Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay Tour Package 5 Days – 4 Nights

Meals: Lunch

Your guide and driver will greet you at Noi Bai International Airport with a welcome sign bearing your name and flight details, then transfer you into central Hanoi. This first day is a gentle introduction to one of the best Hanoi tour itinerary 5 days – 4 nights routes in North Vietnam: visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university; browse the stalls of Dong Xuan Market; and stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, the spiritual heart of the Old Quarter.

Note: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is open every morning except Monday and Friday, and closes for annual maintenance in October and November — let your guide know in advance if this is a priority for you.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast at your hotel, depart at 08:00 for the roughly 90 km, 2-hour drive south to Ninh Binh Province. In Tam Coc — nicknamed “Halong Bay on Land” for its limestone peaks rising out of the rice paddies — board a small rowing boat for a journey of about 2 hours through three river caves. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Hoa Lu, the 10th-century ancient capital of Dai Viet, and visit the temples dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh. Tam Coc and Hoa Lu both lie within the Trang An Landscape Complex, inscribed by UNESCO in 2014 as Vietnam’s first mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site. Drive back to Hanoi in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Have your passport ready — it is required to check in for the cruise. Pick-up from your hotel is between 07:30 and 08:00 for the scenic drive of roughly 160–180 km (about 3 to 3.5 hours) to Halong Bay. At Tuan Chau International Marina, a tender boat takes you out to your overnight cruise ship, where you are welcomed aboard with a drink before check-in. Over lunch, cruise past Duck and Thumb Islets toward the Bright Cave area, on the border between Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. In the afternoon, kayak (or take a bamboo boat) to explore hidden lagoons and a small cave, then relax on the sundeck as the sun sets over the bay. Dinner features local seafood, followed by an optional squid-fishing session for those who want to stay up a little longer.

Note: some departures use a shared cruise (private cabin, shared common areas) with the option to upgrade to a private small-group cruise or private car transfer — please confirm with your booking consultant which option applies to your travel dates.

Overnight on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start the day with coffee or tea and breakfast as you take in the morning light over the bay. Visit Sung Sot Cave (Surprising Cave), one of Halong Bay’s largest and most striking caverns, before checking out of your cabin. On the way back to the marina, pass more of the bay’s landmark islets — Fighting Cocks Islet, Incense Burner Islet, and the Stone Dog Islands — and join a Vietnamese spring-roll cooking demonstration on board. After lunch, disembark at Tuan Chau International Marina and transfer back to Hanoi, arriving around 17:00.

Note: cruise schedules can shift due to weather, tides, or operating conditions, and swimming or kayaking may be cancelled in poor weather.

Note: this Halong Bay 2 days – 1 night program may change depending on the specific cruise assigned to your booking — cabin category, exact excursion order, and onboard activities can vary between cruise operators and will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a final free morning in Hanoi — time for last-minute shopping or a quiet coffee — before your driver transfers you to Noi Bai International Airport for your departure flight. End of services.