Enjoy a half-day walking tour to Huu Tiep Lake and the remains of a downed B52 from the Vietnam War. Start the tour in the northern part of Hanoi at a colourful market selling herbs, spices, sea products and many other local and exotic ingredients.

Stroll alongside the lake and even have a go at paddling one of the small swan-shaped paddle-boats.

Carry on past the peaceful Quan Thanh Taoist temple and the Presidential Palace to the Botanical Gardens, the green lungs of the capital.

Wander through the maze of narrow streets and crowded alleys until you emerge at a small lake containing the wreckage of a crashed B52 from the Vietnam War.

End the tour with a refreshing drink under the trees of a local café.

Hanoi has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites and our Half Day Hanoi City Tour covers the highlights. Wander The Old Quarter, through a bustling market, the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, West Lake & Quan Thanh Pagoda.

Depart from your hotel around 8:30, for Hanoi’s Old Quarter also known as the ‘36 Streets’. Take a walking tour through charming Hang Be Market and around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Stop at Ngoc Son temple. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It's a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around.

Continue to the Temple of Literature. In 1076 Vietnam's first university was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past.

Finish with a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, which is viewed from the outside. Also see Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, where he lived from 1958 to 1969. Visit the small but iconic One Pillar Pagoda before heading back to your hotel.

Time permitting, or as an alternative to one of the above, visit the highly acclaimed Vietnam Women’s Museum (closed on Mondays).  The museum is located near Hoan Kiem Lake and offers a wonderful insight into the lives of Vietnamese women. 

The Museum displays highlight Vietnam’s vast cultural diversity the significant role women play in Vietnamese society. Learn historic and modern-day traditions centred around births, weddings, motherhood, spirituality and more.

This tour can be taken in the morning or afternoon.

Follow the railway tracks from Hanoi’s central station winding through narrow streets and explore Hanoi’s back streets to experience a side of Hanoi rarely seen by visitors. Ride the local railway and get an insight into local life in Hanoi.

Walk past funeral shops where you will probably see a group of people mourning and wearing the traditional white fabric around the forehead, the Vietnamese equivalent of wearing black.

Continue walking towards Long Bien train station and cross the bridge onto the urban island. Have a rest and visit the orchards.

Continue crossing the bridge and meet with the car which will transfer you to Gia Lam train station.

Take your train ticket and ride with the locals in the hard-seater wagon.

Meet with the car when disembarking and transfer back to your hotel after an insightful journey through undiscovered Hanoi.

Our Hanoi family tour is a carefully crafted blend of activities, cultural exploration and great food. Enjoy a buffalo cart ride through an ancient village, explore hilltribe stilt houses, take a paddleboat on Hanoi's prettiest lake and see Hanoi’s water puppets.

Start the day with a visit to Bat Trang Pottery Village located to the east of Hanoi. Famous for its blue and white pottery, much of today's Bat Trang pottery is made in moulds and hand painted in family style businesses.

The main street is lined with shops and just about every household is involved in the production. Walk to a workshop where pottery can be hand painted to any design and taken home (delivery within Vietnam can take a few days). Children usually love this creative activity (plus a souvenir can be taken home at the end)!

Enjoy lunch at KOTO Restaurant. KOTO or ‘Know One Teach One’ is supported by Street Voices, a NGO dedicated to offer a brighter future to street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. Young people gain English and life skills working at KOTO restaurant.

After lunch, take a tour of Hanoi’s Ethnology Museum (closed on Mondays) and observe Vietnam's diverse culture through the Museum’s unique presentation of articles, houses and dress used in daily life. At the back of the museum houses highlighting the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam can be seen. Enjoy wandering into longhouses, silt-houses and other traditional Vietnamese houses. 

At the end of the afternoon take a ‘swan’ paddleboat on Truc Bach Lake – a favourite pastime of Hanoians.  

Finish the afternoon with some of Hanoi’s best homemade ice cream – the legacy of the French in Vietnam!

In the evening watch a traditional water puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form especially designed for depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history. Marvel as the puppets are made to leap on water, light tiny fireworks and even have a swimming race.

This itinerary is designed for pre-teens and the price is based on 2 adults and 2 children travelling.

See the best of Hanoi on a private Full Day Tour. Explore Hanoi's narrow lanes and traditional shop houses on foot, and the lakes, parks, tree-lined boulevards and monuments which give the city an air of elegance and harmony with nature unique among Asian capitals.

Begin your day visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where visitors can pay respects to the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh.

(Note that the Mausoleum is closed every Monday and Friday and also closes annually in October and November for restoration).

Continue through the park to Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, the simple two-room dwelling where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 until his final days (1969). Preserved in the same condition as during his life, it may be viewed through the windows.

