Best tours of Hanoi

Hanoi is a city with an interesting French, Chinese and Southeast Asian influence, which is clearly reflected in its architecture. During your visit to the Vietnamese capital, you will find a great historical and cultural legacy, which you can discover in its temples, pagodas, traditional markets, museums, memorials and other destinations.

Among the best things to do in Hanoi you will find a wide range of tours, allowing you to explore the city on foot, by bicycle, tourist bus and even aboard a vintage jeep. You will also have the chance to take a boat ride on Hoan Kiem Lake and connect with the tranquility of this beautiful natural space.

The streets of the Vietnamese capital exhibit an important part of the history and culture of this city, so it is essential to walk through them carefully. During your 3-day stay in Hanoi or longer, take a tour of this chaotic but interesting city and discover all that the Vietnamese capital has to offer.

Although you can do this tour on your own, ideally you should join a guided activity. This way, you will be accompanied by a local person who knows the history of each place. In this case, you will connect with the guide at a pre-arranged location in the center of the city and, from there, you will start your adventure.

Hanoi tour routes usually incorporate must-see destinations such as:

• One Pillar Pagoda. This is a Buddhist temple built by King Ly Thai To, to thank the goddess Quan Am for the birth of his firstborn son.
• The Ho Chi Minh Complex, which houses museums, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and other areas of interest related to the life of the former president of North Vietnam.
• The History Museum, with an important collection of objects ranging from prehistory to the different Vietnamese dynasties (Đinh, Lý, Trần, Lê, etc).

Details of interest

• Price: the cost of the tour is approximately 26€ per person.
• Duration: this tour lasts at least 4 hours.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the must-see places of Hanoi and part of its history. In addition, you will learn how to find your way around the city with the help of the guide.
• Disadvantages of this option: this activity usually ends at the starting point in the city center, so you will have to transfer on your own to the hotel.

There are many ways to explore Hanoi and the vintage jeep tour is one of them. You will have a different and fun time, enjoying not only a sightseeing but also a cultural experience. You will feel like you have gone back in time to the Soviet era (50's and 60's).

You will get into a Soviet era jeep and, together with a driver-guide, you will go on a route that will allow you to take a look at the jewels of the city. All this, while the guide tells you the history of each place as you pass by.

This cultural and sightseeing tour of Hanoi by jeep will allow you to see these places:

• The West Lake; a beautiful lake dotted with many pagodas and with a privileged panoramic view of the city.
• The Train street;
• The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a solemn structure inaugurated in 1975.
• The French Quarter, founded between the nineteenth and twentieth century with a particular architectural style that combines eclectic, neoclassical and Vietnamese.

Details of interest

• Price: the jeep tour can cost an average of 48€ per person.
• Duration: the time usually set is 4 hours and 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: vintage jeep.
• Advantages of this option: you will enjoy a tourist and cultural experience in the same activity.
• Disadvantages of this option: jeeps can beinconvenient for people with back problems.

Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the emblematic places of the city. A natural space located in the center of the Vietnamese capital, it will allow you to escape from the bustling and busy streets. There, you can enjoy a boat ride and, thus, contemplate the environment from a completely different perspective.

This is one of the best cruises in Hanoi. A scenic tour, you can take a paddle boat, motor boat or dragon boat. Whichever you choose, you will be able to relax and breathe fresh air, while sailing on this kilometer-long lake, lined by trees and overflown by beautiful birds.

Along this tour you will see places such as Huc Bridge, Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Taoist Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ba Da Pagoda, among other destinations surrounding the lake. You can take the opportunity to take amazing pictures. And, if you like this kind of experience, you can also opt for Halong Bay cruise from Hanoi.

Details of interest

• Price: the approximate value of this experience is from 3€ to 9€ per person.
• Duration: the boat ride has a maximum duration of 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: boat.
• Advantages of this option: you will sail around one of the most emblematic lakes in Hanoi and see the city from a unique perspective.
• Disadvantages of this option: the duration of the tour might be a bit short for some people.

In the streets of the Vietnamese capital you will find dozens of street food stalls, offering a perfect combination of flavors, aromas, textures and colors. Take a walk through Hanoi and surprise your senses, tasting the traditional Vietnamese gastronomy.

This tour can be done in the company of a culinary guide, who will tell you the history and cultural importance behind each of the dishes tasted. Together you will walk through the Old Quarter, which is home to the largest selection of street food, and discover a number of popular dishes.

Some of the recipes you can discover on this street food tour of Hanoi are usually these:

• Nem rán, known as spring rolls. This preparation combines vegetables, mushrooms and pork.
• Bun Cha, grilled rice noodles with a sauce.
• The bánh mì, which is a sandwich with various ingredients.
• The Chè; this is a dessert of fruits, beans and rice.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of this tour starts from 23€ per person, approximately.
• Duration: 3 hours is the average time established for this type of tour.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will delight your palate with the flavors of Vietnamese food.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tastings could be insufficient, so if you want to eat a little more, you will have to assume this expense on your own at each food stall.

Hanoi has amazing places, which you can use as backdrops for your photographs. You will create unique memories of your time in the Vietnamese capital, which you can save and, why not, share on your social networks. Join a guided walk around the city and take the best pictures.

On an Instagram-worthy tour of Hanoi you will visit the most emblematic places of the city and, in fact, the most photogenic ones. Some of them tend to be:

• The ceramic mosaic street, incorporated in the Guinness World Records due to the fact that it is the largest mosaic-mural in the world.
• The Chua Tran Quoc, a pagoda whose history dates back to the 6th century and a privileged view of the city and Ho Tay Lake.
• St. Joseph's Cathedral, which surprises locals and tourists with its exquisite old Gothic architecture, which resembles the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

You will be accompanied by a local guide, who will not only take you directly to each destination and tell you its history. He will also give you some basic photographic tips, so that you can create memorable compositions.

Details of interest

• Price: the photo tour costs around 29€ per person.
• Duration: the activity lasts approximately 4 hours.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to create lasting memories of your trip, taking pictures in the most outstanding cultural and historical destinations of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tour generally incorporates passing by the facades of buildings and monuments, so you will not have access to the interior of these attractions.

The Hanoi bike tour is a fun way to explore the city while experiencing one of the most popular means of transportation used by locals. In addition, you will cover a large number of destinations in a very short time and get a different perspective of the streets.

This bike tour usually starts in the city center, where you will connect with the local guide in charge of the activity. He or she will give you some tips for safe riding and immediately start the route.

Some of the places this bike tour might cover are the following:

• The streets of the old town, full of monuments and old buildings such as the Cathedral of San Jose. You will be able to stop and contemplate the exterior of each of the places of interest.

• The Presidential Palace, an imposing construction representative of the French neoclassical style, built between 1900 and 1906.

• The Imperial Citadel Gate, declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

• The church of Cua Bac, with asymmetrical spaces in which the bell tower stands out. A true example of French architecture in the city.

Details of interest

• Price: the value of this bike tour starts at about 31€ per person.
• Duration: the experience is designed to take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
• Means of transport: bicycle.
• Advantages of this option: you will cover a greater number of places in less time and you will get a different perspective of the streets.
• Disadvantages of this option: the streets of Hanoi tend to be very crowded and somewhat chaotic, so if you do not have a lot of driving experience, it could be dangerous.

Another popular activity is the sightseeing bus tours of Hanoi with free stops. You will enjoy a different perspective of the main monuments, museums, pagodas, theaters, natural areas, among other destinations. In addition, you will be able to create your own itinerary as you can hop on and off whenever you want.

On a panoramic tour aboard the tourist bus in Hanoi you will be able to make a complete route throughout the city and contemplate the surroundings. All this, while listening to the history of each place as you pass through the audio guide.

In addition, you will have approximately 14 stops, which will allow you to access emblematic destinations such as the following:

• The Flag Tower, an imposing monument of about 33 meters high, which has been named a World Heritage Site.
• The Bach Ma Temple, a Taoist temple of the Lý dynasty.
• The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; an important monument that houses the embalmed body of the former president of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh
• The Frog Garden Fountain, built in white marble, shows a large frog of about a couple of meters.

Details of interest

• Price: the value of the entrance to the tourist bus starts from 19€ per person.
• Duration: the complete route of the Hanoi sightseeing bus lasts about 90 minutes.
• Means of transport: tourist bus.
• Advantages of this option: you will take a panoramic tour of the city with the option to get on and off as many times as you wish in a series of assigned stops.
• Disadvantages of this option: Buses may be slightly delayed due to traffic conditions in the city.

The French Quarter is known as the modern district of the city, whose streets combine years of architecture, culture and history. Embark on a free tour of this neighborhood, established by the French who inhabited the Vietnamese capital during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

You will walk with a local guide who will tell you the history of the streets of this neighborhood, which connects to the historic center via Ho Chi Minh Boulevard. During the tour, you will contemplate the predominant French colonial architecture of the place and discover a number of emblematic destinations.

