Hanoi Old Quarter By Vina.com
Updated: 11/22/2019
The capital of Vietnam – Hanoi, said to be the quintessential Vietnam’s city with millennium-old history and culture and labyrinthine streets that have been existed for thousands years definitely captivate you right at the first time. Hanoi has a mix of sustainable values which are preserved through generations and modern life. Spending time on discovering Hanoi with this helpful Hanoi tours is worth experiencing. Check out top 11 best Hanoi tours below!
1. Motorbike Tour
The first tour regarding Hanoi tours is motorbike tour. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam (Việt Nam), in the eyes of most tourists is filled with motorbikes, this half-day Hanoi (Hà Nội) tour will be definitely an ideal choice for those people who are in love traveling on motorbike to explore Hanoi in a fascinating and uniqeu way. With this tour, you can discover the very famous Hanoi’s Old Quarter, experience the daily life of Hanoians and try some great local foods which have never been catered in modern and luxurious restaurants. Give it a try, you will never forget!
The tour itinerary:
Tour duration: 4 hours
Within this duration, the tour guide will pick you up at the hotel you are staying at in Hanoi downtown. Then, you will move to get your motorbike. You could select your own desire itinerary out of the options below:
The tour begins with a visit to one of the ideal attractions of Hanoi – the first national university of Vietnam – Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám) – which was established under the Ly (Lý) Dynasty (the 10th century) and greatly impacted by Confucianism. The next stop is Quan Su (Quán Sứ) Pagoda – the head quarter of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in which many important Vietnamese Buddhist activities are celebrated.
After leaving the cultural and architectural spots, you then will expeirence Hanoians’ daily life at the noisy and bustling Thinh Yen (Thịnh Yên) Flea Market. Next, you will be served with lunch/dinner at a certain Hanoi traditional restaurant. After a quick rest, you can continue your motorbike itinerary to visit Hanoi 36 Old Streets. This half-day tour will finish at Dong Xuan (Đồng Xuân) Market, one of the oldest and biggest markets of Hanoi. You could do some shopping before coming back to your hotel.
In reality, places to go is flexible at your disposal, you could select your wanted tourist attractions to visit, or advised by the professional guide.
West Lake By Duong Nguyen
You will ride a motorbike by yourself or sit on the backseat to travel a whole circle of the famous West Lake (Hồ Tây) (about 17 km). You could select to visit 3 to 4 optional ancient temples and pagodas in the surrounding area, including Tu Lien (Tứ Liên), Tran Quoc (Trấn Quốc), Tao Sach (Tảo Sách) pagodas, and Phu Tay Ho (Phủ Tây Hồ), Mau Lieu Hanh (Mẫu Liễu Hạnh) temples. Besides, you can relax freely in the lakeside coffee shops for Vietnamese tea and coffee. The best time to visit the West Lake Route motorbike tour is in Autum and Spring when the view of this beautiful lake turns to be a poetic and romantic with refreshing smell of grass, cool breezes and the powered gold sunshine. Your meal is at your personal choice of very traditional specialty of Hanoi.
This option will take you a little bit further out from the Hanoi city cener. Particularly, the route will surely satisfy those tourists who love to explore the vicinities of Hanoi. The tour not only focuses on the village but also offer great chance for tourists to experience the crazy traffic of Hanoi and to observe the routine of daily life of Hanoians. You could select one of the traditional handicraft villages below:
Tour price:
Number of travelers:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price based on your duration of traveling and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
Extra Information:
2. Duong Lam Ancient Village Exploring
Duong Lam (Đường Lâm) tour is made for tourists to discover the origin of the culture of Vietnam and Vietnamese traditions. This also offers a good chance to discover the special architecture via its surviving laterite brick ancient houses. Mud and laterite, the materials which are abundant in this area, on gates, house walls, temple walls, wells, and so on.
Tour duration: 6 hours
Visit to the authentic rural village in order to truly experience the rural life in Hanoi.
