On your arrival, you are met local guide and driver who will take you to hotel. If time is permitted, you will take an orientation tour of Hanoi and take a cyclo ride (pedicab) around the ancient quarter of Hanoi. It absolutely is a fascinating way to get the first look of this peaceful and beautiful city. Evening we enjoy the water puppet show, a unique northern Vietnamese art performance that we cannot be missed on our schedule for today. We will have a chance to learn more about the rural life of Vietnamese peasants and national heroes via a series of history story which were beautifully demonstrated by the artists. 

Start our day with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, this is a very special place for all Vietnamese and also famous for foreigners around the world to see the whole complex, Uncle Ho’s house on stilt where he lived and worked from 1958 -1969, his fishing pond and his garden. Then we head to One Pillar Buddhist Pagoda built in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054. Ly Thai Tong was childless and dreamt that he met the bodhisattva Avalokiteshava, who handed him a baby son while seated on a lotus flower. Ly Thai Tong then married a peasant girl that he had met and she bore him a son. The emperor constructed the temple for the gratitude for this miracle.  Further on our excursion, we visit to Van Mieu, temple of literature to dedicate to Confucius and his four best disciples. This was also the first national university of Vietnam built in 1076 within the temple to educate Vietnamese bureaucrats, nobles, royalty and other members of the elite. This university remained open from 1076 to 1779. The interesting thing in this place is the collection of steles of doctorates whose names, birth place, year of the examination, and the rank were engraved onto the marble stone stele placing on the top of the turtle. There are 1307 graduated doctor names on 82 stele in this place. After visiting this wonderful place, we will have lunch at Koto restaurant and refresh.

Later in the day we visit to a World Cultural Heritage Site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel which was built in 11^th century be the Ly Dynasty, making the independence of Dai Viet. The Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel is the most important and the best – preserved of this heritage site. We will finish our day with a visiting the Army Museum nearby this ancient imperial City. This is very interesting site to visit as its exhibit collection focusing on 2 Wars, the French – Vietnam War in 1930s -1940s and American – Vietnam War in 1960s – 1970s. Especially the Dien Bien Phu battle field model is very lively, informative and useful section to see.

Return our hotel and then free at leisure.

 A new exciting day waiting us to discover, we depart for Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Ha Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km², including 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km² with a high density of 775 islands and islets in all sides reflecting on turquoise water. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.

There are a lot of photo opportunity on our way to Ha Long as we drive through the rural area, street markets, paddy fields, vegetable farms, poultry farms and lotus farms. We take a rest stop Hong Ngoc shop after 2 hour drive for a coffee break then continue to Ha Long Bay. At midday we board the overnight junk for the cruise. A welcome drink is well prepared for us as we get on board then check in and enjoy a pleasant cruise on the bay. Seafood lunch is served on board while the junk is slowly going among the islands and islets. There are some activities for us to join in in this afternoon; visiting to the cave, swimming at Ti Top beach, climbing up the top of Ti Top Island for panoramic view of the bay, kayaking in late afternoon or joining squids finishing at night. The junk is anchored in a quiet bay for overnight. Dinner and overnight on board. 

Morning just join the Tai Chi Class on sundeck for half an hour and then we will have breakfast. We keep on our excursion and visit to Sung Sot cave, fantastic stalactites and stalagmites in all different sides with beautiful natural color. Return to our junk and check out. Enjoy a pleasant cruise back to the pier for disembarkation.

Drive to Noi Bai Airport for a short flight to Danang then proceed to Hoi An, Hoi An, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Hoi an, an exceptionally well-preserved example of traditional Asian trading port, is outstanding material manifestation of fusion of culture over time of international maritime commercial center in Southeast Asia.

Morning enjoy our breakfast at hotel, we start our walking to ancient quarter of Hoi An. Our first visit is Fukien Assembly Hall where is also the Thien Hau temple located. This temple was built in early century and dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea and the Protector of sailor when Fukien traders traveled down South of China by the sea to Hoi An for their business. Later on they decided to stay permanently in this trade port until now. This place has become very popular local attraction for not only Vietnamese but also the foreign travelers as its architecture style is absolutely amazing figure. Then we keep on our walking from this temple to Tan Ky, ancient trading house. There are 7 generations of the Vietnamese merchant family has lived in this beautiful house and they carefully protect their home as its original for over 2 centuries ago. The architecture model of this house is the combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese style. Come and see this place, we have a chance to talk to the owners who will inform us many useful and interesting things in the house,  their daily life and how they have kept their home beautifully since 19^th century. It is not far from this home as it takes us 5 minutes to walk to Japanese Bridge, an iconic of Hoi An ancient town. This temple bridge (the bridge where there is a temple on it) was built by Japanese community in 1590s and it dedicated to the God of the weather. It is said that he controls all kinds of weather changes and natural calamities, so most of the sailors worship him. Finishing our history walking tour in this morning section with a visit to Sa Huynh Culture Museum nearby Japanese bridge, we have an opportunity to learn more about Hoi An ancient town. Then we have our free time to wonder around this lovely town and there are many other things that we can do in this afternoon: A cup of tea or coffee at one of the river front restaurants to enjoy, or just visit a tailor shop to do some shopping or walk to local market to have some talks to the local, rent a bike and ride to the beach or take an hour boat ride on Thu Bon river for leisure.

Most of our time in this morning is free at leisure. Midday we check out then drive to Danang airport for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. Its former name was Saigon which was well known as the “Pearl of Far East” during the French colony and today Ho Chi Minh has become an official name of this dynamic, bustle and hustle city since 1976. There are so many interesting thing to see in this city from very early in the morning until midnight. On our arrival, we take an orientation tour around the town and visit to some typical colonial buildings over hundreds of year; Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, the Opera House and City Hall.

Free at leisure until your departure flight.