Karsts and Stilt Houses

Hanoi, located on the banks of the Red River, is one of the most ancient capitals in the world, where travelers can find well-preserved colonial buildings, ancient pagodas, and unique museums within the city center.

In the morning, breakfast at the hotel. Start the city tour with Ba Dinh Square, including: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; View of the presidential palace; Uncle Ho's house-on-stilts; One Pillar Pagoda; Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university. Set menu lunch at a restaurant in the city.

In the afternoon, Hoa Lo Prison (A add-on if you are interested in); Ethnology Museum (about Vietnamese ethnic minorities) with water puppet show. An interesting walk along the train tracks through a part of the city residence.

The tour departs from Hanoi at 08:00 AM. The morning drive takes about 3.5 hours overland to Mai Chau valley, a stunning valley of White Thai ethnic minority in Hoa Binh province. You will have some stops on the way for taking photographs. Arrive at Lac Village around noon; this is a peaceful and pretty hilly area. Have Vietnamese lunch at a Thai family's stilt house.
After lunch and rest, go for a scenic bicycling tour about 2 hours to explore the surroundings and visit some villages, rice paddies and gardens. This is the best time for you to experience the local life, their agriculture and beautiful handicrafts. At the end of the ride, check into your hotel (at home-stay alternatively) for the night. Enjoy the traditional dance by the local ethic boys and girls after dinner.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to a trekking point in Mai Hich Valley.
Spend the morning to trek this scenic countryside with the scenery of villages, fields and mountains. Get picked up by noon and go for the lunch.
The afternoon drive takes you almost 4 hours to Ninh Binh. You may want to stops for a couple of time on the way for taking photographs and breaks. Arrive at your hotel in Ninh Binh late in the afternoon. Check in and stay for the night.

This morning you will tour around Ninh Binh with its famous Trang An Complex - The world's natural & cultural heritage by UNESCO. The private transport takes you to Tam Coc for a sampan boat ride (2 hours approx.) along a small river which meandering in between the sheer limestone mountains.
The local rower will take you through three tunnel-like caves which have many beautiful stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. After the boat ride, you will continue visiting the area by bicycles. The guide will leads you to visit other part of Tam Coc, biking on back roads so that you can get close looks at the local life and enjoy the landscape.
Lunch at a restaurant before the afternoon drive Cat Ba Island. Check in a local house for a home-stay night.

This morning you will visit the green mangrove forest of Cat Ba on foot. The trek is along the banks of different fish farms with the surface of evergreen mangroves. After around 1 hour, get on a small fishing boat which takes you along a river, winds through a scenic part of the forest, enjoy beautiful scenery along the ride.
Get off the boat by a fish-farm and walk to discover a hidden limestone cave. End the morning by the another boat ride back to the base.
Bid farewell to the host and make your way to the other side of the island.
Arrive at Ben Beo Wharf, embark on your private junk and spend the afternoon exploring Lan Ha Bay. Lunch is served on the boat after one-hour cruise to the middle of Lan Ha. The afternoon activities include visiting a fish-farm, kayaking and swimming at Ba Trai Dao beaches area. After that, the junk will make its way toward Halong Bay for the night place.

The breakfast is served on the top-deck before the morning kayak around Ong Cam area. After the kayak, the junk will cruise further to other parts of Halong Bay. After lunch and rest, you will explore a hidden lagoon by kayak through a tunnel-like cave.
Back onto your boat and heading back to Lan Ha Bay for the second night.

The morning tour take you to visit a village which is situated inside the area of Cat Ba National park. You can chose to go by bicycle or electrical car.
Get back on your boat and moving gently back to the wharf. An early lunch is served on the way.
Arrive at the wharf  at noon, bid farewell to the crews and drive back to Hanoi in the afternoon.
Arrive in Hanoi, check back into your hotel to end the trip.