North of Vietnam, Ninhbinh - Halong - Hanoi

In the morning you’ll be picked up at your hotel for the two-hour drive to Hoa Lu – the former capital of Vietnam. On arrival, you will visit Tam Coc (three caves), a peaceful valley among limestone karst hills, where you’ll be rowed along a gentle river between paddy fields and through the caves. On the way back disembark for a pleasant stroll of about 2km through rural scenery to the Thai Vi temple. You return to Tam Coc Pier for lunch. After this, a little exercise with a bike ride through beautiful green fields to visit Ninh Van stone carving village and Ninh Hai embroidery village. Continue your journey to two temples, one dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang and the other to Emperor Le Dai Hanh, followed by a brief visit to the remains of the Old Palace. 

Ninh Van village has a 400-year-old tradition in the fine art of stone craft, with over 60 businesses and 600 local families now involved in the trade. Stone products include statues, animals and birds, stele, ornamental tanks, large porcelain vases, flower basins, tables, chairs, beds, incense tables, thrones, garden bridges, gates, doorsteps, and beams. There are also fine art products and articles like tea cups and pots, ashtrays, dishes, and ‘photographs’ in stone. All these products display lively and exquisite carved patterns, the work of highly skilled hands, and the creative minds of the village’s craftsmen.

Ninh Hai Village is famous all over the country for its lace embroidery. Currently, every family in Ninh Hai has many kinds of embroidery frames, some frames several yards wide, and some as small as a handkerchief. Lace-embroidery products are diverse. They include bedspreads, curtains, pillow covers, table covers, napkins, handkerchiefs, paintings, and photos. You spend the night in Ninh Binh.

Trip starts at 8:00 am from your hotel for Ninh Binh province, which owns Hoa Lu and Tam Coc as the favorite sightseeing of tourists from all over the world.

At about 10:30 am, you will arrive at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. In 968, Dinh Bo Linh declared himself the King. Since then Hoa Lu existed as the capital for the next 41 years (968 – 1009), of which 12 years were under the Dinh dynasty – King Dinh Tien Hoang, the country named Dai Co Viet, and 29 years later was under the Le dynasty – King Le Dai Hanh. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long – present-day Hanoi. Hoa Lu became the old citadel. In Hoa Lu there are now 2 temples that have been built on the ground of the old royal palace, one is dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang, and the other is to King Le Dai Hanh. The visit offers a chance to know more about part of feudal dynasties and historical periods in Vietnamese history.

Overnight in Ninh Binh

1:30 pm, 5-minute walk to the boat station and start the 2-hour boat trip to visit Tam Coc. Known as “Halong Bay on land”, Tam Coc are three limestone caves stretching along Ngo Dong River. The boat trip is a nice journey along the river with peaceful scenery of Limestone Mountains, rice paddy, and the site of some temples along the way from Hang Ca (first cave) to Hang Hai (second cave) and Hang Ba (third cave).

Early this morning you depart for the province of Thai Binh, a huge source of rice in Northern Vietnam, and also home to many traditional craft villages, of which Dong Xam Silver Village is among the most well-known.

Dong Xam Silver Village is famous for its silver processing which has been practiced since the 17th century. The fame of Dong Xam Silver has spread not only in Vietnam but overseas. Silver handicrafts produced are exported to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Laos, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Spain. These silver products have an unusual style and appearance. The intricate decorations require delicate skills.

From here you’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. On arrival, you’ll board a wooden junk to take you through the Bai Tu Long Bay area. You continue your cruise through the bay’s most deserted areas with opportunities to swim at quiet sandy beaches, weather permitting, or visit one of the least visited caves. For dinner, enjoy a cooking class on board and closely watch the talented chef craft fruit and vegetable to decorate the meal.

You stay overnight on board.