What to expect:
Tour Itinerary:
From 9:00, you leave from the hotel. Drive 50 kilometers from the city center of Hanoi to visit Duong Lam ancient village in Son Tay province. Actually, Duong Lam is a purely agricultural village which is located in the Northern Red River Delta. During the trip, you will take on a walk on the village path to visit Mong Phu temple which is dedicated to the national heroes, King Phung Hung and King Ngo Quyen temples.
Then, enjoy special Vietnamese lunch which is prepared by local hosts. Whilst you are in the house, you could join local people in making local specialties like soft-green lentil cake, rice cake which is filled with brown onion and then taste those dishes. After that, you continue visiting Mia Pagoda which is established in the 15 century and admire 287 statues of various sizes before returning back to the hotel in Hanoi city.
On the way, if you are willing, stop to visit Tay Phuong pagoda established in the 8th century, which is the best instance of old typical religious sites in the northern area of Vietnam, having 18 ancient Arhan statues. Van Phuc (Vạn Phúc) silk village is another destination in this tour where you could learn about the making process of silk and shop for the finest silk products.
Tour price:
Numbers of tourists:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
3. Tour Of Waking Up With Hanoians
Just several hours in the early morning enjoy special things about Hanoi. The tour will get you out discovering the city whilst other people are still asleep. Before most people wake up and the constant hum of motorbikes kicks in, you should enjoy a peaceful “spiritual” side to Hanoi that many tourists miss. When the fruit vendors set up their goods and the kids head to school in their white uniforms, you will see many people practicing Tai Chi in most Hanoi’s parks.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 3 hours in early morning
You just need to get up early and then explore the other aspects of Hanoi as well as Hanoians. At 6:00 (winter time) or 5:30 (summer time), the tour guide will greet you with a smile at your hotel. The, you will begin traveling by taxi from the hotel. Initially, you visit to the renowned flower market where a variety of types of flowers are being sold in large bulk to the flower retailers or flower shop keepers. From there, you will continue to transfer to Long Bien (Long Biên) bridge that underneath of which, there are busy and big fruit markets. Both those markets are just seen in early mornings. After that, you will travel on foot and witness the Old Quarter start to wake up. Here, you will see street side markets with vendors preparing for the morning. Make your way to Hoan Kiem (Hoàn Kiếm) Lake to see, and even join in, people, both young and old, doing morning exercise and jogging. When the sun rises, the light gets perfect, take every chance to take some photos of your journey.
Accomplish your tour with famous traditional Hanoi breakfast of Pho Bo (Phở Bò) or Banh Cuon (Bánh Cuốn) before heading back to your hotel to take a rest for the next trip.
Tour price:
Number of tourists:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
4. Hanoi City Tour Sightseeing
Hanoi City offers a sense of both new and old. The French-colonial stage has left a legacy of nice buildings, with the Old Quarter an appealing area to discover on foot. You can sample unique cuisines of Hanoi, shop for handicrafts produced locally, and soak up in the abundance of culture and history on offer in the compelling monuments and sites in the city. Hanoi has been a symbol of a culture and a great source of pride over centuries. Among Hanoi tours, this tour is specifically designed to give tourists a chance to enjoy an adorable Hanoi. Old houses settling in small streets, friendly people with typical Vietnamese friendly smiles offer tourists a true feeling of the ancient capital city of Vietnam.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: from 6 to 7 hours
In this tour, you should not miss:
Since 8:00, you will be picked up at the hotel, begin the tour with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Complex, containing President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived both on and off during the period of 1958 to 1969, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final place for resting of Uncle Ho – the Vietnamese great Father. The next site you will visit is One Pillar Pagoda which is a group of structures containing a pagoda and one tower established right in the middle of the square lake. After leaving One Pillar Pagoda, you go to the Temple of Literature – the initial University of Vietnam.
Have lunch in a local restaurant for an authentic taste of Hanoi Cuisine. In the afternoon, you visit Hoa Lo prison that was known as “Hanoi Hilton”. Then, have a refreshment at Hoan Kiem Lake in the downtown of Hanoi before taking a cyclo tour (about 1 hour) via the Old Quarter, known as the Old 36 Streets, this area features with narrow streets and is home to thousands of small shopkeepers and businesses. It is also a good place to explore with many chances of taking photos.
