Hanoi Arrival

Noi Bai International Airport - Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam! Our tour guide will greet you and transfer you directly to your hotel in Hanoi. The hotel room will be available from 2:00 pm, and if you wish to secure an early check-in, an additional charge will apply. Our driver will wait for you in case your flight is delayed, ensuring your comfort.

Hanoi City Full Day Tour

Hanoi Opera House - This is the meeting point for customers who do not require hotel pickup. Between 7:40 am and 8:00 am, the tour guide and vehicle from Paradise Indochina Travel will pick you up at your hotels located in Hanoi Old Quarter for the trip.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum - Begin the Hanoi city tour with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and learn about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from French colonial rule. Construction of the mausoleum began in 1973, modeled on Lenin’s mausoleum in Russia, and it was first opened to the public in 1975. The granite building holds great significance for many locals as it ensures their beloved leader ‘lives on forever’. Security is tight, and visitors should dress respectfully (no shorts, sleeveless shirts, or miniskirts). Bags and cameras must be deposited before entering. Visitors are not allowed to stop and hold up the constant queue as the place is always busy. Uncle Ho’s remains are sent yearly to Russia for maintenance, so the mausoleum is usually closed from October onwards.

Presidential Palace Historical Site - The Presidential Palace in Hanoi, constructed in 1900 by French architect Auguste Henri Vildieu, was intended to be Ho Chi Minh’s official residence, but the Vietnamese leader opted for a traditional Vietnamese stilt-house instead. The three-story, mustard-yellow building features 30 rooms built in colonial French architectural style, an orchard, a carp pond, and a 91-meter long boulevard surrounded by lush gardens. As political gatherings are still held at the Presidential Palace, visitors are only allowed to explore the gardens and Ho Chi Minh’s stilt home. The peaceful grounds surrounding the palace are home to well-kept botanical gardens and lush fruit groves, making it an ideal place for those looking to escape the bustling Old Quarter during their holiday. (You are allowed to visit the outside of the house only)

One Pillar Pagoda - Then wander the grounds to see the One Pillar Pagoda. Legend claims that the One Pillar Pagoda was built following a dream by the fatherless emperor in which the enlightened being Avalokiteshvara gave him a baby son resting on a lotus flower. Emperor Ly Thai Tong commissioned the pagoda to be created in resemblance of this lotus flower, which is also the Buddhist symbol of enlightenment. The Emperor remained grateful to the bodhisattva and subsequently to Quan Am, the Goddess of Mercy, following the birth of his son. Inside the temple, a richly gilded statue of Quan Am takes center place at the main altar. After the temple was completed, loyal followers flocked daily to give thanks and support to the emperor, praying to Quan Am for a long and successful reign. Today, the concrete pillar that supports the tiny wooden pagoda is a replacement for the original one, which was blown up by the departing French. It remains unclear how much of the wooden temple is original.

Tran Quoc Pagoda - Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest of its kind in Hanoi, dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De Dynasty (544 - 548). The Buddhist shrine has undergone several changes throughout the years, particularly its renaming from An Quoc to Tran Quoc (protecting the country) by Emperor Le Huy Tong in the 17th century. Although it’s now set on an islet within West Lake, the pagoda was originally located on the banks of the Red River before it was relocated in 1615 due to the river’s encroachment. Surrounded by lush greenery, Tran Quoc Pagoda was a favorite among kings and royal families for festivals, full moons, and Tet Festival. Standing at 15 meters, the main pagoda is made up of eleven levels, while its surrounding buildings include an incense burning house and a museum housing historic relics. You can also see intricately carved statues dating back to 1639, each bearing unique facial features.

Temple of Literature & National University - In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Originally built as a university in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars, and sages, the building is extremely well-preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards, and passageways that were once used by royalty. Visiting the Temple of Literature, you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place that has seen thousands of doctors graduate in what has now become a memorial to education and literature. Originally, the university only accepted aristocrats, the elite, and royal family members as students before eventually opening its doors to brighter ‘commoners’. Successful graduates had their names engraved on a stone stele placed on top of stone turtles.

Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) - The temple attracts many visitors and was built in commemoration of the 13th-century military leader Tran Hung Dao, renowned for his bravery in the battle against the Yuan Dynasty. The island on which the temple is built is known as Jade Island and is accessible by the iconic Huc Bridge or Rising Sun Bridge, a charming scarlet-painted wooden bridge of classical Vietnamese design. Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the center of the ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’ or Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword that helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and in doing so, saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake. Today, the name of the temple translates to ‘Temple of the Jade Mountain’ and is predominantly dedicated to war hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated an armed force of 300,000 soldiers sent by Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan in the 13th century to invade Vietnam.

Hanoi Opera House - Around 16:30, our tour guide will drop you off at hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter or at the same meeting point (Hanoi Opera House). End of the tour.

Hanoi - Ninh Binh Day Tour: Hoa Lu Temple & Tam Coc Boat Trip

Hanoi Opera House - At 8:00 am, the tour guide and car from Paradise Indochina Travel will pick you up at your hotels around Hanoi Old Quarter (or at Hanoi Opera House) for the trip. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the rural areas on the way.

Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties - After a 2-hour drive, you arrive at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. First and foremost, attractions catching tourists’ eyes are temples where people worship the Emperors and royal people who ruled here more than 1000 years ago: Dinh Tien Hoang Emperor temple, Le Dai Hanh Emperor temple, Phat Kim Princess temple (Phat Kim is a tragic fate daughter of Dinh Tien Hoang Emperor). Secondly, Hoa Lu still retains the remnants of ancient fortresses built by the Dinh dynasty more than 1000 years ago. The Imperial place lies 3 meters underground and has now become a very interesting place to visit. Tourists will have the chance to see the old items used by the royal family in ancient times. The fortress outside is built based on natural advantages: the mountain provides a good background, the deep valley is a basement, and the rivers supply water for people inside the fortress and would become traps to fight against enemies in any case.

Ninh Binh - Then our driver will transfer you to have lunch in a local restaurant in Tam Coc and enjoy the famous specialties of the Ancient Capital area.

Tam Coc - Then visit Tam Coc with a boat trip. It’s hard not to be won over by the mystical, watery beauty of the Tam Coc

• All entrance fees, boat trip and all activities mentioned
• English speaking guide, transfers all tours
• 4 nights in a 3-star hotel & 1 night on Halong Cruise ship
• 5 main meals & 5 breakfasts
• Private transfers airport - hotel - airport

• Drinks; tips or gratuities

1. Begin your visual tour in Hanoi, where spectacular scenery and ancient history converge.
2. Journey from the contemporary capital with its crammed streets in the old quarter to Hoa Lu, the former capital, and marvel at the age-old relics built centuries ago.
3. Discover the limestone mountain ranges and rice fields of ‘Halong on Land’ before embarking on a boat ride through the natural legacy of Halong Bay.
4. This excursion is a great deal as it highlights the primary attractions of the region and is ideal for brief visits to northern Vietnam.

• The tour rate requires a minimum of 2 people
• If you are a solo traveller, you must pay extra 120 USD for hotel single supplement (pay on arrival to the local tour operator)
• If you are a solo traveller, you must share the cabin on Halong Cruise. In case you want a single cabin, it costs you extra 50 USD (pay on arrival to the local tour operator)

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.