Once stepping at Hanoi, visitors shall be attracted by the harmonious, romantic, old and profound beauty of Hanoi. With a unique beauty created for nearly thousand years of history, Hanoi is impressive for every visitor. In Hanoi, visitors can find a sacred temple, a pagoda with hundred of years in many places for incense burning and praying, temporarily forgetting daily tired feeling of earning. The typical ones can be named with Tran Quoc pagoda built up under Ly Nam De rule (6th century), One-pillar pagoda with a unique lotus flower-shape or the old Ngoc Son temple in the center of city, etc.

However, perhaps, the most attractive thing is the beauty in the old quarter with small nice houses, narrow streets with various products and is always lighted at night. Visiting Hanoi, it is a missing for failure to visit Ba Dinh square, political center of Viet Nam with national assembly house, presidential palace or Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Additionally, visitors shall be interested in Temple of Literature - the first university of Viet Nam and a place worshiping Confucian and located with doctors' stele, relics of the old citadel of Hanoi, etc.

Moreover, Hanoi culinary, with a number of delicious dishes crystallized and preserved from generation to generation, will help visitor further feel profoundly about the sophistication of Hanoi people via the taste of the food. Almost in every stop, at any time of the trip, visitor can find the delicious food such as Pho (noodle soup), La vong fried fish, Ho Tay (West Lake) crisp shrimp pastry, green rice cake, Thanh Tri steamed rolled rice pancake, etc.

Those visitors who are interested in the unique and old cultural features can come to see such traditional handicraft streets as Hang Bac with silver and gold, Bat Trang with ceramics, Ngu Xa with copper-casting, Phu Do with bun (noodle soup), Vong village in Cau Giay district with grilled rice, etc.

Especially, coming to Hanoi, visitors are free to choose a luxury, famous and central hotel located near the landscape of Hanoi, namely Sofitel Metropole, Hilton Hanoi Opera, Hanoi Horizon, Daewoo, Sofitel Plaza, Melia, etc. The legend has it that, when king Ly Thai To came to red river wharf, a yellow dragon suddenly appeared in the river and flied up the sky. The king considered it as good signal and named the capital Thang Long (flying-up dragon) with hope of prosperous capital.

The others suggestion from some tour operators for the visitors who would like to exploring around Hanoi as the itinerary below:

Day 1: Hanoi - Thach That (overnight in Dong Truc village)

We depart from Hanoi by mini van and head out northwest of Hanoi. After 45 minutes, we arrive to our first destination, Thay Pagoda. You will be fascinated by the unique architecture and intriguing interiors of the pagoda. Especially mysterious is the story about the first master of this pagoda, which dates back a thousand years ago. After we take in the great panoramic view of rice paddies from mountain peak, we get on our bikes and start cycling through local villages, crossing rice paddy fields. Enjoying the ride for about over an hour, we will stop to see the famous pagoda of Tay Phuong and have lunch in a local restaurant nearby. After lunch, we keep riding to the village of Dong Truc. This is a pleasant route for easy cycling. We cross small bridges, ride along little canals, all the while being greeted by children and farmers, calling on you with nice smiles on broad faces. Arriving at our home stay still early in the afternoon, our guide will introduce you to the family, provides orientation then relax drinking tea and chatting with our host. There is still time to continue enjoying the slow wandering, biking to other villages close by. This evening, we will be treated to various authentic Vietnamese dishes, cooked by the family members

Day 2: Thach That - Son Tay - ancient village of Duong Lam - Hanoi

If you wish to breathe the fresh morning air of countryside, get up early for a stroll around the village, have fun chatting with the locals. After breakfast, we say farewell to our host, get on the bikes and keep riding to Son Tay. This is where the genuine Vietnam still exists. The old citadel is well preserved; the town is quiet with no tourists. Lightly explore the area then head out for a short ride of only 4 km to the ancient village of Duong Lam. You will find the real image of Vietnam, first at the village entrance, grace by a high banyan tree and tiles roof gate with brick lanes leading you to Mong Phu Temple. This is a beautiful old temple where villagers seriously worship and celebrate ceremonies to honor the Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung kings, who were born from this village. We enjoy cycling around, go through narrow mossy lanes and stop to visit an old house, having tea and cake with the owners. One of the families in the village will arrange our lunch. After lunch, we put away the bikes and head straight back to Hanoi