Boutique hotel, Old Quarter
Hotel
Vietnam North: the six-day loop (Hanoi Old Quarter, Trang An, Mua Cave, Ha Long Bay & Hoan Kiem Lake)
Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, with no internal flights. Hanoi, Ninh Binh and an overnight on Ha Long Bay — private cars throughout and a cabin on the boat rather than a day seat.
Indus & Isles
Runs this trip
Group trips
Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, with no internal flights
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Hoan Kiem LakeMet at arrivals and driven in. Dong Xuan MarketThe rest of the day is yours once the walk finishes. Trang An Grottoes7:30 AM — depart Hanoi. Mua Cave viewpointBack by about 7 PM. Ha Long Bay8:00 AM — leave Hanoi. Sung Sot CaveAboard by lunch. Luon CaveOff the boat at 1 PM, back in Hanoi around 4. Sunrise over the karsts, then back to Hanoi
Itinerary
Met at arrivals and driven in. The rest of the day is yours once the walk finishes.
Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi Old QuarterHow the day runs
- 1 hrsPrivate car from arrivals, straight to the hotel
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationBoutique hotel, Old Quarter, twin sharing (Boutique hotel, Old Quarter)
Included Activities
- Airport pickup on arrival
- Local SIM and dong on arrival
- Evening orientation walk
Optional Activities
- Water puppet show at Thang Long theatre
LANDMARKS Hoan Kiem Lake Dong Xuan Market Start point Noi Bai Airport, Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), Soc Son, Hanoi 08:00 - 20:007:30 AM — depart Hanoi. Back by about 7 PM.
Hanoi Old Quarter, Trang An, Mua CaveHow the day runs
- 2 hrs7:30 AM — out of the city before the traffic builds
- 10:00 AM — sampan through the Trang An grottoes, rowed by foot
- 0 hrs2:00 PM — the 500-step climb to the dragon on the ridge
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch
- AccommodationBoutique hotel, Old Quarter, twin sharing (Boutique hotel, Old Quarter)
Included Activities
- Private car to Ninh Binh and back
- Trang An two-hour sampan ride
- Mua Cave entry
- Lunch at a local house
Optional Activities
- Bicycle hire through Tam Coc
LANDMARKS Trang An Grottoes Mua Cave viewpoint Bich Dong Pagoda 8:00 AM — leave Hanoi. Aboard by lunch.
Hanoi Old Quarter, Ha Long BayHow the day runs
- 3 hrs8:00 AM — expressway to Tuan Chau pier
- 12:30 PM — board, lunch as the boat clears the harbour
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationJunk boat cabin, private, twin sharing (Cruise boat, Ha Long Bay)
Included Activities
- Private transfer to the pier
- One night aboard a four-star junk, private cabin
- All meals aboard
- Kayaking session
- Sung Sot Cave entry
Optional Activities
- Squid fishing off the deck after dinner
LANDMARKS Ha Long Bay Sung Sot Cave Ti Top Island Off the boat at 1 PM, back in Hanoi around 4.
Ha Long Bay, Hanoi Old QuarterHow the day runs
- 6:15 AM — tai chi on the deck, optional and worth it
- 9:00 AM — bamboo boat through Luon Cave
- 3 hrs1:00 PM — disembark and drive back
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch
- AccommodationBoutique hotel, Old Quarter, twin sharing (Boutique hotel, Old Quarter)
Included Activities
- Tai chi on the sun deck at sunrise
- Brunch aboard
- Private transfer back to Hanoi
LANDMARKS Ha Long Bay Luon Cave Guided in the morning and evening, free in between.
Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem LakeHow the day runs
- 0 hrs9:00 AM — the Old Quarter grid, on foot
- 5:30 PM — street-food walk starts at the market end
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationBoutique hotel, Old Quarter, twin sharing (Boutique hotel, Old Quarter)
Included Activities
- Guided street-food walk, six stops
- Ngoc Son Temple entry
- Egg coffee at a Old Quarter cafe
Optional Activities
- Cooking class, half day
- Massage at a Old Quarter spa
LANDMARKS Hanoi Train Street Hoan Kiem Lake Ngoc Son Temple Dong Xuan Market Transfer timed to your flight.
Hanoi Old Quarter, Noi Bai AirportHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTimed to your flight, three hours before departure
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Private transfer to the airport
Optional Activities
- Late checkout, subject to availability
- Day 1Airport pickup on arrival
- Day 1Local SIM and dong on arrival
- Day 1Evening orientation walk
- Day 1Water puppet show at Thang Long theatreCosts extra
- Day 2Private car to Ninh Binh and back
- Day 2Trang An two-hour sampan ride
- Day 2Mua Cave entry
- Day 2Lunch at a local house
- Day 2Bicycle hire through Tam CocCosts extra
- Day 3Private transfer to the pier
- Day 3One night aboard a four-star junk, private cabin
- Day 3All meals aboard
- Day 3Kayaking session
- Day 3Sung Sot Cave entry
- Day 3Squid fishing off the deck after dinnerCosts extra
- Day 4Tai chi on the sun deck at sunrise
- Day 4Brunch aboard
- Day 4Private transfer back to Hanoi
- Day 5Guided street-food walk, six stops
- Day 5Ngoc Son Temple entry
- Day 5Egg coffee at a Old Quarter cafe
- Day 5Cooking class, half dayCosts extra
- Day 5Massage at a Old Quarter spaCosts extra
- Day 6Breakfast
- Day 6Private transfer to the airport
- Day 6Late checkout, subject to availabilityCosts extra
- Day 1Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi Old QuarterPrivate car from arrivals, straight to the hotel
- Day 2Hanoi Old Quarter to Trang An7:30 AM — out of the city before the traffic builds
- Day 2Trang An to Mua Cave2:00 PM — the 500-step climb to the dragon on the ridge
- Day 3Hanoi Old Quarter to Ha Long Bay8:00 AM — expressway to Tuan Chau pier
- Day 4Ha Long Bay to Hanoi Old Quarter1:00 PM — disembark and drive back
- Day 6Hanoi Old Quarter to Noi Bai AirportTimed to your flight, three hours before departure
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Cruise boat, Ha Long Bay
Boat
What you'll eat
3 dinners, 5 breakfasts and 3 lunches across 6 days, named in the day plan.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 3, 5
- BreakfastServed on days 2–6
- LunchServed on days 2–4
11 meal services named in the itinerary. Share allergies and dietary needs with the operator before you book.
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.7/5
Based on 10 reviews
Review summary
Food4.7/5
Guide4.4/5
Itinerary4.3/5
Transport4.3/5
Accommodation4.2/5
Tour operator4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
3
M
Marc Dubois – Dubai2025-12-20 · Verified booking
Hotels were a step below what I expected for the price. Crew were professional without being stiff about it.
Reply from Indus & Isles
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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5
D
Dev Chatterjee – Ahmedabad2025-12-20 · Verified booking
Vietnam done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. No hesitation recommending them.
Reply from Indus & Isles
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
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5
V
Vikram Bose – Jaipur2025-12-20 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found.
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5
D
Dev Chatterjee – Chandigarh2025-12-20 · Verified booking
Vietnam done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time.
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5
T
Tara D'Souza – Mumbai2025-12-20 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. No hesitation recommending them.
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4
K
Karan Shah – Indore2025-08-03 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Worth every rupee.
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5
N
Nina Hoffmann – Lisbon2025-08-03 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested.
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5
R
Rahul Menon – Delhi2025-08-03 · Verified booking
Well paced over 6 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Recommended.
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Questions people ask
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