Among the places you could see in this type of free tour of the French Quarter are the following:

• The Hanoi Opera House, with its particular neoclassical and eclectic style.
• Hoa Lo Prison, now a museum, provides a clear picture of what life was like for political prisoners during the Vietnam War.
• The Railway Street, a railway track surrounded entirely by traditional houses and a few stores.
• A local coffee shop, where you will have the opportunity to taste Vietnamese coffee with custard and egg yolks.

Details of interest

• Price: because it is a free tour, there is no set cost. You can pay the guide whatever you consider appropriate according to your experience.
• Duration: the tour of the French Quarter lasts about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will learn about the interesting history of the French Quarter and part of the French colonial architectural legacy of Hanoi.
• Disadvantages of this option: as it is a free tour, the cost of coffee or snacks you consume during the tour you will have to pay for them on your own.

The city of Hanoi at night acquires a particular charm that you can discover by taking a guided walk through its streets. You will see how the facades of the main buildings and monuments are illuminated offering a completely different perspective.

The activity usually starts in the city center, where you will connect with the guide. You will then walk through the streets of the Old Quarter and the surrounding area, taking in the nighttime charm of Hanoi. In addition, learn about the history of the places visited, thanks to the comments of the guide.

Although the itinerary of this type of experience usually varies, some of the must-see places are usually:

• St. Joseph's Cathedral, with its neo-Gothic architectural style.
• Hoan Kiem Lake, which you will reach through Ho Hoan Kiem Street (considered the shortest street in the city with only 52 meters).
• The Ngoc Son Buddhist Temple, which stands out in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake for its amazing architecture of the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
• The Thang Long Theater, where the water puppet show takes place in Hanoi.

Details of interest

• Price: the cost of this tour starts from 22€ per person.
• Duration: the approximate time of the activity is 2 hours and 30 minutes, approximately.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will discover a different perspective of the city at sunset.
• Disadvantages of this option: it does not usually include pick-up and drop-off at the hotel.

Another of the best self-paced tours that you can undertake during your stay of at least 2 days in Hanoi, is usually the tour of the local markets. You will discover a different perspective of the Vietnamese capital, where the protagonists are the colors, aromas and flavors of dozens of fresh products. You will learn first-hand about the daily life of the people of Hanoi.

For this fun experience you will find many markets in the city, some of the most popular being the following:

• Quang Ba Flower Night Market. There, you will find a wide range of greenery, roses, garberas, sunflowers, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, lilies, among many others.
• Dong Xuan Market, this is an old market built in 1889, where you will find street food stalls, vegetables, spices, seafood, flowers, meats and much more.
• Chau Long or Ben Thanh Market, with more than 1,500 stalls. You will enjoy a variety of seafood, meats, vegetables and fresh fruits. In addition, you will find ready-to-prepare frogs, plucked ducks, groceries such as sauces, rice noodles, oils and more.

Details of interest

• Price: admission to any of the markets is free.
• Duration: the tour of each of the markets can take a couple of hours or more. However, this will depend exclusively on you, as there is no time limit to stay in the market.
• Means of transportation: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the daily life of the people of Hanoi in a place as traditional as its markets. In addition, you will find local and exotic products.
• Disadvantages of this option: markets are usually very congested places, so it could be a little slow to walk quietly through the aisles.

Tours of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, will allow you to delve into the culture and history of this ancient city. You will be able to see the amazing ancient architecture: the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, among others. Also, the picturesque Vietnamese houses, which line the narrow streets of the old town.

You will also have the opportunity to get a close look at the local markets, with their fresh produce, harvested in the fields of Vietnam. In the city's neighborhoods you will find restaurants with Vietnamese street food capable of satisfying the most demanding palates. In addition, you will enjoy small natural areas such as Hoan Kiem Lake.

Hanoi has a wide range of tours that you can take throughout your stay in the city. If you want to make the most of these experiences by discovering the history, culture, architecture and cuisine of the Vietnamese capital, you should take into consideration some tips:

• Book your tour in advance, as these tend to sell out very quickly. This is in case you plan to do a guided activity.
• Protect yourself from the sun. Remember that Hanoi is a hot and humid city, so you should always have sunscreen and mosquito repellent with you. Also, wear light and breathable clothes.
• Don't forget to have cash, because there are a large number of businesses that do not accept bank cards. Also, you may need to tip a little.
• Learn some basic Vietnamese words; this may help you communicate with the locals. For example, xin chào: hello; cám ơn: thank you; làm ơn: please; bao nhiêu?: how much does it cost?