In the morning, we go boating on the 3-tunnel river through lime cliff canyons, one of the “Must Do” of Vietnam, followed by the visit –by car on bicycle at your choice- of the Bich Dong Pagoda, built on 3 stages on a cliff, and Thai Vi Temple.

Lunch in a restaurant local.

We then take a small road to an astonishing site, Hang Mua Pagoda, perched on a high mountain, and from which you enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the entire region…at a price: climbing 450 steps, totally worthwhile.

We then drive on 15 superb kilometers of small roads through the lime peak maze, one of our little “secrets”, and arrive in Hoa Lu, the first capital of Vietnam. Visit of the two temples of Hoa Lu: Dinh Thien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, and drive back to your Hanoi hotel.

In the morning, we go boating on the 3-tunnel river through lime cliff canyons, one of the “Must Do” of Vietnam, followed by the visit –by car on bicycle at your choice- of the Bich Dong Pagoda, built on 3 stages on a cliff, and Thai Vi Temple. Lunch chez Loan.

We then drive on 15 superb kilometers of small roads through the lime peak maze, one of our little “secrets”, and arrive in Hoa Lu, the first capital of Vietnam.

Visit of the two temples of Hoa Lu: Dinh Thien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. 

We then return to hotel for a free à la carte diner and the night.

In the morning, we take a small road to an astonishing site, Hang Mua Pagoda, perched on a high mountain, and from which you enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the entire region…at a price: climbing 450 steps, totally worthwhile. Then, short ride through the rice fields and canals of the Delta, the center of North Vietnam Catholicism.

Arrival for lunch at the stupendous –and, again, rarely visited- Phat Diem Cathedral (1891), a Sino-European architectural masterpiece of enormous proportions. Lunch near the cathedral and visit of the complex (bell tower, main building, and the 4 elegant chapels).

Return to Hanoi, where the Hanoi, whare the driver leaves you at your hotel around 18:00.  

After your cruise on Oriental Sun, a car picks you up at the Haiphong Pier. We cross the Red River delta all the way down to the small village of Vinh Bao, where locals still live in old traditional wooden houses surrounded by tobacco fields ; you will observe, depending on the season, how tobacco is grown and treated. We the continue to the small town of Thai Binh and thevillage de Tay Do, where we arrive around 16:00 at the charming Thai Binh Garden Ecolodge(://thaibinhgarden.com). Located in the heart of the delta countryside, it is surrounded by rice fields, canals and rivers, orchards and vegetable gardens ; a true bliss ! Diner and night at the ecolodge.

After breakfast, we drive to a unique site, the Cathedral of Phat Diem (1891), the center of Vietnamese Catholicism, with its amazing sino-gothic architecture of enormous proportions (80m x 24m x 16m). Visit of the cathedral complex (Bell tower, the cathedral itself, and its 4 elegant chapels). We then drive to the famous site of Tam Coc, among the rice fields and limestone peaks of “Halong Bay on Land”. 

Registration and free lunch at your hotel. We then visit (by bicycle or car at your choice) Bich Dong Pagoda and Thai Vi Temple. The day ends with the boat ride on the Tam Coc River. Return to hotel, relaxation and a delicious diner. Night in Tam Coc. J