Short Summary:
Visit the Ho Chi Minh complex, including the mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, and the Ho Chi Minh museum. See the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Tran Quoc Pagoda. The Temple of Literature is a lovely, peaceful compound in the middle of the bustling city. The Museum of Ethnology rounds out a busy day.
Itinerary:
08:00 Departure. Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049; the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. (Incidentally the Jasmine Hotel is only a few steps from the street that is named after that King, Ly Thai To. You are likely to see the statue whenever you walk along the south end of the lake) Continue to visit the Quan Thanh Temple (Taoist, dating from the Ly Dynasty) and Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda on West lake (One of the oldest in Vietnam). Lunch.
PM: After lunch proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum, continue to visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam. This was Vietnam’s first university. It was constructed in 1070 and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. We will take you past Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful waters, and visit Ngoc Son temple. For the end of the tour journey visit by coach trip along the Hanoi Old Quarter. Free for shopping.
Note: On Monday and Friday mornings, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Ethnic Museum are closed. On those days we will instead visit the Bat Trang Craft Village, where distinctive ceramics have been made for 500 years. The vitality of this village is still “fired” by the hundreds of pottery kilns running day and night. We stroll around various cottage industries and watch craftsmen forming, painting and glazing their products in traditional ways.
Price: US$25 Includes: transport, entrance fee, lunch, tour guide
Excludes: drinks, tips, personal purchases
