Hanoi, Halong & Hoi An
The shortest trip that still gets you the two things Vietnam is famous for: a night on a Halong Bay junk and an evening in lantern-lit Hoi An. Skips the south entirely, which keeps the flying down to one internal hop.
Highlights
- Arrive in Hanoi
- Old Quarter, Train Street and the water puppets
- Overnight on the bay
- Fly south to the coast
- Golden Bridge and the lanterns
- Fly home
Good to know
Indicative cost
Per person, twin sharing
Per person, twin sharing
Per person on twin sharing, indicative, including flights from Ahmedabad, for 2–4 travellers. Standard is 3★ hotels with a shared-cabin cruise; premium is 4★/5★ with a private balcony cabin. A larger family brings the per-person car cost down noticeably.
What's included
- Return flights Ahmedabad–Hanoi and Da Nang–Ahmedabad with one stop
- Internal flight Hanoi–Da Nang
- 5 nights: 2 in Hanoi, 1 on a Halong Bay cruise, 2 in Da Nang
- Private car with English-speaking guide for all sightseeing
- Breakfast daily, plus the meals listed on the cruise
- Ba Na Hills cable car and water puppet tickets
- All airport transfers
Not included
- Vietnam e-visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunches other than on the cruise
- Tailoring in Hoi An and personal shopping
- GST and TCS
Day by day
Arrive in Hanoi
Fly via Delhi, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Private transfer to a hotel in the Old Quarter. If you land early enough, a short walk to Hoan Kiem Lake and the surrounding streets is the gentlest possible introduction. Dinner at an Indian restaurant nearby.
Old Quarter, Train Street and the water puppets
Morning at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, his stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Afternoon walking the thirty-six streets of the Old Quarter, with a stop at Train Street for the timetabled pass. Evening water puppet show at Thang Long theatre — an hour long, and it works for every age.
Overnight on the bay
Drive to Halong (about 2.5 hours on the new expressway) and board the cruise before lunch. The afternoon is spent sailing between the karsts, with kayaking, a bamboo boat ride or a cave visit depending on the boat. Dinner on deck and the night on board — the bay after the day boats leave is the whole point.
Fly south to the coast
Sunrise on the water, brunch as the boat sails back, then disembark and drive to Hanoi airport for the short flight to Da Nang. Transfer to the hotel and an evening on My Khe beach, or at the Dragon Bridge if it is a weekend, when it breathes fire.
Golden Bridge and the lanterns
Early cable car to Ba Na Hills for the Golden Bridge and the French village, before the queues build. Afternoon in Hoi An Ancient Town: the Japanese covered bridge, the old merchant houses, and the tailors if you want something made. After dark, the lantern boat ride on the Hoai River and a floating lantern of your own.
Fly home
Morning free depending on the flight — the Marble Mountains and the Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda are both twenty minutes away. Transfer to Da Nang airport for the connection home.