In the morning, start a full-day city tour beginning with the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which contains a rich collection of audio-visual documentation and more than 15,000 artifacts, including life-size traditional houses depicting all aspects of life, culture, customs, and beliefs of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages, and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
In the afternoon, visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. Explore Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese; the Presidential Palace; the Ho Chi Minh Museum; and the rural-style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, where he lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, or Buddha of Compassion, and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Move on to one of the following museums of choice, namely: Hoa Lo Prison, which is the remains of the French Central Prison built in 1896 to detain Vietnamese political prisoners; the Museum of Fine Arts; the Vietnamese Women’s Museum; the National Museum of Vietnamese History; or the Museum of the Revolution. Afterward, visit Hoan Kiem Lake, or “Returned Sword Lake,” whose name originated from a legend of a sacred sword. On an islet in the lake is Ngoc Son Temple, which is accessible by a classically red-painted wooden bridge. Tour through the Old Quarter, famous for its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past, and enjoy a coffee at a local café.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi
