Durante miles de años, los aldeanos que viven en el Río Rojo Delta han conservado sus tradiciones, en particular la alfarería y la pintura en madera. En un vistazo, experimentará las actividades diarias de los aldeanos. Vaya hasta la alea bat Trang, situado a unos 12 km al sureste de Hanoi. Se fundó en el siglo XVI y tiene más de 800 familias trabajando con hornos industriales encendidos con madera y carbón. Se especializan en la producción de cerámica y alfarería al por mayor usando métodos tradicionales. Párese en una fábrica familiar para ver como manufacturan sus productos. Vea a los artesanos pintar y glasear sus productos; tendrá la oportunidad de practicar su talento con arcilla mojada y un molde, o puede unirse a la clase de dibujo en la fábrica. Después tendrá tiempo libre para pasear por la aldea y volver a Hanoi para comer. Se le servirá una comida vietnamita en un restaurante local, famoso por su variedad en estofados y en su vino de arroz. Después de comer, se trasladará a la aldea del pintado de madera en Dong Ho, una de las aldeas más famosas de Vietnam. Visite a uno de los artistas que ha sido premiado con el premio Gold Hand por su trabajo. Este artista le enseñará como pintar la madera. Después volverá a Hanoi.
Hoa Binh es una provincia montañosa situada en el norte. La cultura de Hoa Binh combina 6 grupos de minorías con su propia lengua, literatura tradicional y festivales. Podrá visitar la planta hidroeléctrica e ir en barco por el río Da hasta el las aldeas Muong para descubrir el día a día de las minorías, que mantienen sis costumbres diversas. También podrá visitar el mercado local. Podrá disfrutar llas especialidades culinarias de estas minorías incluyendo el arroz hecho en bambú con carne asada, o también disfrutar de danzas, actuaciones musicales (timbales, gong, etc) y de minorías Tailandesas bailando y cantando. Por la tarde, volverá a Hanoi con una parada a las Cuevas Tien. Nota: no se recomiendan los restaurantes locales de este área.
Empezarás este recorrido con una caminata alrededor del lago Hoan Kiem, un lugar de encuentro para los residentes de Hanoi haciendo sus ejercicios matutinos. Puedes unirte a las actividades como el Tai Chi. Después, podrás disfrutar de un desayuno local tradicional de ''Pho'' seguido de un café vietnamita en una cafetería de una azotea del Casco Antoguo. El guía te llevará hasta un restaurante familiar para recibir una clase de cocina. El primer paso será una visita en bicicleta a un mercado local Hang Be para aprender de los ingredientes de cocina local. En el restaurante, el chef te enseñará a cocinar algunos platos vietnamitas especiales. Después de la sesión de la mañana a medio día, disfrutarás de un delicioso banquete de los platos que has creado. Al final, te dirigirás de nuevo al hotel con un vehículo privado.
El paseo comienza con una hora en coche desde Hanoi a Bat Trang, pueblo alfarero, donde tendrás la oportunidad de visitar los talleres y conocer los hornos utilizados para la cocción de la cerámica. Luego visitaremos la Casa de la Comunidad de Dinh Bang. Tradicionalmente, los pueblos en Vietnam tenían una “Casa de la Comunidad” en el centro de los mismos. Allí se tomaban todas las decisiones concernientes al poblado. La Casa de la Comunidad reunía a todos los miembros de la población y era el núcleo de la cultura vietnamita. Cerca de las casas comunales encontramos a una familia dedicada a la fabricación de artículos de decoración lacados. La siguiente parada es el Templo Do. Este templo rinde homenaje a los 8 emperadores de la Dinastía Ly. El templo Do o Den Do, fue construido en el año 1030 por el Emperador Ly Thai Tong para honrar a su padre el Emperador Ly Thai To. A continuación, almorzaremos en el pequeño municipio de Tu Son. El restaurant ofrece platos simples de auténtica comida local. Después de comer, visitaremos Dong Ky, un pueblo conocido por su tradicional tallado en madera. El paseo nos llevará por los campos de arroz, hermoso paisaje rural con innumerables oportunidades de obtener un recuerdo fotográfico. Llegaremos a la entrada del pueblo, y el guía nos acompañará por el pueblo donde podrás conocer a su gente y aprender acerca de sus artes y costumbres. El regreso a Hanoi se realizará en un vehículo privado.
Our Hanoi tour journey begins with a two hour drive from the hectic capital of Hanoi to the province of Ninh Binh, approximately 100kms.
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Surround yourself in the rich history and breathtaking scenery of Vietnam
* Step back in time at the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital
* Cycle amongst the lime karsts and surrounding scenery
* Take a row boat through the UNESCO site of Trang An to explore magnificent caves and get up close to the region’s spectacular karst country.
Our first destination is Hao Lu, the location of the capital of Vietnam during the Dinh Dynasty (968-980) and early Le Dynasty (980-1009), the ancient citadel once covered 300 hectares of land, however the passage of time has left few remains of this once glorious capital of the Vietnam.
On arrival, dive into history at the Dinh & Le Temple. Restored in the 17th century, the temples are dedicated Dinh and Le emperors and believed to be built on the original foundations of the old palaces from the 11th and 12th centuries. You will delve into our history on this Hanoi cultural tour.
Next it's time for the biking part of the tour, as you hop on a bike for a 12 kilometre bike ride through the area, lime karsts towering above you as you ride along backroads and beautiful scenery... experiences you just don't get on other Hanoi tours!
Following our bike ride, we'll stop for lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Trang An, a new addition to UNESCO’s list of heritage sites. Honoured as of June 2014, the 10,000-hectare Trang An complex comprises three areas: the Trang An ¬– Tam Coc – Bich Dong ecological site, the Hoa Lu imperial capital, and the Hoa Lu primitive forests. It is often referred to as the Halong Bay of the land due to its spectacular scenery: lime karsts rise up of the ground to tower over the region, and is a truly wonderful sight to see.
Here, we’ll board row boats for a 3 to 3.5-hour journey through caves, passing local villages along the river system of the Red River Delta. The scenery comprises of lush green rice paddies during the rice growing seasons and the surrounding limestone karsts make for a stunning backdrop, presenting many photo opportunities for the keen photographers amongst the group.
At the end of the boat trip, we’ll return to the city and finish our Hanoi tour.
Note: A Tam Coc boat trip will be offered as an alternative to Trang An on selected days when the place is too crowded or during peak season.
Dive in to the sights, sounds and smells of our bustling city on our Hanoi sightseeing tour. With our local guide we start our trip with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh complex on the site where he declared Vietnam's independence in 1945, and see the reverence with which Vietnamese people treat their ''Uncle Ho''.
Other sites that we will visit with our local guide include: - House 54 - Ho Chi Minh lived and worked here between 1954 and 1958 - Stilt House - Ho Chi Minh moved from House 54 to the Stilt House in 1958, and worked and lived there until his death in 1969. - Presidential Palace - originally built by the French at the start of the 20th Century to house the French Governor-General of Indochina.
Following his ''Declaration of Independence'' Ho Chi Minh refused to move into the building due to it's connection with the countries colonial past. - One Pillar Pagoda - a unique wooden structure originally built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Thong of the Ly Dynasty. The current structure is a replica of the original. Continuing on our Hanoi tour through the city we drive to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honour of Confucious by Emperor Ly Thanh Thong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or ''mandarins''.
The University remained here until Emperor Gia Long moved the country’s administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue at the end of the 18th century and start of the 19th century. After our visit to the Temple of Literature, we head to a local restaurant for a delicious local lunch - ''Pho'' or Noodle Soup is a popular choice amongst locals. After lunch, we visit the Museum of Ethnology, to learn more about the cultural diversity of Vietnams ethnic minorities. Established by the Vietnamese government in 1997, the museum provides us with a fascinating insight into the diverse cultures, customs and lifestyles of the 54 ethnic groups that inhabit Vietnam.
We finish our ultimate Hanoi travel experience with a walking tour of Hanoi's hectic old quarter. See how Hanoians live out their lives on the streets, sitting & eating together on the sidewalks and bartering for wares. Visit the local Hang Be or Dong Xuan local markets before finishing at Bia Hoi corner where you can freshen-up with a local beer (not included) and have the opportunity to swap stories with local people eager to practice their language skills. At the end of our Hanoi sightseeing tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.
We start our evening walking tour at Hanoi’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes.
We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.
Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavour. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed! Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city center below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!. At the end of the trip you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.
Our Hanoi tourbegins with a drive from the hectic capital of Hanoi to Bat Trang ceramic village. Here our local guide will take us through the production process in the village, we have a chance to visit the workshops and have a look at the kilns used for firing the ceramic pottery. Continuing we visit the community house of Dinh Bang (approximately 45 minutes). Traditionally all villages in Vietnam had a ''community house'' in the centre of the village, it was where all decisions regarding the village were made, it connected everyone to the village and was the core of Vietnamese culture.
With few ''communal houses'' remaining in Vietnam today, the Dinh Bang communal house provides us with an interesting insight into Vietnam's past, and something you must see on your Hanoi travels. Not far from the communal house lives a family who make lacquer ware. Our local guide will assist us in learning more about the process and translate for those of us who may have questions for the family, a special experience you won't find on other Hanoi sightseeing tours. Our next stop is the Do Temple to experience some local Hanoi history. Do Temple or Den Do Temple honours the 8 Ly emperors of the Ly Dynasty.
During their reign Vietnam experienced an era of prosperity and independence. The first emperor of the dynasty Ly Cong Uan founded Hanoi in 1010. Other achievements during this enlightened period included the construction of the Temple of Literature and first University in Vietnam. The temple was built in 1030 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong to worship his father Emperor Ly Thai To who died in 1028. Over the centuries the temple has been upgraded and restored on a number of occasions. Unfortunately the temple was damaged in 1952 during the French war and was restored in 1989 to the original architecture from the 17th century.
