Tour in Vietnam 7 days

Presentation

Stages: Hanoi – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh – Halong

Description: Discover the charms of northern Vietnam with our 7-day tour from 650€.

Day 1: Hanoi

Welcome by your French-speaking guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Explore the streets of Hanoi in a sidecar (or in an old Russian jeep). We cross the shaded avenues of the French Quarter, then the legendary Long Bien Bridge, symbol of the resistance of the Vietnamese people during the American War.

In the evening, enjoy a Hanoian-style aperitif at a local Bia Hoi (own expense). This is a brasserie where locals go to hang out together between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to immerse yourself in the crowd, because these places are mainly frequented by Hanoians.

Day 2: Hanoi

The morning is devoted to a walking tour in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Discover the richness of the city through the different Vietnamese, Chinese, colonial and communist architecture. We thus discover architectural treasures such as the famous tube houses, sometimes more than 100 meters long. We enter in particular the street of Vietnamese medicine which will enchant you with its vibrations, and the infinite range of medicinal herbs and spices. Then, we take you to visit the Ethnography Museum. This museum is one of the most interesting and allows you to become aware of the ethnic diversity of this country. Then, visit the first university in Vietnam, the Temple of Literature. This place of contemplation dedicated to Confucius, made up of several buildings, offers a true oasis of tranquility. The aim of this visit is to help you understand the administration of Vietnam in feudal times: a system based on mandarin competitions. Many of its principles are still anchored in the mentality of Vietnamese people today.

Day 3: Hanoi / Pu Luong

This morning, departure towards Mai Chau (160km, approximately 4 hours drive). The road to get there passes through some truly beautiful landscapes. Enjoy the landscapes and authentic scenes of life along this road dotted with rice fields and small villages. Around noon, we arrive at the Ban Nhot hamlet for lunch with locals. In the afternoon, we take a first hike (approximately 3 hours) inside the Pu Luong Reserve. You admire the rice fields. On the way, you can see many waterwheels, a traditional method of water collection and irrigation of several minority ethnic groups.
Dinner and night with the Thai ethnic group in the Ban Hang hamlet

Day 4: Pu Luong / Ninh Binh

Walk through the magnificent valley, passing through small typical villages surrounded by rice terraces, each one as beautiful as the next. After 3 to 4 hours of walking in these sumptuous landscapes, arrival at the village of Pho Doan. In the afternoon, transfer to the Ninh Binh region (140km, approximately 3 hours drive). In this province, the Red River extends its last arms before the sea, in a surprising landscape of cliffs, limestone peaks and karst caves. This is why we like to give it the nickname “land Halong Bay”.

Day 5: Ninh Binh / Hanoi

We first visit the Jade Cave Pagoda where there are three pagodas and a monastery built in the 17th century. The first pagoda leans against the mountain in the middle of a lush garden; we access the second by a small staircase then, even higher, we visit the third which contains three Buddhas. Very pretty view of the fields and countryside, like a giant painting. Then it’s the Hang Mua Pagoda. To get there, you have to climb 450 steps and at the top of the hill you will have a breathtaking view of the entire area.
In the afternoon, rowing boat trip to Tam Coc. You will enjoy a two-hour visit through immense and countless karst peaks rising from the earth and framing a wild and green nature, hence its nickname “Terrestrial Halong Bay”.
Transfer by car to Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi / Halong

Not to be missed during your trip to Vietnam, discover the marvelous Halong Bay. A shuttle will pick you up from the hotel. Enjoy the landscapes of rice fields as far as the eye can see where agricultural work is still carried out by hand or with the help of water buffaloes.

Then, you board a traditional junk boat for a cruise on Halong Bay until noon the next day. The grandiose landscapes of Halong Bay and its biological richness make it one of the most beautiful natural sites in the world, as evidenced by its inclusion as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

You are welcomed by a welcome cocktail then a lunch and welcome speech from the captain. During this cruise in the bay you pass by the Cirque des Merveilles, the Con Cho and Dinh Huong islands.

At the end of the afternoon, you have the opportunity to attend a cooking class. Meals and night aboard the junk in a private cabin.

Day 6: Hanoi / Halong

Not to be missed during your trip to Vietnam, discover the marvelous Halong Bay. A shuttle will pick you up from the hotel. Enjoy the landscapes of rice fields as far as the eye can see where agricultural work is still carried out by hand or with the help of water buffaloes.

Then, you board a traditional junk boat for a cruise on Halong Bay until noon the next day. The grandiose landscapes of Halong Bay and its biological richness make it one of the most beautiful natural sites in the world, as evidenced by its inclusion as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

You are welcomed by a welcome cocktail then a lunch and welcome speech from the captain. During this cruise in the bay you pass by the Cirque des Merveilles, the Con Cho and Dinh Huong islands.

At the end of the afternoon, you have the opportunity to attend a cooking class. Meals and night aboard the junk in a private cabin.

Day 7: Halong / Hanoi

At daybreak, don’t miss the milky colors that are very emblematic of this exceptional place. You have the opportunity to attend an initiation to Tai Chi. You visit Thien Canh Son Cave which features cauliflower-shaped limestone formations, as well as stalactites and stalagmites. To access the three rooms you will have to climb more than a hundred steps.
Return to Hanoi. If time permits, possibility of visiting a cultured pearl workshop. It is a recent industry, introduced into Halong Bay by the Japanese at the end of the 1990s. In the evening, transfer directly to the hotel for your return flight.