What the evening is
Six or seven stops, on foot, spread across three hours. Your guide orders, explains what has arrived and why it is northern rather than Vietnamese in general, and steers you away from the stalls that exist for tourists.
Highlights
- The Old Quarter in the evening, when it is at its busiest
- Bun cha, pho, banh cuon, banh mi, egg coffee and more
- The history behind the dishes, not only their names
- O mai — candied fruit — on Hang Duong street
- The city seen through someone who grew up eating here
The route
6:00 PM. Your guide collects you from your hotel and the walk starts. Where it goes depends on where you are staying, so no two evenings are identical.
What stays the same is the range. Hanoians call this food fast food, which is accurate about the speed and misleading about everything else — most of these dishes take a day to prepare and have been made the same way for generations. Your guide will tell you what is in them and where they come from.
Likely on the table
- Bun cha — grilled pork with cold rice noodles
- Pho — flat rice noodle soup, beef or chicken
- Banh goi (pillow cake), banh tom (shrimp cake), banh xeo (crisp pancake)
- Banh cuon — steamed rice rolls
- Nom bo kho — dried beef with green papaya
- Banh mi Hanoi — the local bread
- Nem ran or pho cuon — fried or fresh spring rolls
- To drink: bia hoi, mixed fruit, che, or egg coffee
Near the end comes Hang Duong street and its o mai — dried and candied fruit, salted or sugared, which Vietnamese call the cream of local gifts and which travels home better than anything else you will be offered. There are shops worth browsing along the way.
The walk finishes around 9:00 PM. From there you can carry on exploring, walk back, or take a taxi.
What is included, and what is not
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| An English-speaking student guide | The food and drinks themselves |
| Hotel pick-up and route planning | Transport, if any is needed |
| Confirmation by email before the day | Tips, and your guide's share of the meal |
Changes, cancellation and weather
Let us know at least three hours before the start time if you cannot come, so the guide can be told and the slot offered to someone else.
Heavy rain changes which stalls are open. Your guide will re-plan the route on the way rather than cancel, unless conditions make walking unsafe.
Before you set off
- Tell us about allergies, intolerances or a vegetarian diet when you book — the route can be built around them.
- Come hungry and skip the hotel dinner. This is a meal, spread over three hours and six or seven stops.
- Photographs from the walk may be used in club promotion. Say so in the booking if you would rather they were not.
Book this walk
- Days
- 1
Sending this does not charge you. We hold the space and confirm within 24 hours.