Day 1: Arrival to Hanoi
Arrive at Hanoi airport, our driver will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B,L)
After having breakfast, the tour guide and shuttle bus will arrive to pick up you to join a Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. You will start the tour by visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue on to visit the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past.
Have lunch at a local restaurant, and in the afternoon visit the Ethnology Museum, to learn more of the 54 ethic groups that make up the country’s population. Then we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, to see the peaceful water, and visit Ngoc Son Temple. Then take a 1 hour cyclo-ride around the bustling Old Quarter to see the ordinary life in Hanoi.
Around 6:pm return to your hotel, relax and enjoy the rest of your day as free time, to have dinner and explore your surrounds in Hanoi. Stay overnight at your hotel in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi – Bai Tu Long Bay – Vong Vieng Village (L/D)
7:30 – 8am: Pick up from your hotel, and depart for Halong City through the countryside, farmlands and Red River delta.
10:15am: Stopover on the way to Halong City for a refreshment and toilet break
12:30pm: Arrive at Hon Gai Habour and check–in on the Cruiser. Welcome drinks will be served on boarding.
1:00pm: Lunch will be served served while cruising through the Bai Tu Long Bay.
3:30pm: Board a small local bamboo rowing boat or kayak (around 1 hour) to visit Vong Vieng floating fishing village. Our guide will give you some information and interesting facts about this fascinating village and its local community who live on the water.
4:30pm: Return to your cruiser, and sail to Drum cave for overnight docking, in the quiet waters there.
Time for a relaxing afternoon, and to make the most of sunbathing on deck
Enjoy a small party with fresh fruit and Vietnamese tea, and joining a cooking class
7pm: Dinner will be served in the on-board restaurant.
9pm: Leisure time, to enjoy a chat around the bar, dancing, karaoke; watch movie or to enjoy some night fishing… Relax and spend a romantic night on board
Day 4:Ha long – Bai Tu Long Bay – Ha Noi (B/L)
Start your day early with Tai Chi exercises on the sundeck or have a photo hunt.
7am: Take your breakfast, and coffee and tea will be served.
8am: Visit the splendid Surprise Cave (Sung Sot), you will understand its naming while visiting this site.
9:30am: Return to your boat and take time to refresh and relax before checking out of your cabin.
Keep cruising back through the waters and past a number of caves including Trong cave (Drum) , Dong Tien Lake (Fairy), Man’s Head islet, Yen Ngua (saddle) Mountain…
10:45 -11am: An early lunch is served as you cruise closer to the pier.
12:00pm: Arrive at the pier and it is time to say goodbye to the crew
12:45pm: Return from Halong City to Hanoi with a brief stopover along the way for a short break.
Around 5pm you arrive back to your Hanoi hotel, where this tour will finish.
My family thought our time in Hanoi and Halong Bay was a binding time for our family. The tour of Hanoi itself was a highlight of the children’s stay, but my choice and my partners was Halong Bay. The kids loved it too, but the water-puppets and cyclo ride, they thought just put the city in front. The service on the cruise of Halong Bay was exceptional, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. It is more beautiful than in the coffee table books portray it and the guide, who spoke English, was very knowledgeable and told lots of legendry stories to the children. It was nice to have a smiley family around me. Well done HTS.
The guide who accompanied us around Hanoi was full of information and knew his job well. He was very informative and explained every site we visited very well. Halong Bay was like a fairyland, when we woke after sleeping on the boat, there was a moving mist over the waters and islets and it was like nothing I had seen before. Our cabin was well presented and the food was delicious. The onboard staff were very friendly and funny and all in all a fabulous cruise. It was very interesting to see the people who live on the water and have no interest to go to the main-land. A great tou that everyone would enjoy.