Be collected at your accommodation in Hanoi Old Quarter between 8:00 AM and 8:15 AM. The drive to Hoa Lu takes approximately 2.5 hours. When you arrive, your English-speaking tour guide will show you around Hoa Lu. It was the capital of Vietnam between the 10th and 11th centuries. The area is full of rice fields broken by picturesque limestone mountains. The capital at Hoa Lu covered an area of 300 hectares (3 kilometers squared) and included both the inner and outer citadels. It included defensive earthen walls, palaces, temples, and shrines and was surrounded and protected by mountains of limestone. Today, the ancient citadel no longer exists and few vestiges of the 10th century remain. You can see the temples built in honor of the emperors Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, their sons, and Queen Duong Van Nga.  Return to the bus and go to a local restaurant in Tam Coc for a buffet lunch. After lunch, go to Tam Coc wharf to board a sampan and enjoy rowing through three famous caves in Tam Coc; Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. They have a lot of beautiful stalactites and stalactites of different colors. Next, go to Tam Coc and ride a bicycle around the town and traditional villages. You will also have free time to explore Tam Coc on foot. At 4:30 PM, return to your bus for the journey to your accommodation, where you will arrive between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM.