15 activities in Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi, located on the banks of the Red River, is one of the most ancient capitals in the world,
where travellers can find well-preserved colonial buildings, ancient pagodas, and unique museums within the city centre. It beautifully blends French flair and traditional Vietnamese touch in its Gothic churches, opera houses, and French colonial buildings.

Explore the natural beauty of Vietnam’s jewel, Ha Long, on our hop-on hop-off bus. Marvel at its breathtaking scenery, limestone karsts, and glittering emerald sea from our top deck. You’ll get 360-degree views and brilliant photos as the bus drives along the Bai Chay. Create your itinerary as you hop off at any of our stops around the city. With two routes to choose from, you’ll be able to see all of Ha Long’s top sights at your own pace. Book your tickets now to discover the exceptional Ha Long!                               

Highlights

• Discover the delights of Ha Long, Vietnam’s most picturesque coastal city

• Marvel at Ha Long’s incredible limestone islands dotted around the stunning bay

• Choose between a 24-hour or 48-hour ticket

• Audio commentary in multiple languages

• Hop on and hop off as much as you want for the duration of your ticket                                        

Hop aboard with us to explore Ha Long, Vietnam’s stunning coastal city. As you travel along the spectacular coastline, you’ll get incredible views of the bay. Our fascinating audio guides will provide you with insider knowledge and fun facts.

Ha Long Bay is a natural wonder. It’s no surprise that it’s one of Vietnam's most popular destinations. From our top deck, you'll get the best views of the bay and its emblematic limestone karsts rising from emerald waters. These ancient formations, shaped over millions of years, create a landscape that feels out of this world. Get your camera ready to capture the scenery from every angle as you hop off at designated spots for the perfect photo opportunity. Snap selfies with the towering limestone fingers as your backdrop and let the world envy your epic adventures.

As you travel along the impressive coastline, it’ll be hard to miss the Sun World Halong Complex. This modern amusement park boasts a variety of activities and attractions, from thrilling rollercoasters to Vietnamese water puppet shows. Sun World even has an iconic Ferris Wheel, which stands 215m above sea level, and its Queen cable car. You won’t be short of views of the remarkable bay below.

For those looking to experience Vietnamese culture, our bus takes you directly to the bustling Ha Long market. Here, you'll find vendors selling everything from fresh seafood to handmade crafts. Bargain with the locals and try some delicious street food. Don't forget to try Ha Long’s specialty, cha muc, mouthwatering fried squid cakes with sticky rice.

Take a moment to stop and smell the flowers when you hop off at Ha Long Flower Park. Featuring countless colorful blooms, it’s a gardener's paradise. Ha Long Flower Park is the perfect place to relax, take a walk, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Get ready to dive into the captivating history and heritage of Quang Ninh province at the Quang Ninh Museum. This beautifully designed museum is carved out of dark glass. Learn all about this region’s past, from local fishermen to coal miners, and how they've shaped Ha Long's culture and economy over the years.

With our hop-on hop-off bus, you'll be able to explore the best of Ha Long in comfort and convenience. So what are you waiting for? Hop aboard, and let's explore. Book today!

Language

Audioguide is available in English, French, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

We start our evening Hanoi street food tour at a hidden coffee shop with a welcome drink and the chance to fill up your reusable water bottle. Walking into this cafe you will see plastic bottles, turned into flowers and dragonflies, hanging from the ceiling. These decorations create pops of color throughout the cafe. What a good way to start your evening tour!


Stroll through hidden alleyways and visit the city’s local market, Hang Be. Along the perimeter of the market, dozens of street hawkers sell a staggering variety of produce from live seafood to exotic fruits and spices. Your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty local doughnut where you have the chance to learn the process of how the local family makes their doughnuts, including sweet and savoury varieties.

The next stop on our Hanoi street food tour is a food stall selling bun dau met (noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste) and bun cha (a grilled pork and noodle dish). We sit down with the Hanoi locals and also have a chance to sample mam tom (shrimp paste) or nuoc mam (fish sauce).

Next we visit Lo Ren Steet, where we will stop for some banh mi, a tasty Vietnamese baguette sandwich with many different choices of fillings. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish banh cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together.

Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1,000 years ago.

Now, it's time for a cup of bia hoi (light Vietnamese draft beer) while we sit down and mingle with locals. This local beer-drinking tradition is one not to be missed. After that, we'll wander the back road along the Hanoi train track trails, one of the most unique places in Vietnam. Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city centre below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits! At the end of our Hanoi tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.

