Sóc Sơn Trip Overview
This itinerary is an in-depth exploration of the culture, people and landscapes of northern Vietnam. Joining in this tour, you will definitely come to explore the charming beauty of the capital city Hanoi, beauty of Ban Gioc Waterfall; Ancient Capital of Ninh Binh, the spectacular sceneries of Ha Long Bay’s Land and water. A perfect end to our showcase of the cultural and scenic charms of northern Vietnam!
Additional Info
Duration: 8 days
Starts: Sóc Sơn, Vietnam
Trip Category: Multi-day & Extended Tours >> Multi-day Tours
Explore Sóc Sơn Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Sóc Sơn, Hà Nội, Vietnam
This itinerary is an in-depth exploration of the culture, people and landscapes of northern Vietnam. Joining in this tour, you will definitely come to explore the charming beauty of the capital city Hanoi, beauty of Ban Gioc Waterfall; Ancient Capital of Ninh Binh, the spectacular sceneries of Ha Long Bay’s Land and water. A perfect end to our showcase of the cultural and scenic charms of northern Vietnam!
Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Stop At: Hanoi, Hanoi
On arrival our guide greeting and pick up at airport then transfer to Hanoi, check in hotel and free at the rest of the day.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adamas hotel (3-star) or similar
Day 2: Hanoi – Lang Son – Quang Uyen (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Lang Son, Lang Son, Lang Son Province
We will start by driving in the direction of the Chinese border for about 3 hours, before stopping at Chi Lang Pass – a 20-km-long gorge created from a narrow valley between two mountains. This place occupies an important position in Vietnamese history, being the place of many victories against various Chinese invasions over the centuries and millennia, as far back as 981AD. As such it bears the reputation of Vietnam’s strongest citadel and bastion. Here you will have roughly an hour to walk around and explore the area around the Quy Mon Quan Gate, which translates as “The Gate of Monsters”, named for the many invasion forces that would spill through the pass over the course of history only to be beaten back by stalwart Vietnamese defenders. After lunch at a local restaurant in Dong Dang, you will continue your trip into the pass, stopping to visit Mother’s Temple and Dong Khe – an important historical site where The Battle of Dong Khe was fought during the First Indochina War.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Ba Be Legend (3-star) or similar
Day 3: Ban Gioc Waterfall – Ba Be Lake (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Ban Gioc Falls, Trung Khanh, Cao Bang 22000 Vietnam
Nestled amongst these amazing landscapes is the breath-taking Ban Gioc Waterfall which spans over 300 meters, split half and half between Vietnam and China. You’ll get some time here to simply take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding the falls, which presents an excellent opportunity for some fantastic photography
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Nguom Ngao Cave, Gun Village, Dam Thuy Commune, Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang 270000 Vietnam
It’s time to head over to Nguom Ngao Cave, for a very different, but no less impressive natural wonder. The cave stretches for 2,144 meters underground and is brimming with incredible stalactites and stalagmites
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Ba Be Legend (3-star) or similar
Day 4: Ba Be Lake – Hanoi (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Ba Be National Park, Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan Province
We’ll kick the final day of the tour of by boarding a boat and setting off onto the lake. It’s up to you how to spend your time on the boat, whether it’s relaxing and enjoying the views or going for a swim in the cool waters to refresh yourself. The views consist of stunning karst formations all around you covered with patches of wild vegetation and a rich wildlife. The boat will then continue along the Nang River, giving you a chance to explore the caves of Puong Grotto where you can marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites created through river erosion, as well as observe the thousands-strong bat colony that lives here
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adamas Hotel (3-star) or similar
Day 5: Hanoi – Full day city tour (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Chua Tran Quoc, Thanh Nien, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam
Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest of its kind in Hanoi, dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De Dynasty (544 – 548). The Buddhist shrine has undergone several changes throughout the years, particularly its renaming from An Quoc to Tran Quoc (protecting the country) by Emperor Le Huy Tong in the 17th century
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, 2 Hung Vuong Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is the place where Uncle Ho’s corpse is placed for people all over the country and international visitors to visit their beloved old father. Right from the first steps to Ba Dinh Square, from afar, visitors can see Uncle Ho’s tomb standing up with the words “Ho Chi Minh President” with extremely prominent and impressive plum pink stone.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: One Pillar Pagoda, Ong Ich Khiem St, Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
One Pillar Pagoda (Mot Cot pagoda or Chua Mot Cot) – a distinctive and unique architectural structure and historical site. It is considered a symbol of Hanoi city with a thousand years of civilization due to bearing the architectural splendor hallmark of the famous historical dynasty in Vietnam.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen Street Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi offers an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam in an effort to preserve cultural heritage and promote socio-cultural diversity within the country.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Temple of Literature & National University, Quoc Tu Giam Street Dong Da District, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
The Temple of Literature is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Originally built as a university in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars and sages, the building is extremely well preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Ngoc Son Temple, Dinh Tien Hoang St. Old Quarter – Hoàn Kiêm Lake, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi attracts tourists and locals looking to get away from the noise and frenetic pace of the city. Peaceful and quiet, the lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island.
The temple attracts many visitors and was built in commemoration of the 13th century military leader Tran Hung Dao who was renowned for his bravery in the battle against the Yuan Dynasty.
Duration: 45 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adamas Hotel (3-star) or similar
Day 6: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hanoi (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh 40000 Vietnam
In 968, Dinh Bo Linh declared himself as the King. Since then Hoa Lu existed as the capital for the next 41 years (968 – 1009), of which 12 years was 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 have been built on the ground of the old royal palace, one is dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang, 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.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Tam Coc, Ninh Binh 430000 Vietnam
We will take the rowing boat at Tam Coc Harbour. Arranged by local people here, the boat is rowed by both hand and legs. The boat will take you to 3 specular caves with hundreds of limestones on the way. If you travel during harvest season, you will see many terrace rice fields in golden colors.
The boat rowing will be in around 2 hours. Not only you could see the peaceful scenery of mountain, rice paddy fields, temples, you also have chances to learn about local people cultures on their daily life.
Optional activities: Enjoy a bicycle ride through the countryside after the boat trip.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adamas Hotel (3-star) or similar
Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hanoi (SIC Tour)
Stop At: Halong Bay, Halong Bay, Quang Ninh Province
7:45 – 8:30 am: The tour guide will pick you and transfer to Halong Bay (around 3-3.5 hours of driving)
12:00 – 12:30 pm: You will be welcomed the boat where lunch will be prepared and served to you on board by the crew. While having lunch, the captain will drive the cruise around the most beautiful islets among thousands of limestone islands such as Dog islet, Incense Burner Islet, Fighting Cock Islet etc.
One stop of the 4-hour cruise is Dong Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Cave), located on a remote island in the bay.
4:00 pm: Return to the harbor around and we will stop for one break in the middle of the way so you have a chance to go to the restroom or have a drink.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adamas Hotel (3-star) or similar
Day 8: Hanoi departure
Stop At: Hanoi, Hanoi
Free of the day until transfer to the airport for the flight departure
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
