Things to do in

Museum of Ethnology, Vietnam

Start the day in the early morning from the convenient meeting point or with a pickup from your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Meet your guide and driver and depart for the visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, consisting of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, and Ba Dinh Square. See the final resting place of Uncle Ho and the One Pillar Pagoda, an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Next up, continue on to the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda at West Lake, one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. Then, depending on the day of your tour, visit either Bat Trang village, an old village famous for its tradition of making porcelain and pottery items, or the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology for an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam. Afterwards, return to the Old Town and savor a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, proceed to Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam — the Temple of Literature — and Vietnam’s first university, constructed in 1070 with its gardens and well-preserved architecture offering a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. You will also go past Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful waters and the beauty of Ngoc Son Temple, the most visited temple in Hanoi, also known as the Temple of the Jade Mountain. Continue your day of discovery with an optional visit to the world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi for a unique 45-minute water puppet show starting around 4:30 PM. Enjoy one of Vietnam's most memorable and traditional art forms exploring the country’s traditions, folklore, ancient legends, and myths through music and a live puppeteer performance. If you would prefer to further explore the city, there is an optional cyclo tour taking in around 36 street during a 45-minute ride on a traditional Vietnamese rickshaw known locally as a xích lô.  This was the most popular means of transportation in Vietnam during the French colonial period and was used as luxury transportation for the French and a small number of Vietnamese people at that time. Nowadays, the cyclo has become a special experience for tourists who want to learn more about the period of French occupation in Vietnam.

In the morning: 8.00 AM: The bus with the tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in the Old Quarter then transfer you to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of the beloved national hero, Uncle Ho – and President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived off and on from 1958 to 1969. 9.30 AM: Visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which is actually a group of structures that collectively make up a pagoda built over the water in the middle of a square lake. After that, you’ll have a chance to explore the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shore of west lake. From there, it’s onto the Temple of literature, which was Vietnam’s first university and is dedicated to Confucius. 12.30 PM: Have lunch at the restaurant in the Old Quarter. Afterwards, visit Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart and soul of Hanoi. In the afternoon: - OPTION 1: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Stop in at museum of ethnology. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays and dioramas are labelled in Vietnamese, French and English. Displays portray a typical village market, the making of comical hats and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There's also a center for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures. Take a break to enjoy a water puppet show that demonstrates a well-loved traditional Vietnamese art form. Later, explore the Old Quarter by yourself or get a taxi back to your hotel. - OPTION 2: Monday Depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) away from Ha Noi, this is a pottery village with a half-milleary historic development. 03.30 - 04.00 PM: Take the car come back the Old Quarter for the water puppet show. Take a break to enjoy a water puppet show that demonstrates a well-loved traditional Vietnamese art form. Later, explore the Old Quarter by yourself or get a taxi back to your hotel. Finish an unforgettable full day in Hanoi Sightseeing!

Your tour guide and driver will pick you up so please provide details of your hotel to confirm the pick-up service. Visit the Ho Chi Minh complex and have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around Ho Chi Minh garden to see the 2 houses where he lived and worked from 1954 to 1969. Visit the One Pillar Pagoda where people worship the Godess of Mercy. It is the most unique padoga in the world. Also visit either Bat Trang ceramics and pottery village or the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology depending on the day. Have lunch at a restaurant. Have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine including many delicious dishes. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature – the first university in Vietnam in the feudal system. See the Tran Quoc Pagoda – first built in Ha Noi in the 6th Century. You will see the oldest Bodhi Tree in Vietnam planted by Ho Chi Minh. Leave for Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son Temple where people worship General Tran Hung Dao who defeated the Mongolian invader in the 13th Century. After visiting the One Pillar pagoda, get to visit the Lacquer Paintings workshop – the biggest center in Ha Noi Then depending on the day, visit one of these : - Option 1 : Bat Trang ceramics and pottery village (On Mondays – Wednesdays – Fridays ) - Option 2 : Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (On Tuesdays – Thursdays – Saturdays and Sundays)

You will be picked up at your hotel and then set out to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to explore the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 - the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Afterwards, you will continue on to the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda at West Lake (one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam). Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum (applies on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), the Literature Temple, and Quoc Tu Giam. See Vietnam’s first university, constructed in 1070 - its gardens and well-preserved architecture will offer you a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Go past Hoan Kiem Lake to see the peaceful water and the beauty of Ngoc Son temple. At the end of the tour, you will watch a Water Puppet show - a traditional performance that dates back as far as the 11th Century in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.