Northern Vietnam Highlights 5 Days: Hanoi – Tam Coc – Halong Bay

Day 1: Hanoi arrive and city tour

Cozy Vietnam Travel’s Hanoi Tours welcomes you to Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Your driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim of Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center.

The city tour begins with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh and the nation’s founder and resume visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office, the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and Presidential Palace where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century.

Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.

Having lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to visit the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda built since the sixth century, which located in a small island on the lake on West Lake (one of the oldest in Vietnam) and Quan Thanh Temple one of the four holy temples in Hanoi built since the eleventh century.

Afternoon, continue to a preferable museum in the city. Please select one of the museums such as Museum of Fine Arts / the National Museum of Vietnamese History / the Museum of Military History / the Museum of Ethnology.

Take Electric car tour through charming Ha Noi’s Old Quarter also known as the “36 streets of Thang Long” and Dong Xuan Market and around Hoan Kiem Lake. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It’s great place to discover with plenty of photo opportunity all around.

Attending Unique Water Puppet Show, The puppet performs on the water and is controlled by artisans behind the curtain. The stories in the water puppet show clearly the life and culture of the Vietnamese. The water puppet show is highly recommended. One show lasts nearly an hour and start from 15h30 every day.

Transfer back to your hotel around 18.00

Note: The city tour subjects to change upon your arrival time to Hanoi

Spend the night at hotel in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi – Tam Coc Tour

Around 8:00 meet our tour guide at our hotel lobby and start 02 hours road trip down to Ninh Binh province. Around 10:30am, you will arrive at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.

In Hoa Lu, there are now 2 temples have been built on the ground of the old royal palace, one is dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang, the other is to King Le Dai Hanh. This visit offers a chance to know more about part of feudal dynasties in Vietnamese history, as well as the old feudal architecture of Vietnam Temples.

11:30 Leave Hoa Lu to Tam Coc at around 12:00pm.

Have lunch in Tam Coc in a local restaurant.

13:30 You will take a 5 minute-walk to the boat station and start the 2hour-boat trip to visit Tam Coc (you will sit on a sampan boat with local rower). Known as “Halong Bay on land”, Tam Coc are three limestone caves stretching along Ngo Dong river. The boat trip is a nice journey along the river with peaceful scenery of limestone mountains, rice paddy and the site of some temples along the way from Hang Ca (first cave) to Hang Hai (second cave) and Hang Ba (third cave).

Continue with short bicycle ride in Tam Coc area to discover the life of local ,this is a best area for bikers who like to experience new lands with peaceful scenery, ride to Bich Dong pagoda nearby and climb up the mountain to have a wonderful perspective view.

16:00 Leave Tam Coc and drive back to Hanoi.

You will arrive back to your hotel at around 18:30.

Spend the night at hotel in Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay Cruise

After breakfast at the hotel, your guide and driver will pick you up around 8.00 am and transfer to Ha Long Bay, this four hours drive will take you through the Red River Delta, with lots of countryside on the way so you can see and smell rural life in Vietnam.

Plenty of chance to take photos of Vietnamese farmers, working with water buffalo and cows on the vast green paddy field. At half way, we will have a visit to a handicraft workshop with fine clothes and embroidered paintings.

Welcome drink – receive cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Enjoy lunch with Vietnamese dishes served while cruising through the bay, passing the most beautiful and quiet areas, such as Incense Burner, Dog Stone Islet, Fighting Cock, …

Explore the Surprising Cave – Sung Sot Cave – the most beautiful cave in Ha long Bay. It is one of the widest grottoes in Ha Long Bay with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

Visiting the beautiful Ti Top beach for swimming, Ti Top Beach is especially famous for its fresh atmosphere, clean water, and smooth white sand that create a great ambiance for tourists to relax or passengers can take steps to reach on the top of Ti Top Mountain to have a whole panorama view of Halong Bay.

Back to the boat, you will be able to join a cooking class or a sunset cocktail party before dinner time. The evening is free at your leisure or you can join a squid fishing trip with the crew.

Spend the night on cruise 

Day 4: Halong Bay Cruise – Hanoi

The day starts early onboard with Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Tai chi also called Tai chi chuan, combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements. Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast are served in the dining room with morning view of bay’s landscape.

Continue your cruise pass through the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and here you can go for kayaking around the floating village to explore the local life.

Sitting on the upper deck we can enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the crystal-clear water of the Bay.

Have a brunch while cruising back to the Tuan Chau Wharf. Relaxing on the sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery while approaching the wharf.

Disembark to Tuan Chau Wharf. Say goodbye to the crew.

Arrive back to your hotel in Hanoi around 16h30

Night at hotel in Hanoi

Day 5: Hanoi free and departure

Hanoi is a capital of thousand years of civilization with ancient relics, peaceful life. If you have been traveling to Hanoi, you can certainly not forget the typical atmosphere here, with Sword Lake, West Lake, cafes, small streets and street vendors. The people are elegant and civilized. Hanoi is not only famous for its beautiful landscapes and delicious foods, the Hanoi people also have their own distinctive characters, which are charm, elegance and sophistication in every speech and gesture. That is why you should Travel Hanoi at least once in your lifetime

Today is your last day in Hanoi, we will arrange free time you to stroll around the Hanoi Old Quarter and Dong Xuan Market. Take this chance to experience our beautiful capital city and buy some small souvenirs for your family and friends.

3 hours before your departure light, our driver and guide will pick you up for transfer to the airport. End of services of the Hanoi Ground Tour 5 Days Package.

Meals: Breakfast

This itinerary is crafted and organized for the private group only. The cost depends on a number of participants and specific touring needs. Please feel free to contact us for the best possible price for the Hanoi Ground Tour 5 Days Package.