Hanoi Halong

After breakfast, start a city tour beginning with Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond.
Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honour Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
Afternoon, transfer to Ha Long Bay which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. Moving through the countryside on the way will bring you a clear perspective of a country’s whose 80% of population live on farming. Have a quick rest stop en route before reaching Ha Long City. Check in hotel then spend time at leisure. Overnight at Halong.

Note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Monday Friday and through October - November.

After an early morning breakfast at the hotel (6-7am), proceed to board a shared boat to explore the legendary Ha Long Bay where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. The boat will stop at Dau Go Island for you to visit Thien Cung Cave (Heaven Palace) and Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes). Continue cruising while fresh seafood lunch is served on board. Return to the dock, disembark and travel back to Hanoi. Stop at Hanoi Old Quarter for shopping and a short rest. Overnight at Hanoi.

After breakfast proceed to Ninh Binh province. You can opt for anyone of the below mentioned tours. Overnight at Hanoi.
1: Full day Tam Coc & Bich Dong
Morning, transfer to Ninh Binh province - located 110km from Hanoi to the South. Tam Coc - Bich Dong is a popular tourist destination near the city of Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam. Along Hoang Long River, vast limestone cliffs rising out of the rice paddies make Tam Coc somehow similar to Ha Long Bay, or on-land Ha Long Bay as described. A river trip to Tam Coc and through the three caves of Tam Coc is so wonderful for photo hunters, especially when ripping rice season is coming. Next to Tam Coc is Hoa Lu, the relics of the ancient capital of Vietnam during 10th century. Remains of this capital town are temples dedicated to the two heroes: Dinh King and Le King who were the founders of Hoa Lu as the citadel.
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2: Full day Trang An
Morning, depart from your hotel for Ninh Binh province, 98 kilometres South of Hanoi. You will call in a Buddhist complex called Bai Dinh, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, which consists of an original old pagoda and a series of newly built pagodas in Gia Vien District. It boasts hundreds of statutes and a variety of architectural works.
Proceed to visit Trang an Eco-Tourism Complex where a boat trip will take you through a scenic landscape of mountains, fields and rivers to a series of caves including Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou. Trang an is also called “an inland Ha Long” for its strikingly similar terrain of rugged Rocky Mountains rising up from the lush wetland and constituting a magnificent maze.
Afternoon, transfer back to Hanoi. Overnight at Hanoi.