NORTHERN VIETNAM HIGHLIGHTS

 Welcome to Hanoi - Vietnam! 

Upon your arrival in Noi Bai Airport, picked
up by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day will be at your
leisure. Overnight in Hanoi. 

Please note: Standard check in time at hotel is 14:00.
Early check in is subject to availability.  

 Breakfast at hotel.  

The tour begins on historic Long Bien Bridge. After introductions, have a brief look at the story behind the bridge before heading up to Long Bien Bridge for shooting. Time now to move into Long Bien market, Hanoi's biggest wet market. Our focus is on how to take naturalistic photos of people at work and play.  

Next, we drive to visit the Museum of Ethnology - one of the largest Museums in Vietnam with 2 exhibition areas – inside and outside.
Visiting this Museum will bring you the knowledge about the Ethnic groups in Vietnam and their cultures.  

Lunch at local restaurant  

Afternoon,
visit Temple of Literature, the 1^st university in Vietnam. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty.
Visiting the Temple of Literature you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place that has seen thousands of doctors’ graduate in what has now become a memorial to education and literature.  

Now we head into the Old Quarter streets. Traditionally, each of Hanoi’s 36 streets specialized in certain goods – ‘hang’ means ‘goods’. Our focus here is on
street photography and portraiture. 

Then, we will enjoy a unique fascinating show of Water Puppetry, a traditional stage art of Northern Vietnam.  

Dinner at local restaurant  

Overnight in Hanoi.  

Breakfast at hotel .

Morning, we will drive to Halong - one of the earliest World Heritages Sited designated by UNESCO for Vietnam in 1994.  

Arrive at Tuan Chau island – Take break and welcome drink
Welcome drink - receive cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in. Start cruising and explore Halong Bay - one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. 

Enjoy a lunch with Vietnamese dishes served while cruising through the bay, passing the most beautiful and quiet areas, such as Incense Burner, Dog Stone Islet, Fighting Cock, Soi Sim beach, Coconut Three Island 

Visiting Tung Sau area, is covered by the leaping rocks, cultured pearl fishery. You can wit yourself the process of the jewel, from culturing to harvesting and sculpting, Moreover, you have a chance to do kayaking based on your preference. Enjoy busy space with pearl maker, you can experience the completion of pearl. 

Visiting the beautiful Ti Top beach for swimming (if the weather permits), Ti Top Beach is especially famous for its fresh atmosphere, clean water, and smooth white sand that create a great ambiance for tourists to relax or passengers can take steps to reach on the top of Ti Top beach to have a whole panorama view of Halong Bay. 

Back to the boat and free time while sailing to Luon Bo area, and anchor overnight. 

Attend the Cooking class on sundeck – How to make Vietnamese spring rolls - traditional Vietnamese food. Then enjoy Happy Hour (Buy one drink-get one free) (at your own account). It is time for chit chat and relaxing. Watch the magnificent sunset over Halong Bay.  

Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese and International BBQ Set Menu Dinner 

Evening activities include: Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar, watching movies and many sort of Vietnam cultural films, relaxing and spending a romantic night, playing cards, chess are available, reading magazines in room and dining room. You may also try your luck at squid fishing & fishing from the boat. 

End of Program for Day One.

Please note: Cruise program may vary depending on the cruise.   

 The day starts early onboard with Tai Chi session on the sundeck. Tai chi also called Tai chi chuan, combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements. 

Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast are served in the dining room with morning view of bay’s landscape. 

Transfer by tender to Sung Sot Cave. Walk up about 100 steps to the cave entrance. It takes approximately 45 minutes for cave visiting. Visit Sung Sot Cave, one of the most biggest cave in Halong bay with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Return to the boat by tender. Proper shoes are highly recommended. 

Back to Glory Legend Cruises. Check out and settle your bill at reception. 

Have a lunch while cruising back to the Tuan Chau Wharf. Relaxing on the sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery while approaching the wharf. 

Disembark and transfer straight to Ninh Binh (approximately 4 hours driving).  

Upon arrival, check in your hotel. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Please note: Cruise program may vary depending on the cruise.   

 Breakfast at hotel.  

Morning, we’ll have an early start to climb up to Hang Mua peak (Lying Dragon Mountain), with dramatic views over Ninh Binh province. Then, we visit Hoa Lu - the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, visit the temple of King Dinh. Under the introduction of our local guide, you will get to know more about the Vietnamese history. Hoa Lu existed as the capital of Vietnam for 41 years (968 – 1009), of which 12 years was under the Dinh dynasty – King Dinh Tien Hoang, when country named Dai Co Viet. 

