Day 1: Hanoi – Halong Bay (L, D)

A minivan arrives at your Hanoi hotel to pick you up in the morning and transfer you to Halong Bay, a journey of about four hours. When you arrive, your guide welcomes you aboard the Dragon Pearl and shows you to your cabin. Once you have settled in, receive a briefing about the ship, and feast on a freshly prepared seafood lunch as your captain cruises to Bai Tu Long Bay, a neighboring bay home to more of Halong Bay's famous rock formations but with fewer crowds. 

Stop near Cap La fishing village, and go with your guide on an easy kayak trip over to the village, which consists of floating houses occupied by about 80 families. Paddle around the village for a little while, and then return to the junk to continue to Cong Do island. Admire the tropical scenery of this large forested island, where lagoons shelter various species of shrimp, crab, fish and squid, as well as a large coral reef. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure on the junk, with free time to swim, sunbathe, kayak and watch the sunset from the deck before the crew serves dinner. 

Overnight: Ensuite cabin aboard the junk 

Day 2: Bai Tu Long Bay (B, L, D)

If you wake up early, watch the sunrise and soak in the tranquility of Halong Bay at dawn. After breakfast, cruise toward the fishing village of Cong Dam, and listen to your guide's informative commentary about the geology and mythology of the bay, including how the thousands of islands and inlets were formed. Stop near the village and learn about the livelihood of the villagers, including how they catch fish, oysters and mussels. 

After lunch on the junk, motor over to Hon Co island where you can lounge, swim and kayak along a spectacular white-sand beach. Then enjoy free time on the junk until the evening, when your guide takes you to shore for dinner by candlelight inside Thien Canh Son cave. 

Marvel at the spacious cave, whose illuminated stalactites sparkle from the ceiling, and dine on a multicourse meal served on long tables covered with tablecloths. After dinner, your guide takes you back to the junk for the night. 

Overnight: Ensuite cabin aboard the junk 

Day 3: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

Enjoy your final morning on Bai Tu Long Bay with a short ride on a traditional wooden rowboat rowed by local residents. Slip across the water and get up-close views of pretty inlets and rock formations, and then return to the junk and head slowly back toward the main harbor, stopping for a swim in the bay and lunch on the junk. 

Around midday, say farewell to your crew and set off for Hanoi by van. Stop along the way at a small village where local artists perform a traditional water puppet show. Your tour ends when you arrive in Hanoi in the early evening.