Transfer from your hotel to Bun Cha Huong Lien for dinner.

Bun Cha (Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli) is a very common dish in Hanoi, Vietnam. Along with Pho, Bun Cha also stands for Hanoi’s stunning cuisine culture which is the perfect combination of rice noodles, meat, veggie, spices, and local special dipping fish sauce.

Since 1993, Bun Cha Huong Lien has been well-known as one of Hanoi’s most prominent family-run restaurants and become familiar to Hanoians: office workers, students, and domestic and international tourists.

In 2016, Bun Cha Huong Lien was honored to welcome Mr. US President Obama and famous TV host Anthony Bourdain for their dinner on the first day of his visit to Vietnam.

With an extensive menu including Bun cha, skewers, crab spring rolls, seafood square rolls, small vermicelli (or big rolls), and skewered vermicelli, the restaurant features delicious traditional dishes of a nostalgic Hanoi.

Enjoy your evening dinner at this local authentic family-run restaurant and experience the specialties of Vietnam’s cuisine.

Transfer from your hotel to Rice Bistro for dinner.

The original Rice Bistro started in 1994 in Old Quarter, Hanoi. Our restaurant is where you can enjoy an exclusive experience of the Vietnamese culinary tradition redefined with Western flair. Inspired by age-old native flavors and western food style, our Chef has created a variety of delicious dishes.

The menu is made up of a combination of flavors, with recipes and ingredients from across the North of Vietnam, the food tends to reflect its colder climate and historical culture. In Vietnam, in terms of food, there are three distinct areas – the North, the Central, and the South – each of which has its own climate, culture, and food traditions.

With cutting-edge decor, warm colors, and artwork, dining at the Rice Bistro is a whole new experience, revealing the many different facets of Vietnamese cuisine and its finest specialties from the North.

Utterly unique, from its decor to the quality of the cuisine.

We can't wait to show you the sights! Please choose between the morning tour or the afternoon tour.

Morning option:

Embark on a captivating exploration of Hanoi City as our friendly guide picks you up. Your journey begins with a visit to Tran Quoc Pagoda, nestled on the picturesque Golden Fish Island in West Lake. This ancient pagoda, dating back to the 6th century, is a testament to Hanoi's rich history.

Next, you'll discover the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where you'll have a remarkable opportunity to view the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh himself. Stroll through the lush garden, which once served as his residence and workplace from 1954 to 1969.

Your next stop is the One Pillar Pagoda, an architectural marvel dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It stands as one of the world's most unique pagodas.

We would visit the incredible Vietnam Ethnology Museum, where you'll gain valuable insights into the diverse and fascinating cultures of the country's 54 ethnic groups. On Mondays, we'll take you to the Women's Museum for an equally enriching experience you won't want to miss!

By lunchtime, savour a Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant. Your morning half-day city tour concludes here, leaving you with a deeper understanding of Hanoi's cultural and historical treasures.

Afternoon option:

Your adventure begins with our friendly guide extending a warm welcome as they pick you up from your hotel. You're about to embark on an enriching afternoon exploration of Hanoi, one of Vietnam's most culturally vibrant cities.

Your culinary and cultural journey kicks off with a visit to a local restaurant, where you'll have the pleasure of indulging in a Vietnamese lunch. The first stop on your itinerary is the esteemed Temple of Literature, known as Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam. Founded in the year 1070, this historic complex holds immense significance in Hanoi.

Stroll through its picturesque gardens, marvel at the time-honoured architecture, and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of the country's educational heritage. The journey continues with a visit to Hoa Lo Prison, a site that holds historical weight and was famously known as the "Hanoi Hilton." Explore its thought-provoking exhibits, each narrating stories from different chapters of the nation's past.

As late afternoon approaches, you'll find yourself at the tranquil Ngoc Son Temple, gracefully positioned on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake. To reach this sacred sanctuary, you'll cross the iconic red bridge, adding to the experience.

This is where your adventure through Hanoi's rich cultural and historical tapestry comes to an end and you will return back to your hotel.

Our guide meets you at the hotel around Old Quarter Hanoi (or at our appointment if you stay far away the Old Quarter). Begin the walking food tour to breathe in the aromatic scents wafting from street hawker stalls selling everything from exotic fruit to seafood. Our guide will also inform you stories about the ingredients and history of Hanoi’s food culture and northern Vietnamese specialties.

