Myths & Mountains of North Vietnam

Morning, guests arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The driver and guide meet them outside the Noi Bai Airport and transfer them to the hotel in the city center. 

In the afternoon, enjoy a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter’s narrow streets lined with French colonial buildings. The next point guests will visit is the Water Puppet Performance, a unique Vietnamese art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants.

Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Today, guests will have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. The city tour will take them to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). 

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

Wake early and enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting off on your drive to Mai Chau – a yawning valley, cradling picturesque rice paddies and bordered by looming karst rock formations. Enjoy picturesque views of the scenic landscape, sown with pagodas and rural villages. 

On the way, stop to visit the Muong ethnic group and continue to Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view over Mai Chau Valley. After lunch, spend the afternoon trekking along the Song Ma River. Trek through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the White Thai people, living in the region. 

Stop at a Thai village for the night, having dinner with a local family and enjoying a homestay in their long house.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau.

Enjoy breakfast at the homestay before journeying to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital. In here, guests explore ancient temples and climb one hundred steps to the mountain top for a panoramic view of the historic site.

After lunch, enjoy a leisure cruise to visit Trang An, a nature reserve with limestone hills surrounding a peaceful river with the sound of birds and the gentle paddle of the oar upon the crystal clear river. 

Overnight at Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort & Spa, which is set within a prime location on the edge of the Van Long Nature Reserve’s jungles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.

*The itinerary below is a sample, and it will be different between cruises. Our travel consultants will provide the exact schedule and program if you book other junks such as Halong Violet, Halong Jasmine, Paradise Luxury Cruises, Indochina Sails, Au Co Cruise, Starlight Cruise, etc.

Discovery of Halong Bay’s best of different formulas on a junk will take you on a ride amidst the magic archipelago, and depending on the length of the cruise, you’ll enjoy a global overview of the different wonders that this UNESCO World Heritage site has to offer.*

After breakfast, guests take a four-hour drive through the Red River Delta to reach Halong Bay. Upon arrival at the pier, they transfer to the cruise by tender around noon. A welcome drink and a short safety briefing set while the cruise heads to Stone Dog and Fighting Cock – two natural rock formations that have become icons of the bay and Hoa Cuong village. Then, lunch is served in the dining room, with windows opening onto the emerald waters and limestone peaks rising dramatically from the sea.

In the afternoon, the guest will visit Bat Cave, exploring either by kayak for a closer view of the cliffs and hidden lagoons, or by bamboo sampan rowed by local fishermen. Both options reveal a peaceful side of Halong, where the only sounds are paddles dipping into the water and birds circling above.

Guests return to the cruise for leisure time. On the sundeck, a cooking demonstration introduces the secrets of Vietnamese cuisine, while the bay glows in shades of gold and pink. The evening continues with optional activities such as squid fishing under the stars, watching a film in the lounge, or indulging in a spa treatment before drifting off to sleep.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on the cruise.

Guests greet the new day with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck, where the cool morning breeze drifts across the bay and the first rays of sunlight light up the limestone peaks. After the gentle exercise, they enjoy a leisurely breakfast while the boat continues its slow sail through tranquil waters.

The journey continues with a visit to Surprise Cave, the largest and most impressive grotto in Halong Bay. Inside, travelers walk along stone paths beneath high vaulted ceilings, admiring chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by soft lighting. 

Returning to the cruise, guests complete check-out procedures and spend the final moments on deck. A light lunch is served on board when the boat returns to Tuan Chau pier.

Upon arrival, the driver meets the guests and transfers them back to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for their departure flight.

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.