Check out early today, at around 6:00am, you will depart to Danang Airport for your morning flight to Hanoi. (Suggested flight VN158 DAD-HAN 0835 1005)
Arrival in the Hanoi, you will meet the other guide and driver for transfer to your hotel. Refresh a while and begin your full day discovery of the capital with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - a tribute to the architecture of Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, his traditional stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda - built in the 11th century. Later on, you will visit the Ethnology Museum. Created in November 1997 at the Francophonie Summit, it is both a research center and a public museum featuring the 54 ethnic groups found across Vietnam.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu in Vietnamese), situated in the place once known as the first university of Vietnam. Built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the university was first opened for princes and mandarins exclusively. With its ancient courtyards, altars and roofs, Van Mieu is a very fine example of Vietnamese architecture. Then, continue your way to the Old Quarter and the surroundings of the Sword Lake, passing by Hang Hanh - the famous coffee street and heading towards the Catholic Church. Wandering in these peaceful alleys, your eyes will catch the daily scenes of street vendors quietly napping in the shade or a motorbike taxi-driver (or xe om in Vietnamese) sleeping precariously on his bike. Then, suddenly you will again find yourself in a noisy and busy street. Throughout the tour, your senses will be bombarded with a cascade of different sights, sounds, smells and characters that harmonize to the music of life in Hanoi. At the end of the walk, you will have time to enjoy a cup of coffee from one of the many small shops in the area.
Meals included: Breakast
Accommodation: Overnight at 3 star hotel Soleil Boutique (Deluxe or similar)
Distance and duration of the walk: 4 kilometers - 2 hours
Option in the evening: story of Hanoi street food (meal included: dinner): Tonight, you'll have a chance to understand what makes Hanoi's Old Quarter such a captivating place. Here, you will be able to taste a wide variety of Vietnamese specialties, such as banh cuon (steamed rolled rice pancake) and banh mi (the famous Vietnamese sandwich that even appears in the Oxford Dictionary). Then, stop at a bia hoi (beer club) and taste the fresh Vietnamese beer that is incredibly popular with locals and travelers alike. After that, you will head to a pho shop, where you will be able to choose between regular pho or pho tron (pho noodles mixed with chicken without soup). Then, make your way along Hoan Kiem Lake for one of the tastiest ice creams in Hanoi. You will then say goodbye to your guide and go on to explore Hanoi by night on your own.
Duration: 3 hours
