Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
Over 1000 years as Vietnam’s capital has given Hanoi a remarkable and utterly unique existence, one that often provides visitors to the city with a lot to marvel at. This full-day Hanoi sightseeing tour reveals to our guests the wonders of a city steeped in tradition and the fantastic job it has done in sticking to its hugely attractive cultural roots.
We span much of Hanoi's history on this day tour, starting with the contributions of its heroic former leader, Ho Chi Minh, at Ba Dinh Square. We also step back in time to ancient Vietnam, when the gorgeous Temple of Literature acted as the country's premier university. Over lunch, you will be presented with a choice of three museums and invited to select the one that best suits your interests, followed by a tour of the fascinating Hanoi Old Quarter and the huge range of Vietnamese history found here.
The full-day Hanoi sightseeing tour is your gateway to a city bursting with the appeal, led by a local guide with extensive knowledge and a friendly attitude.
Activities: See the best of Hanoi on a tour through its famous sites, including Ba Dinh Square, the Temple of Literature, one of the city’s museums and the fabulous Hanoi Old Quarter.
We begin this full-day tour of Hanoi city at around 8:00 am at your hotel. The driver and guide will meet you here before proceeding to the first of our sites today, the historic Ba Dinh Square, located in Hanoi’s political district. The square itself was where the country’s great leader, Ho Chi Minh, declared independence from Vietnam following the First Indochina War, telling a silent and enraptured crowd that ‘nothing is more important than independence and freedom’, two virtues that the country finally claimed in 1975, six years after his death.
Around Ba Dinh Square, we find many tributes to the former leader and can learn a lot about the life he led. We start at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where we can see the former leader’s embalmed body, continuing afterward to his modest house where he lived the latter years of his life in a humble manner. In two more places next to Ba Dinh Square, we find the iconic One-Pillar Pagoda and the vivid Presidential Palace, which nicely illustrate the architecture of ancient Vietnam and French Indochina respectively.
At about 10:00 to 10:30 am, our Hanoi City Tour moves southwards through the capital's wide, tree-lined avenues to the Temple of Literature. Since 1070, this revered site has been standing as Vietnam's first-ever university, where students were taught the philosophies of Confucius. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, the students had to pass difficult entry exams to prove that they were of the brightest minds in the country and that they were eligible for a place at the temple. We walk around the beautiful gardens and ponds that evoke ancient Vietnam, aided by the ornate architecture of the gates, walls and wonderful temples at the back.
Lunch follows this at midday, served in a brilliant restaurant called KOTO, right beside the Temple of Literature. ‘KOTO’ stands for Know One Teach One, which promotes the restaurant’s philosophy of easing Vietnam’s disadvantaged youths into the hospitality business, with full training included.
During lunch, we will make a decision on our next destination, which will be one of Hanoi’s informative and intriguing museums:
Option 1: Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology
This museum offers a fantastic look at the 53 ethnic minority groups of Vietnam, who mostly live in the beautiful countryside as farmers, fishermen and artisan craftspeople. Through the ethnology museum, we will gain a much better understanding of the various customs and histories of these groups, as well as being able to explore full-scale replicas of their wooden stilt houses in the museum's backgrounds.
Option 2: Hoa Lo Prison Museum
We can keep a highly local flavour to our full-day Hanoi sightseeing tour with a visit to Hoa Lo Prison, where some of the atrocities of the First Indochina War and Vietnam War were played out. During French occupation, this prison was used to keep Vietnamese revolutionaries in horrific conditions, as was the case for American POWs kept during Vietnamese management.
Option 3: Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Women are widely revered in Vietnam, a progressive attitude born from several women’s incredible efforts of bravery during the country’s various wars. On the three floors of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, we can learn of commitments and sacrifices made by Vietnamese women for the good of their country, as well as see exhibitions of women’s places in ethnic culture and the evolving fashion of the national dress of Vietnam – the áo dài.
At some point between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, we will finish at the museum and head to the final stop on our full-day tour of Hanoi city, the colorful and picturesque Old Quarter. The history is stacked deep in the capital’s central district; this was originally where 36 guilds from around the country came to establish their individual businesses, still evident today in streets named after the items made and sold there.
We take a drive around the Hanoi Old Quarter in an electric car, where our guide will be able to point out various aspects of the vibrant architecture, which encompasses Vietnamese, East Asian, French colonial and Western. Take many pictures along the way and marvel at the incredible scenes at every angle; almost certain to be different from your home country.
Our sightseeing tour of Hanoi draws to a close at your hotel in the late afternoon. We hope you learned a lot about the capital and we wish you well for your further travels throughout Vietnam!
Meals: Lunch
Activities: See the best of Hanoi on a tour through its famous sites, including Ba Dinh Square, the Temple of Literature, one of the city’s museums and the fabulous Hanoi Old Quarter.
