Hanoi French Quarter: An Exploration of Vietnamese Coffee and History

Embark on a captivating walking tour of Hanoi’s French Quarter, immersing yourself in the rich history and culture while savoring authentic Vietnamese coffee. Discover the French influences, Vietnam War, and iconic landmarks in this engaging and informative exploration.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St. Joseph’s Cathedral - Address: 40 Nha Chung street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

St Joseph Cathedral Hanoi is considered to be one of the symbols of Hanoi. It’s a late 19th-century Gothic Revival (Neo-Gothic style) church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi to nearly 4 million Catholics in the country. The architecture of St Joseph Cathedral Hanoi is designed in the style of medieval Gothic Europe.

The church and colonization are inseparable and the church has played an outsize role in Vietnam’s modern history. It is not only a regular place of worship activities of the Archdiocese of Hanoi, but St Joseph cathedral Hanoi is also a popular tourist destination in Hanoi, attracting a large number of tourists inside and outside to visit.

What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
  • Snacks
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on an exploration of the stunning Hanoi French Quarter on our Walking Tour, a district rich in culture and history that distinguishes it from the rest of Hanoi. Situated in the city’s southern region, this historical neighborhood is ripe for discovery.

Our journey begins in a French villa coffee house where we delve into the general history of Vietnam, all over a cup of genuine Vietnamese Coffee. A quick run-through of Hanoi’s French influences and the momentous Vietnam War will follow. The itinerary includes landmarks like St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi Opera House, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Post Office, Trang Tien Street, Hanoi Metropole Hotel, and the pioneering university in French Indochina, along with many more.

Wander through the transformations Vietnamese society saw under French colonial rule and discern both the highs and lows of this epoch. Though we provide comprehensive details (perfect for history enthusiasts!), we do so in a friendly, light-hearted setting. Consider this more of a heart-to-heart talk, rather than a sermon!

Location
6 P. Ấu Triệu
Phố Ấu Triệu
The meeting point is in front of the coffee shop at 6 Au Trieu Street (right next to the St Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi). Address: 6 Phố Ấu Triệu, Hang Trong, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(137 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Dominicw860
Jun 25, 2024
Great afternoon with a great guide - Mina was the best guide I've had in a long time. Knowledgeable and fun and organised and good to chat with all at once. Strongly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennamp7274dd
Jun 14, 2024
Amazing morning with Mina, I learnt a lot - Mina was a wonderful guide! I had a fantastic morning with her learning about Vietnam’s coffee culture, history and the architecture of the Old Quarter. I highly recommend this tour if you enjoy coffee and want to learn about the different influences that have shaped Vietnam's culture!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest31038262273
Jun 12, 2024
Excellent overview of Vietnam and French interaction - Mina is a cheerful and eloquent guide with great knowledge and good stories. Interesting and insightful. Recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeremy
Jun 9, 2024
Fun tour of the French quarter! - Had a great tour with Mina. She was very knowledgeable, candid and did a great job of weaving a narrative about the architecture, political history and changes in Vietnam. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rgav12
May 23, 2024
Relaxed approach but very informative - I really enjoyed my tour with Mina. Her English was fantastic and she shared her extensive knowledge of coffee and Vietnamese history with an infectious enthusiasm. My basic knowledge both was limited and I felt she gauged this well so as not to overwhelm us with too much detail. The tour was topped off with a lovely coffee and tasty ice cream! 10/10 recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
2pinkm
May 17, 2024
Amazing and knowledgeable guide - Our host Mina, was splendid in sharing the history of Vietnam while sprinkling her own personal stories. She’s fantastic as a guide, keeping us all engaged and recommending really yummy coffee and coconut milk ice cream. I tried the yogurt coffee for my sensitive tummy while my friends tried the coconut coffee and lime coffee!:) I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in having a fuller experience of Hanoi and how they are such resilient people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisa_k
May 14, 2024
Knowledgeable guide - This was a great first tour to do in Hanoi. We learned a lot and had great coffee along the way. Mina was a great guide and shared a lot of interesting facts with us. Would recommend this!
Review provided by Viator
Audreyty294be
May 6, 2024
Inspiring French Quarter tour - We started our tour with a delicious egg-coffee and Mina, our guide, gave us a lot of background information about the café and coffee bean cultivation in Vietnam. After this boost we were ready to explore the French Quarter on foot. Mina has many stories to tell with a good sense of humour and a cheerful manner. I learned about history, architecture and tried two Vietnamese specialities - I really appreciated the tour:)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Astridhaznam23
May 3, 2024
Amazing experience! - The Coffee history & French quarter tour was amazing! Fast response on the booking side. Our tour guide (Mina) was very friendly and has a very good English. I and my friends had an impressive experience. Very recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sugane_b
Apr 21, 2024
Oui, j'aimerais bien! - Being with Dung and Quon, my two wonderful and knowledgeable guides. I'm a former French teacher and was interested in exploring French colonial influences past and present. I gained insights that I would not have otherwise discovered on my own. One thing I pointed out to them is how the Vietnamese write their numerals is in the French manner with 1s that look like 7s and 9s that look like the letter "g". Also 7s have the crossbar.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today