Your Vietnam travel package begins at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi — Vietnam’s ancient capital and one of the most atmospheric cities in all of Southeast Asia. Your Travassa representative will meet you at the arrival hall with a name board and transfer you privately to your hotel in the city centre.
After freshening up, the afternoon is spent on a half-day guided city tour that gives you an immediate sense of Hanoi’s layered history and distinctive character. Hanoi is a city of contrasts — French colonial architecture sits beside ancient pagodas, electric motorbikes weave around tree-lined boulevards, and the smell of street pho drifts from every corner.
Ba Dinh Square & Ho Chi Minh Complex
Your first stop is Ba Dinh Square — the political heart of Vietnam and one of its most historically significant sites. This is where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on 2nd September 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The square is flanked by the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (where the revered leader’s body is preserved), the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda — a beautiful 11th-century lotus-shaped temple rising from a small lake.
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)
Next, visit the Temple of Literature — Vietnam’s first university, founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. This beautifully preserved complex of courtyards, pavilions, and gardens is one of Hanoi’s finest examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. The Doctors’ Stone Stelae — 82 ancient tortoise-mounted stone tablets inscribed with the names and villages of doctoral graduates from 1442 to 1779 — are a UNESCO-recognised documentary heritage.
Cyclo Ride Through the Old Quarter & Hoan Kiem Lake
End your first afternoon with a cyclo (three-wheeled pedicab) ride through Hanoi’s famous 36 Streets Old Quarter — a maze of narrow lanes each historically dedicated to a specific trade (silk street, paper street, silver street, and so on). The cyclo glides slowly past crumbling French-era facades, street vendors selling everything from fresh flowers to grilled corn, and the kind of everyday Vietnamese life that no tour bus can access. The ride ends at the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake — a beautiful green oasis in the heart of the city, where locals do tai chi at dawn and couples stroll at dusk.
Hanoi Evening Markets
After a rest at the hotel, spend your first evening exploring Hanoi’s famous night markets around the Old Quarter. The weekend night market (Hang Dao Street area) is a riot of colour — local crafts, embroidered textiles, silk scarves, lacquerware, street snacks, and fresh sugarcane juice. It is the perfect place to soak in Hanoi’s atmosphere and pick up the first souvenirs of your vietnam tourism package.
- Arrive at Hanoi Airport (HAN) — private transfer to hotel
- Guided half-day tour: Ba Dinh Square & the Ho Chi Minh Complex
- Temple of Literature — Vietnam’s 1,000-year-old first university
- Cyclo ride through the Old Quarter’s 36 Streets — history, markets & street life
- Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake — the green heart of Hanoi
- Evening at Hanoi’s Old Quarter Night Market — street food, crafts & local culture
- Overnight Stay: Hanoi