After breakfast, your full-day sightseeing begins at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an impressive monument constructed of marble, granite and precious woods. After, visit the tranquil Temple of Literature, an ancient collection of courtyards and gardens, built in homage to Confucious.
After lunch, A tour of the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, ironically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by American POW’s during the war, offers a sobering and thought-provoking look into history. Next, explore Hanoi’s colorful Old Quarter, where ancient byways like Tin Street and Bamboo Street are named for the goods that have long been sold there. Continuing along labrynthine streets explored by few tourists, you’ll have a chance to peer into old temples and homes, meeting residents as your in-the-know guide shares insight. Take a break with a refreshing cup of Vietnamese coffee at a café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake and then visit Ngoc Son Temple, built in the 18th century on a tiny island in the lake. End your sightseeing with a Water Puppet performance, a traditional and uniquely Vietnamese art form which started centuries ago – possibly in the nation’s flooded rice fields. Meals B+L