Northern Vietnam Beyond Tourist Trail

General Information

Tour Route: Hanoi – Hanoi Villages – Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex – Ninh Binh – Trang An – Halong Bay – Yen Duc Cultural Village – Hanoi
Duration: 10 Days/ 9 Nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Hanoi
Tour Customizable: Definitely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Tour Categories: Vietnam Classic Tours
Accommodation: Listed below or equivalent

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (-)
Day 2: Bat Trang Ceramic & Dong Ho Traditional Village Tour (B, L)
Day 3: Ky Son & Duong Lam Ancient Village Full-day Tour (B, L)
Day 4: Cultural Day Tour to Ha Nam – Tam Chuc & Dia Tang Phi Lai Pagoda Spiritual Tourism Complex (B, L)
Day 5: Ninh Binh Discovery to Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave (B, L)
Day 6: Free Relaxing Day in Ninh Binh (B)
Day 7: Ninh Binh – Transfer to Hanoi (B)
Day 8: Hanoi – Transfer to Halong Bay – Overnight Cruise (B, L, D)
Day 9: Bai Tu Long – Transfer to Dong Trieu – Visit Yen Duc Cultural Village (B, Br)
Day 10: Hanoi Departure (B)

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival

Welcome to Hanoi, the Capital city of Vietnam!

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, we will be welcomed by our guide and transfer to the hotel for  check-in and relaxation.

Check-in to your hotel stay and enjoy the day free at your own leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meal: None

Day 2: Bat Trang Ceramic & Dong Ho Traditional Village Tour (B, L)

This morning, your personal guide and driver will arrive at your hotel’s lobby at 8.30AM to pick  you up. First, we will drive along the Red River dyke, passing through guava and vegetable  gardens, to the Ceramic Village of Bat Trang, which is located on the left bank of the Red River.

Upon arrival at the village, our guide will lead you through the zigzagging maze of alleyways to learn about the manufacture of ceramic products, the villagers’ daily lives and get beautiful  potteries at relatively low prices. During the walking tour, we will make stop at a local workshop to watch the process of making ceramics and you can design your own ceramic bowl or teacup (at own expenses).

We then stop for lunch with delicious local cuisine before proceed the tour to Dong Ho Village, where we discover the Dong Ho way of painting – this is a very special and unique traditional Vietnamese art form. Images are engraved on wooden boards’ rot-proof modest size. Some large prints require more than twenty boards assembled together. The printing was done on papers of different colors, obtained from bamboo, mulberry bark or rhamnonuron (Do paper).

After the tour, you will be escorted safely back to your hotel stay in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Ky Son & Duong Lam Ancient Village Full-day Tour (B, L)

This morning, be warmly greeted by your personal tour guide and driver at your hotel’s lobby at  7.30AM then we will transfer 55km to the west of Hanoi to Ky Son Village with many traditional houses which some are up to 200 years old. Arriving mid-morning at around 9AM, we will enjoy our welcome drink – fresh local green tea.

We then proceed to get on our bike (6km round-trip) and start exploring Ky Son, Tam Son, Van Minh, and Cham farming communities, stopping along the way to interact with local families about their daily lives and chances for a nice welcoming cup of tea. There will also be opportunities to help with plowing or making rice beds, transplanting seedlings and harvesting rice, cassava, corn or sweet potatoes (depends on the harvest season).

At 11.30, we will start our return to Moon Garden and enjoy a local lunch with some homegrown products: maize, sweet potato, cassava, peanuts… (depending on season) or some traditional  desserts. After lunch, we return to our private vehicle for a ride back to Hanoi.  

