HANOI – HALONG BAY – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE – HANOI (5DAYS/4NIGHTS)

Meals: Dinner at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today

You are warmly welcomed by our tour guide at Noi Bai International Airport, transferred to your hotel (Check in at 14:00PM, free early check in subject to availability). Have a rest after a long trip. Enjoy welcome dinner and attend water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

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+ Water Puppet Show: It is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle 

Activities for today:

Enjoy breakfast at hotel, Start at 8:00 from your hotel by car to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, stilt-house and Museum, One pillar pagoda, Tran Quoc pagoda, temple of Literature- the first university of Vietnam. After the lunch time, visit to the Ethnology museum where contains more than 10,000 objects, 15,000 black and white photos and hundreds of video tapes and cassettes which depict all aspects of life, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Wonder around Hoan Kiem Lake then visit Ngoc Son Temple and enjoy one hour cyclo trip around the trading area in Hanoi Old Quarter. Overnight in Hanoi.  

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+ Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: It holds the embalmed remains of Ho Chi Minh. Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a highlight for many locals' visits to the capital, and very few Vietnamese visiting Hanoi pass up a chance for a pilgrimage to the place where Vietminh leader Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence. It is closed every Monday and Friday, November and December closed for maintain.

+ Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts: It is the house president Ho Chi Minh lived on and off from 1958 to 1969. It was constructed by the official French architect for Vietnam. Like most French Colonial architecture, the palace is pointedly European. The house is an interpretation of a traditional rural dwelling, and has been preserved just as Ho left it.

+ One Pillar Pagoda: It is a Buddhist temple in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex near Ba Dinh Square, a replica of an older temple that was built in 1049 and destroyed in 1954.It is regarded alongside the Perfume Temple, as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples.

+ Temple of Literature: It is a temple of Confucius in Hanoi. The temple hosts the "Imperial Academy", Vietnam's first national university. The various pavilions, halls, statues and stelae of doctors are places where offering ceremonies, study sessions and the strict exams of the Dai Viet took place.

+ Museum of Ethnology: It focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is widely considered to be the finest modern museum in Vietnam and a tourist attraction in Hanoi.

+ Hoan Kiem Lake ("Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword"), also known as Hồ Gươm (Sword Lake), is a fresh water lake, measuring some 12 ha in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

+ Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the centre of the ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’ or Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and dinner at cruise

Accommodations: on cruise

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: After breakfast at hotel,

08:00: Leave Hanoi for Halong Bay, on arrival at Halong city at about 11:30. 

11.30: Check-in at Paradise Suites Hotel - Tuan Chau Island

After arriving at Paradise Suites Hotel on Tuan Chau Island, you will be transferred to Paradise Elegance.

12:30: Embark on Paradise Elegance

Once you have been transferred to Paradise Elegance, you will be checked-in and given a short briefing about your cruise while sipping your welcome drink at Le Marin Restaurant.

13:00: Lunch at Le Marin Restaurant

Lunch will be served in Le Marin Restaurant while Paradise Elegance cruises toward Halong Bay. You will pass the famous Fighting Cocks Islet, and Thien Cung and Dau Go Caves.

14:45: Visit Sung Sot Cave

Your second stop of the day is the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay after visiting the cave. Alternatively, you can opt for an afternoon of pampering at Le Parfum Spa* or an afternoon tea in Le Piano Bar.

16:15: Visit Tung Sau Pearl Farm or kayak*

Your first excursion is a visit to Tung Sau Pearl Farm, an area in Halong Bay dedicated to growing pearls and practicing a handmade technique based on Vietnamese tradition and Japanese technology. This is also an ideal destination for kayaking. If this excursion doesn’t take your fancy, stay on board and treat yourself to a delicious afternoon tea.

18:00: Cooking Demonstration and Pre-Dinner Sunset Cocktails*

At sunset, Paradise Elegance will anchor overnight at Coconut Tree Island. Watch a cooking demonstration on the L’Odyssée Sundeck while enjoying Pre-Dinner Sunset Cocktails* at the bar.

19:30: Dinner at Le Marin Restaurant

Savour a delicious dinner at Le Marin Restaurant, or choose a special spot anywhere else on board to dine. After dinner, indulge in drinks* and live music at Le Piano Bar, squid fishing, a spa treatment at Le Parfum Spa* or movies in your cabin.

(Please note that live music is not available on Mondays.)

Note: * Additional charges

Meals: Breakfast on cruise

Accommodations: at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today:  

06:30: Tai Chi on L'Odyssée Sundeck

Watch the sunrise with a Tai Chi session on L’Odyssée Sundeck, followed by a light breakfast in Le Piano Bar.

07:30: Soi Sim Island

You will visit popular Soi Sim Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay.

08:30: Breakfast Buffet at Le Marin Restaurant

Back on board, a buffet breakfast will be served as we once again cruise past Thien Cung and Dau Go Caves and Fighting Cocks Islet before your bill settlement, check-out and return to Tuan Chau Island.

10:30: Disembark at the Tuan Chau Marina

Our tour guide and driver will pick up you transfer back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Notes: Due to cruising conditions, itineraries may change without prior notice. Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant/bar area, but internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Halong. Thank you for your understanding.

Note: * Additional charges

Meals: Breakfast at hotel

Transfer: Private vehicle

Activities for today: 

Have breakfast at hotel, free time until transfer to airport take flight to next destination. End trip.