Continue to the Temple Of Literature, a peaceful series of walled courtyards and graceful gateways; and one of the best serving examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this was also the site of Vietnam's first university.

Afterwards, visit one of Hanoi's famous museums, the Museum Of Ethnology (Closed on Mondays and Vietnamese New Year), which brings to life the astonishing ethnic diversity in Vietnam, with art and artefacts from the 54 different ethnic groups that inhabit the country.

Inside the museum are detailed descriptions of minority groups, with examples of their traditional clothing and way of life. Outside are faithful reconstructions of traditional longhouses, cemeteries and other distinctive ethnic buildings.

In the afternoon, visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, located in heart of Hanoi, which contains an islet with the tiny Tortoise Pagoda.

En-route, pass other colonial landmarks such as the magnificent Opera House (may be seen from the outside only) and St Joseph's Cathedral.

Immerse yourself in ancient Vietnamese culture with an excursion to Duong Lam, one of the country's few remaining ancient villages. Situated northwest of Hanoi, a tour through Duong Lam is a great way to explore the area's 1200-year history.

Explore houses over 400 years old, wander the village's narrow alleyways, visit local temples, and most interesting of all, chat with friendly locals.

Depart around 8:30 for the 1.5-hour drive west of Hanoi to Duong Lam village, a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River Delta, which still preserves many hundred-year-old houses.

Visit Mong Phu temple in Mong Phu commune - the only hamlet whose original village entrance remains intact. Continue on through the narrow alleys to see the old laterite houses that make up this charming village. For lunch enjoy a local style meal in a 100-year-old house. 

After lunch, continue driving to Mia Pagoda (another hamlet of Duong Lam), built in the 15th century. Some 287 statues of all sizes can be seen here, amongst which are famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha and the statues of the ‘Eight Vajra Deities’.

Afterwards visit Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung Temples, dedicated to two Vietnamese national heroes.

On the way back to Hanoi stop at Tay Phuong Pagoda, which offers beautiful architecture and ancient and unique sculptures. This was one of the first pagodas built in Vietnam and is notable for the dragons and demons carved into the wooden roof. From here it’s a 45-60 minute drive back to Hanoi.

As an optional extra once in Duong Lam this tour can be done by bicycle instead of walking & transfer (no extra cost).  

Enjoy a hands-on cooking class in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. Visit a neighbourhood 'wet' market to learn about Vietnamese ingredients before proceeding to the home of a true Hanoian for real home-style cooking.

Anh Tuyet learned her culinary skills from her grandmother, a former chef who once served the French elite, in the 1930's. Her culinary prowess has been lauded by no other than Anthony Bourdain.

Depart from your hotel around 8:30 am and visit a local market in Hanoi’s Old Quarter to buy the day’s ingredients. Learn about and buy some main ingredients and herbs used in the cooking class.

Once food shopping is done, head back to the restaurant to start the hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of lunch.

Once all is ready, lunch is served!

 Note: This tour can be in the afternoon or early evening with dinner instead. The tour and cooking class lasts around 3 hours.

Discover the finest food Hanoi has to offer with a genuine local expert who shares his passion and knowledge of  Vietnamese cuisine. Taste regional delicacies and unusual foods while strolling along 'food alley' in the heart of Hanoi's main market.

This gastronomic tour offers a real insight into the colourful lives of the Vietnamese people as well as Vietnamese Cuisine.

Stroll through Hanoi’s Old Quarter past the old east gate to Thanh Ha Market. Along the way try delicacies, strange foods and learn some of the secrets about Vietnamese cuisine. This busy, eclectic market is alive with the sights and sounds of Hanoi and is the essence of Vietnamese culture. 

Continue through the streets of the Old Quarter to Dong Xuan market to sample some local treats such as Pho Tiu and Bun Dau.Your guide will explain the routine of Vietnam meal times and the indigenous and unusual ingredients. See dried goods and aromatics, the essentials of Vietnamese cuisine before strolling up ‘food alley’ to see other dishes on offer. 

Walk down to Hang Than Street to view ceremonial cake stalls and taste a special French influenced dessert. An explanation on traditions and food gifts for celebrations will be given.

Continue back into the Old Quarter via Hang Cot Street and see specially treated fruit, which are a common snack in Vietnam. Walk along Phung Hung Street through temporary market stalls and see the changing market scene in Hanoi and how modernization is shaping tradition.

At the end of the tour stop at one of the Old Quarter’s busiest (yet smallest) coffee shops for a well-earned sit down and coffee before transferring back to your hotel. There may be the chance to try one of Vietnam’s famous weasel coffees.

This tour can be taken in the morning or afternoon. The tour may be subject to change due to weather conditions etc. The tour will be mostly conducted on foot so be sure that you are wearing comfortable walking shoes.