5 activitati in Hanoi and North, VIETNAM

We start our evening walking tour at Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavour. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed! Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city center below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!. At the end of the trip you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

Leave the busy streets of Hanoi via a scenic road winding through the city’s Old Quarter, through the urban outskirts, and into the countryside. We’ll pass Hanoi’s oldest bridge – The Long Bien - which was built by the famous Eiffel Construction company in 1902. Highlights - Feel the Red River breeze on an 100-year old bridge - Drop in to a local artist estate to admire some Vietnamese fine arts - Explore the densely cultivated land of an islet with banana, bean, and corn farms - Visit a pottery making village and see how ceramics are made - Take in a magnificent sunset at West Lake Experience the beauty of Vietnam’s countryside as you cycle through back roads and along the banks of the Red River on our Hanoi village tour. See local villagers at work as your guide points out traditional rural activities and sights. We’ll stop by a famous local artist’s house to study some popular trends of Vietnamese contemporary fine arts, including installation, body, and performance art. You will have chance to view them all here at his 2000 square meter estate. We’ll continue our bike tour by cycling through the tranquil banana and vegetable farming area of Red River Island. There will be lots of opportunities to stop and take photos of the beautiful surroundings and the locals working on their farms. We then head off to the pottery village of Quang Ba where ceramics are stacked waiting to be taken into Hanoi by bicycle. Thisroute takes us past the Red River’s floating houses and fields of colorful flowers. Depending on the season, you may get to see locals picking the flowers to be taken to market. We continue cycling along the river to the famous West Lake for a cup of coffee or green tea while enjoying the magnificent sunset. Back on our bikes, we’ll return to the meeting point in Hanoi where your guide will be able to assist you in getting a taxi to your hotel.

Dive in to the sights, sounds and smells of our bustling city on our Hanoi sightseeing tour. With our local guide we start our trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex on the site where he declared Vietnam's independence in 1945, and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their ''Uncle Ho''. Dive in to the sights, sounds and smells of our bustling city on our Hanoi sightseeing tour. With our local guide we start our trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex on the site where he declared Vietnam's independence in 1945, and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their ''Uncle Ho''. Other sites that we will visit with our local guide include: - House 54 - Ho Chi Minh lived and worked here between 1954 and 1958 - Stilt House - Ho Chi Minh moved from House 54 to the Stilt House in 1958, and worked and lived there until his death in 1969. - Presidential Palace - originally built by the French at the start of the 20th Century to house the French Governor-General of Indochina. Following his ''Declaration of Independence'' Ho Chi Minh refused to move into the building due to it's connection with the countries colonial past. - One Pillar Pagoda - a unique wooden structure originally built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Thong of the Ly Dynasty. The current structure is a replica of the original. Continuing on our Hanoi tour through the city we drive to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honour of Confucious by Emperor Ly Thanh Thong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or ''mandarins''. The University remained here until Emperor Gia Long moved the country’s administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue at the end of the 18th century and start of the 19th century. After our visit to the Temple of Literature, we head to a local restaurant for a delicious local lunch - ''Pho'' or Noodle Soup is a popular choice amongst locals. After lunch, we visit the Museum of Ethnology, to learn more about the cultural diversity of Vietnams ethnic minorities. Established by the Vietnamese government in 1997, the museum provides us with a fascinating insight into the diverse cultures, customs and lifestyles of the 54 ethnic groups that inhabit Vietnam. We finish our ultimate Hanoi travel experience with a walking tour of Hanoi's hectic old quarter. See how Hanoians live out their lives on the streets, sitting & eating together on the sidewalks and bartering for wares. Visit the local Hang Be or Dong Xuan local markets before finishing at Bia Hoi corner where you can freshen-up with a local beer (not included) and have the opportunity to swap stories with local people eager to practice their language skills. At the end of our Hanoi sightseeing tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel. Meeting/ Pick up point: Pick up centrally located hotels in Hanoi Pick-up time: Between 8am and 8.30am. Drop-off time: Between 12pm and 1pm. Drop-off location: Ngoc Son Temple, Hoan Kiem lake. Drop off at hotels not included. Duration: Between 4 and 4.5 hours. Languages: English. Others: Please dress up to standard with shoulders & Knee covered. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed by Local Authority for annual preservation. Ho Chi Minh stilt house and museum are still opened on the normal schedule. So while the Mausoleum is closed, all other activities on Hanoi Highlight Tour will be running as normal. The guide will take you to the front of HCM Mausoleum for photos and information before taking a visit to HCM House and Museum.