Tour price:
Seat in the coach tour: $30/ person
Number of tourists:
Optional: Ticket for Water puppet show: $5/person
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
5. Hanoi Half Day City Tour
Being a symbol of culture of Vietnam, and a source of pride throughout the long history, Hanoi has a lot of things on offer to tourists. When it comes to Hanoi tours, this tour is specifically design to bring tourists a feel of the local culture of Hanoi whilst enjoying sightseeing attractions of an adorable and absolute Hanoi.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 4 hours
This half-day tour can be either in the morning or afternoon.
You will be picked up at your hotel. Start your tour from Ho Chi Minh complex, including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, move to the Temple of Literature – the first College of Vietnam and the place that dedicates to Confucian. A Green Car / cyclo ride tour around the 36 Old Streets, aka Old Quarter, to experience the dynamic, exciting daily life of Hanoians. Stop over to see Hoan Kiem Lake and visit Ngoc Son (Ngọc Sơn) Temple. This tour will end after a cup of tea or coffee at the authentic Hanoi corner café where you could have talks with locals, exchange cultural information.
With the afternoon tour, you will begin with the Temple of Literature, move to the renowned West Lake, and pay a visit to Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda of Hanoi. Then, continue to drive to Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter, visit Ngoc Son temple, Ma May (Mã Mây) ancient house, and The Huc (Thê Húc) Bridge. A cyclo ride (a Green Car) tour around the Old Quarter will allow you to experience the exciting local daily life local people. The tour will complete with a cup of tea or coffee at the authentic Hanoi corner coffee shop where you could chat with Hanoians, exchange cultural ways of life before coming back to your hotel.
Tour price:
Number of tourists:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
6. Visit Tho Ha Traditional Village
Located about 50 kilometers from the city center of Hanoi, Tho Ha (Thổ Hà) traditional village used to be the well-known place of Gom Sanh (Gốm Sành) (pottery without glaze fired with the dry grass, followed by firewood and coal. People living in Tho Ha village turned to raising animals and dry pancakes because pottery was steadily abandoned. You will discover here a real rural life with special brick walls, traditional craft making which have attracted a lot of film manufacturers, photographers, painters.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 6 hours
With this tour, you will discover the authentic countryside life of Vietnam.
Start your tour with 9 am. You will be picked up at the hotel, head for Bac Giang province which takes about one hour whilst passing through Bac Ninh, the hometown of the renowned folk music Quan Ho (Quan Họ) that has been sung by locals here for thousands of years. Good opportunity for sightseeing the rural scenery, famers are working on the green field with water buffalo. Then, cross Cau (Cầu) River by local ferry, you will walk around to pass by Tho Ha villager’s villages and learn more about the local culture, chat with locals about the way of life.
Discover Tho Ha village via zigzag and narrow alleys with old houses that had been constructed from broken part of terracotta. Nowadays, Tho Ha is known for cassava wine, rice wine and rice paper cakes. Recently, the special brick walls of the village have attracted a lot of film manufacturers, photographers, painters.
You then will have lunch at the local host before moving to visit a pottery family as well as workshop. Tho Ha pottery in the past used to be fired with the dry grass, firewood and coal. When driving back Hanoi, you will stop to visit Dong Ky (Đồng Kỵ) village which is famous for wood carving. Originally, carpentry was just a hobby for the resident in Dong Ky. Nevertheless, poverty forced those residents to focus their skills on this field. Later on, you can end your trip at the hotel about 3.30pm.
Tour price:
Number of tourists:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
7. Red River Boat Trip To Rural Area Of Hanoi
Among Hanoi tours, Red River boat trip tour is very relaxing. You will have a chance to enjoy the freshness of rural area of Vietnam with fields of maize and sugarcane along the Red River bank. Just one day on the river will allow you to visit the traditional handicraft village of Bat Trang (Bát Tràng) as well as architectural temples.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 9 hours (full day tour)
The tour will give interesting sensations to tourists who could blend themselves with natural scenes, breathing in cool air and discovering the real rural life of locals.
