Hanoi Old Quarter Private Walking Tour: Student-Led Exploration of History, Cuisine, and Culture

Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter through a student-led walking tour. Discover the history, cuisine, and culture of this vibrant city while supporting local students. Book now!

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) - Our tour guide will pick you up at your hotel or meeting point then we will start our Hanoi Old Quarter Walking Tour. The first destination of the tour will stop by Hoan Kiem Lake, considered the heart of Hanoi. You can observe many locals interesting activities such as playing badminton, doing exercises, etc.
  • Ancient House - Then, we head to Ancient House. Situated at a tranquil street near Silver Street, Ancient House appeals plenty of tourists by its ancient but sophisticated charm of a Vietnamese traditional house.
  • Kim Ngan Temple - The Hanoitimes - Kim Ngan communal house (No. 42 Hang Bac, Hanoi) is an old architectural and religious structure built during the Le dynasty.
    In mid 2011, Kim Ngan communal house became a cultural and performing arts venue when it was chosen as a meeting place for lovers of ca tru singing.
    Note: optional
  • Thang Long Water Puppet - Thang Long Water Puppet is a final site we will visit. Traditional legends and historical tales are among the enchanting puppet plays performed at this popular theatre.
    Open Hours: 3pm-8pm (daily)
    Price: 100,000 - 200,000 (depend on your seat)
What's Included
  • Complimentary hotel pick-up and drop-off in Hanoi Old Quarter
  • Guaranteed tour with email confirmation
  • Exclusive access to a private tour guide
What's Not Included
  • Transport
Additional Information

Led by local students who are eager to share their knowledge and love for Hanoi, you’ll stroll through the narrow streets of the Old Quarter. Your guide will take you on a journey through time, narrating stories of the city’s past and present.

You’ll have the chance to visit historical landmarks like Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, and explore local markets and shops. Your guide will also introduce you to traditional Vietnamese cuisine, recommending the best street food and local restaurants.

By choosing our tour, you’ll not only enjoy a memorable and personalized experience but also support the education and future of our local students.

NOTE:

  • Please be aware that tank tops and shorts above the knee are not allowed when entering spiritual attractions such as pagodas, temples, The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, etc.
  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open only in the morning from 7:30 am to 11 am.
Location
Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(417 Ratings)
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Storyteller423749
Aug 31, 2024
Informative! - Gracie is very informative and interesting to talk to. Great at answering questions. Would recommend wholeheartedly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Curious04441197815
Aug 31, 2024
Great tour in the Old Quarter - If you're planning to visit Hanoi, you have to book a tour with them. They share great stories and information about the places you'll visit and the Vietnamese culture. We would not have known those things without Mark, our tour guide. He even shared where the best food places are for locals.  Overall, we had a great time learning about Vietnam and the people. It made our first foreign travel memorable. Highly recommended ❤️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B2332ajoliviap
Aug 28, 2024
Fun Old Quarter Walking Tour! - Today we went on a private walking tour with Mia Trần Huệ. She met us at our hotel and spent the first half of the day showing us around the Old Quarter, from markets to temples to museums. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the symbolism and history behind everything and had answers to pretty much all of our questions. She was fun to hang out with and even messaged us recommendations for food and activities after she left! This was a great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7471uzannas
Aug 19, 2024
Old Quarter - Good experience! My guide was a guy named Clover - really positive and kind ! I have chosen destinations myself and guide planned a tour. Also, we used his bike for far locations since I was solo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marianaed9231hq
Aug 14, 2024
Tour very animated and rich in discoveries- Knowledgeable guides - I took a guided tour accompanied by Winnie and Lynh. We visited the Temple of Ngoc Son, the French Quarter, the Heritage Centre and the Cathedral. Nevertheless, the tour can be customized to the visitor's taste in terms of duration and places of interest. The guides are well trained, informed and welcoming, they give detailed and very interesting explanations (On culture, history, religion and architecture). If I return to Hanoi I will repeat the experience without hesitation! The tour is free but obviously a tip at the end of the tour is recommended. If the sites to be visited are paid for, the Guide entrance must be covered (which can vary depending on the site from 0 to 2 euros, or from 10K to 50K Vietnamese dong) or simply visit the site from outside. The guides adapt to the interests of the visitor.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
47aneesar
Aug 14, 2024
Brilliant and informative - We had 2 great student guides. Linh and Hie (I'm not sure if I've spelt his name correctly) we're absolutely fantastic in showing us around and giving us historical and cultural information about their city. They were on time, asked us if we wanted to see anything in particular and tailored the day to suit us. Thank you for a great free tour! We really enjoyed it and the student guides were fantastic!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
633vincentz
Aug 14, 2024
Tour through old quartar - I was guided by tour guide Quỳnh. See was well educated on the different stops we did. Making the experience educating and enjoyable. Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Knorstine
Aug 10, 2024
An interesting look behind the scenes and at the city - As the other reviews correctly report, we experienced a very interesting tour of Hanoi's old town, were in the literary temple and at our request in the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Unfortunately, we did not experience the Mausoleum due to the unfavorable opening hours. Our two tour guides were especially interested in talking in English, which we also liked a lot. Their knowledge of the Temple of Literature was rather modest, but that didn't matter, as we had many other interesting, including political, topics of conversation. Getting to know her point of view was probably the most interesting thing. The association that offers these tours for free is state-owned. It is strongly reminiscent of the International Club of Friendship in the GDR. The Ho Chi Minh Museum seems to be the headquarters, because it was there that we were handed over to older students who gave us memorized texts on the life and work of Ho Chi Minh in English. He was accompanied by many photocopies of letters and photos from his lifetime and stays abroad. In-depth knowledge of the historical situation and background of the exhibited objects was only partially available. Afterwards we strolled through the old town, drank coffee and exchanged ideas. We said goodbye over dinner at a streetfoot restaurant. The day was great. Highly recommended! Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander11719633003
Aug 15, 2024
Ha Noi Free private tour Guide - Gracie speaks English very well.She explains the story of Ha Noi perfectly and answers all our questions with ease.We spent a pleasant afternoon together. I recommend it if you are looking for someone as Guide to visit Ha Noi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O9446cjphilipph
Aug 13, 2024
Fun walking tour for your first day in Hanoi! - Very nice tour with main guide Gracie and student guide Linh! Saw most of the Old Quarter, as well as the area around Hoang Kiem Lake, some of the french quarter and surrounding areas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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