Enjoy enormous limestone karsts, luminous green paddy fields, and scenic peaceful boat journeys in this 2 day tour taking in Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Cuc Phuong National Park.  

TOUR DURATION: 2 Days / 1Night

TOUR OPERATES: Year Round / On Demand

TOUR PRICE: Available upon Request

Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

 Our services include:

Accommodation in a shared twin or shared double room

Meals as mentioned (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)

English or French speaking guide (for other languages and a national guide supplements apply)

Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air conditioned vehicle

Entrance fees for mentioned visits

Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary

 Our services do not include:

Other meals than mentioned

Other services than mentioned

International and Domestic Flights

Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature

Tips, Travel insurance

Creating Unique Touring Experiences

All the touring itineraries on this website have been carefully crafted by our in-country management teams and represent a series of experiences we can certainly recommend. However, we understand that every travel experience should be as unique and individual as each traveler. Our consultants are waiting to hear from you so that we can tailor or custom design a Vietnam tour to your individual specifications.

DAY 1 - HANOI - NINH BINH (L,D)

Depart your hotel this morning at 0800 for the 2,5-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam’s first capital, Hoa Lu. Visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009). The ancient Hoa Lu Citadel (most of which has since been destroyed) once covered an area of three square kilometers.

If time permits after visiting Hoa Lu (for the fit and healthy), take a half-hour walk up one of the surrounding limestone karst hills, the climb is rewarding with spectacular views.

In the late morning depart for Tam Coc Town for a Vietnamese lunch, along the way stop where you wish to take pictures of local villages and the stunning landscape.

After lunch board your private sampan* (see options for Tam Coc sampan trip below). As the boat gently slices through the water, notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields giving rise to other name, ‘Halong on Land’.

 *Option 1: Trang An

Situated near Tam Coc, Trang An is a nature reserve similar to Tam Coc however less visited. Limestone hills surround a peaceful river which passes through a series of caves (one which takes 15-minutes to pass through in darkness). An ‘eco tourism’ area, the only interruptions here are the sound of birds and the gentle paddle of the oar upon the crystal clear river.

 *Option 2: Thung Nang

Similar to Tam Coc though not as spectacular, Thung Nang is off the tourist trail and a pleasant alternative. Pass through a cave, fields of lotus (in summer) and reach a quaint pagoda before returning on the same route.

Should you feel adventurous climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Following its back by sampan to Tam Coc town where you will spend the night.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Hanoi to Hoa Lu (100km): 2.5hrs.

DAY 2 - NINH BINH - CUC PHUONG - HANOI (B,L)

Following breakfast depart to Van Long Nature Reserve for a boat trip. Covering an area of nearly 3,000 ha, Van Long is the largest wetland nature reserve in the North of Vietnam and a 1.5 hour boat trip by traditional sampan is the perfect way to see this area. Van Long’s fauna includes 39 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Some of these species have been classified as globally endangered animals such as the white-breeched langur which can be seen occasionally early morning or late afternoon.

From Van Long it is a 40-minute drive to Cuc Phuong National Park which was the first national park of Vietnam and is one of the few remaining tropical rain forests left in the country. Originally created by President Ho Chi Minh in 1962, hundreds of species of animals and plants can be found here, including several endangered species.

On arrival at the Cuc Phuong National Park take a tour around the interesting Visitors Center which will introduce you to some of the park's valuable natural resources and its unique environment. Set up by British NGO FFI, the center aims to increase the conservation awareness of visitors as well as local Vietnamese students.

Even though some large animals like panthers and bears make Cuc Phuong their home, they are rarely seen. Instead the park is also home to the Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center which homes species like the Delacour’s Langur, Golden-headed Langur, Tonkin Snub-nosed Langur and Black Crested Gibbon. The Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center and the Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Center are two research centers vital for the breeding, rehabilitation and preservation of animals rescued from poachers. Both centers are open to visitors during the day and a stop will be made here after visiting the Visitors Center.

Have a simple, local style Vietnamese lunch at the National Park Headquarters.

There are dozens of nature trails available from the avid to the recreational hiker. In the afternoon spend time walking into the centre of the Park’s forest to learn more on the flora and fauna of Vietnam.

In the afternoon drive back 3- hours to Hanoi.

 Distances and journey time

Cuc Phuong Park to Hanoi (110km):3hrs