stopping for lunch or a drink (on your own budget).

In the afternoon, you visit the French Quarter, Hanoi’s “little Paris” with tree-lined boulevards, government headquarters, and a large square. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (outside) before taking a leisurely stroll through the botanical gardens to the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s mansion on stilts where he used to live and work. One of the city’s icons is the one-of-a-kind one-pillar pagoda. Depending on the amount of travelers, we spend 1 to 2 hours exploring this complex.

Continue to the Quan Thanh temple, one of the city’s four most prominent temples, dating back to the 11th century under Ly Thai To King and worshiping the Tran Vu gods, the city’s main deities.

Come back to your hotel. Have a rest of your day!

Included:

English speaking guide –  Meal: B – Private/ Group transportation – Entrance fees 

• Overnight in Hanoi
• B-L

Excursion to Muong village and exploration of the Thai culture in the villages of Lac, Na Phon, and Poong Com

8:00 AM: Meet the driver and tour guide before heading to Mai Chau. Visit a Muong village on the journey. Before reaching Mai Chau town, continue on to Thung Khe pass where you may enjoy breath-taking panoramic views of the valley. A stunning valley called Mai Chau can be found 145 kilometers from Hanoi. It is a wonderful location with beautiful scenery, lush mountain ranges, rice terraces, and ethnic White Thai settlements.

Arrive in Mai Chau, settle into your lodging, and have a lunch break. Take a walk or a 5 km bike ride to the rice fields in the afternoon. Learn about the customs and way of life of the inhabitants of the villages of Lac, Na Phon, and Poong Com. Observe the craftsmen weaving and the rural workers in the rice fields. and encounter with locals. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Included:

English speaking guide- Meal: B, L – Private transportation – Bike: Mai Chau – 02 bottles of mineral – 

• Overnight in Mai Chau
• B-L

Discover the culture of the Muong people in the hanging villages of Eo Ken Ban

Depart from Mai Hich directly to Eo Ken, 30km away, where the Muong ethnics live. Walk down the slope and enjoy the spectacular view of Pu Luong Nature reserve, rice field terraces and mountains. Visit a Muong ethnic family in Eo Ken village and discover their authentic life. Continue walking through this beautiful landscape and cross a stream to reach HangVillage.

Pick up by driver for transfering to Pu Luong. Check in your accommodation. In the afternoon transfer to Chieng Lau, a beautiful rice field area with bamboo water wheels. Walk through the field to the village and encounter the locals to discover their life, culture and customs.

Included:

Includes: English speaking tour guide Meals: B,L, D – Private transportation – Accommodation

• Overnight in Pu Luong
• B-L-D

Authentic easy hiking route: Chom Uoi – Chom Lan – Pho Doan village, visiting Cam Luong stream

8:00 Am: Begin your day by hiking down into the beautiful valley from your accommodation, passing through spectacular rice fields and follow small paths to slowly reach Chom Uoi and Chum Lan villages. Your camera will help you capture these unforgettable moments. During the hike, you will witness the changing landscapes of rice terraces intermingled with villages, fields, ponds, streams and mountains. Continue walking to Pho Doan to have lunch at a local restaurant. 

In the afternoon, transfer back to Ninh Binh. On the way, visit the sacred fish stream in Cam Luong. This destination is well known for a special kind of fish that populates the stream. It’s called a sacred fish for the many mysterious stories created around this special creature. Continue to travel to Ninh Binh, check in your accommodation in the late afternoon.

Included:

English speaking guide – Meals – Private transportation – Entrance fees – Accommodation

• Overnight in Ninh Binh
• B-L-D

Biking to Thung La temple, enjoying authentic drum performance, boat trip in Van Long Nature Reserve

8:00 AM: Walk through the villages or ride a 15-km bike (optional). You can experience stunning scenery, including rice fields, rivers, and limestone mountains, by traveling along the dike. The 11th-century Thung La temple can be found after stopping at a number of locations to take lovely pictures or interact with the locals.

Continue your sampan boat journey to explore the Van Long nature reserve’s magnificence as you travel along the creek and past limestone mountains. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of egrets and white monkeys on the cliffs. Visit an embroidered village after the boat ride and enroll in an embroidery workshop taught by a local craftswoman, Mrs. Lam. She will eloquently demonstrate the methods of her age-old trade. You will have a good chance to practice working with fabric like a true craftsman during this time.

Leave your bike at the guesthouse and bid the host farewell. Transfer from Ninh Binh to Hanoi at the end of the day. Enjoy the ride across the Red River delta as you get a great chance to capture images of the tranquil landscape and rice fields.

Included:

English speaking guide – Meals – Boat: Van Long – Private transportation – Entrance fees – Bike: Tam Coc – Leisure: Thung La temple music 

• Overnight in Hanoi
• B-L

Exploring Cap La island, leisurely kayaking and swimming

8:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy three hour drive from Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay. Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue your driving, arrive at the harbor around noon, get warmly welcomed at cruise reception.

12:45: Warmest welcome drinks from our staffs. Listen to a brief of safety on board then check in your cabin

13:30: Enjoying delicious Vietnamese dishes for lunch while leisurely cruising to the core of Bai Tu Long Bay. 

15:00: Leave the cruise to discover Cap La Island- the beautiful area in Bai Tu Long bay. Enjoy kayaking through the karst and breathtaking nature, swimming and relaxing

17:30: Get back to the boat and enjoy Sunset Time (enjoy tea and fresh fruits). This time is regarded as “Happy Hour” – “buy two get one free” while our cruise is sailing to the overnight anchorage. In addition, cooking class is also organized by our guide at this time. You have a chance to make Vietnamese cuisine by yourself. 

19:00: Sumptuous set-dinner on board.

20:30: Free time for relaxing on the sundeck, listening to music, you may also try your luck with squid fishing. 

If you want to join in karaoke activity, please inform our tour guide to be supported

Overnight on board on Bai Tu Long bay

Included: Shuttle bus: Hanoi – Halong – English speaking guide (on board) – Meal: B, L, D – Entrance fees – Kayak: Halong – Leisure: Beach swimming,Squid fishing

• Overnight on cruise
• B-L-D

Exploring Thien Canh Son cave, stunning sailing route, getting back Hanoi, departure

06:30: Freshen up your new day with doing Tai Chi 

07:00: Breakfast will be served in Western style and furthermore with Vietnamese traditional food. Tea and coffee is available

08:00: Explore Thien Canh Son cave. Your guide will explain the history of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and this Cave, made by Mother Nature

09:30: Back to your boat by tender then finish packing.   

Please remove all of your belongings from your cabin, you may leave heavy luggage outside of the cabin (staff will transfer directly to the pier).

10:30: Join in and show your creativity in fruit carving activity

11:00: Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

12:00: Disembark in Hon Gai pier

Welcome by driver at the harbor then enjoy travel back to Hanoi. Have a rest at the middle of the way. Drop off at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter).

Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby (Hanoi Old Quarter) for about 45 minutes to Noi Bai airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.

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

• B-L