Hanoi (B/L)

The first day out will be a sightseeing tour of Hanoi which includes the most significant attractions. Visit Ba Dinh Square, a revered and historically significant site where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent nation after centuries of being a monarchy. Around Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, which is situated in the back of the square, gives ample opportunities for photos. Following that, it would behoove you to take a leisurely stroll through the adjoining Presidential Palace. While sauntering through the garden you will catch a glimpse of some quaint scenes like a large, picturesque fish pond, the wooden house-on-stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived during his last years and the sturdy concrete house where he took his last breath. As you continue on your way out, be sure to visit the famous One-Pillar Pagoda made in the likeness of Guanyin, a goddess in Chinese mythology who is the goddess of mercy and compassion.

 Quan Thanh Temple. This traditional Taoist temple was dedicated to Hanoi’s divine protector, Huyen Thien Tran Vu. Inside the temple on the main altar sits a huge bronze statue of Huyen Thien Tran Vu, measuring an imposing 4 meters high and weighing a spectacular 4 tons. The size and the fine details and owing to the expert craftsmanship of the bronze working from the 17th century has made this statue officially a national treasure. After the temple, as you continue along the lake side, you will walk past the memorial of John McCain, former Senator of the US and former US Navy pilot who was famously (infamously?) shot down as in Hanoi during wartime in 1967.

After lunch the tour continues. Next stop is the Temple of Literature and the attached Noble Academy replete with beautifully restored architecture meant to preserve the history of Vietnam’s imperial education. A highlight in the complex is the collection of stone stelae bearing names of the successful mandarin examinees throughout many, many centuries. The last stop will be the Museum of Vietnamese Women; a fascinating reflection of Vietnam’s history and culture seen through the faring of the indomitable and persevering Vietnamese women, particularly over the wartime decades.

Mai Chau - Ninh Binh (B/L)

Leave Mai Chau and take a scenic road trip for Ninh Binh, a land characterized by the beauty of rolling hills, submerged grasslands and a giant monkey called King Kong. Seriously, look it up. Anyway, At Trang An tourist complex you’ll trade your seat in a car for a spot on a hand paddle boat to explore the gorgeous habitat around the UNESCO protected area. The boat trip goes through waterways filled abundantly with karst formations jutting out of the ground, lagoons and sprawling, gently wavering verdant fields of rice.

At some point you’ll disembark from your fancy paddle boat and visit the temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh located on the site of their capital named Hoa Lu dating back to the 10th century. The temples were constructed much later in the Le Dynasty around the 15th century and additionally you can find, in the Nhat Tru Pagoda nearby, a sutra pillar made of stone which dates back to the time of the ancient kings.

Halong - Hanoi (B/L)

The second day begins with a scrumptious breakfast and strong morning coffee among the otherworldly sights all around you. After that The vessel will continue its carefree and breezy passage throughout the karst formations and azure waters back to shore. At or shortly before noon the ship will arrive at the shore where you’ll depart from the cruise ship for the road transfer back to the airport for your flight.