En-route, we will make stop to venture further into Duong Lam Ancient Village. Upon arrival, walk along the many tiny and long alleys, meet and talk with the locals over a cup of green tea in their old houses. One special thing about the village is that most of the buildings here are made of laterite and mud taken from the local ponds, two materials that are abundant in the area. Laterite is used on house walls, gates, wells, temple walls, and so forth. We will visit Mong Phu Temple, the only hamlet whose original village entrance gate remains intact. Along the tour, we will also get to see Mia Pagoda which was built in 15th Century containing 287 statues of different sizes; Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung Temples, the two National Heroes of Vietnam. In the late  afternoon, you will be escorted safely back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi – hotel booked by guests 

Day 4: Cultural Day Tour to Ha Nam – Tam Chuc & Dia Tang Phi Lai Pagoda Spiritual Tourism Complex (B, L)

This morning, be warmly greeted by your personal tour guide and driver at your hotel’s lobby at  8.30AM then we will proceed with a transfer to Ha Nam Province. The 1-hour driving route offers you a great sightseeing chance to see the awe-inspiring landscape in Northern Vietnam.

09h30: We arrive at the scenic area of Tam Chuc Pagoda Spiritual Tourism Complex. Our first  stop will be Thuy Dinh guesthouse – where you can see pictures depicting the whole temple,  freely admire the scenery and take pictures. Then, we will go to the tram station to visit Tam Chuc Pagoda – a sacred temple built with thousands of stone paintings meticulously and carefully assembled by the talented hands of people. skilled craftsman.

After stepping through the Tam Quan Gate, you walk up to the main hall and go through the Garden of  Pillars – each column weighs about 200 tons. Along the two sides of the gate are 2 big roads to reach the  magnificent Tam Dien with 3 main halls: Quan Am Palace, Tam The Temple and Phap Chu Temple – each  shrine is dedicated to a Buddha with different sacred meanings. 

We walk up to the top of That Tinh Mountain and pay a quick visit to Ngoc Pagoda (Jade Pagoda),  this is one of the main items of Tam Chuc. To be able to admire this temple, you will have to pass  299 stone steps. Standing on Ngoc Pagoda, you will be able to see the vast, charming landscape. Up on the hill, the scene extremely peaceful and free.

12:30: We make stop to sit down and enjoy a nice local lunch.

Then, depart to visit Dia Tang Phi Lai Pagoda (or Ji Tang Phi Lai Tu). The temple is known for its purity and beautiful architecture, located in the middle of the pine forest, evoking an ethereal, escapist feeling that anyone who has the opportunity to come here can feel.

When visiting temples and pagodas; please dress modestly: no sleeveless clothes, if wearing a skirt or dress, it should be below your knees and if wearing shorts, the length should be 3/4 way to your knees or longer. After the tour, we will return to our private vehicle for a ride to our next destination: Ninh Binh. Upon arrival in Ninh Binh, check-in to your hotel rooms and have a rest.

Overnight in Ninh Binh 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Ninh Binh Discovery to Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave (B, L)

Enjoy your breakfast at hotel then today, we will venture out to explore the natural beauty of  Ninh Binh. Our first stop will be to Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel – the historic capital of Vietnam  where you can visit the famous ancient temples of Le and the Dinh Dynasties.

After lunch, we depart to visit Trang An Eco-Tourism complex, take a boat trip to visit the impressive cave complex consists of Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou in the mysterious wilderness, see the scenery of mountain and rivers of the “Halong Bay on land”.

In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to Hang Mua – Dancing Cave, where you can get the impressive panoramic views of Tam Coc and Ninh Binh city, see the amazing scenery of rice fields and river canals when you reach the top point of Ngoa Long Mountain (about 500 stone steps).

After, we will be escorted safely back to our hotel. Bid farewell to your friendly guide who will return to Hanoi.

Overnight in Ninh Binh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Free Relaxing Day in Ninh Binh (B) 

Today, time will be free for you to do as you wish (no guide).

Overnight in Ninh Binh
Meal: Breakfast

Day 7: Ninh Binh – Transfer to Hanoi (B)

This morning, time will be free for you to spend at your own leisure until your check-out time  when your driver (no guide) arrives to pick you up for a ride back to our hotel stay in Hanoi.

Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel stay and enjoy the day free at your own leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi 
Meal: Breakfast

Day 8: Hanoi – Transfer to Halong Bay – Overnight Cruise (B, L, D)

This morning, enjoy breakfast at hotel and check-out then you will be picked up at around 8AM 8.30AM by the cruise’s shuttle service and start our transfer to Halong Bay.

11:30 Arrive to Waiting Lounge at Indochina Junk office, bid farewell to your personal guide  and driver, take rest at the Waiting Lounge before start transferring to Cruise.
11:50 – 12:15 Go to the harbor by electric cart
12:30 – 13:00 Welcome to Dragon Legend Cruise, enjoy welcome drink and safety briefing.
13:15 Have lunch while cruising to magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay; admire the fascinating  formations on the way.
14:30 Explore the well- hidden Thien Canh Son Cave.
15:00 Enjoy relaxing on a white sandy beach at Hon Co Island and kayaking.
16:15 Back to the boat for refreshing and watch the sunset on board.
17:15 Join a Vietnamese cuisine cooking class (Banh Xeo).
19:00 Take a rest and enjoy dinner in a peaceful and romantic atmosphere on the bay.
20:00 – 21:00 Leisure time, guests can experience squid fishing, and have a good night on  Dragon Legend Cruise.

Overnight onboard Dragon Legend Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Bai Tu Long – Transfer to Dong Trieu – Visit Yen Duc Cultural Village (B, Br)

06:00 Start a new day with a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck.
07:00 Breakfast is served on the cruise.
07:45 Visit Vung Vieng fishing village by a rustic rowboat, meet the local people and pass  through the floating school and fish farms.
08:45 Return to the cruise for relaxation and leisure.
10:00 Check out of the cabin. Start cruising towards the harbor
10:15 Enjoy a buffet brunch while cruising towards the harbor.
11:30 – 12:00 Disembark. We will join the group on a drive to Yen Duc Cultural Village in Dong  Trieu province for a short break in this typical Vietnamese agricultural village which is rich in culture and traditions.
13:00 – 13:45 In the village, enjoy Water Puppet Show performed by local artists; a traditional  art form of Vietnam with Northern heritage.
16:00 You will be escorted safely back to your hotel stay in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi – hotel booked by guests
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Day 10: Hanoi Departure (B)

06:00 Start a new day with a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck.
07:00 Breakfast is served on the cruise.
07:45 Visit Vung Vieng fishing village by a rustic rowboat, meet the local people and pass  through the floating school and fish farms.
08:45 Return to the cruise for relaxation and leisure.
10:00 Check out of the cabin. Start cruising towards the harbor
10:15 Enjoy a buffet brunch while cruising towards the harbor.
11:30 – 12:00 Disembark. We will join the group on a drive to Yen Duc Cultural Village in Dong  Trieu province for a short break in this typical Vietnamese agricultural village which is rich in  culture and traditions.
13:00 – 13:45 In the village, enjoy Water Puppet Show performed by local artists; a traditional  art form of Vietnam with Northern heritage. At 16:00, you will be escorted safely back to your  hotel stay in Hanoi. Trip ends. Thank you for joining Vietnam vacation packages with us!

Overnight in Hanoi – hotel booked by guests
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions

• 1-night accommodation with Dragon Legend Cruise
• Transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle with experienced driver (7-seater Car).
• Meals as specified in the itinerary with Vegan/Western/Indian food available on request. (B =  Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Local-stationed English-speaking tour guide
• Entrance fees & permits (if have)
• Overnight cruise excursion and kayaking in Halong Bay 
• Boat/sampan rides as per mentioned
• Bottles of drinking water

Exclusions

• Accommodation 
• Surcharge for early check-in or late check-out if not stated in the itinerary 
• International and domestic flights and airport taxes
• Vietnam Visa Arrangement (kindly advise us your nationality if you need assistance) 
• Travel insurance
• Other meals which are not indicated above
• Surcharge and Compulsory dinners (if any)
• Beverages in the restaurants where meals are included
• Gratuities to guides and drivers