Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Halong Bay

This three-day journey includes both Dry Halong Bay and an overnight cruise on Halong Bay.

Depart early in the morning from your hotel in Hanoi for the 2-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital.

Enjoy a sampan cruise on the Tam Coc River through some of the most amazing scenery in Vietnam.

Spend the night in Ninh Binh before travelling to Halong Bay the following day for your overnight Halong Bay cruise.

Experience the best of Halong Bay on your overnight cruise.

Return to Hanoi or on to a nearby airport after your cruise.

Day 1: Hanoi - Ninh Binh

Depart early in the morning from the hotel for the 2-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital.

Pay a visit to the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009).

Afterwards, if time permits, take a half-hour walk up one of the surrounding limestone karst hills. The climb is rewarding for its spectacular views.

Next, travel to Tam Coc for a Vietnamese lunch. Stop en-route to take some photographs of local villages and the stunning landscape.

After lunch board a private sampan to one of the listed destinations (see options below).

As the boat gently slices through the water, notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields giving rise to this area’s other name, 'Dry Halong Bay'.

If you're feeling up to it, you can climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain.

*Option 1: Trang An

Situated near Tam Coc, Trang An is a nature reserve similar to Tam Coc, but much less visited.

Limestone hills surround a peaceful river which passes through a series of caves (one which takes 15-minutes to pass through in darkness).

An ‘eco-tourism’ area, the only interruptions here are the sound of birds and the gentle paddle of the oar upon the crystal clear river.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

You will have your own private car, driver and guide on excursions.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

As this is a private tour, there are no set departure dates.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to this part of the world.

Typically for Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific would be airlines we most often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

Vietnam Airlines fly directly to both Hanoi and Saigon from the UK.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in Indochina from our office in Vietnam and regularly inspect the hotels we use.