Continue going around Hanoi Old Quarter, sample fruit, street snacks and visit some famous and specialized-food families or stalls, little local restaurants which run by authentic local chefs, certainly you will watch the chefs at work and taste some particular dishes (Your choice or our recommendations. Vegetarian food or special requirement is available upon request).

Not yet, to add something sweet to the menu, try the local specialty of fresh fruit served in a cup with crushed ice and condensed milk or try the local favorite egg coffee or perhaps a chilled drink at a corner cafe nears Hoan Kiem Lake with amazing views. Your food tour ends here, so you can continue exploring on your own, take a cab or ask our guide for the directions to your hotel.


Languages: English.

On a 3 hours walking tour you’ll explore the culture, history of Hanoi, step into a world full of street food vendors. Unlike big cities all around the world, street food in Hanoi are not just hot dog carts and pretzel stands, we offer an opportunity to try out 10 different dishes at local food stand, family restaurants…

A rotating menu from day-to-day to represent the variety of delicious options, but tastings might include – but are subject to change: rice noodle soup with beef, rice noodle with chicken, rice noodle with grilled pork, snail, or dry noodle, sticky rice, along with various kinds of donut, steamed pancake or Vietnamese sandwiches.

Get ready for an amazing day! We'll pick you up bright and early from your hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter. Then, we'll head to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. You'll learn so much about Ho Chi Minh's incredible life and his vital role in shaping this country! 

Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda (one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam) and the Ethnology Museum, the most recent yet probably the largest and undoubtedly the most interesting Museums in Ha Noi and Vietnam.

 

In the afternoon, visit the first university in Vietnam, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison, The French kept mainly political prisoners here along with those awaiting sentencing at the nearby Court of Justice, also where American pilots who had been shot down and captured were kept as prisoners of war.  

Your city tour will begin with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. After that, you will be on the way to Bat Trang Pottery Museum, where you can learn more about the different materials and techniques used in pottery-making.

Having Lunch at Hoa Vien Restaurant in Bat Trang.

In the afternoon, take a short rest in Serein Cafe & Lounge and admire the Long Bien ancient bridge.

On the way to the next destination, you will be able to see Hang Dau Water Tank. On arrival, you will start to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake - a freshwater lake in the center of Hanoi.

You can spend a couple of hours discovering some famous attractions such as St. Joseph's Cathedral of Hanoi, Hanoi Moi Newspaper, Mão bookshop, and Hanoi Train Street, or experience a modern corner in this ancient city while having a tour at Hanoi Metro.

Begin the day by our guide picking you up from your hotel within Hanoi Old Quarter. Then, we depart for Ninh Binh province. Along the way, a short 15-minute break is scheduled before moving on to our initial destination.

Explore Hoa Lư, the ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010, where you'll delve into Vietnamese history during the feudal era under the Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasties. Continue your journey with a 45-minute cycling tour around the village, gaining insights into the daily lives of the local people.

Enjoy a buffet lunch at a local restaurant, featuring a wide array of local dishes. Then embark on a 1.5-hour bamboo boat excursion through Tam Coc, where you'll be enchanted by the captivating landscapes, including paddy fields, rivers, waterways, cloud-draped skies, and stunning cave systems. This natural beauty has earned it the nickname "Ha Long Bay on land."

Return to the bus for our next destination, Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Prepare for a climb of nearly 500 steps to reach the summit of Lying Dragon Mountain, from where you'll enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of Tam Coc.

Board the bus for your return trip to Hanoi marking the conclusion of your enriching Ninh Binh adventure. It's a day filled with history, natural beauty, and authentic local experiences that you'll cherish for years to come.

Begin the day by our guide picking you up from your hotel within Hanoi Old Quarter. Then, we depart for Ninh Binh province. Along the way, a short 15-minute break is scheduled before moving on to our initial destination.

Explore Bai Dinh Pagoda, a renowned and colossal pagoda in Southeast Asia, boasting numerous remarkable features such as 500 Stone Arhat Statues, a 36-ton bronze Bell, and a monumental 100-ton Buddha Statue.

Enjoy a lunch buffet with a variety of local dishes. Vegetarian option is always available.

Then venture to Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, known for its enchanting tunnel cave system. This location was chosen for the filming of the 2016 movie "Kong: Skull Island." Embark on a 2.5-hour boat trip through this captivating landscape.

Return to the limousine bus and continue your journey to Mua Cave, also known as Dancing Cave. Ascend nearly 500 steps to reach the summit of Lying Dragon Mountain, where you'll be treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of Tam Coc. Get back to our limousine bus for the return to Hanoi hotel marking the end of your remarkable journey through Ninh Binh province.

