Magnificent Northern Vietnam 7 Days

08:30 AM – Pick up from your hotel, we'll start the day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex: which includes his mausoleum, his simple stilt house where he lived and worked, and the museum dedicated to his memory. The next stop will be the Temple of Literature, our first university in dating back to the 11th century. 

Lunch will be served at KOTO – a restaurant belonging to a and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

In the afternoon, a quick transfer to you to the excellent Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam's 54 distinct ethnic groups. There’s also time for a water puppet show at the museum’s open stage before heading back to your hotel. You’ll spend the second night in Hanoi.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

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OPTION 2: Duong Lam ancient village and biking

Pick up at 8:30 am and travel west of Hanoi to Duong Lam village, a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River delta where still preserve many hundred-year-old houses. Upon arrival, visit Ngo Quyen temple and Phung Hung temple, places dedicated to two national heroes Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung.

Bike to visit Mia Pagoda (other hamlet in Duong Lam village), is built in 15th century and admire 287 statues of all sizes, along with are famous sculpture such as the statue of Buddha in the Himalayas and the statues of the Eight Viagra Deities. Continue riding around the village to discover the daily life and farming working of Vietnamese peasants along the terrace with a stop to visit ancient house back to 200 years ago. Enjoy your special lunch with Vietnamese foods in an ancient house.

Walk along tiny ancient alleys to visit Mong Phu communal house in Mong Phu hamlet and walk on foot to see local people living in the ancient village. Drive back to Hanoi. Ends tour.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

7:45– Pick up from your hotel to Handspan office for tour check-in procedure
8:00 - Depart from Hanoi by shuttle bus for a 3.5 hours drive to Halong City through the Red River Delta. Upon arrival, get on board.

Start cruising from pier to the boundaries of Halong bay while lunch with fresh seafood is served (vegetarian and kids menus available).

After lunch, just make yourself at ease and relax. We are slowly getting off the classic cruising routes, far from the usual clichés of this busy tourism spot. Limestone rock formations will parade all around us for about 2 hours before our first stop.

We reach the perfect spot, remote and scenic. Let's get ready for serious things. Swimming suits, ok. Kayaks and tender boat, ok. Paddles and gears, ok. Let's get closer to the water and explore the bay in depth.

After one/one and a half hour kayaking, we get back on board to refresh and start the aperitif on the sundeck. The boat cruises to its anchorage area. Dinner is served either inside or outside depending on weather conditions. Overnight on board in a cozy air-conditioned cabin with en-suite bathroom facilities.

Accommodation: Overnight on boat

We will be back at the pier about 11am, and driven to Hanoi with an expected arrival time about 4pm. The day will be short so let's wake up early to take the maximum of it.

6:30 - Coffee, tea and cakes will be served. Wake up smoothly while witnessing the silence of beautiful misty bay. A 30-minute Tai Chi session will be organized, energize your body and soul or just allow yourself some farniente time on a sunbath with a cup of coffee.

About 7.45am, we hop on bamboo boats to go visiting a secluded floating village surrounded by the mountains. We trace our way between numerous floating houses and small rowing boats that serve the everyday life as vehicle, itinerant shops, fishing utility, sometimes overnight shelter.

Back on treasure before 9am, we start cruising back to the pier. From 9.30am, a brunch will be served. Take a last glance at the rocks, standing still as the eternal guardians of a kingdom, we are about to reach the pier.

11:30 - Disembark from the cruise, you'll have a private transfer from Halong to Ninh Binh. The driving takes around 5 hours, you'll reach Tam Coc (known as one of the most scenic spot of the region) in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel in Tam Coc

In the morning, we embark on traditional rowing sampan for about one hour on a less travelled canal of the region. It goes through caves and along the border with the natural site of Trang An.

Make your way back with a stop en-route to join a local farmer in his daily work before ending your cycling at one of the village’s houses for a late lunch.

14:00 – Leave from Tam Coc for around 3 hours driving to Pu Luong Retreat lodge, where you’ll check-in its’ traditional house-on-silts and spend the night

Your accommodation is provided in a traditional house-on-silts. There’s no private room and you’ll sleep on the floor in a large communal area. The sleeping corner is set up with a single mattress, blankets, pillow and mosquito net. The restroom is at international standard and a few steps from the main house.

Accommodation: Lodge in Pu Luong

The day will be dedicated an exploration of the Nature Reserve. Please free feel to discuss with our guide to take the most suitable trekking route for your kids.

In a meantime we suggest the 7-km downhill to Hieu village. The trail leads to through local rice terraces, villages and market. Enjoy a picnic lunch by Hieu waterfall with there’re plenty of time for swimming in a natural pool (weather permits) before your driver arrives and takes you back to the Retreat.

Accommodation: Lodge in Pu Luong