We begin this full-day tour of Hanoi city at around 8:00 am at your hotel. The driver and guide will meet you here before proceeding to the first of our sites today, the historic Ba Dinh Square, located in Hanoi’s political district. The square itself was where the country’s great leader, Ho Chi Minh, declared independence from Vietnam following the First Indochina War, telling a silent and enraptured crowd that ‘nothing is more important than independence and freedom’, two virtues that the country finally claimed in 1975, six years after his death.
Around Ba Dinh Square, we find many tributes to the former leader and can learn a lot about the life he led. We start at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where we can see the former leader’s embalmed body, continuing afterward to his modest house where he lived the latter years of his life in a humble manner. In two more places next to Ba Dinh Square, we find the iconic One-Pillar Pagoda and the vivid Presidential Palace, which nicely illustrate the architecture of ancient Vietnam and French Indochina respectively.
At about 10:00 to 10:30 am, our Hanoi City Tour moves southwards through the capital's wide, tree-lined avenues to the Temple of Literature. Since 1070, this revered site has been standing as Vietnam's first-ever university, where students were taught the philosophies of Confucius. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, the students had to pass difficult entry exams to prove that they were of the brightest minds in the country and that they were eligible for a place at the temple. We walk around the beautiful gardens and ponds that evoke ancient Vietnam, aided by the ornate architecture of the gates, walls and wonderful temples at the back.
Lunch follows this at midday, served in a brilliant restaurant called KOTO, right beside the Temple of Literature. ‘KOTO’ stands for Know One Teach One, which promotes the restaurant’s philosophy of easing Vietnam’s disadvantaged youths into the hospitality business, with full training included.
During lunch, we will make a decision on our next destination, which will be one of Hanoi’s informative and intriguing museums:
Option 1: Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology
This museum offers a fantastic look at the 53 ethnic minority groups of Vietnam, who mostly live in the beautiful countryside as farmers, fishermen and artisan craftspeople. Through the ethnology museum, we will gain a much better understanding of the various customs and histories of these groups, as well as being able to explore full-scale replicas of their wooden stilt houses in the museum's backgrounds.
Option 2: Hoa Lo Prison Museum
We can keep a highly local flavour to our full-day Hanoi sightseeing tour with a visit to Hoa Lo Prison, where some of the atrocities of the First Indochina War and Vietnam War were played out. During French occupation, this prison was used to keep Vietnamese revolutionaries in horrific conditions, as was the case for American POWs kept during Vietnamese management.
Option 3: Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Women are widely revered in Vietnam, a progressive attitude born from several women’s incredible efforts of bravery during the country’s various wars. On the three floors of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, we can learn of commitments and sacrifices made by Vietnamese women for the good of their country, as well as see exhibitions of women’s places in ethnic culture and the evolving fashion of the national dress of Vietnam – the áo dài.
At some point between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, we will finish at the museum and head to the final stop on our full-day tour of Hanoi city, the colorful and picturesque Old Quarter. The history is stacked deep in the capital’s central district; this was originally where 36 guilds from around the country came to establish their individual businesses, still evident today in streets named after the items made and sold there.
We take a drive around the Hanoi Old Quarter in an electric car, where our guide will be able to point out various aspects of the vibrant architecture, which encompasses Vietnamese, East Asian, French colonial and Western. Take many pictures along the way and marvel at the incredible scenes at every angle; almost certain to be different from your home country.
Our sightseeing tour of Hanoi draws to a close at your hotel in the late afternoon. We hope you learned a lot about the capital and we wish you well for your further travels throughout Vietnam!
Meals: Lunch
| Destinations | 3 Star Class | 4 Star Class | 5 Star Class |
|---|
Taking the comfortable transit across the beautiful Red River Delta in an air-conditioned bus
Cruising around Halong Bay for 4-hours, absorbing the natural splendour on display at every turn
Eating a delicious local lunch served in full view of the verdant limestone mountains
Taking the private transfer to Ninh Binh across the splendid and ancient Red River Delta
Climbing to the peak of Hang Mua, a mountain offering the most beautiful views of Ninh Binh
Having a fantastic and filling lunch of regional and Vietnamese cuisines
Relaxing into the private transit from Hanoi to Ninh Binh across the wonderful Red River Delta
Cruising serenely across the Trang An River on a traditional boat flanked by the outstanding beauty
Exploring the impressive Bai Dinh Pagoda across the many architectural wonders of its buildings
Visiting the ancient citadel of Son Tay and learning of the architecture and history on display
Strolling around the picturesque alleyways of Duong Lam, a village with many strong traditions
Finding beauty in the redbrick and stone architecture of Mong Phu Temple and Mia Pagoda
Taking the scenic drive through beautiful Ninh Binh to arrive in its tropical national park
Walking around a monkey rescue centre and seeing many different and protected species
Having a local lunch in a traditional stilt house, with a view onto the natural beauty of the park
Transferring through the Red River Delta and seeing beautiful sites of rural Vietnam en route
Exploring Bat Trang Ceramic Village by viewing humble workshops and attending lively markets
Having a delicious and relaxing lunch after a morning of discovery and bargaining
