5 Days in North Vietnam. Three UNESCO Landscapes. One Complete Journey.
Halong Bay's limestone karsts from the deck of an overnight cruise. Ninh Binh's ancient river grottoes on a two-hour sampan paddle. Hanoi's imperial mausoleum, pagodas, and egg coffee on the Old Quarter streets. Three of North Vietnam's most celebrated landscapes, joined in five days.
RM2,485
From RM1,988
per person (twin sharing)
Save RM795 per couple
5 Days / 4 Nights
5 Days North Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong Bay & Ninh Binh
This five-day itinerary adds Ninh Binh to the classic Hanoi-Halong Bay combination, creating a North Vietnam circuit that covers three genuinely distinct landscapes: the ancient urban density of Hanoi, the karst seascape of Halong Bay, and the inland karst scenery of Ninh Binh — where rice paddies, rivers, and limestone mountains converge in Vietnam's ancient heartland.
Ninh Binh Province, 90 kilometres south of Hanoi, contains the Trang An Landscape Complex — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that combines the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with an extraordinary river grotto system. The two-hour sampan boat ride at Trang An, paddled by local villagers through a sequence of river caves and flooded valleys, is one of the most distinctive experiences in North Vietnam — peaceful, visually extraordinary, and completely different from anything in Hanoi or Halong Bay.
The Halong Bay overnight cruise on day two delivers the classic bay experience: the approach into the karst field, Sung Sot Cave, kayaking at Ba Trai Dao, a sunset party on deck, and sunrise over the water before the return to Hanoi. Hanoi bookends the trip with a comprehensive city day on arrival covering the mausoleum complex, Hoa Lo Prison, and the Old Quarter's food and temple culture.
Package Includes
- ✓Return airport transfers
- ✓Hotel accommodation (3 nights Hanoi)
- ✓Halong Bay overnight cruise (1 night)
- ✓Trang An Grottoes sampan boat (2 hours, included)
- ✓Daily breakfast
- ✓Lunches and dinners as specified
- ✓All entrance fees per itinerary
- ✓English-speaking guide
- ✓Air-conditioned private vehicle
Not Included
- ×International flights & airline taxes
- ×Travel insurance (ETIQA from RM41)
- ×Compulsory tour tips (RM110 per person)
- ×Dinner Day 3 (self-arranged)
- ×High season surcharge (Apr, Sep, Dec)
- ×Items not stated under inclusions
Why This 5-Day North Vietnam Package Stands Apart
Trang An Grottoes — Sampan Through UNESCO Caves
The Trang An Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh Province was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 — the first mixed cultural and natural site in Vietnam. The two-hour sampan boat ride, paddled by local villagers in traditional conical hats, passes through a series of river caves carved through limestone mountains, emerging each time into flooded valleys ringed by karst peaks. The caves range from narrow passages where the boat barely fits to vaulted caverns with cathedral ceilings. The silence and the quality of the light in the grottoes make Trang An a genuinely singular experience.
Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
The overnight format is the definitive way to experience Halong Bay — the 1,553 square kilometres of karst landscape that contains 2,000 limestone islands and towers. Boarding in the early afternoon, you visit Ba Trai Dao — a natural lagoon in Lan Ha Bay with three smaller islets — for kayaking and swimming. Sunset Party on deck as the karsts turn amber. Squid fishing and karaoke in the evening. Tai Chi at dawn as mist rises between the limestone towers. Kayaking at Tra Bau the following morning before brunch on board and the return to Hanoi.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1010 under the Dinh and Early Le dynasties — the first consolidated Vietnamese state after independence from Chinese rule. The two main temples that remain, dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh respectively, contain carved stone stele, incense-filled courtyards, and ceremonial halls in a valley ringed by limestone mountains. The site's setting — steep karst walls rising on all sides — explains why the ancient Vietnamese chose it as a capital: it was naturally fortified on three sides.
Hanoi Cha Ca Dinner — A Capital's Signature Dish
Cha Ca La Vong is Hanoi's most singular dish: turmeric-marinated snakehead fish, cooked at the table in sizzling butter with dill and spring onions, served with vermicelli, roasted peanuts, shrimp paste, and fresh herbs. The dish is so associated with a single restaurant on Hang Ca Street that the street was renamed Cha Ca Street. Your guided dinner here on the first evening is an introduction to Hanoi's distinct food culture — different from Ho Chi Minh, different from Central Vietnam, and entirely its own.
Your 5-Day Hanoi + Halong Bay + Ninh Binh Itinerary
Arrive Hanoi — Full City Tour
Lunch, Dinner
Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport; hotel check-in. Guided Hanoi city tour: Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ba Dinh Square, President Palace, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One-Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi Old City Gate, Hoan Kiem Lake, The Huc Bridge, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi Opera House, and the Hanoi Old Quarter (36 Ancient Streets). En-route sample pho, banh mi, and egg coffee (Hanoi-style ca phe trung). Dinner at a Cha Ca grilled fish restaurant — Hanoi's signature dish of turmeric-marinated fish cooked at the table.
Suggested activities
- Noi Bai Airport arrival and hotel transfer
- Tran Quoc Pagoda (West Lake)
- Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- One-Pillar Pagoda
- Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
- St. Joseph Cathedral
- Hanoi Opera House
- Old Quarter 36 guild streets
- Pho, banh mi and egg coffee tasting
- Cha Ca grilled fish dinner
Halong Bay — Overnight Cruise on Lan Ha Bay
Breakfast, Lunch on cruise, Dinner on cruise
08:30–08:45: Driver meets guests at hotel lobby; transfer to Tuan Chau Harbour via Hai Phong expressway (150 km, approximately 2.5 hours). Tea and coffee while boarding. 11:30–12:00: Tender transfer to main cruise boat; welcome briefing. 13:00: Lunch as cruise departs into Lan Ha Bay. 15:45: Visit Ba Trai Dao — a natural lagoon with three limestone islets — for kayaking, swimming, and sightseeing. Sunset Party with Happy Hour (buy 2 get 1 drinks). 18:00: Cooking demonstration of Vietnamese dishes. 19:30: Seafood dinner on board. 21:00: Squid fishing and karaoke. Overnight on cruise.
