Hanoi & Halong Bay Experience

Day 1 Hanoi

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The local representative will deliver you any corresponding vouchers, as well as any additional information required for the tour.

There are no planned activities, have a look around the city and get used to the frenetic pace of Vietnam. Some suggestions include: Taking a walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter – a maze of streets, each one traditionally devoted to a different product or industry. In the evening attend a performance at the famous Water Puppet Theatre. Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) or Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Museum. The Mausoleum houses the remains of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of the unified Vietnam (the mausoleum and museum are closed in October-November).

Please note that most nationalities requires a visa to enter Vietnam, please double check this with your travel agent or local Vietnamese Embassy prior to your arrival.

Your hotel is located in an Old Quarter. All rooms are double or twin share with air conditioning and en suite bathroom. Free wifi and a computer are available at the lobby.

Day 2 Halong Bay (1B,1L,1D)

After breakfast you will be picked up at your hotel for a bus journey through the countryside and industrial towns of the north, to the coast where you board the live-aboard Junk for our overnight cruise on stunning Halong Bay.

During the cruise you shall be feasting on local seafood specialties, visiting one of the wondrous cave systems on the islands and also stopping off at a floating fishing village where we can experience the bay up close and personal in sea kayaks. All meals are included on board.

The accommodation tonight is a truly special experience – sleeping on a boat surrounded by high limestone karsts. All cabins are double or twin share with air conditioning and en suite bathroom. There are sundecks and a full dining room on the boat as well. Please note that the transfer and boat is a shared service, there will be other like minded travellers with you.

Legend has it that the emperor called upon the mother dragon to protect Vietnam from a seaborne invasion fleet. The dragon flew over the sea and spat jewels at the invaders destroying the fleet and the jewels became the magnificent limestone karst formations that speckle the bay in their hundreds. The dragon then settled on the coast and her tail curled around forming the shape of the bay. Halong Bay literally translates as “Descending Dragon Bay”

Approx travel time:
Hanoi to Halong Bay: 4 hours.

Day 3 Hanoi (1B,1L)

Your boat continues to cruise through the limstone karsts this morning, stopping by the islands of Man’s Head and Turtle Island. You will have the option of visiting a cave by small bamboo boat, an opportunity to view Halong Bay from a completely different angle.

Today your breakfast and lunch will also be included on the boat prepared by the staff. Enjoy your final seafood feast before disembarking making your way back to Ha Noi. The bus will transfer you back to your hotel, there are no planned activities in the afternoon. Take the opportunity to see more of Hanoi’s sites and experience some North Vietnamese cuisine.

Approx travel time:
Halong Bay to Ho Noi: 4 hours.

Day 4 Hanoi (1B)

You are free to depart at any time today. Please note that hotel check out time is 12pm.