Our Hanoi tour journey begins with a two hour drive from the hectic capital of Hanoi to the province of Ninh Binh, approximately 100kms. Highlights - Surround yourself in the rich history and breathtaking scenery of Vietnam - Step back in time at the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital - Cycle amongst the lime karsts and surrounding scenery - Take a row boat through the UNESCO site of Trang An to explore magnificent caves and get up close to the region’s spectacular karst country. Our first destination is Hao Lu, the location of the capital of Vietnam during the Dinh Dynasty (968-980) and early Le Dynasty (980-1009), the ancient citadel once covered 300 hectares of land, however the passage of time has left few remains of this once glorious capital of the Vietnam. On arrival, dive into history at the Dinh & Le Temple. Restored in the 17th century, the temples are dedicated Dinh and Le emperors and believed to be built on the original foundations of the old palaces from the 11th and 12th centuries. You will delve into our history on this Hanoi cultural tour. Next it's time for the biking part of the tour, as you hop on a bike for a 12 kilometre bike ride through the area, lime karsts towering above you as you ride along backroads and beautiful scenery... experiences you just don't get on other Hanoi tours! Following our bike ride, we'll stop for lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Trang An, a new addition to UNESCO’s list of heritage sites. Honoured as of June 2014, the 10,000-hectare Trang An complex comprises three areas: the Trang An ¬– Tam Coc – Bich Dong ecological site, the Hoa Lu imperial capital, and the Hoa Lu primitive forests. It is often referred to as the Halong Bay of the land due to its spectacular scenery: lime karsts rise up of the ground to tower over the region, and is a truly wonderful sight to see. Here, we’ll board row boats for a 3 to 3.5-hour journey through caves, passing local villages along the river system of the Red River Delta. The scenery comprises of lush green rice paddies during the rice growing seasons and the surrounding limestone karsts make for a stunning backdrop, presenting many photo opportunities for the keen photographers amongst the group. At the end of the boat trip, we’ll return to the city and finish our Hanoi tour. Note: A Tam Coc boat trip will be offered as an alternative to Trang An on selected days when the place is too crowded or during peak season. Languages English

Discover the stunning natural beauty of Ha Long Bay with this breathtaking full day tour. Travel through the picturesque villages of northern Vietnam before boarding a traditional Chinese junk to sail through placid waters dotted with some 2,000 islets. Explore the many limestone karsts and enjoy a seafood buffet while taking in the bay's paradisiacal scenery. Highlights - Set your eyes on loads of limestone karsts - Listen up and hear all about the legends and myths - Roam around a quaint fishing village and rub shoulders with the locals Escape the organised chaos of Hanoi and head into the bucolic countryside, admiring the pastoral scenes during the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Ha Long Bay. There will be a break at a handicraft centre en route. Board the junk at Ha Long City and receive a welcome drink for the cruise in the bay, which is famous for the spectacular limestone karsts jutting out of the peaceful green waters. The views are simply spellbinding as the boat winds among hundreds and hundreds of islets. Ha Long Bay, which means Bay of the Descending Dragon, is a Unesco World Heritage Site and was recently voted one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. Hear the legends and myths associated with this dreamlike bay then feast on the fabulous seafood lunch. The cruise also explores some of the grottos that have formed in the many of the isles and there is a charming visit to a quaint fishing village, where you can meet the locals and find out about their lives and customs. It also provides a great photo opportunity before the return by road back to Hanoi. Languages:English.