Mai Chau To Tonkin Gulf - 6 Days

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival.
Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel by your tour guide and driver. Check in and spend the rest of day at your leisure.
Meals: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: History in Hanoi.
Today you have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas; Hanoi is an eclectic mix that has lots to offer. Start with a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter where the local people still trade in the old way. Disembark at the Ho Chi Minh Complex containing the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. Follow it with a visit to the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam. The sightseeing also includes the outlying Ethnology Museum, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. Afterwards we drive back to the town center and enjoy a rickshaw ride through the Old Quarter where people still trade in old ways. Pay a visit to the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred temple then go to the famous water puppet theatre for a fantastic performance of the art form unique to Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau.
Wake early and enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting off on your drive to Mai Chau – a yawning valley, cradling picturesque rice paddies and boarded by looming karst rock formations. The journey offers an excellent opportunity to observe rural Vietnam up-close. Upon arrival, walk around to get acquainted with the village where you will stay overnight.
After lunch, spend the afternoon trekking off the typical tourist track. Trek through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the White Thai people, living in the region. Stop at a Thai village for the night, having dinner with a local family and enjoying a homestay in their long house.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau.

Day 4: Mai Chau – Ninh Binh.
Enjoy breakfast before journeying to Hoa Lu, Vietnam's first capital. Visit to temples and walk hundred steps up to top of a mountain for a panorama view of the old capital. After lunch, enjoy a relaxing sampan tour along Ngo Dong River, passing under rocky outcrops and through three limestone caves (Tam Coc). During the rowing boat ride, you will enjoy a unique landscape that has been dubbed “Halong Bay on Land”.
Take a short walk through Limestone Mountains to Thai Vi Temple which was dedicated to the four Kings of the Tran dynasty in the 13th century and now offers a place of peace and simplicity against a back drop of ancient architecture.
Visit Bich Dong Pagoda which set among pink lotuses. The pagoda offers spectacular views of the surrounding area. Rest of the day, you are free at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.

Day 5: Ninh Binh – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise.
Note: The below itinerary is subject to change without prior notice and depends on weather condition.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then set out on a 2.5-hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site: Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional boat cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your private boat. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way, visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the East Sea (Bien Dong). Pass the night on your private junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure.
Early birds can attend a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck at the break of dawn.
Start the day enjoying some Paradise delights with a colorful buffet breakfast. Continue exploring Halong Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. The cruise will come to an end on Tuan Chau Island between 10.30 am and 11.00 am. Your driver will transfer you to Noi Bai International Airport for your departure flight. On the way visit Ba Vang Pagoda fascinated by the large and beautiful space. The architecture according the type of majestic monastery.
Good bye & Safe travels!
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A.