Compare the routes
| Route | Length | Starts | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Quarter Walking Tour | 3 hours | 09:00 or 14:00 | A first afternoon in the city |
| Old Quarter & French Quarter | 3.5 hours | 09:00 or 14:00 | Architecture and the colonial city |
| Ho Chi Minh Complex & Temple of Literature | Half day | 09:00 or 14:00 | History and the Ba Dinh sites |
| Hanoi War Sites | Half day | 09:00 or 14:00 | Hoa Lo Prison and the Military History Museum |
| Hanoi Free City Tour | Full day | 09:00–17:00 | One day only in Hanoi |
| Street Food Experience | 3 hours | 18:00 | Eating your way round the Old Quarter |
| Private Food Tour | 3 hours | 17:30–18:00 | A family or small group, at their own pace |
The Mausoleum closes on Mondays and Fridays. On those days the war sites route runs through the French Quarter instead, and Ba Dinh moves to another day.
Where the routes go
Hanoi sits on the right bank of the Red River and its centre has grown in layers: the guild streets of the old merchant town, the boulevards the French laid over the edge of it, and the state buildings of Ba Dinh to the west. Our routes each take one of those layers rather than trying to cover all three in a morning.
- The Old Quarter — 36 guild streets, tube houses, Bach Ma temple, Dong Xuan Market, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.
- The French Quarter — the Opera House, the Metropole, the State Bank, Ly Thai To square and St Joseph's Cathedral.
- Ba Dinh — the Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, the stilt house, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
- The Temple of Literature — Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070.
- The war sites — Hoa Lo Prison and the Military History Museum.
Pick a route
Frequently asked questions
Which route should I take if I only have one day?
The full-day city tour. It covers Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature before lunch and the Old Quarter and French Quarter after, which is as much of Hanoi as one day holds.
Can I combine two half-day routes?
Yes, morning and afternoon on the same day. Say so in the booking and we will try to give you the same guide for both.
Do the routes involve transport?
They are walking tours. Only the full-day route uses a taxi, to reach Ba Dinh, and you pay that fare yourself.
How many people are in a group?
These are private walks — your group only. That is why booking ahead matters: one guide, one group.