Loop of Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, after clearing all customs procedures, please proceed to the exit gate and look for your Travel Mates Guide who will be waiting at the lobby entrance with an Asia Travel Mates placard bearing your name. Your Travel Mate guide will come to meet you and transfer you to the hotel for check-in and free time. Following the water puppet show is a reception dinner.
Overnight in Hanoi Metropole Legend Hotel

Visit the beautiful and historic area around Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945, on your way to or from the hotel. After that, go to Lenin Garden, a popular gathering spot. This also offers a perfect opportunity for people-watching, to get a better idea of the daily activities of the locals. We then continue our journey through the narrow streets of Hanoi, stopping to take in the sights and sounds of the locals as we pass by sewing shops that have been in the same family for generations. Bring a camera to record the one-of-a-kind occasion. Keep on walking to reach the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university established in the 11th century.

After lunch at a neighborhood eatery, you could spend the afternoon exploring the winding alleys of Hanoi’s historic district. Then I walked to the main street of Nha Chung, where dozens of street vendors sell everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to meat and fish. Also, take a tea break at a Hanoian man’s old French house to learn about Hanoian culture and history, as well as to hear his family’s fascinating tales. Drop off your bags and head back to the hotel in the car.
Overnight in Hanoi Metropole Legend Hotel

Enjoy a two-hour drive to the province of Ninh Binh.
Visit a local artist to view a water puppet performance.
Water puppetry is a unique art form that originated in the wet rice culture of Vietnam.
We continue our 1.5-hour drive from your hotel to a house in Hong Quang village where we will meet a water puppet maker.
Born in Nam Dinh province to a family with a tradition of performing water puppetry, Mr. Phan grew up with a passion for this folk art.
Inheriting his father’s talent and tradition, he has a deep passion for playing with puppets, creating puppets by constructing a miniature stage for water puppetry, and bringing his solo performances to a number of countries outside Vietnam.
Sit down for a cup of tea and listen to his tales about the origins of the water puppet and his travels to different parts of the world to introduce Vietnamese culture and folklore to international friends.
Then, enjoy a thirty-minute performance of lion dances, buffalo fighting, rice farming, and boat racing, etc. on his private miniature water puppet stage on the top floor of his home.
After the performance, assume the role of an artisan and manipulate puppets in the water, or join Mr. Phan in creating and painting the puppets.
Return to Eco host for a lunch break.

This afternoon, our Travel Mates will lead you to a rural suburb of Vietnam’s Red River Delta for an afternoon of cultural immersion in an authentic, undiscovered tourist locale.
Begin by bicycling to the Pham Phao cathedral, renowned for its woodcarvings, and the Traditional trumpet-making Brass village.
On the way, you will also see the unique 16th-century architecture of the Tile-roofed Bridge.
Then, ride a bicycle to visit a host family and learn how to make a conical hat, while interacting with the family.
Explore the daily lives of the locals and learn about the village of ancestral worship.
After returning to Eco host, relax and enjoy dinner.

Visit Dong Bien’s market early in the morning today.
This tiny village sells seafood, meat, fruits, and vegetables.
From Hotel, walk with a Travel Mates guide to visit a local forging family before breakfast at Eco host.

Afterward, drive 3.5 hours to Tuan Chau International Marina in Halong City, Haiphong.
The Indochine Cruise’s lounge serves tea at 12:00.
Check into the Indochine Cruise and enjoy a drink while receiving a cruise briefing and safety instructions. while
Indochine Cruises offers a welcome drink and cruise briefing. Indochine Cruises visits Lan Ha Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago’s limestone landscape.
Lan Ha Bay is a natural border between Halong and Haiphong.
It has 400 islands, beaches, caves, and coves.
Clear waters invite kayaking and swimming.
Back on Heritage Cruises, enjoy the sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin.
A cooking class and afternoon tea are offered.
Following a dinner in a romantic, intimate restaurant, after that, you can fish for squids at night.

Indochine cruise overnight (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Beginning the day with some Tai chi out on the deck and a light breakfast is highly recommended. Follow that by taking a bamboo raft out to the Dark and Bright Cave. The next thing to do is to return to the ship and finish checking out. In the afternoon, as you sail back to Tuan Chau Marina, you can disembark and continue your day after a delicious brunch. Your international flight departs from Hanoi, so you should head back there.