Hanoi sits at the centre of some of Vietnam’s finest scenery, and a good share of it can be reached on a long day out. Roads are slower than the map suggests, so most day trips take around ten to twelve hours door to door, and the best are booked as guided tours with pickup in the Old Quarter. Here is how to choose between them.
Ha Long Bay: the classic
The limestone islands of Ha Long Bay are the most famous sight in the north. The day cruise runs about twelve hours, including the transfer from Hanoi to the harbour and back, with time on the water among the karsts, a lunch aboard and a stop at a cave or an island. It is a long day, and the drive eats a good part of it. If you can spare a night, the overnight cruise lasts two days and one night and lets you see the bay at sunset and early morning, with a cave visit, a swim or climb at Ti Top Island, kayaking and a cooking workshop. Weather matters: cruises can be changed in storms, so choose flexible terms.
Ninh Binh: the best landscape for the effort
Often called Ha Long Bay on land, Ninh Binh combines limestone peaks, rice fields and rivers. The day trip visits Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of the tenth century, then a boat ride through the caves at Tam Coc, and Mua Cave, with its long stairway up to a view over the valley. It is also about twelve hours, and works in any season, though the rice is greenest in early summer and golden before harvest. If you only have time for one trip and dislike cruises, choose this one.
Mai Chau: village life
In the mountains to the west, Mai Chau is a valley of rice fields and White Thai stilt-house villages. The trip takes about twelve hours, with three to four hours of driving each way, and includes cycling between villages and lunch with a local family. It suits travellers who want rural life and do not mind a long drive. It is cooler than Hanoi, so bring a jacket in winter.
The Perfume Pagoda: pilgrimage and boats
About ten hours, this trip takes you to a complex of temples and shrines in the Huong Son mountains, reached by a boat ride along a river and, at the end, a climb or a cable car. It is a pilgrimage site, busiest in the spring festival season, and a good choice for those who like a mix of landscape and religious life.
Bat Trang: the short one
For a half-day, the ceramic village by the Red River has kilns, workshops and shops, and it is easy to combine with an afternoon in the city. It suits families and anyone who wants to try making pottery.
Longer trips: Sapa and Ha Giang
Sapa and the Ha Giang Loop are too far for a day, but both are popular two-day trips. The Sapa trek spends a night in a village homestay, in the terraced hills near the border; the Ha Giang Loop is a motorbike journey with a driver through high passes and limestone canyons. Both reward a night away and need warm clothes in winter.
Choosing
For one trip, take Ninh Binh. For the postcard, Ha Long Bay, preferably overnight. For culture and villages, Mai Chau. For something easy, Bat Trang. Book ahead in autumn, and keep a day free between long trips.
