Published:  08:53 Tuesday - May 16, 2017

With a population of four million and a more genteel style than its southern counterpart, Hanoi is the cultural capital of Vietnam and its heart and soul. A great place to explore on foot, there is a lot to see and do here.

Hanoi is teeming with ornate Buddhist temples, ancient citadels, war memorials, and French colonial architecture while traditional villages and national parks are just outside the city. From full-day excursions to UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay and Ba Vi National Park to evening cyclo tours and traditional water puppet shows in the city centre, these popular Hanoi tours cater to just about any budget and preference.

Hanoi nightlife walking tour

Spend an evening discovering the bustling nightlife in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Sample from popular Vietnamese foods, including pho and nem chua ran, before continuing to clubs and bars to drink Vietnamese beer and choose how you want to spend your night.

Meet your tour guide at your hotel lobby and take a walk around the narrow and crowded streets of the Old Quarter, discovering the unique nightlife of the bustling city. 

Try a bowl of pho, the famous Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Choose to taste a Vietnamese specialty - Bun bo Nam Bo (southern-styled vermicelli with beef).

Stop to get beers on the street to enjoy the night atmosphere. Sit down and drink Bia Hoi, a special type of Vietnamese draft beer best enjoyed in a big glass. Taste a delicious nem chua ran—a type of pork sausage, and peanuts. Learn to make a toast in Vietnamese style.

Afterward, take a short walk to nearby bars in the Hanoi Old Quarter's busiest corners. Choose from dynamic clubs where you can drink and dance to loud music, or retreat to a quieter pub where you can have a quiet chat with your guide about local life, or make friends with other expats. At the end of the evening, return to your hotel to relax.

Cooking class & market tour

Experience the tastes and textures of Vietnamese cuisine and learn a bit about the cultural heritage of Hanoi as you visit a bustling wet market and pick up a few skills during this hands-on cooking class. With professional chefs to guide between bites, dive into the flavors of Vietnam.

Start your day at the Hanoi Cooking Centre, where you can sip on hot cups of tea and chat with your instructor about the day's itinerary before you walk to one of the city's last wet markets.

Return to the school, don an apron, and get a tour of the kitchen. Help your instructor prep each ingredient and find out what 4 special dishes you're about to make. Follow step-by-step instructions as you hear about balancing the flavors of Vietnamese cuisine.

Grab a seat at a spacious table with your classmates, pop open a few bottles of wine or beer, and then dive into your tasty creations. 

Get tips on types of dishes you can make, and feel free to take a list of recipes and your apron home, so you can recreate flavorful meals for your friends and family.

Hidden secrets cycle & walking tour

Explore the rich history of Hanoi with a tour through the city's authentic cuisine and traditional delicacies by cycle rickshaw and on foot. 

An adventure in equal parts delicious and fascinating takes you to impressive landmarks and sights, along with a number of delightful food stops.

Meet your guide in the Old Quarter and board a cyclo, a combination bicycle and rickshaw, for a leisurely sightseeing ride. 

Weave through the busy streets of Hanoi, enjoy the hustle and bustle of whizzing motorbikes and locals doing their shopping, and snap some photos of French colonial houses before you arrive at your next destination.

Arrive at the North Gate of the ancient Citadel of Hanoi, a monumental fortress that stands in the middle of the city. 

Listen as your guide explains the historical background of the building, and then get your walking shoes ready for the journey to an 11th-century Taoist temple, Quan Thanh Temple. Stroll to the stunning West Lake before beginning the culinary portion of your tour.

Fuel up with a quick snack at the historic Pho Cuon Restaurant, and then set off along Nguyen Truong To Street. 

Admire the famous sweet treats along the way toward Hang Than Street, sample some of Hanoi's most delicious and popular wedding cakes, and then shake off the sugar rush with a relaxed walk to Hang Ga Street for a traditional Vietnamese coffee break. 

Your journey finishes at the luxurious Silk Path Hotel.

Full-day Hanoi history & landmarks tour

Spend a full day exploring the most important historic and cultural sites in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. 

Experience the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ethnology Museum, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Hanoi's Old Quarter as you navigate the city with a knowledgeable guide in a small group.

Get picked up from your Hanoi hotel and make your first stop at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. 

Learn about the structure's unique history and architecture from your guide, before moving on to the One Pillar Pagoda, created by King Ly Thai To in 1049. 

This ancient pagoda stands over water balanced on—you guessed it—a single pillar. See the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda on the West Lake, and visit the traditional Bat Trang pottery village, before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, enter the Ethnology Museum, considered by many to be the best museum in Vietnam. 

Learn about the country's extensive cultural history before visiting the Literature Temple, Quoc Tu Giam, and Vietnam's first university, built in 1070, featuring well-preserved architecture and gardens. 

See the peaceful waters at Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son temple, and then journey through Hanoi's Old Quarter to do some shopping and exploration before the tour ends.

Local street food tour

Navigating Hanoi's thriving street food scene can be tough. This unique, carefully designed adventure combines expert knowledge with flexibility to pursue your unique interests, bringing you closer than ever to discovering the culinary secrets hiding around every corner.

Sample a wide variety of popular street food dishes, including bun cha (grilled pork patties with noodles), pho (beef noodle), crab noodle, pork porridge, and savory Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo). 

Delve deeper into lesser known foods, including grilled quail, golden pillow cakes, beef noodle, eel noodle, shrimp cake, and snails. Enjoy an assortment of drinks and local dried snacks, and even visit a local market place.

Your guide is happy to take your suggestions into account. Customize your tour with your own personal taste, utilizing your guide's expert advice to locate must-haves of Hanoi street food.

Full-day tour to Perfume Pagoda

Travel to the Perfume Pagoda, a vast network of temples and shrines built into the limestone Huong Tich Mountains - the most important religious site in Buddhist Vietnam. Ride in a row boat on beautiful waterways, trek up steep mountain paths, and marvel at centuries-old temples.

Get picked up from your hotel in Hanoi and travel south to a river harbor. Ride a bow boat along a romantic stretch of the Yen stream before arriving at Thien Tru harbor. 

Trek up a mountain to reach Huong Tich cave, a huge cave on the top of a mountain. 

After the Lunar New Year, thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims come here to pray for health and prosperity.

Hike down at eat lunch at a local restaurant at the foot of the mountain. After lunch, visit the Heaven Kitchen Pagoda, and learn more about ancient Buddhist architecture under the Le Dynasty. 

Travel back down the river by row back and then drive back to Hanoi, arriving back at your hotel in the early evening.

Evening cyclo tour with water puppet show

Discover the charming French quarter of Hanoi on an evening cyclo tour. Watch a traditional water puppet show and enjoy a favorite local dish for dinner.

Sit back and relax as you're picked up from your hotel. Depart on a cyclo tour to the scenic Hoan Kiem Lake - an attraction for locals and tourists alike.

The tour continues in Hanoi's French Quarter, where you pass by historical buildings - French colonial-era style - such as the majestic Hanoi Opera House and Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel.

Next, watch an entertaining water puppet show. See puppets come to life performing traditional folklore, legends, and historical tales. 

Walk through the vibrant street markets of Hanoi's Old Quarter before enjoying a classic local delicacy for dinner—a bowl of Vietnamese beef noodles (pho bo).