Hanoi
& Ninh Binh
Old Quarter energy, then a boat through Trang An's limestone rivers and rice paddies.
5 days · 4 nights
2 play sessions (optional)
Private trip
Price on request
Old Quarter energy, then a boat through Trang An's limestone rivers and rice paddies.
A short trip built around two very different sides of the north — Hanoi's Old Quarter, with its Train Street and café culture, and Ninh Binh's limestone rivers and rice paddies, about two hours south. On the way down, a stop at Quang Phu Cau, a village where entire streets are lined with incense sticks drying in the sun — one of the most photographed spots in the north. In Ninh Binh, a boat through Trang An's caves, an electric-cart tour with a local guide, and the climb up Hang Mua for the view. Drop-in pickleball in Hanoi is built in for anyone who wants a game — optional, and easy to skip.
Everything below is a sample itinerary. We tailor the pace and the play to your group before you travel.
Every stop on this trip, in one place — the real itinerary is below.
Hanoi as your base for most of the trip, with one night down in Ninh Binh so you're not rushing the limestone rivers.
Land in Hanoi and transfer to your hotel in the Old Quarter. Once you're settled, head out for an easy evening walk — Train Street, if the timing works for a train to pass, and a coffee at a café looking out over St Joseph's Cathedral. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
A free-flowing day in the Old Quarter — wander the 36 streets, each still roughly named for the trade once sold there, stop for a bánh mì or a bowl of phở whenever you're hungry, and settle into a café whenever you need a break. In the late afternoon, your first optional pickleball session.
Drive south out of Hanoi, with a stop at Quang Phu Cau — a village where whole streets are given over to incense-making, the sticks fanned out in bright circles to dry. It's one of the most photographed villages in the north, and well worth the half-hour stop. From there, continue on to Ninh Binh and check into your hotel among the rice paddies.
A full morning on the water — a boat through Trang An's limestone rivers and cave passages, rowed by hand through the narrower stretches. An electric cart tour with a local guide fills in the rest of the scenery between stops. In the afternoon, the climb up Hang Mua — a few hundred steps for a panorama over Tam Coc's rice fields, one of the most-photographed views in the country. Drive back to Hanoi in the evening.
A free morning to finish up Hanoi — a last walk through the Old Quarter, or breakfast at your favourite spot from earlier in the trip. If your flight timing allows, we can book one more optional pickleball session before your transfer. Private transfer to Hanoi airport.
When we quote you, we quote everything — hotels, transfers, named meals, entrance fees and your guide. If there's an activity or a cost we haven't covered, we tell you before you land in Vietnam, not after.
Tell us roughly when you'd like to travel and how many of you there are. We'll confirm the price and answer anything — no deposit to ask a question.