HIGHLIGHTS

HANOI

• Hanoi's history, culture, religion and tradition
• Experience Vietnamese cycle ride (local rickshaw)
• Hanoi's food (specialties)
• Vietnamese traditional water puppet performances

HALONG

• Cruise fascinating Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay
• Visit to typical floating village, amazing lime stone cave
• Traditional bamboo boat rowing amongst jutting karst
• Excursion to Lan Ha bay for kayaking and swimming
• BBQ on deserted beach
• Wonderful meals aboard
• Cooking demonstration
• Great comfort in your luxury cabin

NINH BINH

• Local religious pratice with Vietnamese typical temple's architecture
• Karst landscape on land
• Beautiful countryside sceneries
• Boat rowing amongst stunning karst of World Heritage Trang An
• Hoa Lu ancient capital and its spectacular landscape

RECOMMEND ACCOMMODATION

• Hanoi: Intercontinental Westlake hotel
• Halong cruise: Violet cruise  

GASTRONOMY

Daily breakfasts, 2lunches & 2 dinners, including

• Dinner at Press Club – finest culinary with two star Michelin chef Alain Dutournier.
• Street food - popular Bún Chả, favorite food of US President Obama in Vietnam
• Wide-selection of seafood on cruise in Halong Bay

SPECIAL SERVICES

• Fast track service upon arrival
• Vietnam visa on arrival (if any)
• Time flexibility
• Option of sightseeing attractions
• Enjoy one of the best out-door cultural performance in Vietnam
• Luxury and stylist vehicle
•  

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: ARRIVAL HANOI – WELCOME DINNER CRUISE

Arrive Hanoi, warmly welcomes by private representative, who will assist you quickly go through custom clearance, passport control and meet your chauffeurto transfer to hotel. Check in hotel then relax with Spa & Massage at the hotel.

19h00: Take a short walk (3mins) from the hotel to Press Club, enjoy welcome dinner with the finest ingredients with French techniques while admire stunning view right inside the heart of Hanoi.

Transportation: Luxury vehicle   

Meal: Welcome dinner at Press Club

Accommodation: Luxury room at SofitelMetropole Legend hotel

Day 2: HANOI CITY TOUR

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centres of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. The city hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam, and boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.

In morning:Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and free as your leisure and relaxing

 Afternoon: At 1pm, your tour-guide will meet you at hotel lobby, you are picked up for starting the 4hour tour with a traditional cyclo (rickshaw) ride through the vibrant Old Quarter dotted with ancient temples in a maze of little streets lined with colorful shops and stalls and French Quarterwith colonial buildings and tree lined boulevards.

Wander through the bustle streets, soak up with sights, sounds, smells and get yourself adapted to the local atmosphere.

Stop at local stall that is famous among local people for Bún Chả (grilled pork served with fresh noddle) to enjoy light lunch.

Continue cyclo ride to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, visit the mausoleum and the president's humble house-on-stilts. You will then transferred to the famous Temple of Literature Temple of Literature, the first University of the country that built from 1076, where you can see nearly hundreds of huge stone steles standing on turtle backs and bear names of the country’s men who received Doctor Laureate through royal examinations. 

Trip ends around 5pm at Sword Lake after a cup of coffee nearby the lake.

Transportation: Trishaw

Meal: Breakfast – Lunch

Accommodation: Luxury room at SofitelMetropole Legend hotel

Day 3: HANOI TO HALONG BAY BY SEAPLANE

Voted as one of 7 new wonders of the World, Halong Bay is considered one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is a huge body of emerald water that covers a space of more than 1500 square kilometers dotted with stunning limestone islands of different shapes that carved by waves and winds through millions of year.

At 8h30am: Check out the hotel, leave your luggage at hotel’s store then heading to Noi Bai airport, take seaplane from Hanoi to Halong Bay. He flight takes about 1hour, included 15 mins scenic fly for birth-view magnificent of Halong bay from above.

Landing around 11am, you will be picked to Violet cruise lounge, take a short relaxing with welcome cocktail while the crew procedure your boarding.

Welcome on board and set sail through Bai Tu Long bay while seafood lunch is served. Find yourself getting acquainted with the facilities onboard.

A delectable buffet lunch with a feast of choices is served in the restaurant. Savor your first hours in Halong Bay on the sun deck by simply letting your eyes wander around the scenery.

We arrive at the area of Cua Van, a floating fishing village. From here we start to explore a cave, named Tien Ong, and the floating fishing village. Tien Ong is the most recently explored cave, Showing evidence of human civilization dating back to 10,000 – 8,000 BC. The cave is just 5 meters above sea level, 50 meters deep and covers 1,000 square meters. Our guide takes you on a loop though the cave and explains about the historical findings and the cave’s particulars.

The voyage continues to the fishing village. With a small bamboo boat rowed by the local people we move around in the calm sea of this secluded area and gain an insight into the village life. You can also paddle by yourself in a kayak, which is a perfect way to freely move around in the calm area and experience the village life. After returning to the boat we sail to the overnight mooring area Luon Bo. During this time Halong Bay reveals its most magnificent beauty - called the “blue hour”. Rewind on the sun deck with a drink of your choice and let this moment sink in.

During sailing, our chef demonstrates the preparation of particular Vietnamese dishes. Feel free to join and practice by yourself.

Dinner is served in the restaurant either à la carte or buffet style. Afterwards the night is yours to kick back and abundantly enjoy these unique moments amidst a surreal landscape. A presentation with interesting facts and insights on Halong Bay is also offered after dinner in the dining area.

We wish you a good night in Halong Bay, where once upon a time dragons played with sparkling jewels.

Transportation: Private BMW 7 Series & Seaplane

Meal: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Accommodation: Junior Suite cabin on Violet Cruise

Day 4: ULTIMATE CRUISE – KAYAKING – SWIMMING

Early birds are welcome to attend sunrise Tai Chi on the upper deck and it’s an excellent way to get your energy levels up for today’s adventures.

Enjoy morning swim in the emerald water and a tea party before having an amazing buffet breakfast.

Next we board the excursion boat and head to Lan Ha Bay, best known for its crystal clear sandy beaches. Enjoy kayaking, swimming or just relax on a stunning secluded beach. A mouth-watering BBQ lunch will be served on the beach (weather permitting).

After lunch we continue on to the most isolated area of Lan Ha Bay to explore Toi and Sang Caves. Visit a beautiful lagoon and charming fishing villages and depending on the weather and tides, kayak through an incredible tunnel under a limestone karst.

Back on board Signature Cruise, take some time to freshen up, take a nap or just relax at your leisure as we cruise to Ho Dong Tien for our overnight stay.

A special a la carte dinner will be served offering you outstanding food and quality service.

Enjoy your evening with entertainments such as movie watching, board game and try your luck with traditional fishing tools. Top deck bar always open and is an ideal place to meet new people and share stories about your adventures.

Retreat to your luxury room for second night on board in romantic Halong Bay.

Day 5: MORE CRUISE – NINH BINH

For early risers (around 6:30 am) tea, coffee and pastries are available in the dining room. A Tai Chi class is offered on the sundeck to ease mind and muscles.

The boat sails to Ti Top Island. By tender boat we arrive at this little landmass in the Bay. Prepare yourself for a refreshing morning swim on a sandy beach beneath high rock formations. If you prefer to be more active, climb up to the hill to the top of Ti Top Island from where you have stunning views over Halong Bay. It takes 400 stone steps up and about 20 minutes to the top, minimal fitness and proper footwear is required. There is also a viewing platform about half-way up with great panoramic views.

Back on board (around 8:45 am) you may like to shower and freshen up. Enjoy the last sailing time back to the harbor. A full breakfast is served in the dining room. Relax on the sun deck or in the dining room while savoring the last cruise moments of this iconic site before arriving back on shore.

Disembark the cruise, meet private driver and transfer to Ninh Binh.

Upon arrival Ninh Binh, check in hotel and relax. Have dinner with local specialties at nice ambience restaurant.  

Transportation: Private BMW 7 Series & Seaplane

Meal: Brunch  

Accommodation: Luxury room at SofitelMetropole Legend hotel

Day 6: NINH BINH SIGHTSEING – TRANSFER TO HANOI

Hoa Lu was the capital of Dai Co Viet nearly 10 centuries ago. The site is located in Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, about 100 km south of Hanoi.

The ancient citadel of Hoa Lu covers an area of 300 hectares, being surrounded by arc Rocky Mountains and magnificent scenery. The imperial city of Hoa Lu comprises of outer ramparts, inner ramparts, and southern ramparts.  Trang An grottoes is new UNESCO World Heritage site, this boat trip is a great opportunity to admire countryside landscape with peaceful atmosphere.

Have breakfast at your hotel then take the amazing boat trip to visit Trang An grottoes which is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam. While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.

After lunch, driving to visit Hoa Lu – The ancient capital with twin temples of Dinh & Le Kings. We will seeHoa Lu, the first capital of Vietnam, is also an interesting historical site. Most of which has been destroyed. The remains are the temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the two heroes who lived in 10th century and chose Hoa Lu to build the citadel of the capital city. In 1998, archaeologists unearthed a new section of the old citadel, which have been preserved together with some artifacts and shown in a display room built around them.

Transfer back Hanoi at mid-afternoon.  Check in hotel and free as your leisure.

Day 7: LEAVING HANOI

Today is your departure; you are free for shopping or relax after breakfast at the hotel. Just simply advise your flight out, your private driver will pick you up from the hotel to Danang airport for your own flight back home.

Transportation: Private BMW 7 Series & Seaplane

Meal: Breakfast