In the middle of a lake situated at the front of the temple there is a two story, eight roofed house which floats on water and is used as a stage for water puppet shows. On March 15th each year there is a festival honouring the 8 emperors of the Ly dynasty - Ly Thai To (1009-1028), Ly Thai Tong (1028-1054), Ly Thanh Tong (1054-1072), Ly Nhan Tong (1072-1128), Ly Than Tong (1128-1138), Ly Anh Tong (1138-1175), Ly Cao Tong (1175-1210) and Ly Hue Tong (1210-1224). We head back to Hanoi for lunch at a local restaurant.
br> Following lunch, we head to Van Phuc silk village. For centuries, silk has been considered an extreme luxury, and the silk-making industry has a history in Vietnam stretching back more than two thousand years. Silk has long been a universal symbol of luxury, often worn by the richest, most powerful citizens in Vietnam. Van Phuc is known to make the best silk in Vietnam, as well as being the oldest silk-maker in Vietnam. Despite many ups and downs, during the recent years the village’s craft has enjoyed revival due to a surging demand for silk in both the domestic and foreign markets. During our visit to the village, our local guide will walk us through to meet the people and learn about their craft and lifestyles. We return to Hanoi by private vehicle as we finish our Hanoi tour experience.
The journey begins with a one hour drive from Hanoi to Bat Trang ceramic village, where you will have a chance to visit the workshops and have a look at the kilns used for firing the ceramic pottery. Then, you will visit the community house of Dinh Bang. Traditionally, all villages in Vietnam had a ''community house'' in the centre of the village. It was where all decisions regarding the village were made. It connected everyone to the village and was the core of Vietnamese culture. Not far from the communal house lives a family who makes lacquer ware.
Our next stop is the Do Temple. Do Temple or Den Do Temple honours the 8 Ly emperors of the Ly Dynasty. The temple was built in 1030 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong to worship his father Emperor Ly Thai To.
Then, you will go to the small township of Tu Son for lunch. The restaurant has simple dishes for you to choose and is all genuine local food. After lunch, you will visit the village of Dong Ky, a traditional wood carving village. The trip there takes you through a beautiful rural setting of rice paddies with plenty of opportunities to stop for photo opportunities. You will be dropped at the entrance of the village for the visit, the local guide will take you through the village to meet the people, learn about their craft and lifestyles.
In the end, you will return to Hanoi by private vehicle.
Van Phuc Silk Village is situated on the banks of Nhue Thi River, 8 km southwest of Ha Noi. It takes you only 30 minutes drive to go there from the centre of Hanoi. The village has been much well known for its traditional sericulture, weaving, and silk products. Tourists coming here are lured by various beautiful shirts, crafts, ties, dresses and many other things made of silk available in the village. What is special is that the silk is made by very simple looms, which is the genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk. Listen to a presentation of the process of making silk - from planting mulberry trees to processing thread taken from boiled cocoon. Afterwards, you may go shopping at village shops.
Pick-up at your hotel by the guide and diver. This morning we will visit Ho Chi Minh Complex, inclusive of his Mausoleum, the house-on-stilts, the quaint One-Pillar pagoda nearby, and Quan Thanh Taoist Temple. Afternoon will be saved for the visits to the exciting East part of the city including Museum of History, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, “The Huc” Bridge and a trip by “green cars” in the Old Quarter – a great chance to mingle with Hanoians in their daily hectic life. The Show of Water Puppetry, a stage art invented by the Vietnamese peasants hundred years ago, with nearly 20 stories of Vietnam traditions and daily scenes will be the last activity.
You will be picked-up by the driver at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to the Spa for a great relaxing time with professional treatment. Dip yourself into a relaxing environment with sweet scents and professional service at a Spa, where you will be absolutely recovered and freshen up for your days ahead.
You will be picked up by the driver at your hotel and transferred to the cooking class. Let?s visit an exciting local market for food ingredients with your assistants from the restaurant before coming back to the restaurant, where you?ll learn how to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes with professional cooks. You will eventually enjoy a delicious Vietnamese meal, all by yourself! Transfer back to the hotel at the end of the service.
Picked-up at your hotel and head West of Hanoi for about 70km. As soon as the city traffic is over, you will be passing by nicely tranquil rural villages, paddy fields with hospitable people until reaching the Yen Vy Wharf, from where we take a boat downstream to Duc Wharf and start our light climbing up to Huong Tich Grotto, a sacred place for every Northern Vietnamese. Lunch en route. The whole trip may take 08 hours until coming back to your hotel in Hanoi. February, March and June are to avoid for too bustling festive time, or for the heat of summer.
A 90km drive south of Hanoi will lead you to Ninh Binh, the site of the one capital city of ancient Vietnam before Hanoi took its leading role in 11th century. The area is featured by lots of well-known sceneries, which include Tam Coc Caves and Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples dedicated to King Dinh & King Le reigned in 10th century.
The visit in Ninh Binh starts by a boat trip in Tam Coc where spectacular limestone karsts jut out from the green paddy fields reminding about Guilin (China) and Halong Bay of Vietnam, which gives this scenery the name “Halong-bay-on-land”. Further discovery in Ninh Binh will be continued in the site that used to be the kings? palace in 10th century and now famous for the wooden relieves of the shady Dinh and Le temples. Late afternoon back to Hanoi.