DAY 1 : AIRPORT – HA NOI- HA LONG
Pick up at the airport a.m then transfer to Ha Noi for lunch.
After lunch to Bat Trang.
Bat Trang, traditional porcelain and pottery village with history of seven centuries, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore.
Bat Trang, the seven-century old pottery village, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore.
Located in an area rich in clay, the village has advantage of ingredients to create fine ceramics. Moreover, lying besides the Red river, between Thang Long and Pho Hien, two ancient trade centers in the north of Vietnam during 15th-17th century, Bat Trang’s ceramics were favorite products not only in domestic market, but also foreign ones thanks to Japan, Chinese and Western trading boats that passed by.
In the18th and 19th century, due to restricting foreign trade policy of Trinh, Nguyen dynasty, it was difficult for pottery products in Vietnam to be exported to foreign countries, and some famous pottery making villages like Bat Trang, or Chu Dau ( Hai Duong province) went through a hard time. Since 1986, thanks to economic reforms and development, more attention has been vested in the village and the world gets a chance to know more about Vietnamese porcelain through many high quality exported Bat Trang’s ceramic products.
Bat Trang ceramics are produced for daily household use (bow, cup, plates, pot, bottle…), worshipping, or decoration purposes. Nowadays, the pottery artists bring into ceramics many innovations in production techniques, and creativity in products’ features, hence many new products have been born, and even daily household items may have the beauty like decoration ones.
Visiting Bat Trang, tourists can take a walk or join a buffalo tour for sightseeing and shopping. Besides many ceramic stores along the road in the village, tourists should visit Bat Trang Porcelain and Pottery Market where they can directly make pottery products by themselves. Many youngsters and foreign tourists are interested in in this pottery- making experience, and spend a whole day in the market to make a gift for family or friends.
Continue transfer to Ha Long.. Dinner then transfer hotel to check in. Take visitors 60 minutes massage
Over night in ROYAL LOTUS / HALONG PALACE
Lunch : RESTAURANT Dinner : RESTAURANT
DAY 2 : HA LONG
Aftet breakfast take a boat trip to visit Ha Long bay – world natural hertiage to visit Sung Sot cave, Gà Chọi island, Titop.
See Ha Long water puppet show (Traditional content of water puppet performance like daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon dancing…), or historical legends (Le Loi returns precious sword…), with modest performance way have appealed audiences for centuries. However, the artists of Royal Halong Water Puppet Theater want to renew the old puppet shows with effect of light, music and combination between people and puppets. )
Dinner then transfer hotel to check in.
Over night in ROYAL LOTUS / HALONG PALACE
Lunch: ON BOARD Dinner: RESTAURANT
Sung Sot Cave, which means Cave of Surprises, is the biggest and finest cave in Halong Bay. It actually got its name from the French, who called it grotte des surprises, or grotto of surprises. It is located on Bo Hon Island, near the centre of Halong Bay, within the vicinity of other sights such as Titov Island, Bo Nau Grotto, Me Cung Cave and Luun Grotto. There is a small pier where boats dock to allow visitors down. From the pier, a flight of 50 stone steps takes one to the entrance of the cave. The inside of Sung Sot Cave is simply cavernous. At many places the ceiling is low, and takes on a wavy appearance.A profusion of stalactites and stalagmites cover the walls.
To ensure the safety of visitors, a path is built to zigzag through Sung Sot Cave. Guide ropes help to keep visitors on the path Multi-coloured lights are also installed to beautify the cave and bring out its grandeur. Coming out of the cave, visitors get a panoramic view of Bo Hon Bay below. It is one of those iconic view of Halong Bay that has appeared in many postcards.
Ga Choi Island
As one of the famous islands in Ha Long Bay, Ga Choi Islet (or sometimes called Hon Trong Mai) located near Dinh Huong island in the southwest of the Gulf, from the Bai Chay Tourist Wharf around 5 km. This is a cluster of two islands shaped like a pair of chickens, a blank one roof, with a height of over 10 meters with the pounding feet are protruding posture. Logo is a symbol of Ha Long Bay, Ga Choi Islet is also a symbol of tourist guidebooks Vietnam in general.
Ti Top Island
Ti Top Island, named after French colonial islands Cat Nang, located on the Halong Bay area about 14 km from Bai Chay east. Ti Top island named after Ho Chi Minh visited Halong Bay with astronaut Gherman Titov Russian, in 1962 . Ti Top island with steep slopes and flat-shaped white sand beach at the foot of the moon. The boat tour on the island often had to tourists climbing ashore panoramic Gulf, swimming, boating kay-battery, pull buoys and parachuting.
Coastal recreation complexes located on the beautiful coastline of Bai Chay, an area of up to 169 hectares with many attractive recreational items such as world adventure game with rollercoaster “crisis” in Vietnam, parks Gulf countries cheery named Tornado, sea Village with culture delicate regions or simply laze on the beach of Ha Long with clear waters and fine white sand.
2km long sea crossing cable car takes visitors to the Three Gorge recreation complexes – populations attractive excursion spots and exciting recreational activities. The destination can not be ignored in the top three Japanese Garden Pass, the indoor game Mystery Castle, especially the Sun Wheel – one of the world’s highest rotation.