Explore rural of Hanoi on board along the Red River.
At 7:30 pm, you will be picked up at your hotel and transfer to the whalft at number 42, Chuong Duong Do (Chương Dương Độ) street, Hanoi. Then, at 8 am, embark on the Red River boat and begin sailing along the Red River via the real rural villages of outskirt Hanoi. At 9:30 am, you will visit Dam (Dầm) and Dai Lo (Đại Lộ) temple. Then, back to the boat before continuing to go down along the Red River. At 11:15 am, you stop to visit the famous Chu Dong Tu (Chử Đồng Tử) temple praising for love (Hung Yen Province). After that, you will have lunch on board up the Red River. Early afternoon, you arrive to Bat Trang ceramic village, within 1 hour; here you can freely visit this village by bike or on foot. Also, there you could witness artisans at work and buy their refined ceramics at very reasonable prices. Later, you boat back to the city center of Hanoi at 3.30 pm and say goodbye to the captain before turning back to your hotel at 4.30 pm.
Tour price:
Seat in the coach tour: $35/person.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
8. Bat Trang And Le Mat Traditional Village
Leaving the bustling of the city center of Hanoi behind, you can opt for this suburban tour among many other Hanoi tours to explore another side of Hanoi. Spend a few hours on traveling about 30 kilometers from Hanoi city center to visit Bat Trang and Le Mat (Lệ Mật) traditional villages, combining with a lunch with friendly local families. With this tour can also learn how to make ceramic products by hand.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 6 to 7 hours
The suburb Hanoi tour can be run in motorbike, bicycle and car.
At 8 am, you start by driving about 15 kilometers to Bat Trang Ceramic village. It is well-known for ceramic and pottery products with good quality that are being exported internationally. Here, you will contemplate workers making pottery and ceramic products by hand, and you could even try it yourself. Continue to drive to Le Mat snake village which has been famous for a traditional professional: catching snakes. It is rather rumored that even children here are also skillful in doing this job. That is why there is no snake left inside this village as well as its surroundings. Recent days, hundreds of local families breed snakes to provide a lot of snake restaurants in the village. This village is not only famous for the ability of catching snakes but also for serving tasty dishes made from reptiles.
At 12 pm, you visit a local family to learn more about their daily life. The host is very friendly and always welcomes you to visit their house. Enjoy authentic lunch at the dining place while witnessing the scenic view of the beautiful Red River.
At 3 pm, you will say goodbye with friendly local people and end your trip at the hotel.
Tour Price:
Number of tourists:
– Tour by car:
– Tour by motorbike:
– Tour by bicycle:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
9. Hanoi By Night (By Motorbike)
Hanoi at night is very impressive and vibrant and exploring Hanoi nightlife on a motorbike tour is interesting for foreigner travelers. In regard to Hanoi tours, with this tour, you can discover great places which local people love to join themselves in, including where to eat for tasty street food and drinks.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 3 hours
At 7 pm, you will meet the tour guide at the hotel and have a backseat on a motorbike (or use a taxi if you want). Start riding to the vibrant Old Quarter, strolling around the quiet alleys in the 36 Old Streets of Hanoi. That way, you will be immersed within the night sounds and enjoy great street foods from local vendors in non-touristy areas of the city favored by Hanoians.
Then, you continue visiting the vibrant West Lake park, where local people gather to start their evening activities before moving on to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to contemplate the solemn moment of a flag-lowering ceremony in Ba Dinh (Ba Đình) Square. The upcoming stop is up to your own choice:
Tour price:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
10. Experience Hanoi City After Dark
Just spend several hours to explore the differences and exclusiveness of Hanoi City tour by night. With this tour, aside from other Hanoi tours, you will discover different facets of this vibrant city. The tour offers you various unique activities that just take place at night, begin your evening with a traditional water puppet show before strolling via the Old Quarter and then enjoy tasty street food at Hanoi night market or discovering Hanoi night streets. In addition, a special hot coffee/ tea cup at the authentic corner café and have a talk with locals will make your own trip more memorable.
