Hanoi in a day

Pick up at 9:00 at the hotel and drive to Ho Chi Minh's complex. Spend an hour to see the whole complex and the mausoleum, the nation's founder and leader. Here, large crowds gather to pay their respects towards the man they use to call Uncle Ho. People quietly file past his glass sarcophagus. The Presidential Structure and Uncle Ho's wooden stilt house may also be seen here. Certainly one of must-see places within the complex is a Pillar pagoda dating back to eleventh century. From a far view its shape appears like an enormous lotus flower.

The following stop may be the Temple of Literature, the culture site of Vietnam's earliest college and devoted to among the world's most well-known students, Confucius. Within the temple grounds, huge steles relaxation being worn by even bigger stone turtles (in Vietnam's culture, the turtle signifies durability). The stele recorded what they are called from the effective candidates who later grew to become mandarins within the Emperor's court.

The next destination of Tran Quoc Pagoda located by the dazzling West Lake will give you a real look at one of the picturesque attractions in Hanoi formed by a harmonious architecture taking advantage of the watery landscape.

Visit the museum of Ethnology in the afternoon to understand about 54 different ethnic groups living in Vietnam. The tour ends with walking tour in the old quarters to see Hanoian daily life.