7-Day Hanoi, Pu Luong, and Halong Bay Family Tour
This authentic Vietnam tour will be unforgettable for your whole family. Vietnam has the power to amaze you with the charming capital of Hanoi, the picturesque Pu Luong without crowds of tourists, and a renowned Halong Bay cruise.
Highlights
- Discover Hanoi by visiting its top attractions and riding a local cyclo (rickshaw) for an in-depth exploration of the city.
- Trek through Pu Luong Nature Reserve and soak up the idyllic scenery.
- Discover the wonderful masterpiece of nature, Halong Bay, and be impressed by the breathtaking seascape.
Jagdish Sudan, from Canada
Itinerary in detail
What you are reading here is just a sample itinerary. It shows what a first-time trip to Vietnam looks like, but you can always make it the way you want.
Day 1Hanoi Arrival, Airport Transfer
Upon arrival, your private guide and driver will greet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel. You will have the rest of the day to adjust to the jet lag.
Day 2 Hanoi City Tour with an Old Quarter Cyclo Ride
The historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, housing the preserved body of the beloved Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh, is a must-see in Hanoi. You will have a better insight into this city by visiting its top attractions: the unique One Pillar Pagoda, the iconic Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, the picturesque Temple of Literature, and the fascinating Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.
Head back to central Hanoi and hop on a local cyclo (a rickshaw) to catch a glimpse of city life as you travel around the bustling streets and quiet alleys. You’ll pass through the famed Old Quarter and fascinating maze of back streets fronted by narrow houses known as “tunnel” or “tube” houses.
Your day will conclude with an entertaining water puppet performance. The colorful wooden puppets depict scenes of rural life and episodes of national history set to music.
Day 3 Pu Luong Nature Reserve Arrival and a Half-Day Discovery
After a 4½-hour drive, you will arrive at Pu Luong Retreat, a beautiful retreat with captivating panoramic views and a tranquil setting.
After lunch, begin your walk (3 to 6 kilometers as you wish) in search of stunning water wheels.
Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you will have a short rest to gear up for the rafting adventure. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted raft. Arriving at the scenic Tan Lap Bridge, you will disembark and be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner.
Day 4A Trek in Scenic Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Your morning will start by descending 6 kilometers into the beautiful valley facing the retreat. Trekking along small paths shrouded in vegetation and rice terraces, you will enjoy the ever-changing scenery: a picturesque village, towering palm trees at Uoi Village, and the idyllic Lan Village.
Then you will be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat for lunch and to freshen up before being driven for 4½ hours to Hanoi.
Day 5A Visual Feast on a Halong Bay Cruise
You will be transferred to Halong Bay after breakfast. Take a relaxing cruise to explore the renowned Halong Bay — you will be amazed by the stunning natural landscape, interesting waterfront lifestyle, onboard catering service, and more.
You will spend the day feasting your eyes on the most stunning limestone seascape and fantastic caves and will treat your palate to fresh seafood. You can also entertain yourself with optional activities, such as kayaking, swimming, and diving.
Day 6 Return to Hanoi
Switch your alarm off and have a fresh coffee when you wake up. Enjoy a relaxing morning on the sundeck.
After brunch, return to Hanoi. In the afternoon, you will spend some free time wandering around your hotel.
Day 7 Airport Transfer
It’s time to say goodbye and your guide will drive you to the airport for your onward flight.
Asia Highlights is more than happy to be part of your unforgettable Vietnam tour and we hope to help you again soon.
Trip Notes
1. We usually arrange a 1-hour cyclo tour to explore Hanoi, which is defined as being interesting by most families, but you can also explore the city by walking, biking, or cycling. This is a flexible private tour and the itinerary can be adjusted accordingly — just let us know your needs.
2. Pu Luong is preferable for travelers who not only want to see Vietnam but want to experience it. Compared with Sapa and Mai Chau, Pu Luong is a more authentic destination with fewer tourists, more primitive villages, and water wheels.
Why Travel with Asia Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
We visited Beijing with guide Mark, Xi’an with Jenny, Guilin with Frank, and Shanghai with guide Kris. Each guide was so unique but they all had in common a passion for their city and a true kindness. They were early for all of the airport and train station pickups and helped us so much checking into hotels and flights. We tried so many different foods special to each region and appreciated the great recommendations from the guides. The activities we did were a combination of “must-see” sites like the Great Wall, Forbidden Palace, Teracotta soldiers, and participating in local arts like shadow puppetry, fan making, and seeing cultural shows.
moreLily Wong our guide at Guilin was wonderful. Along with all the good qualities like being punctual,courteous, organized,knowledgeable,hard working she is also caring.The scenaries at Guilin is second to none,Lily helped us to take lots of pictures to capture the scenaries as much as possible.With Lily's help I can enjoy the amazing cave and the rafting.At Yangshuo Lily also recommend a Light Show on the river.That was fantastic never saw anything like it. I must mention the unique hotel they put us in.Its called Yangshuo Moondance hotel.My wife is very happy with Lily because she took a lot of pictures for her and took her shopping for a new (Qie Pao,cantonese Cheung Sham).
moreI have an excellent trip to Guilin and my guide, Gary Wei who works for China Highlights Tour was very professional and knowledgeable in regard to the history of the Guilin and Yangshuo. Gary was remarkable with his recital of a lot of ancient poems. Hence, I had such a good and memorable experience. I do highly recommend China Highlights Tour to anyone who wish to visit China.
moreOur tour guides Doyle Cheng (Kunming), Daisy Shi (Dali), Martin (Lijiang) were knowledgeable about the local culture and folklore regaling us with many stories, history mixed with witty remarks and jokes.They made us feel safe, comfortable during the many trips feeding us with local snacks, sweets, pastries, fruits. Our shopping list were all taken care off with their well recommended shops and even bargain hunting.They were sensitive and alert to our toilet breaks, flexible to last minute changes and recommended good dinner restaurants.Big thank you to Martin for your extra attention given to our children when they werent feeling well.
moreOur guide Frank was fantastic. He was really knowledgeable about the region and the many different ethnic groups living here. He has contacts with local people who invited us into their homes. He was so high energy and kind. We saw many things in a short period of time from the pagodas, to history Duha (so?) street, to a beautiful relaxing cruise on a river….we also attended a spectacular cultural show in Yangshou. It wasn’t on the agenda but so glad we went. (Randomly called the Romance show). Frank also introduced us to local cuisine like Guilin noodles. We stayed at the Aspara Lodge for one night in Yangshou and seriously could have stayed for a few days if I didn’t have to go back to work. Travel advisor Liberman was a great resource as well and helped plan such a special trip.
moreHad a great time in Beijing with Bruce. On arrival he surprised me with a cake for my 30th Birthday which was a special touch. We toured the Great wall, Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven as well as a few other items. Bruce was really knowledgeable (especially about the symbolism in the Temple of Heaven). He also coordinated gaining entry quickly and moving between locations efficiently. Highly recommend.
moreOur tour guide Daisy, in Dali, was great. She was caring, thoughtful and accomodating to our requests. Thanks for making our trip memorable.
moreWe went on a tour guided by Helen around Chengdu to see many cultural highlights. We were excited with the extensive knowledge. She speaks English very well. She was also always in a good mood and make us comfortable and we could see she is very passionate about her job. She gave us some gifts on Xmas day. Overall we are very grateful to have had Helen as our guide. Not to mention the great day we spent with the pandas. She took very good pictures for us and it's just a memorable day.
moreHelen guided my family and I around Chengdu to see many cultural highlights. Her extensive knowledge and proficient English speaking skills enhanced our experience greatly. The historical facts that she shared with us made us even more excited to see the landmarks and left us in awe at every visit. She was also always smiling and her kind attitude during the tour made us feel that she was very passionate about her job and valued our experience a lot. She was very thoughtful, even giving us presents on Xmas day. She also recommended the best dishes in interesting restaurants that catered to my family’s taste. Overall we are very grateful to have had Helen as our guide because we know our holiday was so so much better due to her thoughtful pre-planning and positive demeanour!
moreOur guide William (Wei Jiyi) was exceptional. He made the utmost effort to accommodate our groups' additional requests and recommended restaurants, shows and attractions that were all of great interest. He ensured the already included items in the itinerary were entertaining to the whole group by providing expert opinions and answering all questions.
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