Private Tour: Perfume Pagoda Day Trip from Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam

Take an active day trip from Hanoi to the Perfume Pagoda, one of the most important religious sites in Buddhist Vietnam. The pagoda itself is built into limestone cliffs and can only be reached by boat and foot. Cruise along scenic waterways and walk up mountain paths visiting the pagodas and temples that were built in this area of Vietnam over centuries.

The Perfume Pagoda, also known as Reach Chua Huong is surrounded by the beautiful Perfume Mountain. This is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Vietnam and the sight of a yearly pilgrimage between February and March following the Vietnamese New Year. The pilgrims pray for good health and prosperity in the coming year. Legend has it that the temple was built by a monk who was in search of enlightenment. Since then, the Perfume Pagoda has been the subject of poems, songs, stories and a backdrop to many paintings.

Your private guided Perfume Pagoda day trip will take you by road to the township of My Duc, approximately 2 hours from Hanoi. You"ll then take a small boat for approximately 1.5 hours along the scenic Yen River, through the limestone cliffs to the base of the mountain. There is a 4 kilometer up-hill hike to reach the main Pagoda. Good walking shoes are necessary as areas of the mountain path are steep and can often be slippery. If the walk gets too difficult, you can opt to take the cable car.  (At own expense).

Vietnamese lunch will be served at one of the little food stalls near Thien Tru Pagoda. After lunch the boat will take you back to land for the drive back to Hanoi.

USD $54.67

Review by: Johan K	December 2011
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Review by: Michael T	November 2011
We enjoyed our day trip. It was a long tiring day. The river was beautiful, calming and serene. Our guide was very good and told us a lot about Vietnam. Buffet lunch was also good.

Review by: Ron J	November 2011
A wonderful and interesting day, we were so thankful we were in the off season, after we heard what it is like during the "Pilgrimage". season. Good guide and driver. Well done.

Review by: David H K S	November 2011
Interesting and thorughly enjoyable. Something out of the ordinary but perhaps there should be safety vests provided for the river boat trip. Not for children though !

Review by: Brad B	May 2011
Fantastic trip. The pagoda was beautiful as was the monastery. The person rowing the boat will "require" a tip once you have returned from the pagoda.

Review by: Fiore L	December 2010
Good excursion very beautiful the places

Review by: Melinda H, Australia	April 2010
This was definitely not a typical 'air-conditioned bus' type tour, it was a full-on experience that I will never forget. I was surprised by how remote this tour felt when it was just a day trip from Hanoi. I definitely recommend it for anybody who wants a bit of an adventure and something that is off the beaten track. Just be aware that it's not easy to climb the mountain.

Review by: Melodie C, Canada	January 2010
The itinerary was unclear. The tour guide spent too much time talking about her personal life versus informing us of the history. She encouraged us to tip the boat rowers otherwise she claimed they would get hostile towards us and her. The 1 hour boat ride to the destination, while peaceful, gets very uncomfortable as you are sitting on thin metal strips or wooden benches. And I did not know it was a 2-way boat ride which meant overall travel time was 2 hours. Not well organized for lunch.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	October 2009
Loved this trip, it was pouring rain, but warm, the chairlift was closed and the steps very slippery but a special place. The lunch left a bit to be desired.

Review by: Magnolia S, China	July 2008
Interesting tour - I'm very glad I chose it. Future visitors beware the hike up the mountain takes an EXTRA 2 beyond what the itinerary advertises because they seem to expect visitors to pay extra to take the lift to the top of the mountain. We took the lift up and got back exactly when the itinerary said we should have gotten back if we'd done the hike, though taking the hike would have actually put us back 2 more hours.

Review by: Magnolia R. S	July 2008
Interesting tour - I'm very glad I chose it. Future visitors beware the hike up the mountain takes an EXTRA 2 beyond what the itinerary advertises because they seem to expect visitors to pay extra to take the lift to the top of the mountain. We took the lift up and got back exactly when the itinerary said we should have gotten back if we'd done the hike, though taking the hike would have actually put us back 2 more hours.

Review by: Stephen H, United Kingdom	March 2008
This was well worth the experience. We went on a Sunday, which we found to be a mistake, since that's the day the locals go. If you want to see the locals and soak up the atmosphere then go on a Sunday; if you want the tourist in your photos, then go during the week. The trip down the river is great and relaxing, just watch out when you get out the boat! We got picked up by a car with a guide, so the car stopped on the way to take photos whenever we wanted. Highly recommended!

Review by: Caroline Y, United Kingdom	March 2008
Great experience, great guide!

Review by: Colin M, United Kingdom	March 2008
This was a fantastic experience with many different people there. We didn't see another western face, which we liked. We fully recommend this tour, but be warned that even if dinner is not at a place that you may enjoy, don't let that put you off the tour.

Review by: Margaret H	March 2008
This was well worth the experience. We went on a Sunday, which we found to be a mistake, since that's the day the locals go. If you want to see the locals and soak up the atmosphere then go on a Sunday; if you want the tourist in your photos, then go during the week. The trip down the river is great and relaxing, just watch out when you get out the boat! We got picked up by a car with a guide, so the car stopped on the way to take photos whenever we wanted. Highly recommended!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2007
The Perfume river was beautiful and the row very relaxing. A fun trip.

Review by: Patricia E, United States of America	December 2006
Our guide was excellent. The tour was good in general. The only thing I did not like was that there was a lot of construction going on. It definitely detracted from the experience.