Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Ninh Binh – Quang Phu Cau
The classic north, unhurried. You walk Hanoi's Old Quarter rather than drive past it, spend six hours on the water in Ha Long Bay, row through the Trang An grottoes, then give a whole day to the artisan villages outside the city. A free day before departure leaves room for the things you find yourself.
Day 1
Met at the airport and driven to your hotel. In the early afternoon your guide collects you from the Old Quarter and you walk: down to Hoan Kiem Lake and Nam Huong Temple, across The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, then on to St Joseph's Cathedral for the French Gothic facade and a banh mi from the stall the neighbourhood queues at. Sugarcane juice or a street coffee, half an hour to browse the boutiques, then Train Street in time for the crossing. There is a second version of this afternoon that ends with an egg coffee class instead, if you would rather learn to make it than only drink it.
Meals: No meals included
Day 2
A limousine collects you at 08h30 for the run to Quang Ninh, with a stop on the way. You board at Tuan Chau Island around midday and lunch is served on deck, seafood and Vietnamese dishes, while the boat threads between the Incense Burner and Fighting Cocks rocks. At 13h30 you walk through Sung Sot Cave, the largest in the bay, 10,000 square metres of chamber and an 800 metre lit path. Then Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, and Titop Island to swim or climb to the lookout. Back on board at 16h30 for a sunset party on the sundeck, ashore at 18h00, and your Hanoi hotel by 20h30.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Day 3
Out at 08h00 for the 110km drive south through open country. At 10h15 you reach Hoa Lu, Vietnam's first capital, and the temples to the Dinh and Le kings. Late morning is a gentle cycle along the canal roads between villages, with limestone towers on every side. Buffet lunch follows, goat and fried rice among much else, and vegetarian dishes are always on the table. At 13h00 you take the rowing boat into Trang An, listed by UNESCO in 2014 and the landscape behind Kong: Skull Island, through Sang, Toi and Nau Ruou caves. At 15h15 you climb the 500 steps of Mua Cave for the panorama over Tam Coc, and are back at your Hanoi hotel by 19h30.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Day 4
Collected from the Old Quarter between 07h45 and 08h15. First Ha Thai, a lacquerware village since the seventeenth century, where an established artisan walks you through the craft and you make a lacquer painting of your own. Then Chuong, three hundred years old and known for conical hats. Depending on who is at home that day you may sit with a war veteran or with other makers. Lunch is cooked in a village house by a local artisan. Afterwards you paint a hat or join the making of one. The day ends at Quang Phu Cau, first among the family workshops, then at a house that dyes the sticks, where the bundles open like flowers for the camera, and finally at the largest incense factory in the village. Back in Hanoi between 17h00 and 17h30, dropped at Train Street or wherever suits you.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Day 5
Nothing scheduled after breakfast. Rest, go back to whatever you liked best, or shop. Your guide will happily point you at the right street for whatever you are looking for, and we can add a driver or a private experience to the day at any point.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Breakfast, check out, and a private car to the airport timed to your flight.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 1 runs in two versions: the walking tour as described, or a shorter walk finishing with an egg coffee class. Tell us which you prefer when you book.
Send your dates, the number of travellers and the hotel standard you want. We confirm availability and send a full quotation — no payment is taken online.
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