Authentic Hanoi – Ha Long Bay Experience 4 Days

Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. Enjoy 45-minute driving to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with city’s briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine….Arrive in your hotel, check in and have a rest.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

Continue the day with a walking tour. Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da quietly located in a small alley – only few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by French colonialism since the 19th century. Your tour guide also takes you to typical streets of Hanoi such as Lan Ong Street selling traditional medicine, Lo Ren Street where metal items are produced … Stop to visit the Dong Xuan central market – the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to the famous area for night activities and street food – Ta Hien street, where you can see the vibrant streets with a lot of the amazing local foods and drinks. Trying to taste some for an unforgettable experience.

9:00 AM: Get Pick up by tour guide to the Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly dynasty in 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage “stone steles” which shows the name of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered as the first national university of Vietnam.

Next stop at the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many ethnic groups. To fully explore this interesting museum, it takes you around two hours.

In the afternoon you visit the French Quarter – it is a “little Paris” in Hanoi with tree-lined boulevards, government head offices and a big square. Visit (outside) Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live and work. Towards the unique One – pillar pagoda which is one of the city’s symbols. It takes us from 1 to 2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of traveler.

Come back to city center and have a rest before enjoying the water puppet shows that is the unique performances, first appeared in the 11th century. In these shows, the daily life, culture and belief of Vietnamese people are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well.

9:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy two and a half hour drive from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on the national highway No5B. Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue driving to the harbor around noon, get warmly welcome at cruise reception.

12:30: You will be taken aboard our support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board our luxurious craft, Peony Cruises. Welcome fresh drinks, cold towels and a special lunch of fresh food and an assortment of appetizing delicacies will be served. You will be enchanted when decadently dining on our luxury junk. Life just doesn’t get better than this! We then set sail for Lan Ha Bay – A member of the World’s Most Beautiful Bays.

15:30: We will visit the Dark and Bright Cave – famous for the pristine natural beauty and poetic, attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. Here you will take some photos of the romantic, lyrical local see-sights. This is also the best time for tourists to enjoy bamboo boat and swimming – which is an interesting activity to discover the truest beauty of the limestone mountains and the blue sky of LanHa Bay. Afterwards, visitors immerse in the emerald green water of LanHa Bay with exciting swimming activities or enjoy mini pool with jacuzzi on Peony Cruise.

17:30: Return to Peony Cruise. Enjoy sunset party on Lan Ha Bay. It is an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the stunning moment of sunset at Lan Ha Bay.

19:30: Enjoy a romantic dinner at the restaurant on Peony Cruise.

21:00: Enjoy the nightlife of the bay from the top deck. Immerse yourself in music, enjoying a glass of cocktail from the bar, watching famous films and relaxing on the cruise. Otherwise, you can fish squid with the sailors or simply relax in the room and watch the bay from the balcony.

Overnight on the cruise.