Lunch at local restaurant.  

Afternoon, visit Tam Coc by a small boat rowed by a local for about 2 hours. Known as “Halong Bay on land”, Tam Coc is the name of the limestone caves area stretching along Ngo Dong river. The boat trip is a nice journey along the river with the peaceful scenery of Limestone Mountains, rice paddy and the sight of some temples along the way.  

Dinner at local restaurant Overnight in Ninh Binh 

Breakfast at hotel. Morning proceed to Hanoi, with stop en route to visit Thu Sy commune, Tien Lu district, in Hung Yen province. Weaving “Đó” (a fishing trap, usually used in Northern provinces in Vietnam) is the traditional job of people in here, from the elderly to children, anyone can make this product from bamboo. 

Lunch at local restaurant before heading straight back to Hanoi.  

Time at leisure.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight in Hanoi.   

Breakfast at hotel.
Morning proceed to Bac Ha (6 hours driving).  

Stop en route for lunch at local restaurant 

Upon arrival, check in your hotel and have time at leisure 

Dinner at local restaurant Overnight in Bac Ha 

Breakfast at hotel. Today is Sunday, nothing will be better than a visit to a market of the hill tribal people, mainly from Flower Hmong ethnical group. With a dozen of tribes living in the surroundings, including Flower Hmong, Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet), the market is extremely exciting especially in the early morning. In Bac Ha market, we can meet hundreds of beautiful women from Flower Hmong tribe, who are famous for their wonderful craft and hand-made flowering clothes and textile fabrics, or intermingle with people from Black Hmong, Dzay, Dzao and other ethnic groups coming to the market not for purchasing stuffs, but for meeting and chatting – just once a week - like in a real cultural center. Later, we can hike around or take our car heading to further hamlets in Ban Pho. Lunch at local restaurant. Later head to Sapa and check in your hotel there. Time at leisure. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Sapa. 

Breakfast at hotel.
Morning, leave the busy life behind to enjoy a nice walk in an quiet area. Inhabited by the Red Dao and Hmong peoples. This valley is quiet and non touristic which is quite different from Ta Phin or Muong Hoa valleys where the local peoples have changed much because of the strong influence of tourism. We travel northwards of Sapa along national road 4C to O Quy Ho with several stops for magnificent landscapes of Fansipan, Sin Chai valley and especially amazing flower and vegetable farms. Then turn right to follow a narrow road for half an hour getting through the wild region with thick rain forest covering walled-up mountains, passing several waterfalls before arriving
to Ban Khoang, a village of the Red Zao ethnic peoples who live their unique way of life and well maintain their traditional values. The village looks prosperous thanks to the combination of wet rice cultivation on the terraced fields with cardamom farming under the shade of trees in thick forest. Spend over an hour walking to explore this remote village for a brief understanding of local life. Leaving Ban Khoang and process along the road for about 10km to Ta Giang Phinh valley inhabited by the Black Hmong who live in some small villages scattering along a peaceful stream.
Enjoy an hour lunch (local food) break on the bank of a stream before walking along village path which connects village to village to witness daily activities of local life such as plough and harrow the fields, growing, harvesting or doing some house work. Drive back to your hotel.  

Dinner at local restaurant Overnight in Sapa 

Breakfast at hotel.Morning, we proceed to Mu Cang Chai. Stop en route for lunch at local restaurant. Visit minority villages en route. 

Upon arrival, check in your rooms. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Mu Cang Chai.  

 Breakfast at hotel. Morning, transfer to photoshoot the magnificent terraced fields such as Che Cu Nha, La Pan Tan and De Xu Phinh. Lunch at local restaurant.  

Afternoon, proceed to Tu Le, Van Chan district of Yen Bai province for visiting and admire of the imposing landscape of mountains and valleys and the beautiful rice terrace
filed of this area. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Mu Cang Chai. 

Breakfast at hotel.
Morning proceed back to Hanoi (around 7 hours driving excluding breaks en route). Lunch at local restaurant.  

Arrive in Hanoi, check your hotel. Time at leisure until transferred for dinner at local restaurant.  

Overnight in Hanoi.   

 Breakfast at hotel. Have the whole day at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi. 

 Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.  

Please note: Standard check out time at hotel is 12:00. Late check out is not included.