Suggested activities
- Tuan Chau Harbour transfer (2.5 hrs)
- Board cruise — welcome drink
- Lunch on bay
- Ba Trai Dao kayaking and swimming
- Sunset Party with Happy Hour
- Cooking demonstration
- Seafood dinner
- Squid fishing evening
- Overnight on cruise
Halong Bay Morning — Return Hanoi
Breakfast on cruise, Lunch on cruise
06:15: Tai Chi session on sundeck at sunrise over Lan Ha Bay. 07:00–07:45: Breakfast with bay views. 08:00: Kayaking at Tra Bau area. 09:00: Return to cabin, check out. 10:30: Brunch on board. 11:30: Disembark at Tuan Chau Harbour. Return to Hanoi by private vehicle (approximately 2.5 hours). Dinner at own arrangement — many excellent options near the hotel.
Suggested activities
- Dawn Tai Chi on sundeck
- Sunrise over Halong Bay
- Tra Bau kayaking
- Brunch on cruise
- Return to Hanoi
- Hanoi evening at leisure
Ninh Binh — Hoa Lu Ancient Capital & Trang An Grottoes
Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, drive to Ninh Binh Province (approximately 100 km, 90 minutes). Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital: two temples dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh — Vietnam's 10th-century dynastic capital, set in a natural limestone fortress. Continue to Trang An (5 km from Hoa Lu) for a two-hour sampan boat ride paddled by local villagers through river caves and flooded valleys — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Lunch at local restaurant. Return to Hanoi. Dinner at own arrangement.
Suggested activities
- Drive to Ninh Binh (90 mins)
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital temples
- Trang An Grottoes sampan (2 hours)
- Lunch at local Ninh Binh restaurant
- Return to Hanoi
Hanoi Free Morning — Depart
Breakfast
Free morning in Hanoi for self-arranged activities — final walk through the Old Quarter, Hoa Lo Prison Museum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, or a last bowl of pho before departure. Transfer to Noi Bai International Airport per your agreed schedule.
Suggested activities
- Free morning in Hanoi
- Optional: Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- Optional: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- Airport transfer and departure
Choose Your Comfort Level
Hotels in central Hanoi. Halong Bay cruise tier varies by package level.
3 Star
Value Stay
Hanoi: La Dolce Vita / Chalcedony Hanoi or similar | Halong: Hera Cruise / Amanda Cruise or similar
- All SeasonRM1,988 per person
From RM1,988
per person
4 Star Superior
Comfort Plus
Hanoi: Tru by Hilton / Grand Cititel or similar | Halong: Hera Cruise / Amanda Cruise or similar
- All SeasonRM2,138 per person
From RM2,138
per person
5 Star
Premium
Hanoi: Heritage Ham Long / The Rey Hotel | Halong: Hera Cruise / Amanda Cruise or similar
- All SeasonRM2,288 per person
From RM2,288
per person
Vietnam's Three Landscapes — Arranged by Malaysia's Trusted Agency Since 1988
Dhesu has been arranging North Vietnam journeys for Malaysian travellers since 1988. The Hanoi–Halong Bay–Ninh Binh circuit is one of our most popular itineraries because it covers the essential North Vietnam experiences without repetition. Each of the three destinations offers a genuinely different landscape and experience, and our guides know how to make the connections between them meaningful.
MATTA & IATA Registered
Fully licensed Malaysian travel agency. North Vietnam is one of our most frequently booked circuits — we have arranged hundreds of these trips.
35+ Years of Vietnam Experience
Since 1988, we have been sending Malaysian travellers to North Vietnam. Our guides, cruise operators, and Ninh Binh partners are trusted long-term relationships.
Trang An Sampan Included
The two-hour sampan boat ride through Trang An Grottoes is included in the package. This is one of the most distinctive experiences in North Vietnam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Buy 3 Free 1 Promotion
Groups of 4 pay for 3 — the 4th person travels free. Ask about this offer when booking.
5 Day Hanoi Halong Bay Ninh Binh Tour from Malaysia
A 5-day Hanoi, Halong Bay and Ninh Binh tour from Malaysia is the most comprehensive North Vietnam circuit for first-time visitors who want more than the Halong Bay day cruise. The addition of Ninh Binh — 90 kilometres south of Hanoi, containing the Trang An Landscape Complex (UNESCO World Heritage since 2014) — makes this package the most geographically complete North Vietnam itinerary at this duration.
Ninh Binh is often called 'Halong Bay on land' for its inland karst landscape, but the Trang An Grottoes experience is distinct from anything on the bay: a two-hour sampan paddle through river caves, flooded valleys, and ancient Buddhist temples that has been operating in its current form for centuries. The route changes with the seasons — flooded deeper in summer, more exposed in winter — but the quality of the experience remains exceptional throughout the year.
Ninh Binh vs Halong Bay: What's the Difference?
Halong Bay is a seascape — limestone karsts rising from the Gulf of Tonkin, experienced from the deck of a cruise boat. The karst field extends across 1,553 square kilometres of open water. Ninh Binh is a river landscape — limestone mountains, rice paddies, and ancient temples, experienced from a sampan paddle boat through river gorges and caves. The Trang An boat ride passes through chambers of karst you would be inside, not looking at from a distance.
Both are exceptional and genuinely distinct. This package includes both, making it the most complete scenic circuit in North Vietnam.
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