Summary

This small group fully guided day tour takes you to selected highlights that this beautiful, romantic city has to offer. You will go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnology, Ngoc Son Temple and enjoy an hours cyclo tour around the old quarter. Lunch will be served at one of Hanoi's finest restaurants.

Highlights

• Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Complex
• A guided tour of the Museum of Ethnology (our favourite museum in Vietnam)
• A cyclo tour through the Old Quarter, the perfect way to watch the world go by and get snap happy!

Good for...

• Anyone wanting to join a group tour and see the top tourists sights of Hanoi
• This trip can also be run on a private basis for those looking for flexibility and privacy

We just completed a one day tour of Hanoi with Tour Guide Tin and driver Dai. We have had many guides over the years but Tin was our favorite.  He was most knowledgeable about the culture, history, present day and any questions we had about Vietnam.  He opened the car door for us at all times, helped with stairs, crossing streets, ordering food in cafe and making decisions with our shopping.  He was flexible when we decided we wanted to see another sight. We felt safe at all times with him as well as the driver Dai. We highly recommend Tin as a guide. He is truly an asset to your organization.”

Florin Wolfer and  Claire Scott
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The tour is split into a morning and afternoon schedule, with a delicious lunch at one of Hanoi's finest restaurants in between.

AM
• Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum.

• The Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone stele mounted on the backs of turtles, inscribed with the names of the university’s graduates. The complex is divided into five courtyards with different paths that would originally have been reserved for the Emperor and his mandarins. One of the courtyards contains the statue of Confucius guarded by two beautiful bronze storks standing on turtles. The temple highlights the importance influence that Vietnamese society has placed on education.

Lunch

PM
• Museum of Ethnology: This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the grounds.

• Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. The Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends. One legend has it that in the 15th century Emperor Le Thai To vanquished the invading Chinese with the help of a magical sword. Whilst rowing on the lake an enormous turtle seized the sword from his grasp. The Emperor took this to mean that peace had returned and the sword had been given back to its guardian spirit. In honour of the event he renamed the lake ‘Ho Hoan Kiem’ – Lake of the Restored Sword.

• One hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi! A cyclo (pronounced see-clo) is a Vietnamese version of a cycle rickshaw, originally used as the main form of transportation in Vietnam, it has now been overtaken by motorbikes, but still very much remains at the heart of Vietnamese culture. Sit back and relax as you witness the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life from the comfort of your arm chair! The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses, shopkeepers and street vendors, selling everything from bananas to books. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ was related to the products being sold there. Hence you can walk from Fish Street to Tin Street to Bamboo Street. It’s a great place to explore and the slow pace of a cyclo will enable numerous photo opportunities. At approximately 6pm we will return you to your hotel.

US$49 per person to join a group tour

For a private tour, please contact us for cost as it depends on the number of people in your group

Trip price includes:
• Lunch
• English speaking guide
• Tours and transfers as mentioned by air-conditioned vehicle
• Sightseeing fees and permits during guided time

Trip price excludes:
• Travel Insurance (Compulsory)
• Visas fee and airport departure tax
• Services, meals and drinks other not mentioned in itinerary
• Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
• Tips and gratuities

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Destination Information

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Vietnam

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Vietnam

Recommended Hotels

There are plenty of hotels in the region but we have the advantage of living here, constantly inspecting them, finding new ones, and dumping old ones and knowing the true levels of service. To see our recommended hotels in each area please click here

FAQ’s

Any further information can be found in our FAQ’s section or feel free to email us