SE Asia Tour Packages
§ World Heritage -
.. Indochina
§ Vietnam Complete
§ Laos Discovery
§ Cambodia Essence
§ Vietnam Essence

'Mix & Match' Tours
§ City of Hanoi
§ Pagodas & History
§ Ha Long Bay & Yen Tu
§ Ancient Capitals
§ Northern Highlands
§ Cao Bang & Lang Son
§ Central Highlands
§ Hue Monuments
§ Cham Discovery
§ Mekong & the South
§ Cu Chi & Tay Ninh
§ Ho Chi Minh City

Tell us about your particular interests, and we'll take you to places only the local guides know. Whether it's active travel, sun worship, study tours, Vietnam War sites, or satisfying your culinary curiosity, Mikeland welcomes a challenge!

Home > "Mix & Match Tours > Pagodas & History around Hanoi

Day 1 : Northwest of Hanoi
This excursion takes you to Phu Tho, once the homeland of the Hung Kings and the Trung Sisters at the foot of the western mountains. Along the way, you have the option to stop at Son Tay for a picnic in its citadel, which is now a lovely park. In ancient times, this was an important military fortification protecting the capital city of Thang Long (Hanoi).

In Phu Tho, you'll visit "Hung Mountain" and the temple to Au Co (the legendary mother of the Hung Dynasty and the Viet people), the main temple of the Hung Kings, and the summit temple, which is dedicated to the gods of heaven and earth.

On the return trip, if time permits, you may want to stop at Mia Pagoda, an historical pagoda with a large collection of carved statues assembled from many other pagodas.

Day 2 : East and Northeast of Hanoi
If you can only spare one day to see pagodas in the north, it probably should be this trip to the east of the city, where you'll find the earliest pagodas in North Vietnam. Chua Dau, for instance, dates back to the 6th Century, AD. (Note: "Dau" is pronounced "Zhow" with a soft D--there is another "Dau" pagoda to the west of Hanoi, pronounced "Dow" with a hard D and a lower tone.)

At Phat Tich you'll see the famous Ly Dynasty statue of the Buddha (eight feet high, carved in the 11th Century AD or earlier). But Thap Pagoda is renowned for its jackwood carvings, particularly the 100-eyed goddess of mercy, and a 5-story stone tower with detailed carvings. The last stop of the day is Co Loa, the site of the first royal city (2nd Century BC).

Day 3 : West of Hanoi
The highlight of this trip is the boat ride to the famous Perfume Pagoda (Huong Pagoda). Other options include stops at Yen Spring (Salangane Spring) to visit Ngu Nhac Temple, Thien Tru Pagoda, Phat Tich Cave, Tien Son Pagoda and Giai Oan Pagoda. Trek to visit Huong Tich Cave. The Tay Phuong and Thay pagodas are nearby, famous for statues of the Buddhist patriarchs and for water puppet theatre.

Day 4 : South of Hanoi
The day begins with a visit to a village on the outskirts of Hanoi that specializes in silk weaving. After that, you'll pay a visit to the unusual site of the Tram Pagoda, where the statues and main altar are placed in a cave. This short tour concludes with a visit to Tram Gian Pagoda, an elegant and tranquil older pagoda that was founded in the 12th Century and rebuilt after the Ming invasion (1407-1428).

• Add our 2-day city tour of Hanoi at the beginning or end of your trip. The Hanoi tour will include a visit to the History Museum, which has many artifacts and displays that explain the importance of places such as the Chi-Lang Pass and the Bach Dang River.
• Our tour of Ha Long Bay, with a stop at the temples of Yen Tu Mountain, makes a nice complement to the historic pagodas around Hanoi.