Hanoi, a Ninh Binh Day Trip & Ha Long Bay, 4 Nights

You land at Noi Bai Airport, where you are met and driven to your hotel in Hanoi. Rooms are available from the hotel's standard check-in time. The afternoon is a private tour with your guide. It starts at the Ho Chi Minh complex: the mausoleum, seen from outside because it is closed in the afternoons, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. A walk through the Old Quarter follows, past its trading streets, old shophouses and French-era buildings, ending at your hotel. You stay overnight in Hanoi. No meals are included today.

A shared guided day trip, with pick-up at about 7:00 and return at about 18:30. Ninh Binh province is some 120 kilometres south of Hanoi. The first stop is Hoa Lu, Vietnam's capital in the tenth century, and its temples to King Dinh and King Le. A 45-minute cycle ride through the village follows, then a buffet lunch of local dishes. The afternoon is at Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, where a rowing boat takes you along the river and through caves such as Sang, Toi and Nau Ruou. You are dropped back at your hotel in Hanoi. Meals included today: breakfast and lunch.

After breakfast and check-out the cruise's shuttle bus takes you from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of around 2,000 limestone islands and islets. You board around midday and lunch is served as the boat heads out. The afternoon includes a guided visit to one of the bay's caves and a stop at an island, for the beach or a short climb to a viewpoint. Back on board there is sunset on deck, a cooking class and dinner, with squid fishing in the evening for those who want it. You sleep on the boat. The exact programme depends on the cruise chosen, and an English-speaking guide stays on board. Meals included today: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The day starts with tai chi on the sun deck, with tea and coffee as the boat moves on through the islets. There is time to kayak or take a bamboo boat in to the foot of the cliffs. You check out of the cabin at about 9:00 and brunch is served on the way back to shore. The boat docks at about 11:00 and the shuttle bus returns you to Hanoi, where the rest of the day is free. You stay overnight in Hanoi. Meals included today: breakfast and brunch.

After breakfast and check-out the time is your own until a driver takes you to Noi Bai Airport for your flight home. The package services end at the airport. Meals included today: breakfast.