Discover breathtaking Hoa Lu and Tam Coc, these famous sites are located in Ninh Binh province, about 100km south of Hanoi.

Tam Coc’s karst mountains resemble the topography at Halong Bay. The biggest difference is that Tam Coc is situated on land and contains rice paddies around. The area supports farmers with stray goats on the karsts hillsides and fishermen.

Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, was built to dedicate to the Dinh and early Le dynasty in the 10th and 11th centuries. The sites attraction consists of a stone pedestal of a royal throne, bronze bells and a statue of the Emperors.

After a great buffet lunch, take in the beauty of the towering karst formations in Tam Coc on the Ngô Đồng River as you wind along their bases and are rowed into one of the many caves carved from the limestone.

Followed up with amazing biking trip through the countryside and rice paddy fields.

It is a great day tour for both young and old!

Itinerary*
• 7:30am-8am: Pick-up and depart for Ninh Binh province
• 9:15am: Short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax
• 10:30am: Hoa Lu visit
• 11:45am: Buffet lunch
• 1pm: Visit Tam Coc by 1.5-hour bamboo boat.
• 3pm: 45 minutes cycling around the village to discover the life of the local people
• 4pm: Return to Hanoi
• 6pm: Arrival to Hanoi and drop-off at the hotel

*Please note that the itinerary order, times and duration may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as heavy traffic, accidents, diversions, severe weather, etc.

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! Our friendly guide will pick you up bright and early, and before you know it, you'll be on your way to Ninh Binh province for an incredible journey. At around 9ish, we'll take a quick 15-20 minute break to relax and recharge before we visit Hoa Lư, the ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. Get ready to dive into the incredible history of Vietnam during the feudal period under the Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty!

Then it's time for a delicious buffet lunch in the restaurant! You'll get to try lots of local foods, like goat meat, fish, chicken, and fried rice. And if you're a vegetarian, don't worry – there are plenty of options for you too! After lunch, we're off to our next destination: Tam Coc, where we'll arrive by bamboo boat. You'll be blown away by the incredible beauty of this place, with paddy fields, rivers, water, clouds, skies, and a breathtaking cave system during the boat trip. All of this comes together to create a masterpiece that the Vietnamese people have aptly named "Ha Long Bay on land".

Then it's time for the best part of the tour! We'll be cycling around the village to discover the life of the local people. It's a great way to get a feel for the area. After that, it'll be time to say goodbye and make our way back to Hanoi, where you'll be dropped off at your hotel.

A Jeep Tour is a fun way to experience the sights, smells and tastes of Hanoi not like a trip through the window of a mundane air-con car.

And definitely, the best way to see and learn about the real Hanoi, not just the run-off-the-mill tourist sites. If you are looking for a way to see Hanoi in style, then this the one-of-a-kind tour for you!

Venice has gondolas, Paris has 2CVS, Rome has Fiats and in Hanoi, we have Vietnam People’s Army legendary Jeep-Uaz469 from the Soviet Era. Gaz69 Jeep was a legend of the Soviet Bloc and Vietnamese Army in the 50s and 60s, by now, any of Gaz69 left is definitely a national antique as the last ones were built in 1971.

Sit back, relax, and be outstanding as our chauffeur-driver and expert guide shows you around the highlights of Hanoi in the back of a VPA Legendary Jeep uaz469.

We can also show you some of the more hidden gems in the capital, places you didn’t know existed. We expose you to the real Hanoi, featured with the good, the bad and the weird of the city. Plus, en route, you could have a chance to experience the best street food that the city offers.

On the first part of the tour, we expose you the real Hanoi with a day in the life experiences, featured with the parts-unknown of the city with slices of life in the maze of backstreets, tiny alleyways, local homes, schools, random markets and black market, experiencing where & how locals live, work and play.

On the second part, we pass by and stop at the must-see places in our beautiful city, such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum-the Vietnamese Mecca, the 1000-year-old Buddhist and Taoist temples of Tran Quoc, the temple of Literature, the historical train-street, the enchanting French Quarter, the hustling & bustling Old Quarter, the romantic lakes of Hoan Kiem, West Lake, Hanoi Opera House famous Long Bien bridge, and so on.

About the last part of Hanoi Jeep Tours is food! We will serve the authentic, healthy and organic at Hidden Gem Cafe where we will try the savor the tastiest of the tasty dishes of Hanoi including family heirloom and secret recipe dishes and local delicacies. Vegan & Vegetarian options are available.