Hanoi to Halong Bay Family Tour

Once you have arrived in Hanoi, the driver will collect you from the airport to take you to your hotel in the central Old Quarter district of the city. You can check-in here and take the rest of the afternoon to relax or explore Hanoi in your own way.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and prepare for the arrival of the guide and river. Our first stop together will be to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where the former leader of the country is highly revered. We check out the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to see the leader’s embalmed body, before moving onto his stilt house residence where he lived out his later life in traditional style. We finish at the complex with a look at the One-Pillar Pagoda, the unique and iconic symbol of the capital.

After this, we move onto the Temple of Literature, where we can see more ancient architecture amidst wonderful greenery. This site is both a temple and university, the country’s first, built in 1070. We will take a walk around the grounds and the ornate temple, seeing a beautiful mix of Buddhist construction, manicured gardens and Confucian philosophies.

Lunch will follow this, after which we can choose from one of two museums:

Option 1: Hoa Lo Prison

This was a prison for Vietnamese revolutionaries during the French occupation of Hanoi and for American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Some of America's most famous POWs, such as John McCain and Everett Alvarez Jr., were held in this place, which they sarcastically referred to as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’.

Option 2: The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

This is a museum devoted to documenting and preserving the cultures of the 53 ethnic minorities around Vietnam. The diversity of each ethnic group is displayed through some highly individual tools, clothing, and handicrafts, along with full-scale replicas of wooden stilt houses in the gardens of the museum.

After our visit here, we make our final stop in the Old Quarter, where we will walk around to discover the mix of influences that have gripped Hanoi throughout its lengthy history. The tour finishes at your hotel in the late afternoon.

Note: This Day Trip from Hanoi is for travelers who wish to understand more about history and culture of Hanoi City. This can be an option on your itinerary so please let us know if you wish to discover Hanoi on your own or you wish to join in our trip.

Halong Bay Cruise Tour is always the highlight of your trip to Vietnam and today we will take an overnight tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay.

After breakfast and the arrival of the driver to your hotel, we take the 2.5-hour drive to Halong Bay across the gorgeous Red River Delta. Once we have boarded the boat, we will have a delicious lunch and welcome drink, all while soaking in the grandeur of a bay caked in natural beauty.

We have many hours of relaxed cruising on the top of the sundeck, watching limestone karsts glide past us in the calm water below. Our afternoon is one of cruising and activity, as we visit some of the quiet areas, beachy islands, fishing villages and caves of the bay. We engage in kayaking, swimming and sunbathing at these various attractions, all of which provide much fun for the kids and another angle on the beauty of Halong Bay.

Our cruise welcomes us back in the late afternoon when we can observe a beautiful sunset from the top deck and mingle with other guests over happy hour drinks. Following this is a delightful dinner, served as the moon emerges atop the limestone karsts outside. Enjoy an evening at your leisure on board with board games, squid fishing or the well-stocked bar.

Head up to the sundeck during sunrise today to enjoy the magical atmosphere of a tai chi class, performed in front of beautiful surroundings. After this, breakfast will be held downstairs in the dining room.

Depending on the cruise that you select during your booking with us, we will either cruise around the bay or engage in some of the activities on offer. Regardless, there will still be time to spend in total relaxation on the sundeck or in the cabin.

A delicious brunch will fill us up as we make our return to the harbour, which is where we will meet the bus and head back to Hanoi ending the 2 day 1 night Halong Bay Cruise Tour.

Optional: We may make a stop off at one of the most sought-after of Hanoi day trip destinations, Bat Trang, a village famed for the pottery that once reached the royal court in Hue during the peak of its popularity. Adults can shop for cheap and quality souvenirs at the market while children can learn to create pottery at the wheel.

We reach your hotel in Hanoi in the early evening, giving you the chance to explore for the final night of your trip or simply to relax. 

Enjoy breakfast and the morning atmosphere of Hanoi before your transfer to the airport. The driver will arrive in good time to take you and your family there, where you will bid farewell to Hanoi and board your flight.

This brings the Family tour of Hanoi and Halong Bay to a close.

Thank you for your time and we wish you well for your future travels! Vietnam Escape Tours with thousands of excellent reviews on Tripadvisor, Google maps, Trustpilot and other social media. We are happy to be one of the best tour companies in Vietnam organizing the tours for millions of travelers around the world with the best deal and the best services.