7-Day Hanoi – Mai Chau Valley – Halong Bay Discovery Tour

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)

Arrival airport: Noi Bai International airport
Welcome up on arrival by local tour guide & driver, we then transfer to hotel. On the way, we may stop at the Westlake area to get nice sunset view on the largest lake of Hanoi, and enjoy Vietnamese coffee in the coffee shop on the lake bank. After checking in, we have our dinner at fine restaurant in town. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

 

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, D)

Today we visit Ho Chi Minh Complex, where we will spend a couple of hour to visit: Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh museum and one pillar pagoda. Keep going to see the Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society placed then and now on education.
Lunch will be at a fine local restaurant in Hanoi.

In the afternoon, we transfer to the Royal city to visit and do some shopping in the biggest business center in Hanoi. There are some options for visitors such as do skiing, swimming in the biggest indoor Water Park in Vietnam or just walking around and do shopping. Before transferring to hotel, we enjoy buffet dinner at the Royal Buffet restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

 

Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau Valley (B, L, D)

Mai Chau Valley is a home of the White Thai ethnic minority people in Vietnam. It’s about 2,5 to 3 hour driving from Hanoi. Traveling to this area, visitors will have chance to connect with the local people with their special culture. We start our tour at 8h00am then travel up to the Northeast of Hanoi where we will be welcomed by local family in Pom Coong village. Relax a bit in a house on stilts then we enjoy our first lunch with them. Refreshing by taking a nap, we walk to the Lac, Nhot and Naphon villages where we find out the local way of life. We will come closer with rice fields, village lanes and houses on stilts and very friendly people. After dinner tonight, we enjoy the traditional Thai Dance in the night music performance. Overnight in the home-stay house on stilts in Mai Chau Valley.

Day 4: Mai Chau – Hanoi (B, L, D)

Enjoy the fresh air with simple breakfast with host, we visit the local markets and some other villages after that if we want, or we are just leisure on the house which we bit farewell after lunch.

In the afternoon, we travel back to Hanoi. If it’s weekend tonight (Saturday or Sunday night) we will have chance to join the night market in the center of Hanoi. Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.

 

 

Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we drive to Halong Bay for an overnight cruise on a deluxe junk. Our buses will travel through breathtaking scenery en route to a World Heritage area of outstanding beauty. Upon arrival we will board our boat and cruise around this secluded bay which has been referred to as the 8th Natural Wonder of the World. Whilst cruising we will explore forgotten caves and have the opportunity to canoe or swim from the boat. In the evening enjoy a seafood feast for dinner. Overnight on deluxe junk cruise.

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

After waking this morning, a sumptuous western breakfast will be served for you to enjoy whilst watching the sun rise over magical Halong Bay. After breakfast we continue cruising around this amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site and explore some more of the intricate cave systems that make Halong truly unique. After a delicious lunch, we head back to Hanoi. If it’s weekend tonight (Saturday or Sunday night) we will have chance to walk to the night market for visiting and shopping. Overnight in Hanoi.

 

 

Day 7: Hanoi – Departure (B)

Departure airport: Noi Bai International airport
Free at leisure for last minute shopping before transferring back to the airport for our flight to home. Trip ends.