Northern Vietnam - Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa (5 days)

A five-day tour of the most breathtaking places in North Vietnam

As part of a rich excursion, we will visit the capital of Vietnam - Hanoi, the most picturesque Halong Bay, the picturesque complexes of Bai Dinh and Changan, as well as the high-mountainous resort of Sapa.

During the tour we will see:

  • Historic center of Hanoi
  • Railway street in Hanoi
  • Halong City
  • Halong bay
  • Bai Dinh Pagoda
  • Trang An mountains and caves
  • Hoa Lu city
  • Sapa

Organized by:

Luong  · online
Travel consultant of
Aurora Holidays

23 reviews

"It is my pleasure to help people around the world to get better understanding about Sri-Lanka and Vietnam"

Contacts us:
+84901401648

Detailed tour program:

Day 1

Breakfast and check out from the hotel

Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam

10:00 - Start from your hotel

Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem, “Lake of the Returned Sword”, “Green Water Lake”) is a legendary lake in the center of Hanoi. According to legend, a magical turtle living in the waters of the lake gave a magic sword to King Le Loi, with which he managed to defeat the Chinese army. After the victory, the sword was returned to the turtle and rests at the bottom of the lake.

Hanoi sightseeing tour

Railway Street, where trains pass just inches from houses, cafes and restaurants, is one of the best photo spots in Hanoi. You can try the egg coffee which is one of the Hanoi specialties.

Hanoi sightseeing tour

West Lake (Tay) - here, on a small island in the middle of the lake, is Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in Vietnam, built in the 6th century.

Hanoi sightseeing tour

Hanoi sightseeing tour

The area of the old city of Hanoi (Hanoi Old Quarter) is a place where the atmosphere of old Hanoi has been preserved. A place of concentration of nightlife, old streets and houses, many restaurants and shops.

One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot) is a Buddhist shrine in the center of Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Forbidden city - The territory of the former imperial palace, there are museums and archaeological and restoration work is underway.

The Dragon Citadel, over 1000 years old, is a museum complex with many exhibits.

Underground Bunker of the Supreme Command of the DRV under the former imperial citadel. From here, operations were controlled during the Indochinese and Vietnamese wars.

Also, optionally (optionally for an additional fee) we can include the following items in the excursion program:

  • Hoa Lo Prison (“Hanoi Hilton”) is a museum and tourist site in Hanoi. Former prison which, at various times, was used by the French colonial, and then the North Vietnamese authorities;
  • Vietnamese puppet theater on the water - a show whose roots go back a thousand years;
  • Temple of Literature

15:00: Return to your hotel.

Day 2

Breakfast and departure from Hanoi to Ha Long.

Yacht trip on the most picturesque bay in the world. During the trip around the bay, we will visit several islands, see picturesque caves, floating fishing villages and white sandy beaches.

The bay includes more than 3,000 islands, as well as small rocks, cliffs and caves. Both the terrestrial and the underwater world are characterized by high biodiversity. The bay is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The name "Ha Long" is translated as "where the dragon descended into the sea."

The cruise lasts 6 hours

7:30 am: Departure from Hanoi.

11:30-12:00: Boarding the boat.

12:30 pm: Lunch on board.

13:00: Visit to Game Cock Island, the symbol of Halong Bay.

13:15: Visit to the islands "Swan" and "Finger".

13:45: Visit Surprise Cave (Sung sot Cave) - one of the largest caves in Halong Bay.

cruise Halong Bay

14:45: Visit Luon Cave. Due to the limited height, Luon Cave can only be reached by small boat or kayak.

Especially at high tide, visitors have to bend over to get through the cave.

15:45: Visit Ti Top beach (named after cosmonaut German Titov, by the way).

You can swim and sunbathe on the beach.

Hanoi, Halong Bay

Here you can climb to the top of the mountain to enjoy a fantastically beautiful view of the bay.

At the top there is a monument to the second cosmonaut of the Earth - German Titov.

16:45: Return to the yacht.

18:00: Return to port.

Hanoi, Halong Bay

Day 3

Breakfast and check out from the hotel

Bai Dinh Pagoda

The tallest pagoda in Vietnam, located next to the oldest temple on the mountain. Here are the largest bell and the largest Buddha statue, as well as the largest gilded Buddha in all of Asia. You can walk around the temple complex for several hours, enjoying the most beautiful views.

Bai Dinh Pagoda is a place of pilgrimage where people come from all over Vietnam. The territory of the complex is divided into 2 parts, the old one, where at a height of 200 meters on a separate ledge of the hill there is a pagoda built in 1136 and a new one, which was built from 2003 to 2010.In total, the complex has 10,000 large and small sculptural images of the Buddha.

Changan, Hoaly, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ningbin

Mountains and caves Trang An and the ancient capital of Hoa Lu

We will go on a boat trip between the picturesque cliffs of Ninh Binh province, sail through the caves and visit the ancient capital of Vietnam - the city of Hoa Lu.

Trang An Natural Complex is located on an area of 21 km2. It is a unique system of caves in limestone mountains with a large number of colorful stalactites and stalagmites.

Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful provinces in northern Vietnam. It is famous for its natural attractions. There are many rivers and high cliffs, caves and grottoes.

Hoa Lu - ancient capital

Next we will visit Hoa Lu. This is the ancient capital of Vietnam, located near the modern capital - Hanoi. The city was the capital in the X century, when, after the end of the strife, Vietnam became a single state.

A significant part of the architectural heritage of the city has been preserved. Today, 47 ancient cultural monuments are located on the territory of the former capital - these are temples, pagodas, caves and grottoes.

Day 4

At 7:00 we departure from Hanoi.

During the tour we will have a look at the rice terraces. The impossibility of growing rice in the hills in the usual way forced the people of Vietnam to create cascading slopes, along which the flowing water lingers along the edges of the terraces, nourishing the plants. These landscapes look fantastic and can delight anyone.

Sapa from Hanoi

We will walk around Sapa and see its main sights. The city of Sa Pa is relatively small, with a population of only about 9,000 people. More than half of the inhabitants are representatives of the Hmong people.

Cat Cat Village (Hmong Village)

This is a traditional village of the Hmong people. Now it has become more of a tourist attraction, but still remains an authentic object.

Sapa from Hanoi

Here you can walk along the streets on the slopes of the mountains, see several waterfalls, look at houses stylized as dwellings of mountain tribes.

There are water mills, many museums, shops and souvenir shops. Cat Cat Village hosts many performances and workshops.

Gate of Paradise (O Quy Ho Gate)

"Gate of Paradise" Sapa Heaven Gate. At an altitude of 2000 meters through the northern ridge of Mount Fansipan, 17 kilometers from Sapa, the road runs through the Tram Ton pass, and on it is the observation deck of the Gates of Paradise.

Overnight at the hotel above the clouds with a picturesque view of the mountains

Day 5

Silver Waterfall (thac bac waterfall)

Let's look at the silver waterfall. The height of the waterfall is 100 meters, and it is the largest and most famous in the vicinity of the city. It looks most spectacular during the rainy season.

Sapa from Hanoi

Muong Hoa Valley

It starts almost from the city itself and stretches for about 25 kilometers along the river, passing into the Muong Ba Valley. Along the meandering river, like walls, a chain of mountains rises, protecting from bad weather and winds. The name "Muong Hoa" translates as "Valley of Flowers". There is a huge park where you can walk for many hours.

Muong Hoa Valley

You can travel through Muong Hoa Valley by train. In addition, this is the first stage of the path to the top of Fansipan (if you choose this option on this trip).

Muong Hoa Valley

Return to Hanoi, end of the tour

Excursion features

Private tour
For ready-made groups of 1-8 people

Can start any day
This tour is not tied to specific dates, you can start on any convenient day

Variable program
The program can be changed and customized for you

Possible with children
The tour is recommended for travelers with children

Start from anywhere
We pick up from any hotel

Comfortable car
Transport: air-conditioned car or minivan

Tour price: $850 per person

What's included:

Private transfer throughout the route, starting from Hanoi and ending in Hanoi.
Entrance tickets on the route - Tickets to Bai Dinh, Trang An, boat cruise to Ninh Binh, cruise on Halong Bay.
Accommodation in 4 * hotels along the route (4 nights).

Not included:

Flight to Hanoi
Lunches and dinners
Personal expenses