Tour Itinerary:
Tour duration: 4 hours (in the evening)
Let’s join this Hanoi tour by night to have big surprises from another face of this busy city.
At 5 pm, you will be picked up at your hotel by a cyclo or taxi. Initially, you enjoy traditional water puppet show at Thang Long (Thăng Long) Water Puppet Theatre. Then, at 7 pm, continue to walk along Hanoi’s Old Quarter and have dinner with diversity of Hanoi Street Food ofering a variety of traditional dishes that are served in local style. At 9 pm, you move on to a certain traditional coffee shop. There, you could enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, talk with locals, and exchange culture. You will leave the café at 10 pm, and the tour guide will take you along night market, also being Hanoi night streets at weekend. There you could take photos in order to capture the moments of Hanoi night life. Later, it is time to return to your hotel.
Tour price:
Number of tourists:
If you have any extra requirement, you can freely contact with the agent to get the best possible price depending on your visiting duration and specific touring demands.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
11. Tour On Pedaling Through Hanoi’s Parts
The last but not least interesting one in this list of Hanoi tours is this. This full day tour is customized for travelers who want to observe and discover the urbanization of the capital city, making a big difference between the urban and rural area. Whereas Hanoi is usually conjured up by the image of the busy, noisy streets, traffic jams or people who are always in a hurry, it still has something different for people to discover. The tour will help you experience two separate sides of the moving city.
Tour price:
The tour guide will pick you up at the hotel at about 7.30 am and go to the bike store. Just a short introduction about skills for biking and notes delivered before starting your full-day cycling tour.
Start your trip on the crowded streets through a scenic road winding through the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Then, pass the Red River on the legendary Long Bien bridge of Hanoi. Riding along the dyke of the Red River with the first stop is Van Van Ancient House in Bat Trang Pottery Village.
After a quick rest, when your mind is refreshed by the traditional green tea of Vietnam, you will visit the pottery workshop and witness the making process of ceramic products. Especially, the local artisans are also willing to guide you to make your own pottery products.
After that, you still keep on exploring this area, passing over a few small ancient temples, wriggling via tiny alleys to look for the main road leading to a new urban area of Eco park which is considered as a remarkable place not only due to its beauty but the contrast it has made towards the villages that you have just passed. After leaving Eco park, you will ride to some local houses and have a lunch with them while exchanging a culture way of life.
On the way back to the city center of Hanoi, you will visit a mysterious and interesting Bonsai Garden. Make your way to Bai Giua of the Red River, the farmlands of a wide range of veggies and bananas. The last stop is at Quang Ba (Quảng Bá) Pottery Market where ceramics are sold out. The route then willtake you pass the floating houses as well as fields of many colorful flowers of the Red River that are waiting to be picked and brought to Hanoi. Here you can cycle back road along the river dyke. The tour guide will help you get a cab and escort you to your accommodation at about 4.30 pm. The tour stops there.
Tour inclusive:
Tour exclusive:
Tour notes:
This tour is not available on rainy day.
Related Articles:
15 Hanoi attractions tourists should know – places worth visiting
25 best Hanoi activities tourists should know – travel fun
Hanoi nightlife: where to go & what to do in the evening in Hanoi
15 best Hanoi restaurants tourists should know – travel smart
Updated: 04/16/2020 Hội Lim (Lim Festival) is regarded as the unique combination of Kinh Bac…
More points of sales needed to ensure good supply: says MoIT The Ministry of Industry…
Vietnamese agricultural enterprises are promoting the application of high technologies in production and processing to…
Digitalising the agricultural sector is an essential requirement in the context of disease and climate…
Ninh Binh, Vietnam is not only a wonderful destination to breed goats but also is…
Contents History of the Tan Loc Dong Temple Features Of Tan Loc Dong Temple When…