DAY 3 : HA LONG – HA NOI
In the moring, go shopping, transfer back to Ha noi visit to Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake means “Lake of the Returned Sword”. The lake is the heart of Ha Noi capital. There is a legend about the name of this lake The lake is considered the center of Hanoi, not only physically but also symbolically. In fact, the more you spend time learning about the lake, the more special it becomes)
The old quarter : Located in the middle of Ha Noi, the Old Quarter with its old-styled narrow streets full of antique brick houses seems to resist the flow of time while still actively trying to adapt to the dynamic atmosphere of the modern city
Ha Noi Old Quarter consists of many small, busy streets, each bears the name of the goods that was specifically traded there such as Hang Bac (Silver Product), Hang Ma (Paper Product), Hang Go (Wood Product) Visiting this unique historical vestige, tourists get lost in a totally different world from the rest of the city and have the chance to explore the energetic life of the local a hundred years ago, where there were no high-rise buildings, too much traffic; things will get a little bit smaller, as visitors may have used to those skyscrapers and shopping centers in other parts of the city, but not at all less lively and vigorous .
Tourists visiting Hanoi will have more options to enjoy and learn about the city’s history when two new routes of sightseeing electric car tours will be launched into operation.
Dim Sum Sheraton Hotel
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda is located beside West Lake – the biggest lake in Ha Noi, and on Thanh Nien Road – the most romantic road of the capital. The pagoda was constructed in 541 and was completed in 545 under its original name of Khai Quoc (National Founder). It has 1500- year history. Visiting Tran Quoc pagoda can give visitors an insight in the religion life and culture of Vietnamese people – a religious relic with a spectacular surrounding scenery.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a building to commemorate the merits of Ho Chi Minh Uncle – a great leader of Vietnam. Nowadays, this also becomes a must-to-see place for visitors coming to Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh President, also known as Uncle Ho (1890 – 1969), was a revolutionary and a founder of Communist Party of Vietnam. He was also one of Vietnamese leaders in the struggle for independence and freedom of the country. On September 02, 1945, he read the Vietnamese Declarations of Independence in front of thousands people in Ba Dinh Square announcing the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Being widely admired and revered by not only Vietnamese people, but also people around the world, Uncle Ho left profound grieves when he passed. Many monuments and historical relics were built to commemorate the merits of this President such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ba Dinh Square, Presidential Palace Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House. These five monuments are located in a unified cluster of historic relics in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi capital.
Ba Dinh Square is the largest square in Vietnam located on Hung Vuong Street and in front of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Therefore, tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum also can admire Ba Dinh Square as well. The Square is a place where many historical milestone of Vietnam happened. Especially, on September 02, 1945, in this place, Ho Chi Minh President read the Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. After that day, Ba Dinh Square is widely recognized as the birthplace of a new Vietnam. Except from this event, the Square also witnessed other highlighted event of the country such as a solemn rally of the Central Committee of Vietnam Labour and Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam came back to Hanoi capital on January 1, 1955, a rally celebrating national reunification on September 2, 1975, parade celebrating Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi in 2010. Nowadays, the Square has the length of 320m and the width of 100m. In the middle of the Square, there is a flagpole with 25 meters high.
Presidential Palace Hanoi is a place where Ho Chi Minh President used to live and work from December 1954 to September 1969. This place is ranked in the list of 23 special national monument of the country. In Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh President met many delegations who are the representatives of political parties, workers, peasants, intellectuals, etc. After he passed away in 1969, the Palace became a historic relic. In this historic relic, besides visiting the Presidential Palace, tourists also have a chance to visit a fishpond, orchards, and Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House. These places have become an important monument related to 15 years living and working of Ho Chi Minh.
With the virtues of simplicity and loving nature, Uncle Ho did not like living and working in the Presidential Palace. Presidential Palace is only used for the reception activities or diplomatic rituals. In May 1958, according to the inspiration of Uncle Ho, officers and soldiers built a Stilt House in the garden of Presidential Palace. The House was inaugurated on May 17, 1958 in order to celebrate the birthday of Uncle Ho. It is located next to the fishpond surrounded by orchards having many rare plants from different places in the country. The Stilt House has two floors. The upstairs has two rooms where Uncle Ho worked and lived. The downstairs was a reception desk. The Stilt House is surrounded by idyllically natural landscapes including a hibiscus hedge, a fishpond, and fruit trees and so on.
Over night JW MARIOTT HOTEL / SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HOTEL
Lunch LAKE SIDE RESTAURANT
Dinner : SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HOTEL
DAY 4 : HA NOI- NINH BINH- HA NOI
Am transfer to Ninh Binh visit Bich Dong (Bích Động is a popular tourist destination near the city of Ninh Bình in northern Vietnam).
Bich Dong is a pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dating to 1428, comprising three structures: Hạ, Trung, and Thượng Pagodas, in ascending order. Guided tours generally cover historical points and end with a pleasant view from the top.
Back to Hanoi in the afternooon to dinner .
Over night JW MARIOTT HOTEL / SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HOTEL
Lunch TAM COC RESTAURANT
Dinner : SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HOTEL
DAY 5 : HA NOI- AIRPORT
After breakfast to Ha Noi city tour, visit the Temple of Literature (The Temple of Literature was constructed in 1070, first to honor Confucius and In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong built Quoc Tu Giam as the first university of Vietnam. Nowadays the temple of literature is the place to celebrate the doctorates and high rank scholars of Vietnam.
The temple is divided into five court yard, each with its own significance and history. There are a total of 82 tombstones, with names and origins of 1307 doctors, corresponding to 82 examination courses from 1442 to 1779. If you visit the temple at the beginning of the year or in May when many important examinations take place, you will catch sights of numerous students who come and rub the tortoise head. Such an act is believed to bring them luck to pass the test. If you are keen on architecture, Temple of literature has one of the most typical architecture style for centuries in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the pass way is hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history )
After visit the Temple of Literature to airport for depature….. The end program !