What this trip is really like
Ninh Binh is Ha Long Bay's inland twin, seen from a rowing boat between paddies rather than a cruise deck, and it is where our Hanoi guides take their own visitors. This route gives you both, plus a full day in the capital.
The usual pairing gains a day in Ninh Binh, run from the same hotel over three nights before you head out to the overnight cruise. Temples at Hoa Lu and the karst scenery of Tam Coc set the countryside against the streets of the capital and the open water of the bay — and it is precisely the day that shorter versions of this trip leave out.
None of the bay is sacrificed: Surprise Cave is on the programme, as is the stop at Ti Top Island for sunset, and the transfer afterwards runs straight to the airport. Choose it when you have one spare day and want more of the north without committing to the mountains or the centre of the country. October through April is the better half of the year for it.
Trip highlights
- Rowed through the grottoes and karsts of Tam Coc, close to Hoa Lu
- A whole day in the capital, from the Mausoleum to the Old Quarter
- A night aboard on the bay, with Surprise Cave to follow in the morning
- A swim stop and sunset views from Ti Top Island
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land in Hanoi
Streets under trees, buildings the French put up and pagodas at the water's edge make for an easy first day in the north. The afternoon you land is usually spent near the hotel, perhaps on an optional wander through the trading streets of the Old Quarter before the busier days start.
Day 2 — Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu and a rowing boat through Tam Coc
First stop is Hoa Lu, which served as the country's capital under the Dinh and early Le dynasties from 968 into the early 11th century; a short walk brings you to the temples that survive. At Tam Coc you board a small rowing boat — the boatmen here row with their feet as much as their hands — and pass through three grottoes, Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba, before the drive back.
Day 3 — Hanoi on foot
The Mausoleum and stilt house come first, then One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda at the edge of West Lake. The Museum of Ethnology follows lunch, and the day ends beside Hoan Kiem Lake with a walk into the surrounding Old Quarter.
Day 4 — To Ha Long Bay, night on board
You are collected from the hotel at 8am for the drive out past the farms and villages of the Red River Delta. Aboard the junk, the route takes in Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Dog and Sail Islands, calls at a pearl farm and paddles into Luon Cave; there is time to swim off Ti Top Island before sunset, and dinner is served on board.
Day 5 — Bay in the morning, on to the airport
Tai Chi on the sundeck starts the morning, then Surprise Cave, up roughly 100 steps and seen on foot. Brunch follows, with a final pass by Ga Choi Island, Binh Phong Mountain and Tortoise Island, before you step ashore at Tuan Chau port for the drive to Noi Bai Airport.
What's included
- Your rooms, twin or double with breakfast, in the hotel grade you pick with us — family-run guesthouses where they exist, small hotels elsewhere
- Every meal the day-by-day marks as included; we lean towards places locals eat rather than hotel restaurants
- A guide from the region who speaks English and grew up with the places on the route
- Your own air-conditioned car or minivan with driver for every transfer and touring day
- Entrance fees to every site named in the itinerary
- The boats, cruises and activities written into the plan
- Government taxes and service charges — the quote we send is the amount you pay
Not included
- Flights and trains, international or domestic — we quote these separately so you can see the real cost
- Visa fees and visa arrangements
- Travel insurance, which we ask every guest to carry
- Drinks, laundry, phone calls and anything else personal
- Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades
- Tips for your guide and driver — customary here, at your discretion
- Extra sightseeing or vehicle use beyond the written plan
- Costs caused by weather, road closures or other events outside anyone's control, settled on the spot
- Bank transfer charges
Book this trip
- Days
- 5 days / 4 nights
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