Depart the hotel this morning at 8. 30 for the 2 and half-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam's first capital, Hoa Lu. Visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009). The ancient Hoa Lu Citadel (most of which has since been destroyed) once covered an area of three square kilometers.

In the late morning depart for Tam Coc Town for a Vietnamese lunch, along the way stop where you wish to take photographs of local villages and the stunning landscape.

After lunch board your private sampan. As the boat gently slices through the water, notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields giving rise to other name, 'Halong on Land'.

Should you feel adventurous climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order before returning to Hanoi in the late afternoon.