TRAVEL SERVICE & RESERVATION – Kurt Kandler

Day 1 – 15 Mar: Hanoi (arrival)

Arrival in Hanoi airport, our driver welcomes and transfers you to the hotel for your stay.

• Overnight at Hôtel de Souriant Premium in Hanoi.
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Day 2 – 16 Mar: Hanoi → Halong bay

Breakfast at your hotel then check out your hotel, you can leave big luggage at hotel (please note to hotel staff to keep for you) and bring small bag for Halong bay trip as you will be back to this hotel to go to the airport

08:00 – 08:30 Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in the Old Quarter (A short break on route for refreshments about 20 minutes)

11:30 – 11:45 Arrive at Halong International Habor

12:15 Embark on the cruise by tender. Check-in, enjoy welcome drinks and cruise briefing

13:00 Enjoy lunch while cruising to magnificent Ha Long Bay, and admire the fascinating formations on the way

14:45 Luon cave – kayaking or bamboo boat. Luon cave excursion on bamboo rowing boat by locals or kayaking. This is one of the must-do activities in the bay.

16:00 Titop Island – Climbing, Beach & Swimming. Your next stop is Titop Island with its famous crescent moon-shaped beach and tranquil beautiful blue waters. Viewing Halong Bay from the peak of Titop Island is another not-to-be-missed activity.

17:00 – 18:30 Enjoy the best moments of the day at sundeck as the sun hits the water between the dramatic limestone peaks and emerald-green coves, enjoying drinks and a cooking demonstration.

19:15 Savour a delicious dinner

21:00 Night-time squid fishing

22:30 Free of mind with sweet dreams

• Overnight on Victory Star Cruise
• B,L,D

Day 3 – 17 Mar. Halong bay → Hanoi

06:15 Enjoy the sunrise on the Bay. Morning Tai Chi session on sundeck

06:30 Light breakfast. Coffee, tea, and pastries served in the restaurant

07:20 Sung Sot cave excursion: Explore Sung Sot Cave – the biggest and most stunning cave in Halong Bay

09:15 Check-out of cabins & bill settlement. Start cruising back to the port

09:30 Buffet brunch served at the restaurant

10:45 – 11:00 Back to the port. Farewell and disembark

11:15 – 11:30 Get on the bus back to Hanoi. Arrive at approximately 14:30-14:45

• Overnight at Hôtel de Souriant Premium in Hanoi.
• B,L

Day 4 – 18 Mar. Hanoi → Sapa

Breakfast at your hotel then check out your hotel, you can leave big luggage at hotel (please note to hotel staff to keep for you) and bring small bag for Sapa trip as you will be back to this hotel to stay more.

06:30: our driver picks you up from the hotel, depart for Sapa

Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People. The tour guide will be waiting for you at No.3 Fansipan Str (or at where the bus stop), holding the sign “Sapa Pathfinder Travel” to welcome you. Then, please follow him to come to the hotel.

· Welcome drink and itinerary briefing

· Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures

A short trek to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.

Trekking distance is about 3.5 kms and it lasts for 2 hours

Come back to Sapa Town.

• Overnight at KK Sapa Hotel in Sapa
• B,L

Day 5 – 19 Mar. Sapa → Hanoi

7.00 – 7.45: Have breakfast at hotel and prepare light pack for trekking

Trek from Sapa to Y Linh Ho then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain.
Lunch at a local restaurant

Heading to Ta Van village – home of Dzay ethnic people.
Bus picks you up at Ta Van Bridge to Sapa.
Trekking distance is about 12 kms and it lasts for 4.5 hours

14:00 – 14:30: Take a bus back to Hanoi

• Overnight at Hôtel de Souriant Premium in Hanoi.
• B,L

Day 6 – 20 Mar: Hanoi → Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu – Tam Coc)

Breakfast at your hotel.

At 08:30AM, Our driver and tour guide pick you up at hotels in the Old Quarter Area, Hanoi. Head the south of Hanoi for 110 km. After 2 hours, you will arrive in Ninh Binh. First stop at Hoa Lu, you will have quick visit two temples built in honor of the emperors Dinh Le, their sons, and the Queen… to know why Hoa Lu was build as capital of Vietnam in ending of nine century.

Enjoy lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisine.

Boarding a small sampan to visit Tam Coc which means literally “three caves” (1.5 hour boat trip). With Halong bay type views of majestic limestone cliffs and mysterious caves, as well as countryside landscape like peaceful streams, rice paddies and deserted green fields, Tam Coc really has it all. You will feel the fresh air and peaceful moments, very good opportunities for photo lovers, freezing the special moments and scenery.

Then come back to the hotel.

• Overnight at Ninh Ninh Legend Hotel in Ninh Binh
• B,L

Day 7 – 21 Mar: Ninh Binh (Trang An – Bai Dinh) → Hanoi

Breakfast at your hotel.

At 08:30AM: Our tour guide and driver will pick up at your hotel in Hanoi city to depart for Ninh Binh province (120 Kms). Bai Dinh Trang  day tour. Tourist to visit
Bai Dinh –  Arrive in Buddha Prayer place in Bai Dinh Pagoda, the biggest pagoda in Vietnam with 500 La Han statues, biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam with 10 meters in height, 100 tons in weight. Have lunch in a local restaurant with some local special dishes such as Goat meat with elderberry, pork storage vessel
Depart to visit Trang An tourist attraction, take a boat trip to visit cave complex: Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou in mystery and wildness, see the scenery of mountain and rivers Halong Bay on the land of Ninh Binh.
Visit Mua Cave – the highlight attraction in Ninh binh, challenge yourself for 500 step up Cave mountain where you will have great panorama view of Tam Coc and rice field.  
Leave Ninh binh for Hanoi

• Overnight at Hôtel de Souriant Premium in Hanoi.
• B,L

Day 8 – 22 Mar: Hanoi (City tour) → Departure

Breakfast at hotel.

At 08:30AM, Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City.

Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish IsLand in West Lake. It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world

• Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for the annual maintaining but still can take picture Mausoleum and visit around that area

Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam.

Special Note: we will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays

Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with 8 delicious dishes.

Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century.

Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton”

Afterwards, our driver transfers you to the airport for your departure flight

• N/A
• B,L

End of service!